NASCAR to experiment with new tire during all-star race at North Wilkesboro

NASCAR will use its annual all-star race to test a tire that uses rubber that Goodyear developed for its rain tires to see if it will wear quicker than the current rubber used on Goodyear’s slick tires.

Drivers in the main event on May 19 at North Wilkesboro Speedway will have two sets of “prime” tires — traditional slicks that were used during a tire test there last month — and two sets of “option” tires — tires that are slicks (not grooved) but use the rubber from the rain tires NASCAR uses on short tracks and road courses.

The event will be 200 laps with a caution at Lap 100 where teams must make a four-tire pit stop. There will be another caution at Lap 150 where teams have the option of making a pit stop. What tires they put on during the pit stops will be the teams’ decision.

Cup drivers have been complimentary of the rain tires used in damp conditions on short tracks at North Wilkesboro last year and Richmond this year. NASCAR wants to see if that formula can be replicated with a slick tire on a dry track, which could improve racing on short tracks. North Wilkesboro is a 0.625-mile track and was repaved in the offseason.

“At our North Wilkesboro test, there was significantly more lap-time fall-off with what has become the option tire than we had with the prime,” Goodyear director of racing Greg Stucker said.  “We have been working very hard on our short-track tire package and we wanted to evaluate something that is more aggressive.  The All-Star race format, in a non-points setting, is the perfect opportunity to do that.”

There also will be rain tires if the race needs to be run in damp conditions.

Automatic qualifiers for the main event are 2023-24 race winners as well as past Cup series champs/past all-star winners who are full time: Ross Chastain, Kyle Larson, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, AJ Allmendinger, Chris Buescher, Martin Truex Jr., Christopher Bell, Joey Logano, William Byron, Michael McDowell, Tyler Reddick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Daniel Suarez. Shane van Gisbergen is eligible but does not plan to compete.

There also will be three spots available for anyone else who enters — two spots from the Open race and one fan vote winner.

Last week, 2022 all-star winner Blaney said he expected tires to be experimented with at the all-star race.

“I know it’s a new pave at Wilkesboro, but I think there’s a lot of discussion going on right now of some wild stuff and I guess we’ll start throwing darts,” Blaney said. “That’s the time to do it.”

Josh Berry, a Cup rookie who is known for his short-track prowess, said time is of the essence.

“I think they need to swing for it,” Berry said. “They need to get on the other side of it and see if they can learn anything and see if it makes a difference or not. Those are all things that we definitely need to do.

“We need to do it sooner rather than later. I think they need to get aggressive with it. I think the All-Star Race is going to be a good opportunity to do that. … It’s going to be tricky with it being a repave.”

Here is the all-star weekend format:

Friday, May 17

–Practice for all cars. Teams have three sets of prime tires and two sets of option tires for practice, qualifying, heats and the Open.

–Open qualifying: Two laps with the best lap counting. All on the prime tire.

–Cup qualifying/pit crew challenge: Three laps (all on the prime tire), with at the end of the second lap, a four-tire pit stop (fueler must engage fuel can but won’t fuel the car). The fastest three-lap time will be the polesitter for the first heat race and all-star event. The fastest stop, based on timing lines on pit road from one box prior and one box past the pit stall, will determine the pit crew champion as well as the order for pit stop selection.

Saturday, May 18

–All-Star 60-lap heat races with lineups determined by qualifying (odd rankings in first heat, even rankings in second). All laps count with one overtime possible. Teams can use whatever tire they want. Caution at Lap 30 where a team must make a 4-tire stop. Heat 1 establishes inside row for all-star race (except polesitter is on the pole for all-star race) and Heat 2 establishes outside row. 

Sunday, May 19

–Open: 100-lap race, all laps count with one attempt at overtime. Teams can start on any tire. Caution at Lap 50 where they must make a four-tire stop. Top-two advance to all-star race and fan vote winner gets into all-star race.

–All-Star race: 200-lap race, all laps count, overtime rules in effect. Teams have two sets of prime tires and two sets of option tires. Must start on option tire. Caution at Lap 100 with a mandatory four-tire stop. Caution at Lap 150 with no requirement whether to pit.

Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.

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