NASCAR Cup Series — Race No. 6 – 325 laps / 500.5 miles
NASCAR Xfinity Series — Race No. 6 – 163 laps / 251 miles
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series — Race No. 4 – 130 laps / 200 miles
Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.54-mile oval) – Hampton, Ga.
Fast Facts for March 20-21, 2021
Tire: Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials
Set limits:
Cup: 13 sets for the race;
Xfinity – 5 sets for the race;
Truck: 5 sets for the race
Tire Codes:
Left-side — D-4956;
Right-side — D-4958
Tire Circumference:
Left-side — 2,224 mm (87.56 in.);
Right-side — 2,250 mm (88.58 in.)
Minimum Recommended Inflation:
Left Front — 18 psi; Left Rear — 18 psi;
Right Front — 48 psi; Right Rear — 44 psi
Storyline – Atlanta treats tires like a termite treats a two-by-four: While there has been talk over the past several years about re-paving Atlanta Motor Speedway, the worn, asphalt surface remains and it continues to make for some of the most compelling racing at any track on the NASCAR circuit. The abrasive surface wears tires to the tune of three seconds per lap over the course of a run. That leads teams to potentially short pit before the end of a fuel run for fresh tires. It also brings driving style more into play. Those that are able to manage their tires may give up some spots to hard charging drivers early in a run, but gain back more later. With 13 sets of Goodyear Eagles for this race, Cup teams will stop and take four tires at every opportunity. That brings the team aspect of the sport into play as the pit crews play a large role in track position and, ultimately, the finish of the race.
“Atlanta is one of those tracks that we race on where everyone knows going in – it will be four-tire stops all day long,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “The abrasive surface really wears tires aggressively, and that is something that the drivers and fans seem to enjoy. Not only do the pit crews become more involved in the outcome of the race because teams will take four tires on every stop, tire management becomes a big part of the equation. Drivers that are smoother on and off the throttle and don’t slide their tires are able to affect the fall-off over the course of a run. Being able to run several tenths of a second faster after 25 or 30 laps will help some drivers make up a lot of track position and lead to a lot of passing on the way to the front.”
Notes –NASCAR teams return to Atlanta on same tire set-up as last season: Teams in all three NASCAR series will run the same tire set-up at Atlanta this weekend . . . this is the same combination of left- and right-side tires that these teams ran at this track in 2020 . . . this right-side tire is a multi-zone tread tire, with two different tread compounds on the same tire — a two-inch inboard compound designed for heat resistance (Endurance Zone) and a 10-inch outboard compound to give more grip (Traction Zone) . . . Goodyear debuted its multi-zone technology for use in NASCAR at Atlanta in 2013 . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run liners in all four tire positions at Atlanta . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.
— Goodyear Racing —