LOUDON, N.H. (AP) - Goodyear will bring modified tires to the Truck Series race at Eldora Speedway.
The revamped tire is needed for the first NASCAR race on dirt in more than 40 years. The dirt tire has been widened from 10 inches to 11 inches to provide a larger contact patch with the track and give the trucks more grip.
Also, the Eldora tire will be a bias ply tire and feature a tread pattern. The bias ply tire construction is not as stiff as the radial tire used on paved NASCAR ovals, therefore it is more compliant and more able to envelope the irregularities of a dirt surface.
As far as the tread, the Eldora tire features Goodyear’s G23 pattern, which is a standard block pattern. It has grooves and biting edges to help evacuate dirt from underneath the tire, giving the trucks more grip. The tread compound itself is on the “softer” end of the spectrum, which will also help with grip.
The left-side tires are about 3 inches shorter than the right to build in more stagger, which will help the trucks turn better.
The Truck Series debuts at the Tony Stewart-owned track July 24 in Rossburg, Ohio.
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