Did Goodyear tires again cause NASCAR crashes?

Goodyear’s tires are back in the news after last Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

At least three, and probably more, drivers had tire troubles during the race, and the result was hard contact with the wall.

Kurt Busch led 64 laps before the right front tire on his Penske Racing Dodge gave way. Dale Earnhardt Jr. led five times for 76 laps, but he also had a tire issue that sent his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet into the wall.

And Tony Stewart was two laps from the checkered flag, holding a healthy lead, when the air went out of his tire and his hopes.

Goodyear tested its tire at Lowe’s. Teams tested their cars at Lowe’s. So what was the problem?

Maybe Stewart’s Joe Gibbs Racing team pushed the limit a bit by going the final 100 or so laps on one set of tires. But crew chief Greg Zipadelli said afterwards that the tires had not shown excessive heat or wear all weekend.

Earnhardt Jr. and Busch were on much fresher tires when their problems surfaced. Scenedaily.com