Chase Briscoe on Dover Goodyear tire is at the center of NASCAR’s latest shakeup as drivers prepare for the Monster Mile with a brand-new tire compound. As teams head to Dover Motor Speedway this weekend, questions mount over how the custom-engineered Goodyear rubber will affect handling, pit decisions, and the pulse of qualifying, with no one fully certain what to expect until racing gets underway.
New Tire Compound Raises the Stakes at the Monster Mile
The Cup Series leaves behind weeks of road course action for the fast, demanding concrete oval in Delaware, making tire choice more critical than ever. NASCAR’s reworked 2025 schedule pushed Dover’s race from its usual spring slot into the hotter midsummer, increasing both track temperatures and stress on equipment. In response, Goodyear introduced an all-new compound solely for this event, hoping to give drivers the grip they need to tackle unforgiving corners under extreme conditions.
Delaware’s mid-July heat, projected to climb into the 90s, pits drivers against both the surface and the elements. The slick concrete at Dover, notorious for rapid tire wear, forced Goodyear to create a compound never before seen at the Monster Mile. This one-off solution means uncertainty for every team in the Cup Series, with enthusiasm and unease running equally high in the garage.
Chase Briscoe of Joe Gibbs Racing voiced his thoughts on the situation during his SiriusXM NASCAR appearance, addressing widespread speculation about how this new tire might alter the racing dynamic throughout the event.
“It is definitely one of those things you don’t really know what you’ve got until you get there. You know, on the sim I would say it’s definitely fast. It just has a lot of grip compared to at least what we were in last year, so that’ll be interesting to see if the fall-off is more extreme.”
—Chase Briscoe, Driver
This enhanced grip marks a major change from previous laps around Dover. With the potential for major differences in how cars behave on long and short runs, teams are bracing for the unfamiliar—knowing that race results may hinge on who adapts fastest to this new challenge.
Qualifying Could See New Speeds and Unexpected Leaders
Drivers like Briscoe see the upcoming qualifying session as a chance to set new benchmarks on the Monster Mile. Across other tracks using Goodyear’s recent compounds, teams have noticed rising speeds during time trials. The expectation is that this new Dover-specific rubber, designed for extra grip, could push the fastest cars to even faster laps while demanding greater skill and focus.
Briscoe offered more insight on what qualifying might look like with this tire:
“I definitely think the qualifying speeds are gonna be faster. We’ve kind of seen that everywhere. At least with the left-side tire, wherever we run it, we just have way more grip and way more potential in our cars.”
—Chase Briscoe, Driver
Yet, this boost in speed means there is less room for error. Dover’s concrete surface already challenges even the best drivers, and added grip means vehicles may run at the edge of control. In Briscoe’s words:
“Qualifying will definitely be one that gets your attention. It always does at Dover, but with increased grip and speed, even more so. So yeah, looking forward to the challenge of that and just seeing where we end up stacking up and what this tire does.”
—Chase Briscoe, Driver
The Cup Series will use this custom Goodyear tire exclusively at Dover this weekend.
“The Cup Series will have a new Goodyear tire for Dover this weekend. It’s the only time in 2025 that this setup will be used.https://t.co/ahRtQD0OAY”
—@jayski, Media
Goodyear’s detailed tire specifications illustrate the level of precision behind the weekend’s equipment. Teams will operate with left-side tires coded D5240 at 2,254 mm in circumference, while right-side tires use the D-5260 code and measure slightly larger, at 2,277 mm. These carefully selected measurements aim to achieve optimal performance across Dover’s relentless, high-speed layout.
Strategic Adjustments as Teams Face Uncharted Territory
Another factor shaping the race is allocation—each team receives 11 sets of tires for the event: nine for the race, one set set aside for qualifying, and one for practice. To make the most of their resources, crew chiefs and engineers will be forced to make quick decisions during the single scheduled practice session, piecing together an understanding of tire fall-off and how best to time pit stops when history offers little guidance.
The unknown rate at which these tires degrade adds another level of unpredictability. Organizations previously dominant on long runs may discover their advantage has evaporated or even reversed, while underdogs stand ready to capitalize on any unexpected shifts in grip and balance. Teams wrestle with whether to sacrifice short-run speed for longevity, or roll the dice with aggressive setups that wager on strategic cautions and clean track position.
This uncertainty flows from individual strategy to the race as a whole. Crew chiefs shoulder more responsibility for deciphering real-time tire data during the event, knowing that a single bold call or miscalculation could make or break their race. Dover’s unique challenges, combined with the first and only use of this Goodyear tire, mean that innovation and adaptability will likely determine who leaves Delaware with a victory and who is left searching for answers after the checkered flag falls.
As the Cup Series takes on Dover’s summer debut with Goodyear’s new creation, fans, teams, and drivers alike are set for a weekend full of suspense and unpredictability. The next chapter at the Monster Mile may be decided not just by speed, but by which team unravels the ultimate mystery posed by this unique tire.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Where will Chase Briscoe be in 2025?
A. In 2025, Chase Briscoe will become part of the Joe Gibbs Racing team, replacing Martin Truex Jr., by driving the No. 19 Toyota Camry XSE.
Q. Where is Chase Briscoe going in 2025?
A. In 2025, Chase Briscoe will become a part of Joe Gibbs Racing’s championship-winning team and will drive the No.
