Dark clouds rolled over Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday, but the biggest storm facing NASCAR teams isn’t in the forecast.
It’s the strategic gamble that could decide Sunday’s Cup Series race.
Although Chicagoland hosted Cup Series races for nearly two decades before falling off the schedule after 2019, Sunday’s event marks the first time NASCAR’s Next Gen car will compete on the 1.5-mile oval. Seven years of aging pavement have transformed the racing surface, leaving crew chiefs with limited data and plenty of uncertainty heading into the 267-lap race.
That uncertainty has elevated one strategic question above all others: When should teams use their eight sets of Goodyear tires?
With an abrasive surface, unpredictable cautions and unknown tire wear over a long green-flag run, the answer could ultimately determine who leaves Chicagoland with the trophy.
It’s the strategic gamble that could decide Sunday’s Cup Series race.
Although Chicagoland hosted Cup Series races for nearly two decades before falling off the schedule after 2019, Sunday’s event marks the first time NASCAR’s Next Gen car will compete on the 1.5-mile oval. Seven years of aging pavement have transformed the racing surface, leaving crew chiefs with limited data and plenty of uncertainty heading into the 267-lap race.
That uncertainty has elevated one strategic question above all others: When should teams use their eight sets of Goodyear tires?
With an abrasive surface, unpredictable cautions and unknown tire wear over a long green-flag run, the answer could ultimately determine who leaves Chicagoland with the trophy.
2 months ago
