Goodyear establishes a baseline for Indy

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company returned to Indianapolis Motor Speedway this week for a two-day test that was designed to begin the evaluation process for its 2009 tire recommendation for the track. The test, held this past Monday and Tuesday with the #45 Petty Enterprises Dodge and driver Kyle Petty, has now established a baseline for tire maker's return visit scheduled for October 6-8. "We had two very successful days of testing at Indy," said Stu Grant, Goodyear's general manager of worldwide racing. "We ran a wide variety of tread compounds in an effort to understand how each interacts with this car on this track. With NASCAR's involvement, we evaluated several different aerodynamic packages to quantify what impact downforce has on tire performance. And with the help of Goodyear's research scientists, we've begun processes to accurately characterize the track surface and monitor how it may change. This first test was meant to lay the ground work for the second test in early October, which will have 17 cars in attendance. The information gathered at the first test will enable us to evaluate, in more detail, those types of combinations that have the greatest potential. The second test will involve many more cars in an effort to more closely simulate the track conditions of a race weekend." Goodyear PR