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NASCAR history was made Friday night at Martinsville. For the first time in NASCAR’s 75 years, we raced in wet conditions at an oval. The newly introduced package looked great to start the race. We went 27 laps on the wet weather tires before a competition caution was thrown to put slicks on, as NASCAR determined the racing surface was dry.
After the event which was ultimately rained out, with Corey Heim winning the shortened event, drivers sounded off about the package, and they definitely didn’t hold back.
Kyle Busch on racing with wet weather tires in the #NASCAR Truck race at Martinsville:
(via @TreyLyleVT) pic.twitter.com/xDG12dbcnq— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) April 15, 2023
Rowdy said that it wasn’t really raining, that the track was mostly dry, and that they didn’t even get a chance to see what the package could do. He did compliment the tire fall off of the wet weather tires, saying that they need more tires like them.
Ross Chastain believes that the field could’ve kept going with rain tires at Martinsville in a #NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race ended early by rain:
— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) April 15, 2023
(via @PitLaneLT) pic.twitter.com/LcOpuz1vmV
Chastain thought NASCAR should have at least let the drivers try to race in the rain with the package, stating that he didn’t think the spray would have been bad enough at Martinsville to hinder visibility.
.@TyMajeski discusses a fourth-place finish in a Martinsville race that saw the debut of rain tires: pic.twitter.com/y8SNBLU1wT
— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) April 15, 2023
Majeski explained that the corners were dry, with some moisture on the straightaways, and that the tires had less grip, but that was to be expected being the wet weather tires.
.@tannergray5 earned a top 10 in the #NASCAR Truck race at Martinsville, the night before his birthday.
— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) April 15, 2023
He talked about his run and what he thought about the rain tires:
(via @m_massie22) pic.twitter.com/101Fs6PyuT
Tanner describes the tires as having decent grip, and that he feels they were lucky setting the truck up free, as he saw many drivers being tight due to the wet weather tires.
.@WilliamSawalich scored a top-10 finish in his #NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at Martinsville.
— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) April 15, 2023
(via @PitLaneLT): pic.twitter.com/5YnNTHX2jw
Sawalich, a 16 year old making his first ever Craftsman Truck Series start, had quite the interesting first start. Sawalich echoed what many other drivers said, that it wasn’t wet, somewhat damp but mostly dry.
.@StewartFriesen discusses the wet conditions at Martinsville and the late-race contact with Chase Purdy.
— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) April 15, 2023
(via @m_massie22): pic.twitter.com/R5WVyCmgNh
Stewart Friesen didn’t have an ideal night. With the recent talk of a lack of respect in the garage and on the track, Friesen thinks there was more respect when the wet weather tires were on the Trucks. Maybe that’s the solution to the problem?
Truck Series Martinsville winner Corey Heim said he would have been ready if NASCAR told him they were going to go back racing in the damp to finish the event. pic.twitter.com/zHfZAXewSt
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) April 15, 2023
Corey Heim benefited from NASCAR calling the race due to rain, but he felt that he was more than ready to tackle the final 70 laps on the wet weather tires. He noted that it would be interesting to see how the concrete would react to the moisture as the first 27 lap run on the wet weather tires it was mostly dry. He agreed with his fellow competitors that continuing to run during the rain wouldn’t have been a problem.
