It's The Tires?

While taking a lap around the on-line auto racing news outlets today I came across an article on SB Nation that was very interesting. Basically it was a short Q & A between SB Nation's NASCAR commentator Jeff Gluck and Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin. What got my attention was Denny's contention that Goodyear has done too good a job in producing tires that meet all the specs NASCAR and the racing teams have asked for. This is a relatively new achievement and according to Denny the new higher quality tires are responsible for all the new drivers visiting Victory Lane this year. The tires have leveled the field by allowing less experienced drivers to push their cars through situations that would have (with lesser tires) been impossible to survive. Here's a quote from Hamlin: "In the last year, guys are driving corner entry way harder than what they should be allowed to," he said. "And I think that's some of the reason you see some of the new drivers winning this year. You just don't pay a price anymore for overdriving your race car because everything is just so good now."

Hamlin also spoke about drivers like Mark Martin, drivers who have made their living in NASCAR by knowing how to save a vehicle, losing their advantage since the tires are so much more resilient and forgiving of hard driving.

Hamlin said the long running tires have effected the number of green flag pit stops that are now necessary too. This plays in on a crew chief's pit strategy. Fuel mileage rather than tire wear has become the primary concern. These new tires, making longer runs possible, have brought fuel mileage and driving to save fuel to the forefront... Denny contends this has lowered the importance of driving skill and has made pit strategy a much more important component.

Hamlin's answer? "I would like to see in the future tires that we run fast for a lap or two, but then drop off tremendously. That would force teams to pit for tires and not attempt a fuel mileage gamble or other pit strategy quite as often."

I'll ask you longtime NASCAR fans: Have you ever seen so many races in NASCAR's three major series being won by drivers whose vehicles are about to run out of fuel?

I keep thinking of that CWTS race last week when several of the trucks, right at the end of the race, suddenly started slowing down, out of fuel...

Then there was this finish at the Coca Cola 600 this year.

(You Dale Jr. fans might not want to watch this...)

Here's the link to SB Nation's article: http://www.sbnation.com/nascar/2011/9/3/2402903/denny-hamlin-nascar-atlanta-motor-speedway-2011