All NASCAR Cup Series teams face a mandatory change this weekend that could have huge playoff implications in Bristol.
Teams will face a new tire setup for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race as the sport visits the iconic Tennessee track for a second time in 2025.
Saturday night’s Cup Series Round of 16 heat race (7:30 p.m. ET) will see the teams use an all-new right-side tire compound for the first time ever, as well as the same left-side tire compound they used here in April.
Goodyear Director of Operations Justin Fantozzi explained the change to a softer compound than in April, explaining: “As has been the trend on short tracks this year for the Cup Series, the right-side Goodyear Racing Eagle tire will have a slightly softer tread compound than what was raced in April.
“The steeply raked concrete surface is demanding and continually evolves over 500 laps as rubber is laid down. This tire configuration is designed to withstand heavy loads while optimizing handling for riders.”
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Hamlin teases potential for tire mayhem at Bristol
This tire change for Bristol has already been hot NASCAR topic this week, with a superstar driver Dennis Hamlin teasing the potential for absolute chaos on Saturday night.
He says information from his sources suggests that testing of the new compound has not gone well, revealing: “They have this machine apparently that looks like sandpaper, anyway, so there’s a tire that goes on this sand belt machine, and then it checks the wear, like how is this tire going to wear under certain loads.”
“And apparently they put the Bristol tire on the right side and it immediately shredded into the machine. Like it was so aggressive that it destroyed the machine, it just collapsed and got stuck in the machine.”
Hamlin then claimed that NASCAR’s explanation was that the new tire came straight off the production line and had not been allowed to harden and stiffen, before adding: “Either way, I’m all for Team Chaos this week. I hope we can’t do 50 laps. I just hope they have enough tires, that’ll be my thing.”
If things start to go south – literally – on Saturday night, it wouldn’t be the first time in Bristol. Remember Hamlin’s victory in March 2024 in a race that included 54 lead changes due to excessive tire wear.
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NASCAR Cup Series tires for Bristol
Tire: Goodyear racing eagle
Tire code: D-5170 left side, D-5264 right side
Previous use in 2025: Bristol (LS)
Tire circumference: 2254 mm (88.7 in) left side, 2276 (89.6 in) right side
Minimum recommended inflation: LF – 16 psi, RF – 46 psi, LR – 18 psi, RR – 44 psi
Total sets in dry weather: 11 (9 new races / 1 qualifying transfer in race / 1 training)
Total Wet Weather Sets: 4
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