NASCAR Star Highlights Major Tire Factor Affecting the Thrill of Racing

Sports Contributing Writer

NASCAR star Denny Hamlin believes Goodyear can improve the thrill of racing and offer a more exciting show to fans by producing softer tires. At present, the current tires last longer, meaning cars lose grip at a much later stage. However, with a softer tire, drivers will have to drive cautiously to preserve the tires while ensuring they remain competitive in the race.

Hamlin's statement arrives after his spectacular win at Martinsville last weekend, which broke his winless streak since April 2024 and helped him secure his 55th NASCAR victory.

Speaking to Dale Earnhardt Jr. on The Dale Jr. Download, Hamlin addressed the need for softer tires but highlighted the roadblock along the way. He stated that Goodyear has reached the limit of how soft it can make its tires. Developing softer tires means it will have to make huge changes to its process, which would demand a considerable amount of time and investment. Hamlin said:

The #11 Progressive Toyota, driven by Denny Hamlin sits parked on the grid during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 22, 2025 in Homestead, Florida. Chris Graythen/Getty Images

"I don't know how much softer they can go. It's about how much can they do. I think they've got a process issue now, where they're going to have to do some retooling, or something with their — I think they're at the limit of how soft they can build a tire right now, with the equipment that they have. They're going to have to invest more money in the equipment to get a softer tire. But it needs to be softer.

"Right now, what I've noticed is — by the time the lap times really start dropping, and you see a disparity in the speed between the cars, that's when the caution comes out. That's when a stage is over. We've got to shorten that window up a little bit. Right now, it seems like it was about Lap 70, 80, that cars really started taking a dump. It needs to move back to about 30, 40.

"That's what it was in practice. The minute those cars get it going around there, and they start filling up the pores of that race track with tire rubber, it just goes away. That's such a tough job for Goodyear to have to do, to have to build a tire that they know when they go to a tire test is going to wear out in 20 laps, but just have faith it's going to go 80 when we go into real conditions."

But with Goodyear operating at its limit, it remains to be seen if NASCAR will witness a softer tire in the near future.