Dale Earnhardt Jr. heaps praise on Goodyear’s “near-perfect” tires used at the Atlanta Cup race

Dale Earnhardt Jr. applauded Goodyear for the tires used at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The former NASCAR driver described the rubbers as "near perfect" for providing the Cup cars with good grip around the 1.5-mile track.

Earnhardt Jr. is a 50-year-old Kannapolis native who won 26 NASCAR Cup Series races. He only won one race at AMS (Golden Corral 500) in 2004 before the track was reconfigured to produce superspeedway-like racing three years ago.

In an X (formerly Twitter) post, Dale Jr. commended the tires Goodyear brought in for the 2025 Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

"This tire @GoodyearRacing brought to @ATLMotorSpdwy seems to be near perfect. Putting down a lot of rubber and the balance of the cars is a challenge for drivers and teams," Dale Earnhardt Jr. wrote.

With the track reconfigured like a superspeedway, tire grip is essential in gluing the cars on the ground at speeds around 180 mph. Dale Jr. argued the balance of the cars should make up crucial tire strategies among the teams.

Team Penske started the race strong with a front-row lockout by Ryan Blaney and Austin Cindric. Joey Logano, the winner of the Atlanta fall race last year, lined up in fourth position alongside fellow Ford driver Josh Berry.

NASCAR drivers in the 2025 Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta - Source: Imagn

The drivers had a smooth, caution-less race in Stage 1, with Berry securing his first stage win since Daytona (Coke Zero Sugar 400) last year. Meanwhile, Kyle Larson finished P1 in Stage 2 to post his first stage win on a drafting track.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. supports Chase Elliott's approval of reconfigured Atlanta track

After Chase Elliott praised the reconfigured layout of the Atlanta Motor Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr. backed the hometown hero. He recalled NASCAR drivers feeling uneasy about the reconfiguration before highlighting the track's potential.

Dale Jr. took to X and wrote:

"Man, I like what I'm hearing from Chase (Elliott) here. Praising the reconfig. I remember when most drivers were very weary of a reconfig at ATL. ATL has a real chance to be explosive (in a good way) for @NASCAR. The racing I've seen there the past few years is some of the best around. Kept me on the edge of my seat."

"As the surface ages over the years and drivers have to really chase the handle on the cars, it's going to get even more intense," he added.

The former Hendrick Motorsports driver believes AMS could become one of the most attractive races on the calendar if the plans to further enhance the track come to fruition.

"And there were some plans for additional development around the property that if they materialize will make it one of the most attractive stops of the season for fans." Dale Earnhardt Jr. concluded.

The Georgia-based oval track was reconfigured between the 2021 and 2022 seasons. The turns' banking angle was increased from 24 to 28 degrees, while the racing surface width was reduced from 55 to 40 feet.

The updated layout aimed to create pack racing similar to Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.