Tire debate splits NASCAR greats Kevin Harvick and Richard Petty, revealing Next Gen weakness

The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season has been marked by two main storylines: criticism of the Next Gen car and the quest for a better racing product. Last weekend at Richmond Raceway, a new tire combination produced one of the most exciting races of the season and sparked a debate between Kevin Harvick and Richard Petty over how much tires should affect the sport.

The Cook Out 400 marked Austin Dillon's second consecutive win at Richmond, but more importantly, it demonstrated how the right tire package can change a race. Goodyear's setup with a softer left-side tire and the same right-side compound used last year as the 'option' created the kind of fall-off and unpredictability that many fans have been craving.

The night featured 24 lead changes among drivers such as Ryan Blaney, Tyler Reddick, Kyle Larson, Bubba Wallace, and Dillon. Pit strategy played a key role in who controlled the race during the final stages. Blaney made a pit stop three laps after Dillon on Lap 345 but couldn't gain ground, as Dillon regained control on Lap 353 and held onto it, winning by 2.471 seconds.

The combination of tire wear, pit calls, and late-race traffic created the perfect kind of drama NASCAR officials have been looking for. Jeff Gluck's post-race poll showed an 83.1% 'good race' rating, a big jump from Watkins Glen's 28.1% the week before. On his Happy Hour podcast, Kevin Harvick pointed directly to the tires as the key factor:

"When you look at the race and we talk about the tire that Goodyear brought and all the strategy and the falloff and everything that went into it, it was just a traditional style looking NASCAR race, no matter what generation that you have. It's the kind of race that you really are looking for. I know that there's a lot of work that needs to be done to the car, but the tire made it a lot better." (23:11 onwards)

Harvick's point was that Richmond was successful because the tires influenced the strategy. The softer compound provided cars with more grip and speed early on but wore out quickly, creating opportunities for position changes and late **race** charges.

Good Year tires during the NASCAR Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway.- Source: Imagn

But not everyone agreed. On the Petty Family Racing podcast, Richard Petty said NASCAR might be relying too much on tire changes.

"I think somewhere where it's the drivers and most likely not the owners, NASCAR or the TV or whoever is telling Goodyear and they're working their bu*t off trying to please somebody. And really they just need four or five kinds of tires and run them the rest of the year. And with that much fall off just really kills a race." (7:51 onwards)

Petty's warning was that extreme tire fall-off creates chaos for the wrong reasons. For him, the solution is consistency, not constant experimentation.

The Richmond tire debate highlights NASCAR's Next Gen car problem

The car of NASCAR Cup Series driver Josh Berry (21) at Pocono Raceway. Source: Imagn

The disagreement reveals a deeper truth: NASCAR's product debate is really about the Next Gen car. After four seasons, its promise of parity has been replaced with complaints about aerodynamics, limited horsepower, and a narrow performance window. The car generates downforce but produces heavy dirty air, making it hard for trailing drivers to pass. On tracks with one preferred groove, the outcome has been follow-the-leader racing.

Kevin Harvick thinks tires can help close the gap. He suggested bringing back an old idea of using multiple tire codes to give teams more options for tuning their setups by track. He said that having more choices could help crews adapt to different surfaces and conditions, bringing more variety to the racing (via Happy Hour).

"I think there are other things that can happen with the car that might move the needle. I think it's weight. I think it's aero. I think it's side force. I think it's power. I think that the tires can still be better. So, I hope that we don't wait... and I know how hard NASCAR has worked on it to try to move the needle, but you've got to think differently. Because the tire really moved the needle this weekend. So, it's not just the car." (24:10 onwards)

Richard Petty, while agreeing that changes are needed, emphasized the importance of the car itself.

"It's going to be a combination of things where they give them more horsepower or will they raise them up off the ground a little bit or will they take some of the aero deals away or give it more - whatever it takes," Petty said in the Petty Family Podcast.

For Harvick, the Richmond Cup race showed that tires can mask some of the car's flaws. For Petty, tinkering with tires only delays the inevitable changes to the Next Gen package itself.

The truth likely lies somewhere between the two extremes. Richmond proved that the right tire can elevate the racing, but without broader changes to horsepower and aerodynamics, the sport risks relying on short-term fixes. As the playoffs approach, the debate underscores the same question NASCAR has been grappling with since 2022: What is the best way to improve this car race?