Then the other cars will put on the optional tires and unlap themselves. All teams have access to the same mix of tire sets.
Yes, Preece made it to second or third by the end of the first stage. Without unlimited option tires, he couldn't stay there when other used theirs and he wound up around 20th. The early charge got him stage points but we can't tell how much difference they made to his final position.
Personally, I'd prefer to see a softer tire overall at all tracks. I posted yesterday to bring only the softer option to Phoenix in the fall and leave the harder primary in the warehouse. If softer tires can't be made available for an entire race, I'll take the mix of tires we saw yesterday over having only the cinder blocks Goodyear has been bringing for the NextGen.