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NASCAR and Goodyear tires are as synonymous as peanut butter and jelly. While neither necessarily needs each other to exist, it’s hard to imagine the two apart. Well, the reason is that both have been partnered for a long time, and this is the complete history of NASCAR and Goodyear tires.

• Tires are necessary in motorsports for obvious reasons. Without tires, cars cannot drive.
• Goodyear tires have been involved with NASCAR for a long time, but, there have been moments where that relationship was tested. However, Goodyear always came back.
• Goodyear is often the scapegoat for many fans regarding issues in the sport, but, NASCAR wouldn’t be where it is today without Goodyear. The relationship has lasted for a long time, and that shows just how loyal Goodyear has been to NASCAR.

The Introduction of Goodyear Tires

In the early days of the sport, Firestone was the primary tire supplier for NASCAR. While NASCAR would offer tires, drivers could bring their own types of tires in certain instances.

This came into play during the first Southern 500 in 1950 when Johnny Mantz decided to use truck tires instead of regular car tires. While the rest of the field struggled with the endurance test the track gave to the tires, Mantz won the race by a whopping 9 laps over Fireball Roberts, an absurd margin of victory, even for the time.

In 1954, Goodyear held its first NASCAR tire test at Darlington Raceway, according to Forbes.com. Soon afterward, Goodyear joined NASCAR, and thus began the first NASCAR Tire War.

Goodyear vs Firestone: 1954-1974

During the pre-modern era, Goodyear and Firestone competed with each other to be the sole tire supplier of NASCAR. While there were some innovations during this time, such as the introduction of inner liners to keep tires from deflating all the way when blowing out, the prospect of being a sole tire supplier was too much for the companies to pass up.

Things came to a head at the new Talladega Superspeedway in 1969. The 2.66-mile, 33-degree banked track caused tires to shred after just a few laps. This led to the drivers from the newly formed Professional Drivers Association (a union of sorts) walking out. This entire weekend was a farce, and that can be explained in the video below.

While Firestone bowed out of the weekend before the race, Goodyear stayed. Eventually, Goodyear brought in more durable tires, and there were no major tire failures during the inaugural event. This was likely the biggest turning point in the tire war.

While Firestone stayed in the sport for a few years afterward, Goodyear slowly became more prominent in NASCAR. By 1974, Firestone was gone, and Goodyear was the sole tire supplier of NASCAR.

1987-1989 and 1994: Goodyear vs Hoosier

For the next decade and a half, Goodyear was the only tire supplier in NASCAR. Things seemed to be going well until Hoosier Tire joined the fray in the late 1980s. In 1988, Hoosier joined the Cup Series, and drivers were nervous about the upcoming tire war.

Everyone knew that the tire war would force each tire supplier to push the limits, often putting aside the safety of the drivers. Multiple terrifying accidents from tire failures ensued. Thankfully, Goodyear won the tire war in the late 1980s due to the introduction of the new radial tires, an upgrade over the original bias-ply tires.

By the end of 1989, Hoosier was out of the sport, but, only for a few years. They returned in 1994, and the same story played out once again. Goodyear once again won out, and Mark Martin had this to say following the season finale in 1994 about the tire wars of the late 1980s and early 1990s.

We need one tire company. Then we would have the tire at each track that we need. I’m really proud I lived to talk about the ’94 tire war. It’s not worth it man.

Mark Martin

1997-Present: Goodyear as NASCAR’s Sole Tire Supplier

According to Forbes.com, Goodyear became the sole tire supplier in 1997. Since then, Goodyear has provided some much-needed stability to the sport. No tire war has happened since, and Goodyear has brought new innovations to the sport.

Goodyear dabbled with rain tires in NASCAR here and there in the 2000s, but, starting in 2016, they supplied rain tires for road course races. In 2023, they expanded that to short tracks.

That’s before mentioning Goodyear making dirt track tires for dirt races across all NASCAR series between 2013 and 2023. There are also the new tires for the Next-Gen car, featuring the center locking lug nut.

All that to say, Goodyear has given the sport a lot of stability in this era. Tire wars create a dangerous environment drivers do not like to participate.

While good innovations came out of the tire wars such as inner liners and radial tires, the safety concerns about the tire wars should give fans an appreciation for what Goodyear does for the sport. There have been some dark days, such as the 2008 Brickyard 400, and fans complain about Next-Gen tires not falling off as much as they want to, Goodyear gives NASCAR some much-needed stability.