Outside of wet weather tires that NASCAR can use on short ovals, Cup teams will be given the choice between two different tires to use during the course of the 400-lap event, multiple sources confirmed.
Traditionally, Goodyear provides one tire combination for each series for each event. NASCAR did introduce the use of an “option tire” earlier this year in the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway.
An official announcement of the move is expected early next week. NASCAR officials did not respond to a request for comment on Sunday.
As in the All-Star Race, Cup teams could potentially use three different tires during the Richmond race weekend – a “prime tire” (the baseline tire used for the race), an “option tire” (slick tires but made with the same rubber as the wet weather tire) and the wet weather tire.
At North Wilkesboro, the “Goodyear Eagle” lettering was yellow on the prime tires, red on the option tires, and white on the wet weather tires.
In the All-Star Race, the use of the option tire did not show a noticeable difference in wear and produced view varying tire strategies by teams.
However, unlike the recently repaved North Wilkesboro, Richmond has an older and much more abrasive surface and it’s hoped the benefit of the option tire will be much more pronounced.
It is expected the rules of the option tires’ use will be somewhat different than those in the All-Star Race, in part because of the longer race length and stage breaks.
The sanctioning body has been trying to improve the quality of racing on its shorter tracks with its Next Gen car, which has produced much more competitive events on intermediate and high-speed ovals.
For the second consecutive season, NASCAR issued a new aerodynamic rules package at the start of the year for road courses and most short tracks around one mile in distance in the Cup series.
The changes included the removal of engine panel strakes, a 3-inch spoiler and simplified diffuser and diffuser strakes.
