For the race this week at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta, drivers and groups are going to should make a slight adjustment. NASCAR and Goodyear are introducing a brand new right-side tire that’s designed to provide extra fall off within the race.
Atlanta and its new configuration as a tiny drafting monitor have been one of the profitable experiments in latest NASCAR historical past. For a lot of causes, the racing there’s electrical, and it simply works.
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In keeping with the Goodyear Racing notes for this weekend, the brand new proper facet tire goes to be paired with the identical left sides which have been used since 2023. It is a transfer to make these tires extra just like the tires on different 1.5-mile tracks.
It isn’t the tread, however the development of the tire that’s actually being modified. Principally, the stuff beneath the tread on the floor. These tires are solely going for use at Atlanta because of the manner tires have fallen off in previous races. It is a very particular tire made only for the 2 Cup Sequence races at EchoPark Speedway.
A crew member checks on tires forward of racing at Charlotte.Necessary Credit score: Scott Kinser-Imagn Pictures
(Necessary Credit score: Scott Kinser-Imagn Pictures)
“Usually, the tires we use at EchoPark Speedway are solely used at this monitor, and its easy floor doesn’t naturally result in a lot tire put on,” mentioned Rick Heinrich, Goodyear NASCAR product supervisor, in a press launch. “As such, we develop tires that encourage put on, and we’ve seen persistently good racing right here because it turned a superspeedway.”
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Goodyear and NASCAR have began to take the tires very critically. There are tweaks and updates it looks like nearly weekly. That is factor. Tires have made brief monitor racing bearable for probably the most half within the Subsequent Gen automotive.
These groups and drivers should be challenged. Tires ought to fall off and threat going flat if they’re abused an excessive amount of. Discovering the bounds of the automotive, adapting, and discovering the pace you have to not solely compete effectively but in addition preserve your automotive from blowing tires. It is a part of what makes inventory automotive racing so nice.
Preserve a watch out for flat right-side tires this week. We are going to see how groups adapt in follow and qualifying. They’re at all times pushing the bounds on tire pressures, and with a brand new tire, some groups are seemingly going to play with fireplace and get burned.
This story was initially printed by on Feb 17, 2026, the place it first appeared within the part. Add Athlon Sports activities as a
