Goodyear Brings New Untested Tire to Dover for NASCAR Cup Teams

Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

A potential interesting wrinkle heading into this weekend's NASCAR Cup Series AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Dover Motor Speedway is the Goodyear Racing Eagle tire that the teams will bolt onto their race cars for this weekend's action around the high-speed high-banked 1-mile concrete oval.

The tire (code D-5240 on the left sides, D-5260 on the right sides) has never been used before in NASCAR Cup Series competition, and will not be used in any other races during the 2025 season. Goodyear says the tire was developed with Dover Motor Speedway in mind as the track will host its race in July this season compared to April in recent seasons.

With the date change, Goodyear is expecting higher temperatures in Delaware, and hopes to have accounted for that properly in the development of the new tire.

“Laying rubber down on the concrete surface is a key factor in the design of our tread compounds for Dover,” said Rick Heinrich, Goodyear NASCAR product manager, in a weekly media press release. “While the track turns black as cars lay rubber down during green flag racing, the hot tires then pick up this same rubber when the track cools under cautions. Dover presents a unique opportunity to engineer a tire to help in laying down rubber on a particularly smooth surface, and we’ve designed the product to do just that.”

While Goodyear will utilize a new tire this weekend at Dover Motor Speedway, the tire was never tested in an official Goodyear Tire Test at the racing facility, which will likely lead to a little bit of anxiety for drivers and teams heading into Saturday's practice and qualifying sessions at Dover Motor Speedway due to the unknowns surrounding the tire.

Dover is a tough race track as high speeds mixed with massive banking and a concrete surface, which is different than the usual asphalt concrete teams are used to. This all leads to extremely high loads being placed on the cars, and tires heading into the steeply banked turns at the 1-mile oval.

Sunday's race will serve as the fourth leg of the 2025 NASCAR In-Season Challenge, which has four drivers remaining in the running for the $1 million payout. Ty Dillon will face off this weekend against John Hunter Nemechek, while Tyler Reddick will battle Ty Gibbs.

The winner of each matchup will face off next weekend in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the In-Season Challenge championship.

There's a chance that the speed at which the teams can adapt to the new Goodyear tire this weekend could play a factor into who advances to Indianapolis with a chance to take the $1 million.

Additionally, the NASCAR Cup Series Regular-Season Championship and Playoff cutoff battles are intense heading into Sunday's tangle with Miles the Monster.

William Byron, who has led the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings after all but three races this season, holds a slim 14-point advantage over Chase Elliott heading into this weekend's race at Dover. Kyle Larson (-44 points), and Tyler Reddick (-53) are also within striking distance of Byron with six races remaining in the NASCAR Cup Series regular-season.

As for the battle for a NASCAR Cup Series Playoff spot, 12 drivers have secured a spot in the Playoffs by way of winning a race this season, which means four of the 16 Playoff berths remain unclaimed. Heading into Dover, Tyler Reddick appears the safest in the hunt for a Playoff spot as he sits 149 points above the cutline with six races remaining.

Chris Buescher is 34 points above the cutline, while Alex Bowman is 32 points to the good, and Bubba Wallace finds himself just three points above the Playoff cutline.

Ryan Preece, who has had a great first season behind the wheel of the No. 60 RFK Racing Ford Mustang Dark Horse, sits three points outside of the cutline heading into this weekend's race, while Kyle Busch (-37), AJ Allmendinger (-50), and Ty Gibbs (-60) are all in a position to make a late-regular-season push for the Playoffs.

The Goodyear Racing Eagle at Dover Motor Speedway could play a key role in the point standings battles.