Kyle Larson dominated the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, leading a whopping 411 of 500 laps on his way to victory. But behind his impressive win, there’s a growing problem that has everyone in NASCAR talking — tire issues at Bristol.
The weekend started with some scary moments during Saturday’s practice. Teams found their tires wearing down to the cords after just 50 laps, sending crew chiefs into panic mode as they scrambled to come up with new plans overnight.
Then, something strange happened the following morning. NASCAR added more PJ1 TrackBite, the sticky substance, to the bottom lane. With warmer temperatures and sunshine hitting the concrete, tire wear suddenly wasn’t an issue anymore. The complete flip-flop from Saturday to Sunday has left teams scratching their heads.
Jeff Gordon Speaks Out on Tire Troubles at Bristol
“There was no fall-off and no wear. We all thought there was going to be tremendous wear and there wasn’t,” NASCAR veteran Jeff Gordon said after the race. As vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, Gordon didn’t hold back his frustration about how unpredictable the tires were.
Gordon also pointed out the unique challenges Bristol presents for tire manufacturers.
“We have a heavy car. Just stock cars in general [when] we have these high-banked tracks, heavy loads, abrasive surfaces, there’s just a lot of things that are very difficult for them to do … to make a tire that’s durable and performs well.”
Larson’s crew chief, Cliff Daniels, explained how close to the edge they were running.
“Today we had a lot of direct sunlight on the track… It’s crazy to think that the margin is that small between the tires holding up and having enough temp in them to activate whatever the juices are that makes it work out.”
Larson also mentioned tire management during his dominant run: “Me, in the lead, I don’t want to get my stuff too hot so that when I catch traffic I can’t pass lappers.”
Goodyear’s racing director, Greg Stucker, admitted they’re still puzzled by Bristol when it comes to predicting tire performance.
The inconsistent tire situation led to a pretty dull race with hardly any passing or excitement — not what fans expect from Bristol, a track once known for bumping, banging and drama. Since the track was reconfigured in 2007, Bristol has struggled to deliver the same kind of thrilling racing it was famous for.
As NASCAR continues through the 2025 season, they’ve got work to do at Bristol if they want to keep fans excited and drivers happy. They need to solve this tire puzzle at “The Last Great Colosseum” before the next race there.