Daring predictions from Goodyear concerning its new tire compound debuting this weekend, together with modifications to Watkins Glen Worldwide’s monitor, are making for a difficult duo for drivers and groups to beat for Sunday’s Cup playoff race.
“Watkins Glen isn’t the standard Watkins Glen that we’ve seen previously,” defined Joey Logano, who’s the one driver locked into the Spherical of 12 after his Atlanta victory. “They’ve modified some issues to the monitor. They’ve added rumble strips off of flip one that stops us from dropping approach outdoors of the curb. They’ve modified the curbing to the bus cease itself to the place you gained’t be launching them into the nook as a lot, after which in addition they added rumble strips on the exit of the carousel to maintain us from dropping approach on the market, so the monitor will race in a different way.
“The automobiles will need one thing totally different from a setup perspective they usually’re additionally altering the tire, too. It seems like there will probably be much more tire put on, so there are a variety of unknowns for positive.”
Joey Logano, Workforce Penske, Shell Pennzoil Ford Mustang
Photograph by: David Rosenblum / NKP / Motorsport Photos
That new tire, in keeping with Goodyear, is estimated to have as much as three seconds of fall-off, utterly altering the technique on pit street.
Logano’s Workforce Penske teammate Ryan Blaney admitted that “I don’t know what to anticipate.” He believes the anticipated tire fall-off is an effective change, as are the modifications to the monitor itself.
“The modifications to the monitor usually are not loopy. The bus cease entry curb is gone, in order that’s gonna be totally different. A number of the rumbles they’ve bought on the exit of the carousel in flip one will change a bit bit, which I believe is constructive for the racing. You gained’t be capable of simply blow flip one and bail out to the apron and nonetheless have pace, so it would take a bit extra precision.”
Final yr, William Byron led 66 of 90 laps with little or no motion all through the race. The highest-five finishers all began within the top-seven. In complete, there have been simply six lead modifications. Passing has proved troublesome on the blistering quick monitor, ever since a repave just a few years in the past. Nicely, again in June, Goodyear held a tire take a look at at Watkins Glen — inviting Tyler Reddick, Daniel Suarez and Austin Cindric (every repping one of many collection’ producers), to check a number of totally different tire compounds. Consequently, a wholly new tire compound will probably be utilized at that monitor this weekend, and Goodyear says it would make for a “dramatically” totally different race.
Three seconds of tire fall off
Talking on the anticipated tire fall-off, Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing mentioned: “That, after all, can imply extra passing all through the race. It’s at all times tough on street programs as drivers make the most of a restricted variety of ‘passing zones,’ so the elevated fall-off ought to result in extra comers and goers as some drivers handle their tires and acquire on the sector because the runs go on.”
And the crew chiefs appear to agree. Legacy Motor Membership’s Dave Elenz, who works atop the field for Erik Jones, mentioned of the modifications: “You’re not going to have the ability to keep out on outdated tires and maintain your monitor place. Like a few of these guys have executed previously, you’re going to must put tires on them when the warning comes out and work exhausting to get that place again. This would be the most fall off we’ve ever had.”
Groups will get a (barely) prolonged follow at Watkins Glen with Group A and Group B getting 20-minutes every on the two.45-mile street course.
