NASCAR Cup Series — Race No. 7 – 400 laps / 300 miles
Richmond Raceway (0.75-mile oval) – Richmond, Va.
Fast Facts for April 2-3, 2022
Tire: Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials
Set limits: Cup – 1 set for practice, 1 set for qualifying and 9 sets for the race (8 race sets plus 1 set transferred from qualifying)
Tire Codes: Left-side — D-5124; Right-side — D-5126
Tire Circumference: Left-side — 2,251 mm (88.62 in.); Right-side — 2,276 mm (89.61 in.)
Minimum Recommended Inflation: Left Front — 12 psi; Left Rear — 12 psi; Right Front — 30 psi; Right Rear — 26 psi
Storyline – Richmond a key player in 18-inch tire development: The NASCAR Cup race at Richmond Raceway marks the first time this season that teams will go to the track after previously having run a particular Goodyear tire set-up. Cup teams ran this same tire combination at Phoenix Raceway last month, so the process of building some depth to teams’ notebooks on this package is underway.
Richmond has been an important track in the process of developing the 18-inch bead diameter tire for the NASCAR Next Gen car. Goodyear held its first 18-inch test at this track back in December 2019 and returned for another session in March 2021.
As far as specific challenges this weekend, Richmond is considered a high tire wear track. Tire management will come into play, with drivers who are easier on their tires early in a run being able to be faster at the end of a run. Pit crews will be busy, with nine sets of tires for the 400-lap race (44 laps per set). Teams will take four tires at almost every opportunity in the race.
“Richmond lines up with several other tracks on the Cup schedule, and teams have already run this set-up at Phoenix,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “With such a steep learning curve with this car and the 18-inch tire, returning to tracks on the same package really helps teams start to put things together. Richmond is now considered a high tire wear track, so teams and drivers will have to mange their tires. As tires wear and the track takes rubber, drivers will have multiple grooves, making for some great racing with a lot of passing. We’re off to a great start to the season with the on-track racing, and Richmond should continue that trend.”
Notes – Cup cars on Phoenix tire set-up at Richmond: Having moved to an 18-inch bead diameter tire for 2022, NASCAR Cup teams will run a different tire set-up than those in the Xfinity Series at Richmond this week . . . this is the same combination of left- and right-side tires Cup teams ran at Phoenix four weeks ago . . . they are also scheduled to run this same tire set-up at Gateway in June . . . in addition to the obvious construction changes to what Cup teams ran at Richmond last season, these two tire codes feature compound changes to give the cars more grip . . . with this 18-inch tire, and its lower profile sidewall, NASCAR Cup cars will not run inner liners in any of their tires in 2022.
GOODYEAR TIRE NOTES
NASCAR Xfinity Series — Race No. 7 — 250 laps / 187.5 miles
Richmond Raceway (0.75-mile oval) – Richmond, Va.
Fast Facts for April 2, 2022
Tire: Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials
Set limits: Xfinity – 5 sets for the event
Tire Codes: Left-side — D-6114; Right-side — D-6116
Tire Circumference: Left-side — 2,218 mm (87.32 in.); Right-side — 2,244 mm (88.35 in.)
Minimum Recommended Inflation: Left Front — 12 psi; Left Rear — 12 psi; Right Front — 30 psi; Right Rear — 27 psi
Notes – Second time on this tire combination for Xfinity teams: Being on 15-inch bead diameter tires, NASCAR Xfinity Series teams will run a different tire set-up than those in the Cup Series at Richmond this weekend . . . this is the same tire set-up these teams ran at Phoenix last month . . . compared to what Xfinity teams ran at Richmond last season, both of these tire codes feature minor compound changes . . . as on most NASCAR ovals one mile or less in length, teams will not run inner liners in their tires at Richmond.
— Goodyear Racing —