Tire Testing at Bristol

Marcos Ambrose was one of four NASCAR Sprint Cup regulars who participated in a tire test at Bristol Motor Speedway Tuesday. With swarms of creative Goodyear engineers taking notes, Ambrose and company experimented with a variety of tire compounds. "I think our objective here is to get a tire that works on the bottom of the track and on the top. That makes for a better race," said Ambrose, moments after his long and laborious session. Jamie McMurray, Regan Smith and Casey Mears also took laps at BMS Tuesday.

Tires were a major story at BMS last March, as numerous Sprint Cup and Nationwide teams experienced problems with a new right-side tire compound in the first practice session. Facing pressure and criticism, Goodyear officials responded the following morning by bringing in new tires which allowed drivers to go through the corners without having problems with tire wear. Tires were not an issue at BMS' August race, though some hardcore fans complained about the lack of action. Goodyear officials have worked overtime to find the most effective tire-combination since the Car of Tomorrow was introduced in 2007. There have some headaches along the way, but the racing has remained competitive for the most part. The tire test, which is closed to the public, concluded Wednesday. Bristol Herald Courier