Folks, remember when Tony Stewart ripped into Goodyear back in 2008? After a brutal tire blow at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Stewart didn’t hold back. He called out Goodyear for producing inconsistent, low-grip tires that left drivers frustrated. “There isn’t anybody, I don’t think, who is happy with the tires we have got,” Stewart had said. The Smoke didn’t stop there and cautioned the NASCAR garage about Goodyear.
“After 10 years in the Cup Series, you learn to be highly disappointed with everything that Goodyear does,” he had said. While his frustration stemmed from a disappointing race result, his words stayed with NASCAR fans. Fast forward to 2025, and NASCAR’s struggle to dial in the right tire is still a hot topic. Last Monday’s test at Phoenix was supposed to be a breakthrough moment.
The test came just one day after the Shriners Children’s 500, where Goodyear had introduced its “option” tire, which wore faster and improved racing quality. Many believed this was the direction NASCAR needed. With Goodyear aiming to develop a softer, more race-friendly tire, there was hope that drivers would finally get what they needed. However, Tyler Reddick has thrown a wrench into that optimism. After running laps during Monday’s Phoenix test, Reddick dropped a worrying assessment.
Almost a week after the test, Reddick spoke with Fox Sports to talk about the test. “We tried a lot of different combinations but certainly I guess I was expecting some of the softer compounds to have dramatic tire fall off. I mean, it’s just hard to read in test environment. The track wasn’t laying the rubber down that we saw on Sunday in the race and that was with even softer tires. So I think it gave them some idea of what direction they can go. But certainly, we weren’t like seeing tire the lap time fall off that was expected with that softer tire, so that was a bit head-scratching. So I think they have an idea where of what they can do. But we didn’t really find a solid answer,” said Reddick.
Goodyear entered the Phoenix test with very high hopes. The goal was to evaluate a single tire that could work for Phoenix’s championship race in November and other similar tracks. The test featured three drivers: Austin Dillon (Chevrolet), Josh Berry (Ford), and Reddick (Toyota). With 10 different tire compounds tested across 18 sets, it was a full day of experimentation.
Tyler Reddick was the Toyota representative at the Goodyear tire test Monday at Phoenix. His thoughts: @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/T1LMVG8O0m
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) March 16, 2025
This was exactly the opposite of what NASCAR had hoped to hear. If the tires didn’t wear out as intended, then the entire test may have been a step in the wrong direction. Notably, NASCAR desperately wants to figure out a perfect tire for Phoenix Raceway as fans don’t like a boring Championship race. However, Reddick’s concerns weren’t isolated.
Ford driver Josh Berry also echoed some of Reddick’s concerns, saying there weren’t any major surprises in the test. “We tried some softer lefts. I think there’s some potential there, but it needs more work. I’d love to see these at Richmond or Martinsville, but for the championship race, we probably need more data,” he told the media. These comments reflect that Goodyear’s latest compounds aren’t ready for the 2025 championship race. This is definitely a setback for the sanctioning body.
However, all the comments weren’t bad. Richard Childress Racing driver Austin Dillon had a slightly different perspective. While he acknowledged Goodyear’s efforts, he admitted that they might have gone too far with softness. “I went through like 18 sets of tires. We found a couple that had merit, but then we got too soft. There was one set that was just terrible. You couldn’t do anything on it,” said Dillon. Notably, Goodyear has been battling tire issues since the next-generation car’s debut in 2022.
Initially, the new car design led to lower tire wear, making passing difficult and races more predictable. Over time, Goodyear worked with NASCAR to introduce softer compounds, starting with last year’s Richmond race and the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro. The results were promising, but Monday’s Phoenix test showed that there’s still a long way to go.
For now, NASCAR managing director of racing communications Mike Forde took a moment to reply to Christopher Bell and Kevin Harvick’s concerns about the tires. “I think the opinions are split both within the walls of NASCAR and in the industry. Some people say this is pretty fun (and) pretty cool and adds a little bit of a story line. I thought FOX did a solid job reporting throughout the race which cars had those tires on, and it adds an extra dimension to the race. For those who don’t really want to do it moving forward, I think they feel like it might be a little bit gimmicky. But the reason we do it is to add a real-world data point, and we feel that the race conditions are so important to get that data.”
With just months to go before the championship race, NASCAR must decide whether to stick with the current formula or take a gamble on a brand-new compound. While this tire drama continues to trouble NASCAR, Tyler Reddick took a day off from work.
Tyler Reddick joins Hamlin’s family adventure in Las Vegas!
After the grueling Phoenix weekend, Tyler Reddick took some time to relax with fellow driver Denny Hamlin. The two, along with their families, visited the Immersive Disney Animation experience on the Las Vegas Strip. Reddick brought along his four-year-old son, Beau, while Hamlin was joined by his fiancée, Jordan Fish, and their daughters, Taylor and Molly.
Hamlin shared a picture of the outing on Instagram, captioning it: “Had a great time at the Immersive Disney Animation in Las Vegas. Thanks for having us @lhimmersive.” The event provided a fun break from the intensity of NASCAR competition. But Hamlin’s trip to Vegas wasn’t just about family time. The 23XI Racing co-owner tested his luck at a casino and hit some jackpots.
After winning $300,000 at a blackjack table during his previous trip to ‘Sin City,’ Hamlin once again won more than $125,000. On Friday night, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver tested a Buffalo slot machine. Luck was on his side as he clinched a whopping prize. He didn’t stop there and won another six-figure jackpot on Saturday. Before even getting in his race car, Hamlin had already cashed in big. But for now, he must focus on the upcoming Pennzoil 400 race.
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