NASCAR’s official tire partner all set to shake things up for Phoenix stop in March

Goodyear announced that it will be bringing the option tire back to the NASCAR spring race in Phoenix. The teams will be provided with multiple sets of the option tire during the weekend; one for practice and the other two for the race.

The NASCAR Cup Series witnessed the use of the option tire at Richmond Raceway in the 2024 season during the Cook Out 400. It caused a stir in tire strategies. The option tire is a softer compound compared to the normal tires that drivers use. It provides more grip around the track, meaning that drivers can go at higher speeds.

However, there is a large gamble alongside it. Because of the nature of its compound, the tire also wears out much faster than the usual "prime" compound tire. Hence, it becomes a choice of strategy to choose the option or the prime tire.

So far, NASCAR has not mandated the use of any of the tires, but a spokesperson announced that if the option tire works better during the Shriners Children's 500 at Phoenix in March, it will be used primarily during the Cup Series Championship race on the track in November.

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What will be the tire allocation for the NASCAR Phoenix Spring race with the option tire?

With an option to choose a tire, the allocation has been altered for the Shriners Children's 500 at Phoenix in March. The practice session allotment includes one prime set and another option set.

This will be followed by the qualifying session, where only one prime set will be allotted. The team would then have six prime sets for the race and another two option sets, totaling up to eight sets for the main race on Sunday. They will also have the qualifying carryover set.

As mentioned, NASCAR has set no mandatory rules for using a particular tire set for the race. All teams will be allowed to use the tires as per their strategies, much like the race at Richmond Raceway last year in August, which also included the use of the option tire alongside the prime tires.

Using the option tire brings quite a change to the team strategies as the tires do not perform the same. Drivers are able to bring out huge benefits in these situations. Daniel Suarez led 93 laps during the Cook Out 400 in the 2024 season owing to the mixed strategies and made it into the top 10.

The availability of the option tire brings more competition. Other motorsports like Formula 1 have been using multiple compounds for years now. They have not two, but three compounds, and the rules mandate the use of at least two different compounds in a dry race. This, as mentioned, stirs up strategies and brings in more competition.