The NASCAR Cup Series teams that tackle the Cook Out Southern 500 this weekend will have the same Goodyear tire set-up from their last visit to Darlington Raceway, just with more of them.
The allotment grows to 15 total sets for Sunday’s opener to The Chase presented by Mobil 1 (5 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at the rugged 1.366-mile South Carolina track, which is known for its treacherous layout and abrasive racing surface. Teams will have an additional set of tires for the extended practice, plus two more sets to accommodate the 100 miles of extra distance compared to the track’s Goodyear 400 in March.
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“Darlington’s rough surface and egg-shaped layout make it a demanding track on tires,” said Justin Fantozzi, Goodyear’s Director of Racing for the Americas. “To account for the longer race distance, teams will have two additional sets of tires compared to the spring race, as well as the extra set for the new practice format. As we enter The Chase, giving teams a trusted tire package is even more important as they put everything on the line.”
The Cup Series tire configuration has been in action multiple times since the springtime trip to Darlington, most recently in July for the circuit’s return to Chicagoland Speedway.
The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series also opens The Chase at Darlington with Saturday’s Fleetio 200 (7:30 p.m. ET, The CW, ESPN Unlimited, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). That series’ teams will have a right-side tire that’s making its Darlington Raceway debut, but was previously used at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May. The left-side tire is a familiar one, with its most recent usage at Iowa Speedway last month.
Tire allotment for each team competing this weekend:
Cup Series: 15 total sets — 12 new for the race, 2 for practice, 1 for qualifying, which transfers to the race.
O’Reilly Auto Parts Series: 7 total sets — 4 new for the race, 2 for practice, 1 for qualifying, which transfers to the race.