NASCAR gives teams an option tire for Richmond
RICHMOND, Va. — NASCAR announced Tuesday that Cup Series teams will have the option to use multiple tire compounds for the August 11 race at Richmond Raceway.
The option tires are softer, meaning they have more short-term grip but wear out quicker than the standard “prime tires.”
Teams will have one set of option tires for practice and two sets for the race. They will get six sets of prime tires in the race.
Teams must also use a set of prime tires for qualifying which they can transfer to the race allotment.
A NASCAR representative said officials won’t mandate when teams use their sets. However, all four tires must be from the same set, either prime or option.
NASCAR will give teams one 45-minute practice session Saturday before qualifying.
This isn’t the first time NASCAR has run a race with multiple slick tire compounds. During the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, the teams ran with the prime tires and the option tires. The prime tires had yellow lettering while the option tires will have red lettering, and the same will apply at Richmond.
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com