Goodyear officials were in NASCAR’s Charlotte-area backyard for tire testing Tuesday, giving Cup Series and Xfinity Series teams a go at gathering tire data and dialing in their set-ups for intermediate-sized tracks. While a recent push toward softer tire compounds with more short-term grip and advanced wear and fall-off has been a trend on smaller ovals, Tuesday’s track time at Charlotte Motor Speedway was more about finding a happy medium.
Tuesday marked the second Goodyear tire test for the Cup Series in just more than a week, with three teams participating in a one-day test at Phoenix Raceway on March 10. That session was intended to find a softer-tire foundation for similar tracks of 1 mile or shorter in length; Goodyear officials indicated that Tuesday’s test at the 1.5-mile Charlotte track was designed to determine a baseline for other intermediate-sized ovals looming on the Cup Series calendar.
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The same three Cup Series teams are scheduled for another full day of Goodyear tire testing Wednesday, with the Charlotte track open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. For the three Xfinity Series teams — Haas Factory Team with driver Sheldon Creed, JGR (Aric Almirola) and Richard Childress Racing (Austin Hill) — Tuesday marked their lone day of testing.
Tuesday’s session was not divided up by series, which meant that Cup and Xfinity cars shared an open track simultaneously. That created interesting occurrences, with Briscoe’s No. 19 Cup Series Toyota Camry making the rounds at the same time as another No. 19 — Almirola’s Xfinity Toyota Supra. It also highlighted the differences between the two vehicles on the same-style speedway.
— NASCAR.com —