NASCAR and Goodyear adjust strategy with crucial change for Bristol's Cup race

Modified Apr 13, 2025 15:37 GMT

NASCAR: Cup Practice and Qualifying - Source: Imagn — NASCAR Cup Series driver William Byron (24) during qualifying for the NASCAR Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Apr 12, 2025. Image: Imagn

NASCAR has announced that Cup Series teams will now get an extra set of tires for Sunday's Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. The Cup teams use NASCAR's sole tire supplier, Goodyear’s 18-inch racing tires, which were first used at Bristol in 2023. These are different from what the NASCAR Xfinity and Craftsman Truck teams used earlier this week at the short track.

The teams are given 9 plus one set, which is transferred from qualifying during the race, but NASCAR asked Goodyear to provide another set in addition for the race today. During the Cup practice and qualifying at the 0.533-mile oval on Saturday, tires wore out way too fast and some drivers had problems after just 40 laps. Reporter Kelly Crandall shared the same on X, writing:

"NASCAR/Goodyear has decided to give Cup Series teams an extra set of tires for today. It brings them to a total of 11 sets."

The two-time NMPA Writer of the Year winner also mentioned in a follow-up tweet that NASCAR also had to approve an extra set of tires for the 266.5-mile race in 2024.

"A set of tires was given to teams during the race last year, which also gave them 11 sets. So, they’re now getting that extra one before we start this afternoon."

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The Cup team can also use four sets of wet-weather tires, at the most, if NASCAR says the conditions call for them. The race is scheduled to start at 3 pm ET.

"I think all signs point to a race like the spring" - NASCAR Cup pole sitter for Bristol race

Most Cup drivers expect the race to replicate last year's action. Denny Hamlin won the 2024 Food City 500 after a record 54 lead changes in a NASCAR short track.

During practice this Saturday, the rubber came off the track instead of sticking. Alex Bowman qualified first with a qualifying time of 14.912 seconds for the ninth race of the NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol.

"I think all signs point to a race like the spring. We started practice with rubber already on the racetrack from the Xfinity cars and peeled it right up," Bowman said (via NBC Sports).

Sunday’s weather is also expected to be similar to the spring of last year.

Meanwhile, Larson, who won the Xfinity race at Bristol, will start the race in third position. The Hendrick Motorsports driver led 276 of the 300 laps.

Hamlin, with two previous Cup wins at Martinsville and Darlington, will start from fourth, while Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Ryan Blaney will also start the race in the top five.

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Palak Gupta is a dynamic motorsports writer with a unique blend of experience in economics and a passion for storytelling. Her enthusiasm for writing and a keen interest in racing steered her toward this field. With two years of professional writing experience, Palak has previously worked with Bhoomi, a non-profit organization, and as a content executive at MoreTasks Business Solution.

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While she recognizes that NASCAR may never reach the global prominence of Formula 1, Palak suggests expanding internationally and investing in technology to grow its audience. Palak is also an avid movie and documentary enthusiast, enjoys gardening, and loves to sketch and paint in her spare time.

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Edited by Luke Koshi