Goodyear Fast Facts — Fontana

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In: NASCAR Cup Series News

NASCAR Cup Series — Race No. 2 – 200 laps / 400 milesAuto Club Speedway (2.0-mile oval) – Fontana, Calif.Fast Facts for February 25-26, 2023

Tire: Goodyear Eagle 18-inch Speedway Radials

Set limits: Cup: 1 set for practice, 1 set for qualifying and 12 sets for the race

     (11 race sets plus 1 set transferred from qualifying)

Tire Codes: Left-side — D-5186; Right-side — D-5190

Tire Circumference: Left-side — 2,263 mm (89.09 in.); Right-side — 2,279 mm (89.72 in.)

Minimum Recommended Inflation: Left Front — 20 psi; Left Rear — 22 psi;

     Right Front — 48 psi; Right Rear — 44 psi

Storyline – Cup teams face challenges at Fontana: There will be two notable challenges for NASCAR Cup teams and the tires at Auto Club Speedway this weekend.  First is the track surface, which is one of the more abrasive on the circuit.  The surface will cause tires to wear heavily, so tire management will come into play for drivers, and pit crews will be busy with four-tire stops all day.  Second will be the air pressure settings in the left-side tires.  Auto Club is a track where teams often drop their left-side pressures in an attempt to gain grip.  Going below Goodyear’s recommendation – 20 psi on the left-front and 22 psi on the left-rear – comes with risk.  By running too low on air pressure, especially on such a rough and bumpy track surface, the tire’s sidewall will over-deflect, potentially causing damage to the point of air loss.

     “Auto Club Speedway’s track surface has become quite abrasive over the years, so tire wear and tire management will be a key factor throughout the race,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing.  “Cup teams will have 12 sets of tires for the race, and we will see four-tire stops at almost every opportunity.  The other thing to watch for is how teams use their left-side air pressures as a tuning tool.  Teams will often go below our minimum recommended pressures in order to gain grip, but they will have to balance that in a risk vs. reward proposition.”

Notes – New tire set-up for Cup cars at Fontana: Being on an 18-inch bead diameter tire, NASCAR Cup teams will run a different tire set-up than those in the Xfinity Series at Fontana this week . . . . . . these are two different tire codes from what the Cup cars ran in this race last season . . . compared to what they ran at Fontana in 2022, this left-side tire features construction and mold shape changes, while this right-side tire features a construction update, all to align with what is run at other speedways . . . both tread compounds are the same as last season’s . . . with this 18-inch tire, and its lower profile sidewall, NASCAR Cup cars will not run inner liners in any of their tires in 2023.

Goodyear Blimp – Airship to cover races at Fontana: The Goodyear Blimp “Wingfoot One” is scheduled to be in the air over Auto Club Speedway this week . . . Wingfoot One, based out of Carson, Calif., will provide aerial coverage for Fox Sports during both the Xfinity Series race on Saturday and the Cup race on Sunday.

Follow us on Twitter: @GoodyearRacing.

 

GOODYEAR TIRE NOTES

NASCAR Xfinity Series — Race No. 2 – 150 laps / 300 miles

Auto Club Speedway (2.0-mile oval) – Fontana, Calif.Fast Facts for February 25, 2023

Tire: Goodyear Eagle 15-inch Speedway Radials

Set limits: Xfinity: 6 sets for the event

Tire Codes: Left-side — D-6106; Right-side — D-6108

Tire Circumference: Left-side — 2,225 mm (87.60 in.); Right-side — 2,250 mm (88.58 in.)

Minimum Recommended Inflation: Left Front — 18 psi; Left Rear — 18 psi;

     Right Front — 45 psi; Right Rear — 42 psi

Notes – Xfinity teams on multi-zone tread right-side tire at Fontana: Being on a 15-inch bead diameter tire, teams in the NASCAR Xfinity Series will run a different tire set-up than those in the Cup Series this week . . . this is the same combination of left- and right-side tires Xfinity teams ran at Fontana in 2022 . . . the Xfinity right-side tire is a multi-zone tread tire, featuring two distinct tread compounds on the same tire — one for heat and wear resistance on the inboard two inches of the tread (Endurance Zone) and one for grip on the outboard 10 inches (Traction Zone) . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, Xfinity teams are required to run inner liners in all four tire positions at Fontana . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.

Follow us on Twitter: @GoodyearRacing.

Goodyear Racing PR

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