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After a hectic weekend of racing on the streets of Chicago last Sunday, NASCAR returns to a traditional oval track this coming weekend. The Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway marks the 19th event of the 2023 Cup Series calendar as drivers slowly inch towards the post-season playoffs.
As 400 miles of racing awaits drivers at the 1.5-mile-long track in Hampton, Georgia this Sunday, strategies on pit wall as well as driving techniques will be far from what fans saw in Windy City last weekend.
Another milestone not just for NASCAR, but for its official tire supplier Goodyear awaits at the track after the 260-lap-long race.
The winner of this Sunday's Quaker State 400 will mark the 2000th Cup Series winner for Goodyear of all time, marking a special occasion for the Akron, Ohio-based tire manufacturer.
The first Cup Series driver to win a race with Goodyear tires was Jim Reed at Darlington Raceway in 1959. Former driver and veteran of the sport Jeff Gordon became the company's 1000th winner in 1995.
After debuting in the sport in 1954, Goodyear has become the exclusive tire supplier for the highest echelon of stock car racing. The Xfinity Series as well as Crafstman Truck Series also have been supplied solely by Goodyear since 1997.
Goodyear’s Director of Racing elaborates on long-standing collaboration with NASCAR
Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s Director of Racing, recently spoke about their association with the sport ahead of their 2000th Cup Series winner at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Speaking to jayski.com, he elaborated on how far tire technology has come courtesy of racing, especially in NASCAR and said:
“It’s amazing if you think about how much race tires have evolved over the decades. Back in the 1950s, we were literally running street tires on stock cars. Through all the years and all the testing and development, we have worked with NASCAR and the best teams and drivers in the world to get where we are today."
Stucker further added on the decision to switch to 18-inch wheels and tires by the sport recently and said:
"Most recently, moving to the 18-inch bead diameter tire in the Cup Series has been a massive project, and we have even advanced that with several developments since the beginning of last season. This weekend we will celebrate our 2,000th winner at Atlanta as we look forward to 2,000 more in the future.”
The Quaker State 400 goes live this Sunday, July 9, at 7:00 pm ET.
