The Bristol Night Race already carries its own pressure as an elimination event, but this year it comes with another variable. Goodyear is bringing a new, softer right-side tire to the half-mile concrete oval, a change that could alter the way teams manage strategy in the first cutoff race of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. With hotter conditions expected compared to April’s spring event, tire wear will become an added factor in the fight for advancement.
Key Highlights
Goodyear introduces a new, softer right-side tire for Bristol’s playoff elimination race.
Weather and track temperature shifts were primary reasons for the compound change.
Teams will have 11 sets of tires, with nine fresh for the 500-lap race.
Drivers and Goodyear officials emphasize tread wear as a key part of strategy.
Bristol will also feature traction compound applied to the bottom lane for racing balance.
Why Goodyear Changed the Tire
The 500-lap Bass Pro Shops Night Race (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App) is the last race of the opening playoff round. With the field set to shrink from 16 to 12 drivers, Goodyear’s tire choice adds a critical dimension. Officials announced last Friday that Cup teams will run a slightly softer right-side tire, the first change after four consecutive Bristol races with the same setup.
Mark Keto, Goodyear Senior Project Manager for NASCAR, said weather conditions were a central factor. The Cup Series raced at Bristol in April with daytime highs in the mid-60s, but this weekend will feature daytime temperatures in the low 80s before the green flag drops at night.
“The big thing is the track temperature difference between the spring races and the fall race.”
“We know concrete, particularly Bristol, is very finicky when it comes to track temp on this Next Gen car and the entire setup we’ve been running. As we saw in the spring of last year, we had significant higher wear, probably a little too heavy. Then, in the fall, kind of flipped the script because the warmer track temp. So we wanted to make a change. Drivers have asked us to be aggressive.” – Mark Keto
Goodyear’s goal is to increase tread wear without introducing excessive grip, encouraging drivers and teams to manage pace over long runs.
Drivers React to the Change
The decision continues NASCAR and Goodyear’s ongoing push toward creating more tire wear on short tracks. The April race at Bristol last season became a turning point, producing 54 lead changes and dramatic shifts in pace because of fall-off.
Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain, one of the 16 playoff drivers, said he trusts Goodyear to balance durability with performance.
“I don’t think they want tire drama like we had a couple years ago. At the end of the day, it all has to go through the tire to get to the track. I trust the folks at Goodyear to do what they do best. This is their wheelhouse, pun intended. I trust them to bring a good tire that’s going to work for me and be reliable, and also pay a penalty if I abuse it and it’s going to slow down later in the run. Whatever it is, we will learn from it. That’s why we have practice.” – Ross Chastain
Keto emphasized the intent is to find balance between fall-off and drivability.
“It’s softer, but not softer in the sense that we’re trying to add a bunch of grip. It’s softer in the sense of we’re trying to get more tread wear when we know the track takes rubber and is rubbered in, obviously tire wear and entire fall-off get reduced when the track takes rubber. So we’re trying to get more tread wear when the track does have rubber on it.” – Mark Keto
Track Prep and Race Logistics
Cup Series teams will have 11 sets of tires for the weekend: nine new for the race, one for practice, and one set carried over from qualifying. The left-side tire remains unchanged from April’s event. The new right-side will make its only appearance of the season.
Bristol’s racing surface will also be prepped with traction compound on the lower groove, four feet off the apron, to help balance lanes. Competition officials, led by Cup Series director Brad Moran, plan to reapply the product as needed throughout the weekend depending on how rubber builds up.
The track will see significant use, with four series competing across three days. The Craftsman Truck Series, Xfinity Series, and ARCA Menards Series will all race before Saturday night’s Cup event, ensuring the surface will be heavily rubbered before the 500-lapper begins.
Keto also noted that while Goodyear has tested at Bristol during summer months in recent years, no test was possible this season because of the MLB Speedway Classic that transformed the venue in August.
News in Brief: Goodyear’s Bold Tire Gamble Bristol Playoff
Goodyear will debut a new, softer right-side tire at Saturday’s Bristol Night Race, adding tire wear as a key factor in the first playoff elimination race. The change was prompted by warmer forecast conditions compared to April’s spring race. Mark Keto of Goodyear said the goal is to increase tread wear without excessive grip, while drivers like Ross Chastain expressed trust in the tire’s balance. Teams will have 11 sets of tires, with traction compound applied to Bristol’s bottom lane.
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