Full Throttle

Via Speed TV

Goodyear officials confirmed that NASCAR has proposed a “lease” situation under which teams would not buy tires, per se, but would instead lease them from Goodyear. The idea is to limit the number of tires available to teams for testing, and thus to reduce testing, period.

Teams still would pay the going price for a set of tires, about $1600, but all tires, used and unused, would be returned to Goodyear after each race. A similar rule is in place in IRL/IndyCar, for similar reasons. Teams often hoard unused tires for future track tests, with testing being a major expense.

“Team testing probably represents a great area of opportunity to save costs,” Goodyear field director Rick Heinrich said. “A lot of these teams go straight from these races to testing, weekly. “We’re here to support the sport and NASCAR. If that’s what’s best for the sport and that’s what’s best for the teams, that’s fine with us. “It would make things more predictable [in tire production]. That’s one of the challenges we have week to week, what we need to bring to the race track to satisfy team.”

Color me skeptical, there have been rumors of Bridgestone offering NASCAR tires when and if Toyota enters the NEXTEL Cup Series. And Michelin has been discussed” as a possible supplier. I have little doubt many tires suppliers would love to enter NASCAR but it comes down to NASCAR’s loyalty to Goodyear and how much money it’s worth to others.

It wouldn’t be the first instance of NASCAR teams having two tires to chose from. 1988 saw nine NASCAR Winston Cup events won on Hoosier tires and the ‘89 Daytona 500 was won by Darrel Waltrip who rode home on Hoosiers. (And extremely good gas mileage) Hoosier later that year withdrew from NASCAR to conduct 3-year radial R & D program. They returned to the Busch Series in 1991 and Winston Cup in 1994 winning 4 races with Geoff Bodine.

I do have serious reservations that leasing tires will solve anything. I liken this approach to using an aerial tanker to put out a waste basket fire. Why go to such extremes when a simple testing limit can be imposed? If the sanctioning body imposed a limit on testing that covers teams and not individual drivers it will not only save money but will negate the current advantage multi-car teams enjoy.

Currently multi-car teams all test as individuals, they share data with each other and that effectively increases laps tested and amount of data compiled. That’s a distinct advantage over a one car team who would need to test 3 to 5 times more to gather the same amount of data. A limit of “X” amount of test days each year, per team, would save money and make some headway in leveling the competition between the “haves” and the “have nots.”

Frankly I think this idea sucks right out of the box and make zero sense.

Unless… you factor in NASCAR’s normal secrecy, a possible “sweetheart deal” of some sort with Goodyear, and the above mentioned rumors of impending entry of other tire manufacturers to the sport. Then it may make sense, but it damm sure won’t level any playing fields that I see.