One of the biggest storylines to come out of the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway is the new tire compound. Goodyear, acknowledging the concerns regarding the short-track package racing in 2024, has now rolled out an experimental tire for the event. And going by yesterday’s practice runs, it feels like NASCAR just might have cracked the code to make short-track racing entertaining once again.

Goodyear brought three tire compounds for the race. The first one was the prime tire, usually used in the Cup race. The second option was the rain tires, which can be used in damp conditions if need be. However, it is the third softer tire option that has got the community’s hopes up, as it showed good tire fall-off and better speed. The results from the practice run even surprised Dale Earnhardt Jr, who then took to X to share his excitement.

Dale Earnhardt Jr optimistic about the new tire compound

The recent short track races have just been uneventful, despite the rollout of the new package. Apart from the Bristol, all other events just lacked competitive racing. Drivers were unable to make passes, which became a recurring theme. While a bump in horsepower has been asked by the NASCAR community for long, the governing body has been reluctant to pay heed.

Therefore, the only way to solve the issue was to have a different tire, a softer compound, which adds more speed but also leads to quick tire wear. This forces the teams to devise and execute multiple strategies, which makes for an entertaining race.

The drivers got the first laps under this new tire during the practice runs yesterday, and it looks like Goodyear came true on its promise.

Expressing his delight over the development, Dale Jr took to his X account and wrote, “Gimme that soft tire and a 400 lap race. 🤤 @NWBSpeedway.”

JGR driver Denny Hamlin, who was at the forefront in demand for a softer tire had this to say after the practice run, “I think qualifying still is going to be a big deal, track position definitely is still going to be a big deal. But it looks like we’ve got tires that have good fall off, and definitely a difference between the two sets.” He was quoted by Toby Christie.

Not only drivers, but the fans were also surprised to see the new tire compound react the way it did. They started to share their views and opinions in the comments, under Dale Jr’s X post.

Fans hoping for better short track races with the new Goodyear tire

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Drivers have to walk a thin line by going fast on the softer tire, while also managing tire wear. A lot of inexperienced drivers failed to do that during the Bristol race. But veterans such as Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr, and Brad Keselowski, were unstoppable. So going into the All-Star weekend, expectations are high. “We need these soft tires everywhere, it might make a big impact on the short tracks plus it ads an extra element of strategy,” wrote a fan.

Track temperature and weather play a big role in how the tire behaves on the racing surface. The entire week, North Wilkesboro Speedway was drenched in rain, and a cooler racing surface promoted a better racing experience. Therefore, hoping for the best with the new tire compound at the NASCAR All-Star race, a user added, “I know it’s early, but this tire could solve the short track issue [finders crossed emoji]”.

Former driver, Elton Sawyer, during the recent episode of Dale Jr Download, stated that they wanted a similar tire wear which they saw for the Bristol race, acknowledging that tire wear is the way to improve short track packages. Luckily, Goodyear has paid attention to the requests of the community. “I really hope it’s the approach goodyear takes at short tracks from now on,” said another fan.

Dale Jr has been pushing for the return of points race at the historic short track at North Wilkesboro. While the early signs for the new tires were promising, others called out for a cautious approach before making optimistic demands. “500 would be better but yeah. Let’s see how the actual racing is before giving NSB a points race. Hope it better than last years race there”.

But do you want NASCAR to hold a points race at the historic 0.625-mile track?