By May of 1988, the Tire Wars between Hoosier and Goodyear had reached the point where drivers became very concerned with their safety.
The tire manufacturers continued to experiment with compounds to find the perfect balance between durability and speed.
In doing so they developed compounds that very often were much softer than usual. This increased speed but left durability somewhat in doubt.
As was well known, softer tires are faster, but they have their limits – as was decidedly proven in May at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Terry Labonte won NASCAR’s All-Star race – the Winston – on Goodyears. But the event was littered with tire failures.
Goodyear could enjoy the victory but it discovered something ominous. Its softer compound tire was prone to air leaks, which contributed to its failures.
Hoosier, normally at the point when it came to a soft tire, raced with a more durable compound.
The persistent air leaks led Goodyear to withdraw from the World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, one of NASCAR’s most prestigious races. With no competition, Hoosier won with Darrell Waltrip aboard a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
But not without a high price.
Once again, the race was plagued by tire failures. But this time, where most of them in The Winston resulted in smoke and crunched metal, these were far more serious.
Drivers Rick Wilson, Neil Bonnett and Harry Gant went to the hospital with slight injuries after crashing due to tire failure.
In a multi-car wreck caused by another tire failure, Buddy Baker suffered a blood clot on his brain. He wasn’t aware of the injury until three months afterward – and it ultimately ended his career.
There was an immediate reaction from the competitors. Many of them had complained about the Tire Wars almost from the start of the season.
Now they complained louder, and in greater numbers, about their own safety.
“I’m not surprised,” said Junior Johnson. “I knew this would happen. The tire companies seem to be in this for themselves.”
“My brother Bill [Elliott] injured his shoulder after a tire blew at Atlanta [Motor Speedway],” said engine builder Ernie Elliott. “That is bad enough but this season we’ve lost $200,000 in crashed race cars.
“I wish NASCAR would solve this.”
“It’s like adding another dangerous element to racing which is dangerous enough as it is,” said Bonnett.
“If someone told me two months ago that this…
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