Tires. Generally you think about your tires when the number on your inspection sticker and the number on your calendar matches up. It is then you take a quick look at the treads and think they will sneak by one more time or you realize they would hardly be safe hanging from a tree. If the latter is the case, you then mumble some profanity and begin the search for the best deal. Internet, newspaper, friends… Ads and questions… Buy three get one free… all weather or performance… tread life… Do you want the replacement warranty?
Race drivers don’t have most of these worries. The tires they get are sanctioned so they aren’t shopping the net for the best deal. They do, however, find themselves at some facility testing those very tires that are issued for race day. In some ways you could equate this to comparison shopping as the drivers are out all day with tire stats instead of doing fun stuff at home.
Such was the case the first week of August at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia. Several top tier drivers were on hand to run laps with selections of tires from NASCAR sanctioned supplier, Goodyear. Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Martin Truex, Jr and Kevin Harvick were laying rubber down at Martinsville and giving feedback on the good, the bad and the slippery.
Why these drivers? We didn’t ask. Likely it is part of the job as “driver” detailed in their employ manual. The media center at Martinsville was full of folks intent on asking questions about tech specs, season standings, “Chase” strategy and all that kind of dry, racing stuff. We’re a little fish happy to be included so stopping down to ask “Wouldn’t you rather be mowing your lawn…?” seemed a little out of place.
However, we have been at enough of these things to know that when a question like that is asked the answer, in some way, shape or form, is always “…any wheel time is good for us as we can apply what we get from today to future race days…”
They are professionals. They know if they were to honestly say something non-technical or off point with the job at hand there may be some later consequence. If one were to respond “Well… The wife had this list of things to do around the house. It was test tires in a race car or clean the gutters…”
Publish that and dinner conversation could be a little cold…
So we listened and picked up on the details.
Tires. NASCAR and Goodyear periodically run tests on the compounds and structure of the tires to get feedback on grip, endurance, stress, handling and all that. Tires on short tracks, like Martinsville, are different from the tires on big speedways, such as Talladega. They test at big tracks, too, so they can get useful results to apply to the tires available at any given race.
Another issue at this test was looking forward to the 2013 season. NASCAR is making a few changes with the car itself. The plan is to have the cars have a look that more closely resembles the production model you and I can put tires on. The car should also be lighter by around 100lbs.
The Ford, Chevy and Toyota styles, if closer to the production lines, will open up all sorts of aerodynamic situations that NASCAR will likely be reviewing. The tires, from the drivers’ viewpoint, should improve also. A lighter car will put less stress on the tires which could lead to extra laps and less blowouts. Time well tell.
Dodge was not at Martinsville. They won’t be around for 2013. Current teams using the Dodge body line will be scrambling to get in with one of the remaining from Ford, Chevy and Toyota. Dodge announced they are dropping out so NASCAR sanctioned races will be without the Charger, Challenger and RAM for 2013. There is no solid word on a planned return.
The drivers and teams at the test were taking notes on the tires and what they could get from a technical standpoint on setups for the hard braking and turns at Martinsville. Edwards and Truex, Jr. seemed excited about the new cars to the point of almost being gushy.
All the teams will be back at Martinsville in October as the championship will be in full swing. The “Chase” bunch will be set in a few weeks following the checkers at Richmond. Bristol is on the horizon.
Tire tests and new styles for 2013 being tested in August at Martinsville gives some data to NASCAR and Goodyear. For the rest of us it is a reminder that Virginia race fans have some big events coming up which will play a big role in late season racing points.
Get some tickets. Go racing.
But don’t forget the hot dogs!