The spring race at Bristol Motor Speedway for the NASCAR Cup Series returned to the concrete surface Sunday, March 17. The result was a day filled with 54 lead changes, the most short track races in series history, and numerous tire failures.
When dust and loose rubber have settled, Denis Hamlin emerged with his first victory of 2024, his second consecutive victory at Bristol and the 52nd checkered flag of his Cup Series career. Keep reading for all the tire talk and other stories from the pit roads of the world’s fastest half-mile.
Tire management, the theme of the day
It was the only topic on everyone’s lips throughout the race: tires. It became apparent early on that drivers could do around 50 laps on a set of sticker tires before starting to have problems, particularly on the right side. Crew chiefs along pit road factored tire wear into their race plans.
“Tire wear is a problem,” said Drew Blickensderfer, crew chief of the No. 10 Stewart Haas Racing Ford driven by Noah Gragson, said during a team meeting before the race filmed by Fox Sports. “There is more drop than with resin compared to PJ1. We can do 50 laps with your right front tire. Here, it happens quickly.
Blickensderfer’s statement proved prophetic. Josh Berry, Kyle Busch And Ricky Stenhouse Jr. are just some of the many drivers who have experienced tire failures in Bristol’s concrete jungle. Concern over tires became so great that NASCAR made an extra set of Goodyear tires available to each team.
Due to tire wear, the pace of the race slowed significantly, with teams focusing more on conserving tires rather than finding their way forward. It was also a hectic race, with nine caution flags and a single green flag lasting over 50 laps, with tire-related issues most often the cause of the yellow flag.
This type of racing focused on tire management favored wary veterans over younger players. Only five drivers have finished the Food City 500 on the first lap; of these five drivers, Martin Truex Jr. (second), Brad Keselowski (third) and Kyle Larson (fifth) are former champions, and Hamlin is a future NASCAR Hall of Famer despite his lack of a championship. The experience and success of these drivers has served them well in managing their tires and saving rubber for last.
It will be interesting to follow the consequences and reactions to the tire problems at Bristol. Post-race driver reactions regarding the tires were decidedly mixed. Bristol is not only a playoff race, but also the preliminary race to the opening round of 16.
It is likely that drivers, teams and fans will be wary of tire problems at such an important track on the calendar. Goodyear will certainly take a close look at the tires and data from this weekend, and may make adjustments to the tire compound for Bristol before the trip home in September.
Keselowski bounces back from Pit Road collision
Keselowski overcame more than just tire wear to reach the podium. While stopping under caution on Lap 256, Keselowski was hit on the right side of his No. 6 RFK Racing Ford while exiting his pit box. Ironically, the other driver involved was Austin Cindricthe driver of the No. 2 Penske Racing Ford, Keselowski’s former longtime driver.
As Cindric floundered to 31st place five laps down, Keselowski remained unfazed. Damage from the pit road incident proved minor and the 2012 Cup Series champion did an exemplary job managing tires during the second half of the race to take the checkered flag in third. .
With two consecutive top-five finishes, Keselowski and RFK Racing are heading in the right direction after stumbling in the first two races of the season at Daytona and Atlanta.
Look forward to next week
The NASCAR Cup Series will take place on the road for the first time in 2024 with the hosting of the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. With stage warnings still in effect on road courses, teams will need to consider whether to accumulate stage points or develop a pit strategy focused on the end goal of the checkered flag. With the race being only 68 laps/231.88 miles, any mistakes during pit stops will be further magnified.
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