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While Denny Hamlin’s great win and good tire management at Bristol Motor Speedway were the headlines of the NASCAR Cup Series race, there were several stories that emerged from the event other than his win. Here are three key takeaways from the tire-intensive Bristol Cup race.
1. Unprecedented tire challenges
The NASCAR teams had anticipated problems with the tires, but the size of the challenge caught many of them off guard. This track surface did not 'rubber up', which allowed for extreme tire wear and degradation that resulted in a record 54 lead changes and 16 drivers in the lead over the 500 laps.
Tire wear was the most challenging task for drivers since it could result in flat tires or wearing out the rubber too early. Strategic tire management was important as drivers had to balance speed and tire regulation to achieve the best tire lifespan.
Goodyear, the tire manufacturer for NASCAR, was equally surprised. Their racing director, Greg Stucker, stated (via Fox Sports):
"We're trying to understand what's different, why the track is behaving differently than a year ago. It's the same [aero] package. It's the same tire combination. ... It's still a bit of an unknown."
2. Drivers skills emphasized
The race emphasized the skills and adaptability of the drivers in dealing with the demanding race. Denny Hamlin's win was a testament to his great skill in managing tire wear and controlling the race under unfavorable conditions. The race winner said (via Fox Sports):
"This is the first time the driver played a huge role in a long, long time." He added: "Technique was a huge deal today."
Many drivers, including Ty Gibbs, outlined the difficulties of tire management in the race. Gibbs said:
"You blow a tire and you go a lap down. You can't really control a lot. You're banking on that caution."
3. A race for the NASCAR history books
The Food City 500 race was record-breaking as it shattered the record for the highest number of lead changes (54) and the first one in 20 years with the fewest cars that finished on the lead lap (5).
Despite the challenges, NASCAR officials were satisfied with the overall race. NASCAR Chief Racing Development Officer John Probst said (via Fox Sports):
"All in all, I thought it was one of the best short-track races I've ever seen. We'll go back and look at it all. There were times in the race obviously when there was anxiety around are we going to have enough tires to finish it."
He added:
"But, man, coming out at the end and watching all that, I would not want to change much at all honestly. Maybe just give them more tires."
