How many tire sets are allowed in a NASCAR race? Complete guide

A NASCAR race is a cumulative effort by the the crew, pitstops, drivers, aerodynamics, tires, and many other essential parts. Completing one stint on the asphalt requires a plethora of considerations to go through. One among them, which arguably experiences maximum deterioration during the entirety of the race, is the tires.

Goodyear has held the baton of manufacturing compounds for NASCAR since 1954. Unlike normal tires, the wheels of stock cars have engineered rubber that burns off quickly so that the freshest rubber stays in contact with the asphalt, ensuring the best grip at all times.

NASCAR offers four categories of tracks to fight the battle on. Circuits having a minimum measurement of two miles fall under the category of Superspeedways. A track tallying around 1.5 miles is considered an Intermediate Oval, and anything one or less than 1 mile is known as a Short Track.

On an average Daytona 500 race, a Cup Series car can gobble up anywhere between 20 to 28 compounds. The degradation is not uniform and varies according to the characteristics of the track. For a high-banking oval like the Bristol Motor Speedway, the wear on the right tires will be way more than the left ones.

How many sets of tires does NASCAR provide?

NASCAR typically permits each team to use fifteen sets of rubber per race on each car. However, the number can vary depending on the length and type of the track. Seven fresh tires are reserved for the race day, whereas the other eight are used during the practice and qualifying sessions. To ensure a level playing field, only a single type of compound is allowed during the race.

To enhance the durability of the tires on tracks over one mile in the distance, a concept of inner lining came into being, ensuring added layers of rubber. However, with the introduction of NextGen cars into the stock car racing scene, the former concept was discontinued.

Furthermore, the tires are split into three categories - the smooth ones with no visible treads are known as slicks and ensure maximum grip on a dry surface. Then comes the rain tire, which has visible treads like a road car and helps dissipate the water between the rubber and the asphalt. The dirt tires are similar to the rain tires but have a symmetrical tread pattern compared to the former's inconsistent one.

NASCAR mends the rule for an unexpected turnaround at Bristol

The fifth Cup Series race saw Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin securing his maiden win of the season. The caution-riddled Food City 500 run at the Bristol Motor Speedway witnessed tire degradation at a faster rate than expected. Initially, a total of nine sets were permitted to be used, but the unforeseen situation prompted the management to take some steps.

The officials kept a note of the matter at Bristol and allowed to use of another set of tires. PRN shared the news of the amendment of rules on their X (formerly Twitter) account:

"NASCAR just confirmed they'll give teams one extra set of tires. But that's it. Goodyear officials told @GuruGarrow they had enough for an additional set but no more."