Goodyear’s Phoenix Tire Decision Gives NASCAR Teams Familiar Ground in the Chase

Goodyear is sticking with familiar ground as NASCAR heads to Phoenix Raceway, where all three national series face a weekend in the Chase. Instead of introducing an unfamiliar tire combination, the manufacturer will bring packages teams have already used, giving Cup, O’Reilly Auto Parts, and Craftsman Truck Series competitors a known starting point at the one-mile Arizona oval.

However, the decision comes as the championship fight inches deeper into its schedule, with less room to lose ground to an unexpected handling problem. Tire choice shapes how a car responds through the corners and how crew chiefs balance speed against durability. Returning to established combinations gives teams data to study, though it does not guarantee the same result on race day.

Cup Series teams will use the package from their March visit to Phoenix. The left-side tire is unique to the track, while the right-side tire has appeared at five other venues this season, most recently at New Hampshire in August. That reflects Phoenix’s demands: the oval draws from short-track and intermediate-track tire approaches, with a dedicated left-side option for the Arizona layout.

Goodyear’s Director of Racing for the Americas, Justin Fantozzi, said the weekend’s selected tires have already been tested at Phoenix. That familiarity gives teams a reference point as they fine-tune their cars. Drivers still need to balance changing track conditions, while crews must decide how to use their sets through practice, qualifying, and the race.

The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will return to its March Phoenix tire combination. That setup was last used at World Wide Technology Raceway in Gateway in September. The Craftsman Truck Series will use the package from its previous Phoenix visit during last fall’s championship finale. All three series will have wet-weather tires available if conditions require them.

Tire allotments differ by series. Cup teams receive 11 sets, including eight new sets for the race, one qualifying set that transfers to the race, and two practice sets. O’Reilly and Truck Series teams each receive five sets, with three designated for the race and one each for qualifying and practice. The tire decision won’t decide the outcome in Phoenix, but it gives teams a foundation for a weekend where every adjustment matters. With Chase points on the line across three series, the advantage may go to those who turn that information into a consistent car under pressure.