Logano has not found 2011 tire to his liking

LOUDON, N.H. -- You can't blame Goodyear for trying to improve the product it brings to the race track -- but Joey Logano might prefer a return to the tires the Sprint Cup Series ran last year.

Buoyed by top-10 finishes in five of his past six Cup races in 2010, Logano entered 2011 with optimism. Then the wheels fell off.

Logano finished outside the top 20 in his first five events of the season and, by his own admission and that of crew chief Greg Zipadelli, inability to adapt to construction and compound changes to the Cup tires has been the primary issue.

"The sidewalls of these tires are a lot more flexible," Logano told Sporting News during a Thursday visit to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. "Last year they were stiff, and you got a good feel for the car. Now it seems like the car's kind of wishy-washy sometimes. It gives you maybe a false read of what's going on with the car.

"You see a lot of guys that were really strong last year that maybe aren't as strong this year. It plays into some guys' hands really good, and for others it's been a total curveball. For me, it's been a total curveball."

Zipadelli says the new tire design hasn't suited Logano's driving style, especially on the bigger downforce race tracks.

"The mile-and-a-halfs this year are awful," Zipadelli said. "This new tire that they have this year just doesn't fit him. He likes a tight, very secure feeling, and this tire doesn't give him that. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the product we have -- a lot of people have adjusted to it.

"We've just struggled with it. It doesn't seem like we've been able to get all the things that he needs to get comfortable to go fast at the big places."

Given the cyclical nature of the sport, Logano is confident that either he will adapt to the new tire, or NASCAR and Goodyear will change the package again.

"I think you've seen this over the years, before I was in the sport," Logano said. "Goodyear changes the tire and you see guys that are like, 'Holy cow, what happened to this guy? It looks like he can't drive anymore.' Eventually everyone figures it out, or they change the tire again. It happens in the sport a lot."