Tire concern at Indy
"I think it's a big concern. I think it's our first tire issue of the year," driver Greg Biffle said at Pocono Raceway before Sunday's Pennsylvania 500, the last stop before the Aug. 6 Brickyard.
Goodyear wasn't satisfied with the tire compound it brought for an initial test with three teams in April and summoned them back for a second test the week after the Indianapolis 500. Company spokesman Mark Keto said despite the rapid wear some teams experienced during the full test July 10-12, there's no problem that more rubber on the track won't cure.
Heavy rain that cleaned the surface forced cancellation of the middle day of the NASCAR test and further complicated matters.
Biffle concedes uninterrupted track time with a full field of cars could fix things, but he isn't wholly convinced. He said his tires initially were down to the cords within six laps and even by the end of the test day he was getting only 12-14 laps on his Roush Racing car.
Richard Childress Racing driver Kevin Harvick reported similar rapid tire wear.
"I think everybody is pretty nervous about the tire," he said. "They say they are going to be all right, but you never know until you get back." Indy Star