Some may remember the tire wars between Goodyear and Hoosier a number of years back. I had thought the reason that Goodyear got the exclusive contract to supply tires for NASCAR was because of safety. If that is the case then how come we see so many tire blowouts a race?

We know that Goodyear is capable of producing a tire that could last pretty much the whole race yet they still produce a tire that is prone to blowouts. Do we have to wait until someone is killed before something is done about it?

I know it's off-topic but figured it might make for a lively disscusion here in the Oval forum ;)

Bring on the tire wars!!!

I believe alot of the tire issue is the cars settup. causing them to underinflate the tire.

They should run foams. Three greens and a blue.

"three golds n a green" BSR's... that's what pops is always yelling at the big races.


you got a point hank, i hate it when the goodyear guy's are always saying it isn't their fault. make a good tire that can grip and they won't have to run the low air pressure if thats the case.

i didn't hear the hoosier tires coming apart... ol geoffery was tearing up the tracks not the tires!

BRING ON HOOSIER TIRES they run forever on DIRT ask the dirt boys how the Goodyears are going.............

Nice topic. Something interesting I found.

http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ/MGArticle/WSJ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137834679695

it seems funny they collect the extras after each race. they give a 100.00 credit on a new 400.00 tire thats a savings for the team. also a few years back robby gordon won loudon on tires he held on to from i believe fro, dover,different compound back in 01 when loudon was cancelled after 9/11.nascar is becoming an overpopular and way to politiclly correct. RUBBIN IS RACIN, NOT ANY MORE . KEEP IT UP THATS ROUGH DRIVING AND WE'LL BLACK FLAG YA.COME ON GET A GRIP

Believe i heard a comment on last sundays pre-race that several teams,because of the leasing arrangment they now have in place,were testing on Hoosiers.Can't remember what nascars stand on this was,and there was nothing on jayski about it.

My take is that Goodyear wants the tires to wear out. The more tires a team changes in a race the more $$$$ they make. The trick is to design a tire that loses grip quickly (thus tire changes every caution) but still doesn't blow out on full green runs. But hey, if a tire or two blows during that long green run, so what, just means more cautions and everyone will come in and change tires more often.

Also, I think that NASCAR itself doesn't mind it much. Cautions bunch up the cars making for closer racing for the fans. I am sure they would hate to see every race where cars are strung out all over the track and being won by 5 seconds or more.

The thing I find interesting is that more teams have not started to speak up about it. I know there was quite a bit of talk about it last after the race (forgot which one) where tires were blowing after 20 laps but it has pretty much died down.

Basically Goodyear is TOO BIG a company and has way too much pull with NASCAR , so they do what they want to.

Yes , some of the problem is with chassis set up ,but Goodyear has known that for years.

I emailed them six months ago after one of their fiasco races and told them I'd never buy a goodyear tire even for my passenger car , they don't really care !!

Yes , bring on the tire wars , I'm sure Hoosier or Firestone can produce a better quality tire.

The problem still is that Goodyear has more money and we all know how that worked out with the loosy broadcasting we get with fox/fx , How bought those commercials , more reason to never turn on the TV.

R.S.

The tire war years ago between Good Year and Hoosier was going to kill a driver long before a 1 tire company deal will. Its funny how everybody points the finger at the tire when it blows, its never the setup on the car were a team runs too much camber, too low of tire pressure, or the setup where the car is tight and the driver still drives it hard. Each week each tire company would come out with a softer tire to go faster and they lasted less laps. Funny how the tire issue was with mostly a limited amount of teams......teams known for using lots of camber and or teams starting out tire pressures at well below Good Year specs. Funny thing is teams will do anything to get an edge on the others and that includes pushing the issue with tires and then blame the tire when it wasn't run within the specs given to each team for that tire.

i didn't hear the hoosier tires coming apart... ol geoffery was tearing up the tracks not the tires!


i'll say it again...

Hoosier tires run for along time and are half the price of goodyear i think a tire war might be a good thing

The tire war years ago between Good Year and Hoosier was going to kill a driver long before a 1 tire company deal will. Its funny how everybody points the finger at the tire when it blows, its never the setup on the car were a team runs too much camber, too low of tire pressure, or the setup where the car is tight and the driver still drives it hard. Each week each tire company would come out with a softer tire to go faster and they lasted less laps. Funny how the tire issue was with mostly a limited amount of teams......teams known for using lots of camber and or teams starting out tire pressures at well below Good Year specs. Funny thing is teams will do anything to get an edge on the others and that includes pushing the issue with tires and then blame the tire when it wasn't run within the specs given to each team for that tire.

Shadow is right on the money. Chassis setup ruins tires; rarely is it a defective tire. If Goodyear changed the compound to be 'tougher", the teams would just dial in a more aggressive setup. In order to win, they push it to the limit. New tire design would just mean a new limit. Goodyear is doing a great job.

Now understand taht I'm asking and not stating here.
Do you think that part of the problem is that they have tried to make the tires as lightweight as possible for lower rotating mass, and as sticky as possible to allow higher speeds? That it is just those facts maybe? It could be that a tire that lasts longer would weigh more, or not grip as well. Those tires are pretty darn soft, and the crews don't run much air in them for traction purposes. Just my $.02 !
Rick<><

Well since there is no other tire they can run making the tire lighter for rolling mass is not an issue. The problem really comes from heat buildup, a thicker tire will build up heat faster and that will cause more problems. The tires they use are pretty hard compaired to what the featherlite tour cars run and what most local tracks run on their weekly shows.

I really don't know why they don't put a tire on them that will last, they said guys like Rusty wanted a softer compound for some reason. about six years ago I thought they had a real good tire it would run about 100 laps and not drop off a whole lot. It was so good some guys would stay out instead of pitting on yellow and end up winning the race. Why they don't use a tire like this is silly to me and I think they should put the spoilers back on the cars also. I think nascar wants more yellows to sell more commercial time.

I believe the word "Michelin" comes to mind? :) Maybe if all the teams would stick together and say they weren't racing on the Goodyears something would be done. You can't tell me all the tires that are blowing lately are related to setup. I believe there shouldn't be a monopoly on who supplies tires. Let the teams choose what company they want to run.

I believe it's mostly set-up. Dale Jr. was "Chunking" tires and wearing them right to the chords constantly, although he did finish 3rd. Paul Menard had zero tire problems all day and still finished 7th. 2 totally different drivers with 2 totally different set-ups. Also, you'll see that it was mostly the "Known" to be aggressive drivers that were having the most problems........That's my take......

I dont car if its Goodyears fault, NASCARs fault or the race teams fault! I Just Want It Fixed!!! I,m TIRED ( literaly ) of seeing races like tha fall Charlotte race with a caution every 20 laps because someone was in the wall!!! There were also tire problems at Vegas and California this year. I want to see the drivers race and the best driver/crew/car in victory lane not the survivor!!! NASCAR needs to forget about this whole Car of Tommorrow chiat and fix the racing TODAY.

Lee Helander POd NASCAR RACING fan!!!


ever since Brian France took over........................ :(

Yes there needs to be different tire choices for teams. I can tell you that know matter what tire company supplies tires to NASCAR can keep up with the setups the teams are using today. The setups from 2 years ago aren't even close to what they are using today. Take Atlanta last week, they were wearing out the RR because the track is wore out and they are running as stiff a spring they can in the back and the softest they can in the front. At Vegas they ran 400's in the front and 400's in the rear. Then you run 7 degrees of lf positive camber. Last year they were blowing tires on the straight aways because of the camber. The tire never cooled down on the outer edge. The drivers whined they wanted a softer tire. They got it and they still blew. To many mile and a half flat tracks. The cars are to aero dependant. The racing sucks. The only good races are Bristol and Martinsville. Watch a truck race, some of the best racing you will see. No tire problems and if you push a fender in you can still win. Just my 2 cents.

Honestly rotating weight is no consideration at all, goodyear's concern is not really looking for all out speed. If all cars are on the same tire it doesnt matter at all. Also between the wheel weight, the inner liner and the tire itself those thigns are heavy! Pick up a super speedway tire man that is like 80+ lbs if i remember correctly.

As far as blow outs are concerened that is 90% setup imho. Teams just being aggressive, those cars are running HUGE rr springs now, in fact IT is the spring that holds the 3500lb car up. Couple that with running under suggested psi at a fast track like Atlanta with high SUSTAINED corner speeds and it is just gonna happen. Tech has been mandating RF pressure for a little while now, look to see the RR checked soon also.

As far as harder tire compund goes, plain and simple you would have cars in the fence constantly. Those cars are so aero dependent that the guys need the mechanical grip. Something has to give them atleast a little sense of security in traffic around dirty air. They are soft becasue the need to be, and that is a relative term. A radial cup tire is nothing like say the hoosier I ran on my late model or we run on my modified.




Now understand taht I'm asking and not stating here.
Do you think that part of the problem is that they have tried to make the tires as lightweight as possible for lower rotating mass, and as sticky as possible to allow higher speeds? That it is just those facts maybe? It could be that a tire that lasts longer would weigh more, or not grip as well. Those tires are pretty darn soft, and the crews don't run much air in them for traction purposes. Just my $.02 !
Rick<><

The drivers asked for a tire with more "give up" so Goodyear gave it to them...Be carefull what you ask for...

AND THATS A FACT!!!

I believe the word "Michelin" comes to mind? :) Maybe if all the teams would stick together and say they weren't racing on the Goodyears something would be done. Let the teams choose what company they want to run.

That all sounds real good... but there is one factor that most
people are not considering..

When you talk about tire wars, there has to be more than one
manufacturer.
It isn't that NASCAR will not take another brand, there just seems to be
little interest in other companies in developing tires for NASCAR.
When you say, 'bring on the Hoosiers', the first person you need to
contact is not NASCAR... it's Hoosier...
It isn't like they have warehouses full of NASCAR tires sitting
there waiting to be used.

I have to agree with those that feel the setups are the big problem.
If it were a tire specific problem, there would be 'more' problems.

The problem at Charlotte last year was due mostly to the sealer they put
on the track ifrc. It was not there when they did the tire test.
And it threw everyone a wicked curveball. Including Goodyear.

For those that can remember Firestone was also used, but like Hoosier politics played a part in who got exclusive rights - probably a little cash changed hands as well. Lowe's the blame was compounded - Goodyear made the tire for the old track surface, then track was ground, chassis were setup to previuos races whick lead the the blowout problem. Let's not forget the tires are tested on most tracks months before the final race takes place, Goodyear then makes changes to tires, as well as recommendations on air pressures, camber settings based on testing results. Hoosier is run mostly in ARCAR and if you followed any of those race, had the same problem with blowouts or tire failure where some racer teams wanted to go to Goodyear or another brand tire. Compare the speeds cars are running on the small to intermediate tracks today compared to 5-10 years ago - tires have kept up somewhat but setups have gotten more aggressive in order to carry that much speed and get car to stick.

Many voiced the cause as the problem more with what race teams use in setup or the way driver handles the car, I agree but also the cause has been a small puncture that lead to a terrible blowout. Driver says car feels funny, I think it's a tire - crew chief goes feel it out for a lap or two then come in. A few seconds later, driver radios call it a day just hit the wall hard.

Can't turn the clock back but in some ways go back to the day when men settled things like men when Cale Yarlborough and Donnie Allison tusselled around in the infield mud at Daytona.

400#'s all the way around is not the case, the car would NOT turn vegas or anywhere else. 400's across the front with a huge bar yes. Soft LR spring 300 +/- lbs and a HUGE RR spring in the THOUSAND(s) + spring rate is pretty much the norm everywhere. With the exceptions being the plate tracks where rear shock/spring is mandated and the roadies as well of course. Two+ years ago they were running nothing but go cart setups with sway bars. They would put bump rubbers in and do all the geometry on the rubbers and put soft springs in it for nothing more that tech height etc The car took a set on the rubbers and that is where it ran. All work was done with the track bar, air psi and bars for the most part.. Rules took the bump rubbers out so you get what they run today, which of course wont be anything near when the car of tommorow is fully rolled out.



Yes there needs to be different tire choices for teams. I can tell you that know matter what tire company supplies tires to NASCAR can keep up with the setups the teams are using today. The setups from 2 years ago aren't even close to what they are using today. Take Atlanta last week, they were wearing out the RR because the track is wore out and they are running as stiff a spring they can in the back and the softest they can in the front. At Vegas they ran 400's in the front and 400's in the rear. Then you run 7 degrees of lf positive camber. Last year they were blowing tires on the straight aways because of the camber. The tire never cooled down on the outer edge. The drivers whined they wanted a softer tire. They got it and they still blew. To many mile and a half flat tracks. The cars are to aero dependant. The racing sucks. The only good races are Bristol and Martinsville. Watch a truck race, some of the best racing you will see. No tire problems and if you push a fender in you can still win. Just my 2 cents.

It was grinding, not sealer, thanks for refreshing my memory..

The REAL CULPRIT in my opinion is the extreme amount of pressure on the teams and the drivers to PERFORM for there sponsors,owners,team manager, etc. In TODAYS NASCAR if your not the TOP DOG ( or in that top ten come race 26 ) theres a huge threat that someone else will be in the car ,on the pit box , changing the tire or whatever real soon. How do you cure that .. you cant!
Its $$BIG TIME$$ racing so you do what you have to do to stay out front! And hope you dont go that little bit over the edge.

It isn't that NASCAR will not take another brand, there just seems to be
little interest in other companies in developing tires for NASCAR.

Now I don't know the rulebook but it was MY understanding that Goodyear had the "exclusive" on supplying tires to NASCAR??

Now I don't know the rulebook but it was MY understanding that Goodyear had the "exclusive" on supplying tires to NASCAR??

GY is the only tire allowed.
However, I believe, and it's only my interpertation, that it was
done that way, so that there would be no 'surprises' mid way into
a season.
The rule book does not say that only Goodyears can be used.
It goes on to explain how a brand gets accepted, and it also says
that the cars shall race on one brand only.
Yes, right now, that means Goodyear.
But the way it is in the book, it leads you to believe that there could
be another brand, but you have to run only one brand.. no mixing.

So GY has a deal right now. I'd have to say that if another brand
showed commitment, and offered NASCAR a better product/more money,
when GY's deal was up, there could be another brand.

But that is very unlikely.

I believe that Goodyear is committed to bringing the safest tire they can to each track. If they weren't they wouldn't be there. I believe the teams do every thing they can to gain an advantage. Including running aggressive setups and messing with tire pressures recommended or not. The name of the game is to win!
We even do it. we cut brand new tires on the tire truer to "gain an advantage" Why doesn't the tire manufacturers offer cut tires to us?
Sure the engineers at Goodyear make mistakes but I believe that safety is #1 in there book. Its the teams that take it to the ragged edge for the advantage. The teams are always taking it to the limit and beyond if they can get away with it.
I think Goodyear has the exclusive on supplying tires to the top tier series in NASCAR, just as Sunoco is the fuel supplier, etc.

TM tires sell trued tires.

im watching bristol and so far 3 guys had cut tires. rediculous

Running over something and cutting a tire isn't a tire issue.

If You Ask Me Its All About Money. And How Much Money The France Family Gets Kicked Back Every Year From Goodyear.
The Tire Contract Should Go Up For Bid Every Year, To Keep The Cost Down.
That Is Infact Why Nascar Is Going To Start Running "the Car Of The Future". In The Winston Cup Scene This Week, They Have An Article About How Teams Are Starting To Run Hoosier Tires To Practice And Test With At Non Schanctioned Cup Tracks Like Kentucky. Nascar Says Its Ok As Long As They Dont Bring Them To Any Cup Tracks.

Wait And See What Happens In May At The Winston All Star Race In May. Humpy Just Re Paved The Track And Said That They May Be Looking At Pole Speeds Of 199.00 Mph!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This Will Be The Next Plate Race. Goodyear Has A Tire Test There In Two Weeks I Think. They Thought They Had Problems When They Ground The Track Last Year. Theres Going To Be Tires Blowing Left And Right. I Predicte More Cautions In That Race Do To Tires Than What There Was In The Whole Race At Bristol Today.

I don't remember which show I was watching when I heard this, but it's my understanding that GoodYear did have a much more durable tire and NASCAR 'suggested' they change it so that the tires would slow down more over the course of a run. I don't subscribe to the idea that GoodYear wants the tires to wear out to make more money... However I do entirely belive that NASCAR pretty much tells GoodYear what kind of grip life they want from a tire, then GoodYear trys to do comply with their wishes AND make the tire as safe as they can yet still loose grip over time.

In my opinion, it's all a carefully crafted thing, where NASCAR is trying to make the racing as interesting as possible... But I do not beleive they want the tires to blow... they just want them to loose grip to force pitstops for new rubber...

Of course we all know the race teams will do whatevery they can to make the tires grip more and longer then GoodYear and NACAR expected them to... Hence the teams are constantly pusshing the limits of the tires they are given.

So GY has a deal right now. I'd have to say that if another brand
showed commitment, and offered NASCAR a better product/more money,
when GY's deal was up, there could be another brand.

But that is very unlikely.

The only "deal" Goodyear has right now is that they most likely paid off Bob Newton to go away after the 1994 season.

Rules also pushed Hoosier away, Nascar started requiring any tire company bringing tires to bring enough tires to supply EVERY team entered with enough tires for practice and the race. That means any company can compete with an approved tire, they just have to bring 1200-1400 of them every week. This killed Hoosier which isn't all that big of a company especially because all the big GM and Ford teams could not run Hoosier tires because of a contract deal with GM/Ford and Goodyear. (when you purchased a high end GM/Ford product, what did it come with for tires. :rolleyes: )

Two+ years ago they were running nothing but go cart setups with sway bars. They would put bump rubbers in and do all the geometry on the rubbers and put soft springs in it for nothing more that tech height etc The car took a set on the rubbers and that is where it ran. All work was done with the track bar, air psi and bars for the most part.. Rules took the bump rubbers out so you get what they run today, which of course wont be anything near when the car of tommorow is fully rolled out.


Last year for bump stops was 2001, not many were running them but Steve Park was really coming around with doing it before all the BS that went down.

Goodyear has an exclusive contract with NASCAR as the sole supplier of tires. The contract is set to run out at the end of the 2007 season. A few tire stories at http://www.gnextinc.com/nascar/news/tire.html and http://www.jayski.com/teams/nascar-sponsors.htm

Rules also pushed Hoosier away, Nascar started requiring any tire company bringing tires to bring enough tires to supply EVERY team entered with enough tires for practice and the race. :rolleyes: )

I don't see any beef there.
You just can't bring 50 tires. And give them to one team.
You either bring enough for everyone, or don't bring any at all.

I agree with it also but knowing half the teams wont/can't run your product kindof kills the deal.

It's like company A has a race like the snowbird's battery deal, 16,000 cells. They come out with a rule that any other company can come in, they just need to bring 16,000 cells also. If more then half the racers are under contract to use company A's cells through sponsorship from all different levels, little guy "B" has a chance of selling maybe 4-6,000 of his 16,000.

It was easy insurance for Goodyear when Na$car changed the rules after 1994.

ENough tires fore the field is not the end of the world if the same compound can be utilized at other tracks. Yea they may only use X amount of the tires but a few weeks later they use another X amount of that compound somewhere else. It is just overhead/stock if you think of it that way. It comes down to risk/reward to other tire company's. Does the compnay see what they will gain from exposure in NASCAR being more than the expense to engineer and manufacture a whole new racing tire program. Alot of cash up front that is for sure. Would you buy Firestone's on monday for your SUV if they beat Goodyear's on sunday. That is what really matters to them.

I don't see any beef there.
You just can't bring 50 tires. And give them to one team.
You either bring enough for everyone, or don't bring any at all.

Why? Does DEI or Roush have to bring enough motors for every team? What about the transmission manufacturers or even the jack suppliers? What is so special about tires that makes it so everyone has to have them the same? Are we talking "spec" racing here or real racing where in the end, money talks.

What if everyone at your local rc track was required to run the same tires? Would that make you happy?

I think I read every comment on this topic this morning and I would like to give my opinion that is based on my experience in the racing industry. First I was formerly employed by a Craftsman Supertruck team and a Busch Team. I am now working part time for an ARCA team. My posistion is and always has been Tire specialist. Remember back in the day I think it was Steve Park who went unheard of laps at Rockingham ? That was the day of the harder tire. Goodyear started that ball rolling politicking NASCAR to let them build a better tire. After a couple seasons NASCAR steped in and told Goodyear to make a softer tire. Why you ask ?? simple.. remember the phrase aero tight ?? The object of the softer tires is to make the car stuck to the ground mechanically rather than aerodynamically. Nascar tells goodyear what to do and how to do it. It is that plain and simple. Nascar wants more side by side as that puts people in the seats. Goodyear actually plays a very minor role in what you see on the track every weekend. Think of all the horrible press Goodyear gets after many of the races, what board of directors in their right mind would do that intentionally. Arca uses Hoosier tires at all the tracks, even old bias ply tires at tiny bullrings. They are a decent tire but from what the Hoosier guys say at the track they lost their rear ends over that last tire deal. I to remember Geoffery Bodine blistering the field with his Hoosier tires but not many people remember Hoosier letting him out of his contract and bolt some Goodyears on as the Hoosiers kept blowing out. The problems are all heat related.. softer tire faster cars more heat BOOM.. Harder tire slower more aero dependant cars but they last forever. I haven't talked to the Hooser engineers at the track since last year but last I knew they had no intention of trying again but I sincerly do not know what is on the horizon. No matter what supplier they get it will still be the same NASCAR pulling the strings telling them what to do. As for setups yea yea you are all correct on that as they cause many failures but when you see guys like Gordon, Kenseth, Martin, Stewart, Newman blowing tires it is not good as those guys are about the smoothest drivers out there when they want to be..

Thats how I see it

Corie

Why? Does DEI or Roush have to bring enough motors for every team? What about the transmission manufacturers or even the jack suppliers? What is so special about tires that makes it so everyone has to have them the same? Are we talking "spec" racing here or real racing where in the end, money talks.

Hank....
those aren't even close, or realistic comparisons to the subject.
DEI or Roush are not suppliers to NASCAR.
They are competitors. Independent contractors.

Just because there is only one tire used, doesn't mean it is 'spec' racing..
Rules are made for a reason. Generally to keep things 'reasonably' fair.
If one guy has special tires made, and no one else can get them,
that is not in the best interest of NASCAR. Or competition.
They dictate what you can and cannot do IN A PARTICULAR SERIES..
Nobody has a gun to anyone's head to run NASCAR.
You want to run in it, here is the rule book...
Not that hard of a concept.

Dragsters run one tire.
Stock cars at Daytona run one type of shock.
They can only run certain gears.
Only certain ratios in the transmissions.

NASCAR, and NHRA seem to be doing fairly well.
I'd say there is not a big problem with only allowing particular item
to be used.. that's what rules are.

As for your tire question relating to r/c racing...
If ONE guy, made tires, for only himself, and two friends,
and they were 3 laps faster than anything on the market,
the majority of racers would want to see them outlawed... guaranteed..

That business about "oh, it's up to the others to catch up"
wouldn't fly too long...
That crap about how "oh, good enough for them, if they can do it.. great..."
Only sounds good when it's not your ass getting kicked every race,
by something completely out of your control..
and something you CAN'T buy...
The guys would be running big events by themselves.....

You have to do what is best "for the sport".

I rememeber years ago, a guy in New York built a supermod so radical,
and so dominant, that the track outlawed it...
It was the best thing for the sport.. he never fought it... he knew they
were right. That's the whole point of a sanctioning/governing body.
Otherwise, just run what you brung.
But generally, that doesn't last too long.

Look what happened at the US Grand Pix last year with more than one tire manufacture. A race with 6 cars, because the supplier to the rest did not have a safe tire to run, and wanted to change the course. What happens when more than one tire manufacture is suppling the tires for the Daytona 500 and one starts blowing out. Do they put a chicane in the back stright to slow the cars for that one manufacture or only have the cars on the other tires race.
Also about 30 years ago my father had a car that raced at the local short track. there were 4 tire reps there each week( Firestone,Hooiser,Mcleary,Goodyear). We used Firestone and had a fast car that won the track championship. All the cars in our class switch to Firestone tires. The trouble!! we were getting tires from the Firestone rep that the others could not get. "It was good for his sales and our car". That is one of the reasons that today most small tracks have only one tire manufacture for their track. They try to keep the playing field equal. But racers will try chemicals to make the tries better and the inspectors keep trying to stop them. Racers are always looking for advantage. Rules try to keep it fair amd some times that means just one supplier of the product.

OK, so we now have everyone running the same tires, same shocks, same springs, same gears and soon the same body. The only thing that will be different are the motors.... we may well see that be the same in the future. Might as well be running Legends and let one manufacturer make the whole car.

And who says this isn't "spec" racing?

So people get "special" deals, that's the way racing is. Do you think everyone that runs a Chevy or Ford gets the same amount of manufacturer support as Roush or Hendrick does?

Let's get back to real NASCAR racing. Set some basic rules like engine size, carb size, wheel base, width, body height, etc. and run "real" car bodies (along with the normal "safety rules) and let the best manufacturer and driver win! Bring on the SuperBirds and Talladega Torinos again!

Forgot to add... the whole F1 Indy thing was again a rule that caused this to happen. The rule is that you have to race on the tires you qualify on.... if F1 would have allowed them to change tires before the race, that situation would not have happened.

You Go Hank

The spec engine is coming soon to NASCAR.A common block and cylinder head in a couple of years.