NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
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CUP: Testing Tires, Loading Data
Goodyear tire tests give participating teams an early look at upcoming tracks…
Mike Hembree  |  Posted April 07, 2012   Charlotte, NC
Goodyear is the exclusive tire supplier of NASCAR. (Photo: Getty Images)
Do Goodyear tire tests give drivers and teams that participate in them a leg up at the next race at the test track?

Of course they do.

It’s not exactly fair, but, to use a popular NASCAR phrase, “It is what it is.”

In the interests of safety and competition, tire compounds must be tested prior to actual use in race situations. That is particularly true when a track has been repaved or had other modifications.

With schedules already packed, it’s typically impossible – and in the best of worlds logistically a nightmare – to have every team at every test. So Goodyear invites a handful, attempting to spread the opportunities among all teams and manufacturers throughout the year.

Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Juan Pablo Montoya, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch tested tires on the recently repaved surface at Michigan International Speedway Tuesday and Wednesday.

Jamie McMurray, Kasey Kahne, Joey Logano, AJ Allmendinger and Aric Almirola are scheduled to run tests on the new surface at Pocono Raceway April 24-25.

Gordon said the tests are beneficial in numerous ways.

“I think it has some advantages; there is no doubt about that,” he said. “We gather the data any time we can go to any track. Whether it is a repave or not, we are gathering data. But when it is a repave, it is smooth and you get to understand the loads, the grip levels and what the track kind of needs.

“We want to play our role and help Goodyear develop the best tire for that track. If we can gather some data that is beneficial to us, then we certainly are going to try to take advantage of that, as well.”

Kenseth agreed.

“For sure it does, especially after a new repave and a different configuration,” he said. “I don’t know if you learn your exact setup and all that because everything will change when you get here, but it’s certainly nice to get a feel for the track and gather some data.”

At tests, each car is loaded with devices that record a range of data, activities that are not possible during normal race weekends.

“On normal weekends when we practice, we can’t put any kind of telemetry on the car,” Kenseth said. “We can’t really look at any of that. The only thing is with the electric fuel injection now we can gather some data with throttle and brake traces and some different engine data, but when we come here to test we can put whatever instrumentation we want on the car, so, really, we look at all of that stuff.

“There’s a ton of things they look at like ride heights and bump-stop loads – all kinds of different things they can look at today and then gather it all up to take home and look at it before we come back.”

Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 30 years. He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.
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