“We’re getting further and further away from traditional racing.” Last year, Christopher Bell was not a happy man. Despite making it to the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, the 29-year-old was skeptical about the Option tires. After the chaotic debut of Options at Richmond, fans knew there was more coming. All fans got was disappointment and NASCAR’s official tire supplier Goodyear is in the eye of the storm.
For years, fans and drivers wanted softer tires with more wear. The goal was simple: create more passing opportunities and exciting strategy plays. Goodyear attempted to deliver that in 2024, but the results were inconsistent. Some races, like the Food City 500 at Bristol, were thrilling, while others, like the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro, flopped. The new tire package didn’t always produce the desired effect. Fans grew skeptical.
Now, in 2025, Goodyear is rolling out another experiment at Circuit of the Americas (COTA). The latest tire setup has sparked fresh controversy, as fans are not convinced. After two weeks of super-speedway racing, the NASCAR caravan moves to the road course in COTA. The new Goodyear Eagle 18-inch Road Course Radials feature a revised compound designed for increased tire wear and lap-time fall-off.
The goal is to create more tire management strategies, leading to varied pit stops and overtaking opportunities. Additionally, Goodyear has brought wet-weather tires that are ready to be used if conditions demand. Meanwhile, the NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers will continue using the 15-inch tires from last season. This means the Cup and Xfinity Series will have different tire configurations on the same track. While Goodyear hopes these adjustments will enhance racing, many fans believe the frequent changes are doing more harm than good.
One fan summed up the growing frustration: “So we’re throwing more stuff at the wall to see what works because something ‘should have more tire wear’?? This sanctioning body has zero clue how to run this sport.” His comment reflects a widespread belief that NASCAR and Goodyear are constantly experimenting instead of delivering a stable racing product. The skepticism is not without reason.
Cup teams will have a new road-course tire this weekend at COTA. Should have more tire wear and fall off.
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) February 25, 2025
Last year’s NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway was supposed to showcase Goodyear’s option tires. Instead, it turned into a dull race. Team Penske’s Joey Logano led 199 out of 200 laps, which left fans fuming. The intended tire strategy didn’t play out as expected, and the “softer” tires failed to create the drama many had hoped for. Now, with another major change at COTA, fans fear history will repeat itself. Many believe that NASCAR keeps making adjustments without fully understanding the impact, leading to inconsistent results.
While fans are skeptical, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has defended Goodyear’s efforts. On a recent episode of the Dale Jr. Download, he urged fans to recognize the progress made in recent months. “We suffer, I think, from short-term memory. I think we need to remember and think back to just a short period of time in the last 24 months when we were begging Goodyear to soften up the tires… And they’ve done it. I’m very happy with the work that Goodyear’s been doing across the board,” said Dale Jr. Still, even with Junior.’s endorsement, many fans remain skeptical. The upcoming COTA race will be a major test for Goodyear’s latest experiment.
Fans tore Goodyear even before the COTA race!
NASCAR fans have never been shy about expressing their opinions, and Goodyear’s latest move has sparked another wave of debate. Many fans believe the constant tweaks are making the sport harder to follow. One fan summed up the growing frustration and wrote, “They will never see progress because they are constantly changing things about the cars and then needing to change tires to match it…” Notably, NASCAR’s frequent modifications to aerodynamics, horsepower, and tire compounds have made it difficult for teams to adjust. This inconsistency leaves many questioning whether new tire setups will ever produce the intended results. Some fans even believe that Goodyear has constantly failed to produce the desired results. “Should is the key word…. It rarely happens,” a user wrote on X.
This frustration comes from the disappointing 2024 All-Star Race. The option tried at North Wilkesboro was supposed to produce more variance in speed. Goodyear claims its new tire will create more wear and lap-time fall-off. However, fans remain doubtful. “I’ll believe it when I see it! They keep saying it’s a softer tire… and no noticeable difference at all,” another user added. The race at Bristol was the biggest example. Kyle Larson let the race for 462 laps out of the 500 lap total. Arguably, it was the cut-off race and drivers wanted to play it safe, but saving tires instead of bringing creative strategies played a role
Meanwhile, some believe that NASCAR is constantly introducing new variables, making it harder for drivers to showcase their skills. Instead of stability, they feel like every race weekend introduces something new to learn, often with minimal practice time. “They are basically racing something new just about every weekend with no practice,” a user wrote. Another fan echoed and said, “Bob, why can’t they just leave anything alone and let the guys get used to it?” Perhaps NASCAR could take some inspiration from Indy Car here. Teams are forced to run a minimum two laps on two different compounds. Although even adopting such a rule would be a radical change, it could be the push needed to promote tire strategies.
However, the COTA race weekend will have a practice session each for Xfinity and Cup series races, but will it be enough? Notably, Goodyear has taken big risks before, and not all of them have worked out. This weekend’s COTA race will be another major test for their tire philosophy. If the new setup delivers exciting racing, it could be a turning point for fan confidence. But if it falls flat like the All-Star Race or the second Bristol event in 2024, criticism will only grow louder.
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