NASCAR Announces Huge Change To NASCAR Cup Series Race At Phoenix Raceway

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NASCAR has confirmed a huge change for the upcoming Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway in March.

The racing organization has announced the use of a new "Option" tire for the Shriners Children's 500 race at Phoenix Raceway which is scheduled for March 9.

NASCAR has a rich history of utilizing tire changes to alter racing strategies and increase excitement on the track. The introduction of the "Option" tire is part of this ongoing effort.

Goodyear, which has been the official tire supplier for NASCAR since 1997, plays a vital role in this development.

The new tire allocation for the race will see teams receiving six sets of "Primary" tires and two sets of the "Option" tires. Teams will also be given an extra set of each tire type for use during practice sessions, allowing them to plan and strategize effectively.

These "Option" tires, made with a softer compound, are designed to provide increased grip and improved lap times. However, this comes at the cost of long-run speed, a trade-off not present with the "Primary" tire.

Speaking about the new tire compound ahead of the 2024 Martinsville race, Goodyear's director of racing Greg Stucker explained:

"This year has been one of great development and advances on our short-track tire package.

"The option tire that we ran at both North Wilkesboro and Richmond has been designed to give the Cup cars more grip early in a run and have lap times fall off more later.

"We come to Martinsville with that same right-side tread compound as part of the setup teams will run, along with a left-side tire that utilizes the 'softest' tread compound in our tire lineup.

"Martinsville is a tricky track for many reasons — not only the time of year we race there, but also the layout with the tight, concrete corners. We had a good test there in August and came out of it with this setup, which is another step forward on our short track package."

Originally tested during the 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, the "Option" tire gained considerable attention during its first use in a points-paying event at Richmond Raceway.

The potential for these tires doesn't stop at the March race. NASCAR has noted the possibility of adopting the "Option" tire as the "Primary" tire for the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race in November, should its implementation prove successful at Phoenix.