Last Saturday, during the NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway, Joey Logano faced challenges after a right front tire went down, causing him to hit the outside wall in Turn 4 during practice. In response to limited tire allocations, Team Penske and Logano’s No. 22 team arranged to purchase an extra set of tires from Rick Ware Racing’s No. 51 team, as teams were allowed only eight sets for the event. Denny Hamlin addressed this situation and the ensuing debate in his Actions Detrimental podcast, commenting on the fairness and implications of the move.
Denny Hamlin’s Perspective on the Tire Transaction Between Teams
Hamlin expressed uncertainty about his views on the tire purchase but raised questions regarding whether the No. 51 team effectively ran one set short by selling theirs. He noted,
“I don’t have an opinion on that, one way or the other. My question is… did the 51 just run a set short? … I wonder how much Penske paid them for that. They obviously paid them, [and] Rick Ware obviously took it,” —Denny Hamlin, NASCAR driver
Hamlin explained the existing rule that requires a team to make a qualifying attempt if it transfers tire sets, which prevents gaining an unfair advantage by starting with additional fresh tires. He referenced previous instances in other series where teams would not make a qualifying run to preserve tire freshness, noting that in the Cup Series, qualifying tires are no longer used during the race start.
In further elaboration, Hamlin stated,
“So, it sounds like the 22 wanted the same set of tires as everyone else, so he had to buy the tires off the 51 and then the 51 — sorry, here’s a check and you’re going to be one set short. Do I have a problem with it? I don’t know. As long as there’s someone in the field to sell it. Certainly, the issue they had in practice didn’t appear it was their fault. It was bad luck, they ran over something. Should they have been penalized by having one less set of tires? I don’t think so. It’s probably the most fair way to do it.” —Denny Hamlin, NASCAR driver
Joey Logano’s Performance Despite Setbacks at Richmond
Joey Logano’s weekend was marred by tire problems starting in practice, but he managed to finish strongly, securing fourth place. As the reigning Cup champion, Logano’s ability to rebound despite early difficulties signals his readiness for the upcoming playoffs, posing a significant threat to competitors.
Logano described his experience, saying,
“We had a really fast Mustang, the car had a lot of speed in it, but we just had to overcome too much. We got up into contention, and then we had a flat right rear and lost all of it again, and then steadily grind your way back into the top five. Apparently, I needed maybe 500 or 600 laps. It’s just not our weekend.” —Joey Logano, NASCAR driver
He also commented on the tire issues during the weekend, explaining,
“We had a flat tire in practice and then another flat tire in the race and both of them were punctures. It’s not like we were being too aggressive or anything like that, it’s just running over crap on the racetrack. Not our weekend.” —Joey Logano, NASCAR driver
The Impact and Future Considerations Regarding Tire Usage Rules
This incident has brought attention to the rules governing tire allocations and transfers among teams in NASCAR events. Hamlin’s remarks highlight the fine line between strategic resource management and potential unfair advantage. While the current regulations attempt to maintain balance by limiting additional fresh tires, occurrences like Logano’s misfortune illustrate the practical challenges teams face.
Going forward, NASCAR officials and teams may need to examine the tire set rules more closely to ensure fairness while accommodating unforeseen issues such as tire damage during practice. The debate sparked by this situation underlines the complexities involved in competition regulations and their enforcement as teams seek every possible edge within the rulebook.
