Damn it all!

[call_me_andrew]

From Jayski:

Goodyear and NASCAR Extend Agreement: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and NASCAR jointly announced on Saturday that they have signed an extended agreement for Goodyear to continue as the exclusive tire used in NASCAR’s top three racing series for the next five years. The agreement through 2012, naming Goodyear the “Exclusive Tire Supplier” of NASCAR’s Nextel Cup Series, the NASCAR Busch Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, was signed in front of more than 2,000 attendees at the 2007 Goodyear Dealer Conference. Goodyear Chairman and CEO Bob Keegan, Jon Rich, president of the company’s North American Tire business, and Mike Helton, NASCAR president, delivered the news to Goodyear’s customers. “This extension of the more than 50-year relationship of two American icons is one that we are extremely proud to announce,” said Rich. “Nothing says racing like NASCAR, and Goodyear has been recognized as the longest-running sponsor of the sport. We plan to have our Eagle tires in the winner’s circle for another 50 years.”
“Our longtime relationship with Goodyear is a testament to the company’s consistent high-quality tire it supplies the race teams,” said Helton. “Goodyear has been a vital partner, which has been essential to NASCAR’s side-by-side competition.” Goodyear has had an uninterrupted commitment to NASCAR since becoming a race tire supplier in the 1950s. This relationship has become one of the longest-running supply programs in any sport. Over the last 50 years, Goodyear has worked to bring innovation to its racing products, which, in turn, has helped foster heightened competition on the track. Since it first began supplying tires to NASCAR, Goodyear tires have logged 1,410 NEXTEL Cup (and formerly, Winston Cup) victories, and the number continues to rise. As a further extension, Goodyear takes innovations and cutting-edge technology from the race track, and applies that technology to tires that consumers use on streets and highways. Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies. The company manufactures tires, engineered rubber products and chemicals in more than 90 facilities in 28 countries around the world. Goodyear employs more than 75,000 people worldwide. For more tire information on Goodyear tires, go to http://www.goodyeartires.com.(NASCAR/Goodyear PR)(2-3-2007)

Here comes 5 more years of tire failures!

[jslone]

Didnt the trucks use Hoosier tires as well as Goodyears?Or was it one of the other lesser series?

[NASCARWidow]

The top 3 Series all use Goodyear. NASCAR doesn't want but one brand in a series at a time, they remember the last tire war and how dangerous it became. ARCA uses Hoosier and I believe some of the other series do as well, but not Trucks, Busch, or Cup.

[RaceFanStan]

Yeah. Goodyear doesn't want a tire war either.
I'm sure they realize they would lose this time.

Back in the early 90's Hoosier did make tires for Winston Cup.
Hoosier was a bit out-classed by Goodyear & eventually dropped out.
Hoosier has upped their technology & probably now could give Goodyear a run for their money.

Then you have Firestone/Bridgestone licking their lips wanting in on a piece of the NASCAR action.
Firestone/Bridgestone furnishes the tires for the IRL & Champ Car.
(In case someone isn't aware of it, Firestone & Bridgestone are part of the same company.) :eek:

However the tire manufacturer Goodyear should fear most is Michelin.
Michelin tires excel above anything else used on the street.
I imagine Michelin racing tires would be better than all of the rest. http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g202/gr8link/thum/1u.gif

[luvracin]

I imagine Michelin racing tires would be better than all of the rest. http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g202/gr8link/thum/1u.gif

Except on an F1 car at IMS. :p :

[harvick#1]

oh, you beat me too it :p :

[call_me_andrew]

Back in the early 90's Hoosier did make tires for Winston Cup.

Well if I recall, there were two tire wars. The first happened between Goodyear and Hoosier in the late 80's. That quickly became a contest to see who could build the softer tire, and it lead to a lot of tire problems. The second war came in 1994 when Goodyear tried making a harder compound tire, while Hoosier made a softer tire.

I think NASCAR's biggest mistake was allowing the teams to change tire manufacturers between races. If the teams were to just commit to one manufacturer per year, there wouldn't be so much call for soft tires.

[BobbyC]

Tyre wars have led to serious incidents in NASCAR:

1988 - Ricky Rudd breaks leg in crash at Lowe's because of soft tire (G)
1988 - Goodyear banned for tire violation at Pocono. Later, Hoosier banned at Watkins Glen for similar incident.
1988 - Soft tires result in problems at Richmond qualifying.
1989 - Goodyear's new radial results in Bill Elliott injury
1994 - Neil Bonnett and Rodney Orr killed in Daytona 500 practice on Hoosier tires.

NASCAR doesn't want to see this again for good reason.

[cgs]

don't teams buy hooser tyres for testing as there is some NASCAR-imposed restiction in using goodyears in unsactioned testing?

[call_me_andrew]

Except on an F1 car at IMS. :p :

Can you hear me all the way back there in two years ago? I'm sure you've still seen the 2005 Coke 600 by now.


don't teams buy hooser tyres for testing as there is some NASCAR-imposed restiction in using goodyears in unsactioned testing?

Yes they do, but that's NASCAR's fault. At the turn of the century (this one), teams would buy their tires from Goodyear. Now, NASCAR doesn't let Goodyear "sell" tires. Goodyear can only "lease" tires. And if they can only "lease" these tires, teams can't get them for testing. So teams just go to Hoosier because there's no rule that says they can't buy tires from Hoosier for testing.

And stop bringing up deaths. The cars are a lot safer than they were at the turn of the century (same century again).

I think a tire war would encourage Goodyear and Hoosier to make tires that don't fall about after 20 laps. If you go on the F1 forum, the lack of a tire war this year is actually causing a drop in interest. It would seem that some intelligent people like to see cars that are in some way different from each other compete.