Alternate tires with reportedly a lot of tire wear might throw a wrench in a relatively cut-and-dry NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International. Could this be a potential fix as they were at Richmond Raceway?
James Krause: It’ll make the on-track racing a little better, but it’s going to also mix up pit strategy. How long are teams willing to go on a single set of tires? The one thing that could be a problem is an increase in on-track incidents from more aggressive racing or stretching a tire run too long. This also could create even more parity on road courses, as drivers who may not be ringers have a chance to get an edge if they know how to manage a run.
Kevin Nix: Tire conservation will be essential. Adding onto this are the rumble strips that the track placed down in turn 1 and the inner loop, meaning that drivers on older tires can no longer use the extra track to save their car. Those who make their tires last longer can, in theory, benefit more the longer the run goes, which will also increase passing. However, the difference between the two tire compounds needs to be large enough in traffic to promote alternate strategies, as was the case at Richmond.
Mark Kristl: Road course racing is very technical, so it’s doubtful whether option tires will be the savior to the quality of Next Gen racing on those tracks. That said, with the expected tire falloff, it should force drivers to really wheel their racecars, allowing for some hopefully incredible driving combined with some slip-ups. Depending on the outcome, NASCAR ought to consider option tires at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, too.
Mike Neff: Tires don’t really fix anything, but they do potentially add some strategy to the race. Since they added stage breaks back to road course racing, the strategy has been almost nonexistent. Let’s hope that this tire falloff will result in some crew chief decisions actually making a difference.
What are your expectations for Juan Pablo Montoya’s return to Cup?
Nix: I’m bullish on Juan Pablo Montoya. The road courses were his bread and butter when he raced Cup full time, and these cars handle similarly to IMSA vehicles. He won an IMSA race in 2022 and scored two podiums in his limited starts, so it’s fair to say he can adjust quickly to the Next Gen. A win would be a remarkable upset, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him score stage points and a top 10 on pace.
Neff: The expectations aren’t…
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