The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has witnessed a few historic moments, especially when NASCAR’s Brickyard 400 hits the track. This one time, the whole race became a tire race, with incredibly high wear.
It had fans present at the grandstand making comparisons to a Formula One race that unfolded back there, also facing severe tire issues.
How NASCAR and Goodyear Faced One of Their Toughest Brickyard 400
The Brickyard 400, somehow, always manages to be memorable. Be it Dale Jarrett starting the “kissing the bricks” tradition in 1996, or when the track record was broken thrice in the 2003 one. However, the 2008 Brickyard 400 will remain the most memorable. It was not because Jimmie Johnson got his second one at the crown jewel, but because of how it unfolded.
Well, Indianapolis Motor Speedway is always known for high tire wear, but no one had imagined that NASCAR would have to put a competition caution almost every 12 laps in the race to prevent the tires from blowing out. Several drivers, including Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne, and Carl Edwards, faced right rear tire issues that day.
According to Johnson, the drivers were in constant fear throughout the race, not knowing when their tires would blow out. He had said, “It was so hard to develop a comfortable rhythm for the race. Thankfully, we had speed on our side. But a restart every 10-15 laps, wondering if your tire is going to blow, there’s a lot added stress and uncertainty to the way the race developed throughout the day.”
But even Goodyear was clueless about what was happening. It was probably because the tire compound was only tested once before it hit the track at Brickyard 400. Or maybe some issues with the new “Car of Tomorrow,” which featured in the race. Whatever it was, the fans in the grandstands had never seen anything like that.
A recent X post by the handle “nascarman” shared that moment, and according to them, maybe the fans there went down memory lane, recalling the moment when tire issues also plagued an F1 race.
17 years ago today, the Brickyard 400 was run with tire problems. Heavy right-rear wear forced competition cautions every 12 laps to prevent blowout
For the crowd of 225,000, the tire problems brought back memories of the 2005 US GP where only 6 F1 teams raced due to tire issues pic.twitter.com/dP3TATb6ow
— nascarman (@nascarman_rr) July 27, 2025
It was the 2005 US Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Back then, the F1 teams were supposed to choose between two tire manufacturers: Bridgestone or Michelin, and stick with them through the season.
However, the teams with Michelin tires faced severe issues at Indy. Several of the drivers’ race issues occurred in the practice run. In fact, Ralf Schumacher was involved in a scary crash after his tires failed.
This led Michelin to conclude that banking on turn 13 on the track was putting extra pressure on their tires and that if the racers don’t slow down there, their tires won’t last long in the race.
So, ahead of the race kicking off, Michelin asked the FIA to add a chicane at turn 13 to smooth things out. However, the FIA declined the request, leading to only three teams with Bridgestone tires making the race, as it was too dangerous for Michelin teams to run with those tires. 14 of the 20 cars withdrew due to safety concerns, and it was an embarrassing day!
Thankfully, Indy hasn’t faced any major tire issues over time. Although the wear is high, Goodyear seems to have found the perfect compound for the NASCAR events.