A Goodyear official said there were 10 incidents with tires during practice at Auto Club Speedway the past two days as some Sprint Cup teams struggled to adapt setups. With new suspension rules leading to increased speeds and downforce, tires were facing more stress than ever on a 2-mile oval whose abrasive surface already causes as much wear as any track in NASCAR’s premier series. ‘I think everyone is trying to be aggressive and get as much grip as possible,’ Goodyear’s director of race tire sales Greg Stucker said after the final session Saturday afternoon for the Auto Club 400. ‘A couple of guys had more problems than others.’
Team Penske was most affected with five tire problems between the Fords of #22-Joey Logano and #2-Brad Keselowski. Logano will start from the rear of Sunday’s race in a backup car after hitting the wall, as will Furniture Row’s Martin Truex Jr., who suffered a left-rear flat in his # 78 Chevrolet when entering turn 1.
Stucker said teams’ problems predominantly stemmed from left-rear tires that were run under the minimum recommended air pressure of 20 pounds. Teams push the limits on air pressure for better handling and speed, and Stucker said there were other teams that were below the minimum pressure that didn’t have problems. Stucker said the same tire was used the past two seasons at Fontana, and Goodyear believed it was structurally sound for use after teams adjusted to this season’s changes to the Gen 6 car. ‘It’s not just air pressure, it’s what else is under the car, and that’s what everyone is trying to get a handle on,’ Stucker said. ‘Let’s face it: We have a different race car than last year. I’m confident everyone will adjust.’(USA Today)
