Saturday, April 25, 2009
combined dispatches
TALLADEGA, Ala. — Problems continue to plague NASCAR and Goodyear’s efforts to find the right tire combination for Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Goodyear has had three tests already this year at the 2.5-mile speedway and is scheduling yet another test next week with drivers Reed Sorenson, Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman and Brian Vickers.
Sprint Cup Series director John Darby said Friday teams were still getting only about 12 laps before their tires were worn out.
“We’re still not where we want to be,” he said.
In last season’s race, won by Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR had to throw a caution every 10 to 12 laps of green-flag racing because the tires Goodyear brought were wearing to the cords and producing an enormous amount of dust.
This year’s Allstate 400 is scheduled for July 26, which leaves about 90 days before the race. Darby said Goodyear needs about 30 days to produce tires for a race, leaving about 60 days to find the right combination.
“Goodyear has worked real hard up to this point and still is. They are prepared to make changes,” Darby said. “ ... They’re making good progress, but we’re not there yet.”
Darby said NASCAR would like the tires to last at least 32 to 35 laps to prevent problems in the race.
“We battled a lot of weather,” Newman said of this week’s test. “We were there for two days and finally got some running in. We went through a bunch of different compounds and we didn’t really see anything that was ideal.
“There was some additional testing to be done and now I think there is going to be some additional testing. ... The track was fine. The grip was good, but they’re still working on getting the ideal tire for the race track.”
Gordon’s back still hurting
Jeff Gordon will chase his fifth Sprint Cup title with a bad back.
Gordon expects to drive with some discomfort this season and the pain he felt last week at Phoenix International Raceway has not entirely subsided. The four-time Cup champ said the tracks in Richmond, Va.; Martinsville, Va.; Bristol, Tenn.; and the road courses could affect him later this year.
The short tracks would affect Gordon the most because they tend to be more physically grueling.
“I’m getting stronger and I don’t expect it to happen overnight and go away,” Gordon said Friday at Talladega Superspeedway.
The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.