NASCAR Darlington Tire Setup: Goodyear Increasing Amount For Chase Opener

The NASCAR Cup Series teams will have the same Goodyear tire setup from their previous trip to the Darlington Raceway last March. However, the teams will see some additional sets of Goodyear Eagles for this weekend’s Chase opener at “The Track Too Tough to Tame.”

Goodyear is increasing this weekend’s tire allotment to 15 sets for the Cup Series. Darlington Raceway, also known as “The Lady in Black,” is known for increased tire wear due to the rough surface and unique configuration of the 1.366-mile South Carolina track.

Meanwhile, the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will see a new right-side tire. While the circuit raced on the tire at Charlotte last May, it is the first time Goodyear has brought the setup to Darlington. The left-side tire for the O’Reilly Series is a familiar one this weekend, most recently ran at the Iowa Speedway.

Allotment, details regarding NASCAR tire setup for Darlington

Justin Fantozzi, Goodyear’s Director of Racing for the Americas, said in a statement that the tire brand was mindful of Darlington’s challenging surface.

Because of the increased wear, Goodyear made the call to give teams more sets of tires for this weekend. Because it is the opening race for the Chase, Fantozzi said Goodyear wanted to make it a priority to bring the best tire possible.

“Darlington’s rough surface and egg-shaped layout make it a demanding track on tires,” Fantozzi said. “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 setup for Darlington is one that has been raced multiple times aside from the latest Darlington race in March. It was also the setup used for NASCAR’s return to Chicagoland Speedway in July.

Here is a breakdown of the tire allotment for Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500:

Cup Series: 15 sets — 12 new for the race, 2 for practice, 1 for qualifying, which transfers to the race.

O’Reilly Auto Parts Series: 7 sets — 4 new for the race, 2 for practice, 1 for qualifying, which transfers to the race.

Cup Series, O’Reilly Auto Parts Series opens the Chase at Darlington

Darlington Raceway is the site for the start of The Chase for both the Cup Series and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. On Saturday, the O’Reilly Series takes to “The Track Too Tough to Tame” for the Fleetio 200, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on The CW.

Sunday will feature the Cup Series Chase opener as the Cook Out Southern 500 is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. ET on the USA Network.