Denny Hamlin sharply criticized Goodyear’s tire compound following the underwhelming NASCAR Cup Series event at Nashville Superspeedway. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver pointed to the tire’s behavior as a key reason for the race‘s limited excitement and minimal lead changes on Sunday.
Impact of Tire Fall-Off on NASCAR Racing Dynamics
During an episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin addressed Goodyear’s decision to use a tire compound that produced almost no tire fall-off throughout much of the race. This lack of degradation resulted in cars maintaining a near-constant pace, which Hamlin believes stifled competition and overtaking opportunities in each race stage.
The first part of the race, the racing was good,
Hamlin remarked.
I don’t know what was up with the tire that I mean we just had no fall-off whatsoever. You could run your fastest lap on Lap 15 or something.
—Denny Hamlin, NASCAR driver
Tire fall-off involves the gradual decrease in grip and speed as tires wear, which normally intensifies racing by forcing drivers to adjust their strategy and skillfully navigate changing conditions. The absence of this factor prevented the anticipated fluctuations in performance, resulting in duller racing action.
Calls for Goodyear to Adjust Compounds for Better Competition
Hamlin argued that Goodyear must tailor its tire compounds more precisely to specific track conditions in order to boost the intensity and competitiveness of races. He suggested that a softer compound offering increased grip and faster wear would encourage more dynamic driving and lead changes.
We’ve got to put more grip or a softer compound at that racetrack to get some fall-off,
Hamlin said.
That’s why the racing was so good at the end of the stages. So I think people are going to view this race maybe critically because once we got to the last 80-90 laps, I mean, there just wasn’t much passing.
—Denny Hamlin, NASCAR driver
According to Hamlin, the absence of significant tire wear delayed competitive action until well into each run. He highlighted how real battles only emerged toward the ends of Stage 1 and Stage 2, after tires began to degrade after about 50 or 60 laps.
There was not much passing until 50 laps into a run, that’s when we got to the end of Stage 1 and Stage 2,
he explained.
That’s when there was actually a battle between me, the 12, the 24, and the 45… It took 60 laps on tires for them to actually start falling off.
—Denny Hamlin, NASCAR driver
Need for Faster Tire Wear to Enhance Racing Throughout Runs
Hamlin concluded that an improved tire that degrades more quickly would benefit racing at Nashville and similar tracks by promoting ongoing competition instead of just at the stage endings. He emphasized the importance of having tire fall-off happen earlier to generate intense racing all the way through each tire run.
We need that process to happen sooner, so we have that racing for the entire run, not just at the very, very end, right before we are about to stop.
—Denny Hamlin, NASCAR driver
This feedback from a veteran driver like Hamlin puts pressure on Goodyear to reconsider its tire formulas for upcoming races, aiming to improve spectacle and fan engagement as NASCAR continues to evolve.
