Just like last year, Bristol delivered another shocker. But this time, it brought out grim faces instead of thrilling goosebumps. NASCAR and Goodyear decided to apply the PJ1 Trackbite compound on the short track. That produced intense tire wear during practice – with tires wearing out after 35-40 laps. But barely a day later, a wildly different race unfolded as tires persisted for over 100 laps. The vast disparity raised eyebrows among drivers in the community, including Michael McDowell.
The Spire Motorsports veteran is yet to fetch a top-ten finish in the 2025 season. His team was ready to face the Bristol challenge, as Michael McDowell owns three top-ten finishes at the short track. However, his efforts were undone by the unpredictable race, leaving McDowell wondering about what the real culprit was.
Michael McDowell asks the poignant questions
“Certainly it looks like the formula is striking again.” Denny Hamlin, the defending Food City 500 winner, was optimistic when his tire cords peeled off during practice. In a rushed frenzy, Cup Series teams had to overhaul their racing strategies in a matter of 28 hours. Engineers agonized overnight about different strategies and car setups that could better support the tire wear that led to 54 lead changes a year ago. Teams started out slow, puttering around and making sure not to waste their tires. Goodyear issued 11 sets of tires for drivers’ benefits. But lo and behold! Barely 50 laps into the race, drivers realized that it was a repeat of the 2024 Fall race. Kyle Larson again appeared on top, leading for 411 of 500 laps.
Michael McDowell, who rolled off the starting grid in 13th place, had banked on the high chances of tire wear. However, as it turned out to be opposite the case, the two-time Cup Series race winner could not adjust. After finishing in 30th place, McDowell’s confused and shocked expression was visible. “That’s what I expected before I got here…’Oh, it’ll just be like the Fall race.’ Then after that first practice, I think we all got nervous…It ended up being very similar. But yeah, really fortunate that we had two Spire Motorsports out, super fast…Good to know that we could come back here in the Fall with a good baseline and build on that. Just tough when you have a rough day like that. Especially going into the brick, you want to go in on a high.”
Hear from @SpireMotorsport drivers @Mc_Driver and @CarsonHocevar following their up and down day at Bristol.
@tanner_marlar #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/QZF0pVcNKp
— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) April 13, 2025
NASCAR proceeded to blame Goodyear’s tires for this fiasco. Apparently, there was a weather disparity – the 25-minute practice sessions took place under overcast, cool conditions. But on Sunday, track temperatures were notably higher as the sun directly hit the track’s high-banked concrete. Michael McDowell quipped that this is too thin of a reason for the massive difference that drivers faced. “We’re 2 or 3 degrees away from them only going 30 laps. So the window’s pretty tight…On the flip side we saw yesterday – no rubber, they only got 30 laps, right?”
According to NASCAR journalist Jeff Gluck, the true culprit is the Next-Gen car. Ever since the new car debuted in 2022, NASCAR’s short-track racing package has taken a toll. It was only after Goodyear presented the possibility of improving the package last year that fans shifted their attention to tires. So Michael McDowell cited the earlier instances when the impact of the PJ1 was not big. “So we’ve seen it before, here, too. So I think the margin’s really small…That’s a lot of tires and laps for sure, and I don’t think that’s what we all expect.”
Michael McDowell was one of the drivers who could not make good of the reversed strategy. But his own teammate soared in the same race.
Making the best of a bad day
Well, the 2025 season has leaned toward the negative for Carson Hocevar. With five finishes outside the top 30, the No. 77 Chevrolet driver was trying to push forward. He did so at Bristol Motor Speedway, qualifying a superb 9th place. By the time the field saw the first green-white-checkered flag, he had cracked the top five. Hocevar snuggled among the race leaders while accruing several stage points in both stages. He briefly took over the lead on Lap 390 before coming to pit road for his final stop. It was then that an unfortunate mishap unfolded – Hocevar waited in his pit stall for 22 seconds. That spells for an eternity on NASCAR’s pit road. It left the No. 77 one lap behind the leaders when the green-flag cycle concluded.
Carson Hocevar was audibly not happy over the car radio. “Can I get some info on where the f— I’m at?” Somehow, Hocevar could maneuver his No. 77 car to an 11th-place finish across a 245-lap run. Hocevar said post-race, “I’m not sure if I should be happy or frustrated, but I know overall we had a really strong points day and a really fast car. Things happen and it’s all about how you recover and move forward. I think we did a good job at the end and still coming out with a decent finish.” Despite his mishap, Michael McDowell praised him and Justin Haley, who finished 13th. “A solid day for Justin and Carson, so our team has a lot to look forward to.”
Evidently, the baffling situation in Bristol worked out differently for Spire drivers. Hopefully, Michael McDowell will be able to improve his pace in the Fall race.
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