"Tire of Indy!"
In this issue of "Nascar Wrecks"...I want to give you an idea of what goes on with tires during a Nextel Cup race at Indy.
This is the first time Goodyear has brought this specific combination of left and right-side tires to Indianapolis . . . this is the only track at which Nextel Cup teams will run this combination in 2005 . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run inner liners in their tires.
In other words its a second tire mounted inside the first tire. It mounts to the rim and has its own separate air supply. If the outer tire blows, the inner tire is still intact, allowing the driver to 'whoa' the car up.
All teams run "Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials"
Cost per tire: around $407.00 each..that's over $1,600 for a set of 4.
How many tires Goodyear brings: 2,800 - 1,400 left side & 1,400 right side
Each team is allowed up to 15 sets for the whole weekend. Practice,qualifying, and the race.
Circumference of tire differs: 87.3 inches for left side and 88.6 for right side
When Cup cars roll thru tech, they have to have 26 psi on the left side and36 psi on the right side. Your personal car is 32 psi on all four.
Goodyear tells all teams the lowest air pressure they recommend is 19 psi for left side, 34 psi for right front and 31 psi for right rear.
So how long before tires wear out from running at different air pressures?
Goodyear suggests a new set every 44 laps....The Allstate 400 at Indy is 160 laps...each team will use at the very least 4 sets of tires.
Most of the teams remove the air from the tires and replace it with nitrogen. Compressed nitrogen contains less moisture than compressed air. When the tire heats up, moisture in the tire vaporizes and expands, causing the pressure inside the tire to increase. Even small changes in tire pressure can noticeably affect the handling of the car. By using nitrogen instead of air, the teams have more control over how much the pressure will increase when the tires heat up.
How do they swap out tires so fast during a pit stop?
In 12 to 14 seconds, seven people manage to completely refuel the car and change all four tires. There are a couple of tricks the teams use to make things a little easier. When the new tire is placed onto the car, the five lug nuts are already attached to the wheel by an adhesive. The studs are long and have no threads for the first three-quarters of an inch. This ensures that the lug nuts do not get cross-threaded, making it easier to put that tire on.
Tires will get as hot as 230 degrees during a race.
Used tires vs. New?
When you say "used" tires, we're talking about tires with only one or two laps on them. It's better to run on used tires because it gives you a better feel throughout the whole run in stead of when you start on stickers (new tires). If you're car is good on used tires, or scuffs, then you're going to be better at the end of a long run.
Mark
P.S. Listen for me live on 680 WGST-Atlanta Sunday morning around 11am.When my "Brother from a different Mother" Art 'Madman" Mehring and I talk aboutIndy...You can listen live online by going here http://www.wgst.com then click on the "listen live" link along the upper left hand side of the page.Then you willsee in the middle of the page " Click here to listen to our station online." Click on that and you should be good to go.
This is the first time Goodyear has brought this specific combination of left and right-side tires to Indianapolis . . . this is the only track at which Nextel Cup teams will run this combination in 2005 . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run inner liners in their tires.
In other words its a second tire mounted inside the first tire. It mounts to the rim and has its own separate air supply. If the outer tire blows, the inner tire is still intact, allowing the driver to 'whoa' the car up.
All teams run "Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials"
Cost per tire: around $407.00 each..that's over $1,600 for a set of 4.
How many tires Goodyear brings: 2,800 - 1,400 left side & 1,400 right side
Each team is allowed up to 15 sets for the whole weekend. Practice,qualifying, and the race.
Circumference of tire differs: 87.3 inches for left side and 88.6 for right side
When Cup cars roll thru tech, they have to have 26 psi on the left side and36 psi on the right side. Your personal car is 32 psi on all four.
Goodyear tells all teams the lowest air pressure they recommend is 19 psi for left side, 34 psi for right front and 31 psi for right rear.
So how long before tires wear out from running at different air pressures?
Goodyear suggests a new set every 44 laps....The Allstate 400 at Indy is 160 laps...each team will use at the very least 4 sets of tires.
Most of the teams remove the air from the tires and replace it with nitrogen. Compressed nitrogen contains less moisture than compressed air. When the tire heats up, moisture in the tire vaporizes and expands, causing the pressure inside the tire to increase. Even small changes in tire pressure can noticeably affect the handling of the car. By using nitrogen instead of air, the teams have more control over how much the pressure will increase when the tires heat up.
How do they swap out tires so fast during a pit stop?
In 12 to 14 seconds, seven people manage to completely refuel the car and change all four tires. There are a couple of tricks the teams use to make things a little easier. When the new tire is placed onto the car, the five lug nuts are already attached to the wheel by an adhesive. The studs are long and have no threads for the first three-quarters of an inch. This ensures that the lug nuts do not get cross-threaded, making it easier to put that tire on.
Tires will get as hot as 230 degrees during a race.
Used tires vs. New?
When you say "used" tires, we're talking about tires with only one or two laps on them. It's better to run on used tires because it gives you a better feel throughout the whole run in stead of when you start on stickers (new tires). If you're car is good on used tires, or scuffs, then you're going to be better at the end of a long run.
Mark
P.S. Listen for me live on 680 WGST-Atlanta Sunday morning around 11am.When my "Brother from a different Mother" Art 'Madman" Mehring and I talk aboutIndy...You can listen live online by going here http://www.wgst.com then click on the "listen live" link along the upper left hand side of the page.Then you willsee in the middle of the page " Click here to listen to our station online." Click on that and you should be good to go.
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