Nestled in the hills of Tennessee, the Bristol Motor Speedway stands tall, a testament of speed. The stage is set for the Food City 500. But as drivers prepare for the grueling 500 laps on the short track, there is another opponent in the mix, and it doesn’t drive a stock car. Perhaps Mother Nature herself may have her own score to settle with NASCAR this weekend.

Rain delays in NASCAR races are not new to the sport, with this year’s Daytona 500 being delayed by up to 5 hours due to incessant rain. In light of this, NASCAR has turned to its usual workaround in case rain decides to play spoilsport at Bristol this weekend! The weather report does not look good, but Goodyear has come prepared to deliver the best racing product for fans.

Tire strategy will reign supreme at Bristol

As the rain clouds loom overhead, meteorologists are waving their respective red flags. The usual Bristol thunder may not emanate from engines but rather from up above. RaceWeather gave a forecast update: on X “Light rain, 43°F, NNW winds, 9 mph.” This statement set off a chain reaction, invoking contingency plans, increasing safety awareness, and wrapping everybody in the NASCAR garage with a blanket of shared anxiety.

The forecast brings the threat of weepers, an unforeseen hazard. Weeper conditions arise when groundwater saturates the asphalt on the track and seeps through the top layer, creating slippery patches for tires to hold on to. RaceWeather remarked on the possibility, writing on X, “Track drying should be straightforward but weepers could be an issue. #NASCAR has wet tires for this weekend.”

With the weather in a constant state of flux, NASCAR teams are used to adapting to suit. You can expect changes in tire compound choice, timing of pit stops, and even driver tempo along with the radar. An inopportune delay may push back the green flag, but it can also reshape the mental and mechanical readiness of every crew member out on the pit road. But how do these tires work?

The wet tires are designed to expel the water through the treads, allowing the tire to grip the racing surface better. The water allows the tires to stay cool, as wet-weather tires tend to warm up quicker than dry tires do. Such tire packages are not restricted to wet weather, though, as they have been used on short racks and road courses to amplify racing strategy. The tires wear off quicker on such tracks but go faster over short distances, allowing drivers to optimize usage at the end of a stage or the race itself. The introduction of these tires was a landmark moment for NASCAR, as they had seen some harrowing incidents during rain-marred races in the past.

Rainy conditions have serious consequences. Any NASCAR fan would remember the infamous on-track collision of Juan Pablo Montoya with a jet dryer during the rain delay of the 2012 Daytona 500, with a subsequent fiery explosion. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries, but it led NASCAR to rethink the wet-weather safety carefully. The safety goes beyond tires because, to race, the track needs to be dried first!

On March 17th, 2024, Bristol faced a similar conundrum. To neutralize the threats, NASCAR worked with modern track drying systems such as the Air Titan and required all jet dryer operators to wear full fire suits and helmets. Similar to the current state of the track, weepage remained a stubborn problem. Unlike rain, which is very visible and expected, water seepage can happen on a dry day when water trapped under the surface finally finds its escape.

NASCAR officials have evolved and have the necessary contingency plans ready, from windows of opportunity to reschedule races to rapid response drying teams that can get in there at a moment’s notice. It’s a ballet of orchestration that keeps an eye on safety whilst starting the race, even when the weather doesn’t comply. However, a mildly rainy race at Bristol would create some exciting action if we go by past results.

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Wet-weather tires create exciting racing!

Racing in the rain is not the most common occurrence in NASCAR. While some races may take place under a mild drizzle or on a partially wet track, under heavy rain, races are always stopped, and the race leader at the time is declared the winner. However, in 2016, NASCAR introduced the wet weather tire package, which allowed teams to race when the track conditions were wetter than usual and brought out some exciting races.

The Chicago Street Race in 2023 was a NASCAR classic. The light rain prompted NASCAR to test its wet weather package once again, and the results were stunning. Road course ace Shane van Gisbergen notched up victory on his NASCAR debut in that race, winning the Grant Park 220 in style. The Kiwi announced himself to the stock car racing world after a successful career in Australia as a three-time Supercars Champion.

As Bristol weekend rolls around, fans would hope that rain stays away, as a dry race is always the safer and preferred option. However, if rain does show up as predicted, don’t be surprised to see road course aces like Chase Elliott, SVG, and Kyle Busch dominate in what promises to be a spectacular race weekend. What do you think? Will the wet weather tires impact the outcome of the race this Sunday? Let us know in the comments!