NASCAR Cup Series — Race No. 24 – 200 laps / 400 miles Michigan International Speedway (2.0-mile oval) – Brooklyn, Mich.
Fast Facts for August 17-18, 2024
Tire: Goodyear Eagle 18-inch Speedway Radials
Set limits: Cup: 1 set for practice, 1 set for qualifying and 7 sets for the race (6 race sets plus 1 set transferred from qualifying)
Tire Codes: Left-side — D-5186; Right-side — D-5218
Tire Circumference: Left-side — 2,263 mm (89.09 in.); Right-side — 2,277 mm (89.65 in.)
Minimum Recommended Inflation: Left Front — 22 psi; Left Rear – 24 psi; Right Front — 50 psi; Right Rear — 46 psi
Storyline – Smooth, fast, multi-groove Michigan produces its challenges: The relatively smooth track surface at Michigan International Speedway leads to several things NASCAR Cup teams need to consider for this weekend’s race. First, two-mile Michigan produces fast speeds, making tire temperatures something to watch for should one’s car not be balanced. Goodyear designs it tires’ compound to counter that by allowing heat to dissipate through the tread without much wear. Second, air pressures are also a major consideration at Michigan as teams try to maximize grip. Observing Goodyear’s minimum recommended pressures – especially on the right-rear corner of the car – will be important in striking a balance between risk and reward. Third, because of the surface and lack of wear, teams may be able to employ some pit strategy by mixing in two-tire stops at different points of the race.
“Michigan is a driver’s track, with the high speeds and the multiple lanes available to affect the car’s balance,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “With the smooth track surface and high speeds comes many considerations for teams in setting up the car and calling the race. Gaining grip is important every week and one key tuning tool that crew chiefs us is air pressures. With the speeds at Michigan, our recommendations become very important in the life of the tire. Strategy also becomes a big part of racing at Michigan as teams can take two tires on occasion to pass cars in the pits and gain track position.”
Notes – Construction update on right-side at Michigan: Being on 18-inch bead diameter tires, NASCAR Cup teams will run a different tire set-up than those in the Xfinity Series at Michigan this week . . . this is the same left-side tire code that Cup teams ran at Michigan last season, but with a different right-side code (construction update) . . . while this right-side is unique to Michigan, these teams have run this left-side five times already this season – Las Vegas, Texas, Kansas, Nashville and Pocono . . . with this 18-inch tire, and its lower profile sidewall, NASCAR Cup cars do not run inner liners in any of their tires.
NASCAR Xfinity Series – Race No. 21 – 125 laps / 250 miles Michigan International Speedway (2.0-mile oval) – Brooklyn, Mich.
Fast Facts for August 16-17, 2024
Tire: Goodyear Eagle 15-inch Speedway Radials
Set limits: Xfinity: 5 sets for the event
Tire Codes: Left-side — D-6110; Right-side — D-6112
Tire Circumference: Left-side — 2,225 mm (87.60 in.); Right-side — 2,250 mm (88.58 in.)
Minimum Recommended Inflation: Left Front — 19 psi; Left Rear – 19 psi; Right Front — 52 psi; Right Rear — 48 psi
Notes – Xfinity teams return to Michigan on established tire set-up: Being on 15-inch bead diameter tires, NASCAR Xfinity Series teams will run a different tire set-up than those in the Cup Series at Michigan this week . . . this is the same combination of left- and right-side tires that Xfinity teams have run at Michigan since 2022 . . . these teams ran this same tire set-up at Las Vegas and Texas earlier this season, and will run it again at Kansas next month . . . 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.
— Goodyear Racing —
