Denny Hamlin has long been advocating for increased tire wear in the Cup series. The recent Bristol race demonstrated that tire wear could be the solution to the underwhelming short track racing since the introduction of Next-Gen cars. However, NASCAR and tire provider Goodyear have yet to explore this option. As a three-time Daytona 500 winner, Hamlin has urged the tire manufacturer to be more aggressive.
Hamlin reminded NASCAR that the 7th gen cars they have produced perform poorly in traffic and are the worst in the championship’s history. He suggested that this issue could be partially resolved if the left tires of the cars had more wear. The No:11 Toyota driver wants Goodyear to stop producing such hard tires.
The Bristol race, which Hamlin won, provided NASCAR with a blueprint for improving short track racing. This also sparked discussions about increasing horsepower to address tire wear. It is crucial for the sanctioning body and Goodyear to listen to the drivers and find a solution that aligns with both parties’ policies.
As the co-owner of 23XI Racing, Hamlin has highlighted why intermediate tracks have seen better performance in the Next-Gen era. He emphasized that cars perform well when there are multiple grooves for drivers to utilize, whereas short tracks cannot accommodate the same.
As Hamlin pointed out, the upcoming race at Martinsville will also heavily rely on track position to determine the winner. It would be intriguing to see if Goodyear could introduce tires that replicate the excitement seen at Bristol.