Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Thursday, October 9, 2008
(INDIANAPOLIS, IN) - Goodyear officials and NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers were satisfied with the two days of private tire tests conducted at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this week.
Three days of testing were scheduled but Wednesday's session was cancelled due to morning rains.
The test was Goodyear's response to the abnormal tire wear during last July'S Allstate 400 At The Brickyard. The tires were unable to go much more than ten laps at speed, leading to multiple caution periods that slowed the race down.
Goodyear engineers believe softer compound tires than those used in July will allow more rubber to lay in the track and will help slow down the wear.
Stu Grant, Goodyear's General Manager of Worldwide Racing, admitted that the tire manufacturer made a mistake with the tires it brought to the speedway last summer.
Grant said on Tuesday that wear problems were present during a test last April, but that the same problem existed in 2007 tire tests. Goodyear assumed that since wear did not cause a problem during the 2007 Allstate 400 after significant rubber was laid on the track, that the problem would correct itself again in the 2008 race. The wild card in that equation was NASCAR redesigning the Sprint Cup car for 2008.
Fourteen drivers participated in this week's test before heading to Charlotte for this weekend's Sprint Cup race at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
Goodyear will test again at the speedway in April.
1340 AM WBIW welcomes comments and suggestions by calling 812.277.1340 during normal business hours or by email at comments@wbiw.com
© Ad-Venture Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.