Just got off the phone with Miss Google
NASCAR tires used on superspeedways like Daytona and Talladega are
slick racing tiresand do not have a traditional tread pattern. Instead of deep grooves, they use a thin layer of smooth rubber designed for maximum contact with the track.
Tread Thickness and Dimensions
- Rubber Thickness: The usable rubber on a NASCAR slick tire is approximately 3/32 of an inch (2.4 mm) thick. This is significantly thinner than the roughly 11/32 of an inch found on standard production car tires.
- Purpose of Thinness: The thin rubber helps prevent heat buildup. Thicker rubber would retain too much heat at sustained speeds over 200 mph, leading to blistering or catastrophic tire failure.
- Tread Width: For the Next Gen cars used in 2026, the dry tread width measures 11.5 inches (29 cm).
I found this interesting on air pressure differences between tires on specific tracks
GOODYEAR TIRE NOTES
NASCAR Cup Series — Race No. 27 – 260 laps / 400 miles
Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.54-mile oval) – Hampton, Ga.
Fast Facts for September 7-8, 2024
Tire: Goodyear Eagle 18-inch Superspeedway Radials
Set limits: Cup: 1 set for qualifying and 9 sets for the race
(8 race sets plus 1 set transferred from qualifying)
Tire Codes: Left-side — D-5174; Right-side — D-5228
Tire Circumference: Left-side — 2,264 mm (89.13 in.); Right-side — 2,279 mm (89.72 in.)
Minimum Recommended Inflation:
Left Front — 20 psi; Left Rear — 22 psi;
Right Front — 52 psi; Right Rear — 50 psi
Storyline – Cup Series opens 2024 playoffs at full speed: NASCAR Cup teams now run the same rules package at Atlanta Motor Speedway that they run at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. Since Atlanta has been added to that superspeedway group of tracks, the racing has been outstanding. Being repaved and reconfigured for 2022, Atlanta has an extremely smooth racing surface, which does not naturally wear tires. Goodyear counters that by bringing a tire with less tread thickness (gage) to help that process along. A tire with less gage allows more heat to dissipate through the tread and run “cooler” and at a more optimal grip level.
“Since Atlanta has been repaved and aligned with the other superspeedways on the Cup circuit, the racing has really been great” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “Atlanta’s old and abrasive racing surface was replaced for 2022 so the extreme tire wear we used to get has been replaced by a track that produces virtually no wear on its own. Tire wear is a good thing in racing because it allows heat to dissipate through the tire’s tread. With minimal wear, we take the proactive step to bring a tire with less gage so they don’t build as much heat, thus leaving the cars with more grip later in a run as temperatures build.”
Notes – Cup cars on spring tire set-up at Atlanta: Being on 18-inch bead diameter tires, NASCAR Cup teams will run a different tire set-up than those in the Xfinity Series at Atlanta this weekend . . . this is the same combination of left- and right-side tires that these teams ran at Atlanta in February . . . this is the only track at which these teams are scheduled to run either of these two Goodyear tire codes . . . with this 18-inch tire, and its lower profile sidewall, NASCAR Cup cars do not run inner liners in any of their tires.
GOODYEAR TIRE NOTES
NASCAR Xfinity Series — Race No. 24 – 163 laps / 251 miles
Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.54-mile oval) – Hampton, Ga.
Fast Facts for September 7, 2024
Tire: Goodyear Eagle 15-inch Speedway Radials
Set limits: Xfinity: 4 sets for the event
Tire Codes: Left-side — D-6124; Right-side — D-6126
Tire Circumference: Left-side — 2,225 mm (87.60 in.); Right-side — 2,250 mm (88.58 in.)
Minimum Recommended Inflation:
Left Front — 19 psi; Left Rear — 19 psi;
Right Front — 52 psi; Right Rear — 48 psi
Notes – Xfinity returns to Atlanta on established tire set-up: Being on 15-inch bead diameter tires, NASCAR Xfinity Series teams will run a different tire set-up than those in the Cup Series at Atlanta this weekend . . . this is the same tire set-up these teams have run at Atlanta since the beginning of 2022 . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, Xfinity teams are required to run liners in all four tire positions at Atlanta . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.
— Goodyear Racing —
