Option tire set to return to NASCAR Cup Series
AVONDALE, Ariz. — NASCAR confirmed Wednesday the option tire will return to the NASCAR Cup Series this season at Phoenix Raceway in March.
During the upcoming spring Phoenix race, each team will get six sets of primary tires for the race and two sets of option tires. They can also practice with one primary set and one option set.
It is the same process the sanctioning body used for the debut of the option tire at Richmond Raceway in August.
Industry members praised the use of the option tire. Daniel Suarez notably utilized the option tire to drive through the field and take the lead for 93 laps.
Suarez finished 10th in the race, scoring his fifth Top-10 finish of the season.
According to NASCAR, if the option tire works well in the spring Phoenix race, it will become the primary tire for the championship race in November. NASCAR elaborated that they won’t have an option tire for the championship race.
Teams will also get one primary set and one option set for practice before the spring Phoenix race.
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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