During the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol on September 13, William Byron’s crew chief, Rudy Fugle, openly expressed confusion over the unexpected tire wear challenges that plagued the event. As teams grappled with unanticipated tire cording, uncertainty arose about NASCAR’s intended approach for the highly regarded Bristol short-track race. The issue quickly became the central focus amid the dramatic 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs competition.
Unpredictable Tire Wear Shapes Race Strategy
All weekend, Goodyear’s new right-side tire compound dominated discussions. Designed to start showing signs of cording after nearly 100 laps, the tire unexpectedly resisted wear during Friday practice in scorching near-100-degree track temperatures, with teams completing more than 50 laps consecutively without major issues. However, on race day with cooler conditions—71 degrees ambient and 89 degrees track temperature—tires deteriorated rapidly, some showing cords within just 20 laps.
Fugle shared his frank reaction on SiriusXM NASCAR, revealing the team’s uncertainty about NASCAR’s goals for the race:
“We were told that that was the plan. They wanted it to be that kind of a race. I don’t know that it’s 100% a Goodyear thing. If we were running the old right-side tire, we were going to be within a couple of degrees of that threshold on the tires wearing or not again, too. So I really think… somebody has to put the goal on the wall. What do we want the Bristol race to be… I don’t even know what the goal is.”
Rudy Fugle, William Byron’s Crew Chief
The surprise tire wear upended many teams’ expectations. Pole sitter AJ Allmendinger, among the first to feel the effects, fell outside the top five within 25 laps. By lap 40, the entire field had pitted as cording issues forced an unexpected early rhythm of pit stops and brought fresh challenges to race strategies. The volatility created a tense atmosphere, particularly for Byron’s No. 24 team, which had to adapt swiftly.
Chasing a Balance Between Nostalgia and Modern Racing
NASCAR’s aim to rekindle Bristol’s reputation as a fierce battleground harkens back to the mid-1990s, a period fans and drivers often praise for thrilling tire management battles that brought intense competition. While the 2025 race offered excitement with its 36 lead changes and 14 cautions, insiders felt much of the action stemmed from unpredictability rather than controlled, strategic competition.
Reflecting on the nature of past Bristol races, Fugle explained:
“Are the fans wanting one of those two races, or are they wanting 1995? And if they’re wanting 1995, it wasn’t either one of those races in my opinion either. I was sitting in a grandstand as an 11-year-old kid watching the 1995, and it wasn’t like either of those races either. They were going all out… If you want 1995, it’s not going to come from a Goodyear tire. It’s going to come from cutting up the racetrack and redoing the concrete back to 1995, and then I don’t even know if the car can produce that kind of racing either, but that’s the first step.”
Rudy Fugle, William Byron’s Crew Chief
Fugle emphasized how Bristol’s surface and layout have evolved, complicating efforts to recapture racing styles of the past. The half-mile track initially featured asphalt with 22-degree banking before switching to concrete and progressive banking in 2007. In 2012, modifications intended to limit multiple racing grooves were made, and between 2021 and 2023, the event temporarily transformed into a dirt race. Returning to concrete in 2024, the new tire compounds were expected to create tire wear and strategy, but Saturday’s outcome showed the ongoing difficulty in blending historic racing feel with modern vehicle dynamics and track conditions.
Playoff Eliminations Marked by Bristol Night Race
The Bristol race also marked the first elimination round in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, where four drivers—Alex Bowman, Austin Dillon, Shane van Gisbergen, and Josh Berry—were knocked out of contention. Hendrick Motorsports had a mixed night as Bowman finished highest among his teammates but still missed advancing by 10 points. Chase Elliott’s chances ended prematurely after a crash on lap 310, while Kyle Larson encountered engine trouble that left him 32nd and five laps down.
William Byron managed to steady his performance amid the chaos, starting seventh and holding a top-five position through Stage 1 by conserving tires and adapting to shifting conditions. He ultimately finished 12th, solidifying his status as the second seed heading into the Round of 12 with a 24-point cushion over the cutoff, tied alongside Larson. Meanwhile, Elliott entered the next round seventh with only a five-point advantage.
Upcoming Challenge at New Hampshire Adds Pressure
Byron now shifts focus to the New Hampshire Motor Speedway race on September 21, a track that has proven difficult for him historically. Over seven starts there, he has yet to break into the top 10, carrying an average finishing position of 17.0. The flat, 1.058-mile oval is 301 laps long and demands precise corner entry and smart tire management—elements that remain critical given the unresolved questions about tire wear and race strategy following Bristol.
This next event will test whether Byron can build on his playoff momentum and avoid the frustrations that have marked his past performances at New Hampshire, while the broader NASCAR community continues to assess how to best balance competitive racing with tire durability on evolving track surfaces.
🗣️ "I don't even know what the goal is […] I don't even know what we're trying to achieve."@TeamHendrick Crew Chief Rudy Fugle shared his thoughts on the @GoodyearRacing tire wear at @ItsBristolBaby over the weekend.
More from #TMDNASCAR → https://t.co/MKhd9eLpQA pic.twitter.com/OydiR9p9LL
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) September 15, 2025
