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That's Racin'
By JIM UTTER
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The tires are new, the complaining is not.
The seemingly endless debate on the type or grip of tires Goodyear should produce in NASCAR events took another turn as several Nextel Cup drives complained of the tires' wear following Thursday's 125-mile qualifying races at Daytona International Speedway.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., who won the first Gatorade 125, said he drove around most of the race in fear his right-front tire would wear and blow.
"I was running in the top (groove) just in case the right-front blew out so I wouldn't have too far to go before I hit anything," he said.
"The tire is not a good tire. Imagine if we had full fuel cells. This would be awful. I couldn't imagine it. Everybody would be bouncing off the fence."
Goodyear officials counter that most teams have been able to find the right balance on their cars have experienced few, if any tires problems.
Those teams still struggling to find that balance are the ones the most vocal in their criticism, Goodyear officials say.
"I think we're finally in a situation where guys can race," said Tony Stewart, who finished second in the first 125-mile qualifier. "We actually get to race here.
"At least for the race, the drivers can actually drive and decide who wins the race by who out-drives whom. That was evident in the first race."
Rookie Scott Riggs lost a right-front tire in the first 125-miler, bringing out the only caution of the day.
"Everybody fell to the high-side trying to save the tires. That's the only thing we were doing," he said. "Nobody likes blowing out a tire, but at the same time it gives some of the battle back into the drivers' hands."
Goodyear developed a "softer" tire this season, one that wears more during a race than in previous seasons. Daytona has its own tire, a different one than teams will see the rest of the season. In addition, fuel cells in cars are smaller at Daytona and Talladega in order to force more pit stops.
By JIM UTTER
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The tires are new, the complaining is not.
The seemingly endless debate on the type or grip of tires Goodyear should produce in NASCAR events took another turn as several Nextel Cup drives complained of the tires' wear following Thursday's 125-mile qualifying races at Daytona International Speedway.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., who won the first Gatorade 125, said he drove around most of the race in fear his right-front tire would wear and blow.
"I was running in the top (groove) just in case the right-front blew out so I wouldn't have too far to go before I hit anything," he said.
"The tire is not a good tire. Imagine if we had full fuel cells. This would be awful. I couldn't imagine it. Everybody would be bouncing off the fence."
Goodyear officials counter that most teams have been able to find the right balance on their cars have experienced few, if any tires problems.
Those teams still struggling to find that balance are the ones the most vocal in their criticism, Goodyear officials say.
"I think we're finally in a situation where guys can race," said Tony Stewart, who finished second in the first 125-mile qualifier. "We actually get to race here.
"At least for the race, the drivers can actually drive and decide who wins the race by who out-drives whom. That was evident in the first race."
Rookie Scott Riggs lost a right-front tire in the first 125-miler, bringing out the only caution of the day.
"Everybody fell to the high-side trying to save the tires. That's the only thing we were doing," he said. "Nobody likes blowing out a tire, but at the same time it gives some of the battle back into the drivers' hands."
Goodyear developed a "softer" tire this season, one that wears more during a race than in previous seasons. Daytona has its own tire, a different one than teams will see the rest of the season. In addition, fuel cells in cars are smaller at Daytona and Talladega in order to force more pit stops.