Kyle Larson wasn’t a fan of the significant decline in tire performance at Bristol.
Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson (Credits: IMAGO)
The recent NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway was quite eventful. The race win was secured by a driver from Joe Gibbs Racing who used his experience to his advantage. The key factor in the race was tire management. The combination of track temperature, Goodyear tire compound, and the resin applied to the track resulted in a significant drop in tire performance.
This led to a noticeable difference in the speed of each car depending on their tires. Drivers with fresh tires were able to run much faster than those with worn-out tires. This created a situation where drivers could easily overtake others if they had the advantage of fresh tires. Many drivers found this situation to be amusing.
, the reigning 2021 Cup Series Champion, also had similar experiences. Larson shared a video of one such move where he effortlessly passed his competitors and admitted on X (previously Twitter) that it felt like he was playing an arcade game. Larson’s analogy was accurate, as having fresh tires felt like using a power-up in a video game.
Couldn’t believe what I was seeing through my windshield. It felt like a real-life arcade game.
Kyle Larson on new tires during the 2024 Food City 500 @ Bristol.Larson: “This is crazy” pic.twitter.com/CLtqBmT9oY
Chase Briscoe, the lead driver for Stewart Haas Racing, had a similar opinion about the race and the advantage of fresh tires. Briscoe, who described this race as the craziest he has ever been a part of, mentioned on X how he felt like he was in a video game when racing with new tires and expressed that he had a lot of fun.
This is undoubtedly the most enjoyable experience for a racecar driver. It literally feels like playing a video game on easy mode when you have new tires and the rest of the field is on worn-out tires.
This is undoubtedly the most enjoyable experience for a racecar driver. It literally feels like playing a video game on easy mode when you have new tires and the rest of the field is on worn-out tires. pic.twitter.com/wgtNziQ8eJ
The perspectives of the drivers highlight the extreme tire wear at Bristol, and NASCAR should aim to find a balance in this regard. While tire fall-off is necessary to improve short track racing, such extreme levels of decline can have negative consequences. With the right decisions, NASCAR can enhance their short-track racing once again.