As part of the company’s continued efforts to help bolster the on-track product of the NASCAR Cup Series at short tracks, Goodyear is bringing a new left-side tire for Sunday’s XFINITY 500 at Martinsville Speedway, the final short track event of the 2025 campaign.
According to the tire manufacturer, the new left-side tire is “designed for more fall-off than its predecessor,” and will make its in-race debut for this weekend’s Championship 4-deciding event at the half-mile paperclip located in the commonwealth of Virginia.
This left-side tire compound, which will be utilized in a race situation for the first time this weekend, was one of several different tires that were tried out during a Goodyear Tire Test at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 23
“We have brought a new left-side Goodyear Racing Eagle tire for the final short track race of the NASCAR Cup Series season,” said Rick Heinrich, Goodyear NASCAR Product Manager. “Fitting in with our ongoing efforts to deliver tires that offer increased grip and more lap time fall-off over the course of a run, we look forward to seeing this new tread compound tackle the concrete corners and the asphalt straightaways that make up Martinsville.”
The right-side tire that will be utilized by NASCAR Cup Series teams this weekend at Martinsville Speedway has been used five times already this season — at Bowman Gray Stadium (February), Martinsville Speedway (March), North Wilkesboro Speedway (May), Richmond Raceway (August), and New Hampshire Motor Speedway (September).
Both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will be utilizing their tried and tested Martinsville Speedway tire compound setup, which has been used on the half-mile paperclip in the two series since 2022.
Additionally, the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series tires will have wet-weather tires available, should they be needed at any point throughout the race weekend.
Sunday’s XFINITY 500 at Martinsville Speedway is one of the most important events of the season, especially for the drivers who remain eligible for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, as six drivers will fight for the final two spots in the Championship 4.
While the left-side tire has not been used in a NASCAR Cup Series event before this weekend, the right-side tire has — and has featured the following drivers willing events while using them: Chase Elliott (Bowman Gray), Denny Hamlin (Martinsville), Christopher Bell (North Wilkesboro), Austin Dillon (Richmond), and Ryan Blaney (New Hampshire).
Both Elliott and Blaney find themselves in must-win situations heading into Sunday’s 500-lapper at the half-mile paperclip, a racetrack that they’ve both been victorious at before in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Joey Logano, the defending and three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, is also in a must-win situation heading to Martinsville and participated in the Goodyear Tire Test where this left-side tire was originally conceptualized. Could that give him an advantage heading into the weekend?
