INDIANAPOLIS - Goodyear and NASCAR officials are faced with a mounting issue of tire concerns just hours before the green flag flies in Sunday's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.
After tire problems marred Saturday's two practice sessions, NASCAR had planned to throw at least two competition caution flags to check wear in Sunday's race.
But teams have voiced additional concerns as cords of the tires were showing after only ten laps.
There will be a caution thrown Sunday at lap 10 and additional yellows used throughout the race to monitor the problem.
NASCAR and Goodyear have brought in tires used at Pocono, a track similar in nature to Indianapolis, and a mid-race change could be implemented if problems with the Indianapolis tire persist.
"We've got enough tires for Sunday's race and there will be up to 10 sets per team," said NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton. "Not everybody is going to use all of their tires in the last practice session. There may be some teams that keep an extra set behind. There’s only one NASCAR series that's here this weekend, and you don't get a chance to put enough rubber on the track."
"If you make a tire that lasts during practices, when you get into the race then they have issues with handling. It's always a challenge here. It's a ‘one-off’ tire that Goodyear builds for this place. The track is very abrasive because we don't run on it very often. Goodyear's doing the best they can. It's a situation we do see probably every time that we come here.”
The Pocono tire isn't necessarily a harder tire, but it is the closest match to those used here and would, hopefully, cause the least disruption for teams if they had to be used, Goodyear officials said.
