NASCAR has not discussed tire changes for Chase races with Goodyear

The most intriguing wrinkle for the Chase may not be which championship contenders are in or out after each elimination round. It could be if NASCAR decides to use a package responsible for a race that drew nothing but rave reviews from the drivers. Goodyear has not been informed that the race package that was such a hit last week at Kentucky Speedway will be used for the 10 races that determine the Sprint Cup champion.

Greg Stucker, Goodyear's director of racing, said the manufacturer would need to know in about a week if NASCAR would proceed with a request for soft tires that are typically paired with a lower-downforce aerodynamic package. Stucker said Goodyear typically needed 90 days from the date of the decision to produce the appropriate tires needed for each race. The Chase for the Sprint Cup championship begins Sept. 20 at Chicagoland Speedway.

"We haven't had that serious conversation yet because that really hasn't been proposed to us," Stucker said Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. "So we'd have to kind of sit down and see what our options might be." Teams participated in a three-day test this week at Chicagoland that gave drivers feedback on both tires and aero packages.

Stucker said the tires used for the Chase opener at Chicagoland also line up for championship races at Texas Motor Speedway and the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Stucker said Goodyear tested a softer tire with the lower-downforce package at Chicagoland. "Chicago caught us a little bit. We have to go back and look at that," Stucker said. Stucker also said Goodyear will stick with the tires selected following a tire test in April at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for next weekend's race at the Brickyard. Associated Press