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Softer Tires Could End Problems

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By MICHAEL MAROT

The Associated Press

Published: October 8, 2008

INDIANAPOLIS - Goodyear may have an answer for one of Indianapolis Motor Speedway's toughest challenges: softer tires.

As drivers took a break during Tuesday's latest testing session at the speedway, NASCAR and Goodyear officials explained they had seen dramatic improvement in tire wear, prompting optimism they could avoid a repeat of the Allstate 400 debacle in July.

"We're not all the way there, but we're pretty close to it," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition. "We were in about an eight- or nine-lap window before during testing, and that got up to 10, and now we're in the mid-20 range. So it's improved 300 percent already. We walked the track last night, and the track was taking on rubber, so that's a good sign."

Things got even better after Pemberton's midday news conference.

Speedway officials said one driver made a 33-lap run on the tires and another put in a full-fuel run, generally 35 to 40 laps on Indy's 2.5-mile oval, before it started raining Tuesday.

It was the second testing session at Indy since NASCAR officials were forced in July to turn one of the series' signature races into a series of 10- to 12-lap sprints because of tire wear. NASCAR officials even apologized to fans for the fiasco.

Kyle Petty was the only driver on the track two weeks ago.

The latest testing session comes in the midst of more tire questions for Goodyear.

Sunday's race at Talladega was marred by four tire failures, and a fifth occurred during practice. One of the failures sent Denny Hamlin, who drives for Joe Gibbs Racing, hard into the wall. He was hospitalized overnight before being released Monday. Hamlin is one of 12 drivers in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

Stu Grant, general manager of worldwide racing for Goodyear, said early assessments indicated all of the tires at Talladega were punctured, though they are still being analyzed. Pemberton believes the problem had to more do with debris than tires.

The longest stretch of green-flag racing lasted only 13 laps, and points leader Jimmie Johnson won the race in a seven-lap sprint to the finish. It was the second-slowest race in NASCAR's 15-year history at Indy.

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