Wet weather tires met with positive-to-mixed reactions
MARTINSVILLE, VA. — For the first time in NASCAR history, drivers competed on an oval with wet weather tires, with positive-to-mixed reactions Friday at Martinsville Speedway.
Lightning delayed the start of the race by around an hour-and-a-half. Then, crews dried the 0.526-mile track for a half-hour to make it race-ready.
Teams bolted on the wet weather tires and drivers ran around 8-10 pace laps with them.
Then, for the first time in NASCAR history, an oval race went green with drivers running wet weather tires.
The race went caution-free with standard operating procedures for the first 25 laps before a competition caution. During the caution, NASCAR deemed the track dry enough to require teams put on slick tires.
In April 2021, the sanctioning body first tested the wet weather tires with Chris Buescher and Kyle Larson at Martinsville. The test netted positive results that built until NASCAR approved the wet weather tires for competition late last year.
Many noted the tires could be used when the track is almost dry but is still damp.
After teams changed to slick tires, NASCAR kept the lap 25 competition caution going for several laps. Crews dried parts of the track until the caution ended on lap 41.
After stage one ended on lap 50, rain hit again. This caused a red-flag period and a 20-lap caution as crews dried the track again.
While many heralded the first test as a success, some teams expressed frustration over what happened.
Reports indicate teams each spent $2,400 on two sets of wet weather tires. Teams used only one set during the race.
Among those who pointed this out were Timmy Hill’s team and Hailie Deegan’s partner, racer Chase Cabre.
Over the radio, leaders Corey Heim and Kyle Busch’s teams each questioned what NASCAR was doing with the rain tires.
The race after 124 laps but the 25 laps with damp tires pushed the race over to making it official.
The next race for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is May 6 at Kansas Speedway. However, the next race with wet weather tires as an option is May 20 at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
MORE: New stage procedures, ‘Hail Melon’ ban, expanded rain racing among changes for 2023
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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