Changing Weather Can Influence Tire Performance in Miami

After a grueling season filled with exciting on-track action and thrilling finishes, all eyes will be fixed on Homestead-Miami Speedway as the final four Chase contenders battle this Sunday to earn the title of 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion. At this storied 1.5-mile track, a champion will be crowned who has managed to avoid elimination from the Chase, leveraging the superior performance of his Goodyear Eagle tires to help him get there.

Along with the increased pressure that teams will experience in the winner-takes-all battle, the Miami weather will challenge drivers’ grit, determination, and their Goodyear tires. The race starts under the Florida sun where the asphalt track temperature is high, but the grip can be low. As the race transitions from day to night, cooler track temperatures will translate to more grip from each driver’s Goodyear Eagle tires. This change in available grip can impact the setup and balance of a race car. Crew chiefs must monitor these changes while staying in constant communication with their driver to help maximize their performance.

But changing temperatures aren’t the only weather-related factor that has the potential to impact tires. An increase in wind can alter the downforce drivers experience, changing the feel of the car. And with rain in the forecast, a shower could pop up at any time, washing rubber off the track and cooling temperatures even more. These changing conditions would again require crew chiefs and drivers to make adjustments.

To deliver superior performance on race day, Goodyear’s tire combination will feature Multi-Zone Tread tires on the right side. Goodyear’s Multi-Zone Tread technology, which can trace its roots to consumer tires like the Assurance TripleTred All-Season, combines two different rubber compounds in a single tread to offer both superior traction and endurance. This tire construction has been developed specifically for the conditions drivers will experience at Homestead-Miami, and will be combined with a softer compound left-side tire for enhanced traction.

This weekend, the final four will be pushing their vehicles to the limit as they fight for the Championship. And in what is sure to be an aggressive race to the checkered flag, the winner of Sunday’s race will maximize the performance of his Goodyear tires to get him to victory lane—possibly becoming a champion in the process.