Goodyear on hot seat again over tire issues

Schwartz Fan · 03-07-2010

Goodyear on hot seat again over tire issues
By PAUL NEWBERRY, AP Sports Writer

HAMPTON, Ga. (AP)—Goodyear is facing more questions about the quality of its tires.

At least a dozen drivers were affected by tire problems during Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, stirring up complaints that Goodyear supplied a compound that was good for speed but low on durability at the high-banked track.

“When they come here and test, you expect them to build a tire that we can abuse and that we can race hard with,” said Jeff Gordon, one of those affected. “That obviously wasn’t the case. There is a good chance we were too aggressive, but until we go back and analyze everything it’s hard to say.”

Ryan Newman also chimed in.

“Goodyear’s got some work to do,” he said. “It’s a safety situation. We popped one. There are a lot of guys who popped one.”

Race winner Kurt Busch didn’t have any problems. He was conscious of protecting his tires after Dale Earnhardt Jr. qualified for the pole with the fastest speed of the Car of Tomorrow era.

“When you have that happen, that means the tires are really grabbing hold of the racetrack,” Busch said. “That means you’re going to have speed. And when you have speed on a track that’s very abrasive, yeah, you’re going to be worried about tires, whether it’s blistering of the right front, blistering the right rear. You have to find that right combination.”

Goodyear racing chief Stu Grant defended the quality of the tire.

“It’s a tire the guys are happy to run on,” he said. “They’re comfortable and they’re fast if the setup is good. The leaders are running great. If you look at (Kasey Kahne) and (Busch), their tires have looked great all day.”

Kahne finished fourth.

Goodyear on hot seat again over tire issues - NASCAR - Yahoo! Sports

Scooters · 03-08-2010

From some of the tire wear shots that were televised, it looked like it might be a camber issue more than a compound issue.

revvinjim · 03-08-2010

I have to agree, it was a camber issue, or, to be precise, the rear axle being offset to the maximum allowable specs. Remember when these Hendrick guys were complaining about the Penske cars being offset too much. I guess "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

Scooters · 03-08-2010

I think the Hendrick guys mighta over done it just a tad though.

03-07-2010	#1 (permalink)
Schwartz Fan Co-Administrator Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: The flatlands...Where dirt is for farming, clay is for racin' and asphalt is for gettin there!!! Posts: 10,112	Goodyear on hot seat again over tire issues Goodyear on hot seat again over tire issues By PAUL NEWBERRY, AP Sports Writer HAMPTON, Ga. (AP)—Goodyear is facing more questions about the quality of its tires. At least a dozen drivers were affected by tire problems during Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, stirring up complaints that Goodyear supplied a compound that was good for speed but low on durability at the high-banked track. “When they come here and test, you expect them to build a tire that we can abuse and that we can race hard with,” said Jeff Gordon, one of those affected. “That obviously wasn’t the case. There is a good chance we were too aggressive, but until we go back and analyze everything it’s hard to say.” Ryan Newman also chimed in. “Goodyear’s got some work to do,” he said. “It’s a safety situation. We popped one. There are a lot of guys who popped one.” Race winner Kurt Busch didn’t have any problems. He was conscious of protecting his tires after Dale Earnhardt Jr. qualified for the pole with the fastest speed of the Car of Tomorrow era. “When you have that happen, that means the tires are really grabbing hold of the racetrack,” Busch said. “That means you’re going to have speed. And when you have speed on a track that’s very abrasive, yeah, you’re going to be worried about tires, whether it’s blistering of the right front, blistering the right rear. You have to find that right combination.” Goodyear racing chief Stu Grant defended the quality of the tire. “It’s a tire the guys are happy to run on,” he said. “They’re comfortable and they’re fast if the setup is good. The leaders are running great. If you look at (Kasey Kahne) and (Busch), their tires have looked great all day.” Kahne finished fourth. Goodyear on hot seat again over tire issues - NASCAR - Yahoo! Sports __________________

03-08-2010	#2 (permalink)
Scooters VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 7,386	From some of the tire wear shots that were televised, it looked like it might be a camber issue more than a compound issue. __________________ Have you ever felt like doing this to someone?

03-08-2010	#3 (permalink)
revvinjim Resident Old Fart Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Colorado Springs, CO Posts: 2,992	I have to agree, it was a camber issue, or, to be precise, the rear axle being offset to the maximum allowable specs. Remember when these Hendrick guys were complaining about the Penske cars being offset too much. I guess "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em." __________________ Never argue with an idiot--people watching might not be able to tell the difference.

03-08-2010	#4 (permalink)
Scooters VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 7,386	I think the Hendrick guys mighta over done it just a tad though. __________________ Have you ever felt like doing this to someone?

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