NASCAR Cup Series — Race No. 25 — 200 laps / 400 miles
NASCAR Xfinity Series — Race No. 22 — 125 laps / 250 miles
Michigan International Speedway (2.0-mile oval) — Brooklyn, Mich.
Fast Facts for August 21-22, 2021
Tire: Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials
Set limits:
Cup – 7 sets for the race;
Xfinity: 4 sets for the event
Tire Codes: Left-side — D-4976; Right-side — D-4986
Tire Circumference:
Left-side — 2,224 mm (87.56 in.);
Right-side — 2,248 mm (88.50 in.)
Minimum Recommended Inflation:
Left Front — 19 psi; Left Rear — 19 psi;
Right Front — 52 psi; Right Rear — 48 psi
Storyline — Goodyear makes “smooth” move at Michigan: Late in the 2020 season, Goodyear changed its right-side tread compound at three like tracks — Kansas Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway. All three of those are similar in that they have relatively smooth track surfaces at which tire wear needs to be encouraged with the selection of the tread compound. Michigan falls into line with those tracks in that regard, thus Goodyear has aligned it with the other three. Tire wear is important because it helps control the operating temperature of the tire. Speeds at Michigan are high, which generates a lot of heat. The more a tire wears, the more heat is allowed to dissipate through the tread, helping it perform at a more optimum level throughout a run.
“Michigan definitely falls into line with Vegas, Kansas and Texas in regard to the relative smoothness of the track surface,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear‘s director of racing. “Once the schedule firmed up in 2020, we were able to make a change to the right-side tread compound at those three tracks to introduce a little more wear and add some grip at the same time. Michigan moves to that right-side for this race, but at least Cup teams have had several races on this right-side tire code already and will know what to expect.”
Notes — NASCAR teams switch to Kansas/Vegas/Texas right-side tire at Michigan: Teams in both the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series will run the same tire set-up at Michigan this weekend . . . while Xfinity did not run at Michigan in 2020, this is the same left-side tire that Cup and Truck Series teams ran at this track last season . . . this right-side tire is new to Michigan, though NASCAR teams have run it at Las Vegas and Kansas already this season . . . compared to what Cup teams ran at Michigan last August, this right-side features a compound change to align with with what is run at other low tire wear tracks . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run inner liners in all four tire positions at Michigan . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series — Race No. 16 — 160 laps / 200 miles
World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway (1.25-mile oval) — Madison, Ill.
Fast Facts for August 20, 2021
Tire: Goodyear Eagle Intermediate Radials
Set limits: 4 sets for the race
Tire Codes:
Left-side — D-4964; Right-side — D-4966
Tire Circumference:
Left-side — 2,218 mm (87.32 in.);
Right-side — 2,242 mm (88.27 in.)
Minimum Recommended Inflation:
Left Front — 14 psi; Left Rear — 14 psi;
Right Front — 31 psi; Right Rear — 28 psi
Notes — Trucks return to Gateway on same tire set-up: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will be on the same tire set-up at Gateway that they raced there last year . . . this is also the same combination of left- and right-side tires Truck teams ran at Richmond and Phoenix in 2020 . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run inner liners in all four tire positions at Gateway . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.
— Goodyear Racing —
