Goodbye Goodyear! Should Racing Series Like NASCAR Make Their Own Tires?

This isn’t the first time that Parker Kligerman and Landon Cassill have proposed an aggressive industry-wide change for the betterment of the sport. However, this one may have some traction. Which is actually the opposite of their goal. 

Stay with me. In a recent episode of the Money Lap podcast, co-hosts Parker and Landon savored the racing action at Bristol Motor Speedway that was produced largely in part by aggressive and rapid tire wear. And naturally, they wanted more of it.

Tire Wear Is A Conflict Of Interest

The recent NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol had fans enamored and reminiscent of the ‘glory days’ that Bristol used to be known for. So how come immediately following one of the best races of the year did fans get bombarded with press releases and official statements from NASCAR and Goodyear? 

The rapid and unpredictable wear of the Goodyear Eagles was key to making this race one to remember. Which is exactly what Goodyear execs don’t want you to associate with their tire. Goodyear spends millions of dollars to be represented in the sport and to show consumers how strong, durable, and reliable their tires are. Meanwhile, strong, durable, and reliable tires make for shit racing… 

And therein lies the problem. A massive conflict of interest that could (potentially) be solved by [Insert series here] manufacturing their own tire. 

The Solution

Kligerman introduced the concept of racing series taking control over tire production and supply. “Is there a way for a series like F1, like NASCAR, to go to where these tires are made and say, we're going to take over that facility, this is now going to become a NASCAR tire, this tire whole production, everything is going to be under NASCAR.”

Cassill pointed out the potential for NASCAR to create more exciting racing without the constraints of a tire supplier’s brand reputation concerns: "If NASCAR controlled the tires, you could have a scenario where they decide not to change the tire, based on the spectacular racing we saw at Bristol."

With recent talks of the quality of the racing product and NASCAR trying out countless packages with more horsepower, less horsepower, more downforce, less downforce, etc. There’s one thing left to try. Cassill emphasized the fundamental impact tires have on racing dynamics, "There are few levers you can pull in modern motorsports that can affect the show so drastically as the tire."

"What if we took what we just learned at Bristol and went the other direction...and said, 'Let's just make things softer now'?" He suggested that by continually softening tires, a series could compel teams to adjust their setups and strategies to prioritize tire preservation which would duplicate the thrilling style of racing that was just seen at Bristol.

Is it Feasible? 

But could such a future really come to pass? Kligerman acknowledged the financial and logistical hurdles but remained optimistic about the potential benefits. “When you get to numbers in the billions like we have in the NASCAR world right now with the media rights and the amount of tickets sold and so on and so forth… I find very little reasons to think that financially there isn't a lot that's impossible. We're talking money, money with a B in front of it. Billions. A lot is possible in the billions.”

Landon also proposed a lucrative strategy to make up for lost revenue, “Maybe the business strategy is beyond just them making tires for themselves. Maybe it goes all the way down to other racing series. And maybe all of that combined can make up for what they give up by having a corporate partner like Goodyear, paying sponsorship dollars”

This revolution in the racing industry could even open up sponsorship opportunities to other teams. Kligerman emphasized the added incentive, “You're now we're now allowed to sell sponsorship to anyone. Goodyear, you can still be here. You can still be on 25 cars if you want. Go sponsor them for all we care, go sponsor tracks, go buy ads, so on and so forth.” 

Looking Ahead

As motorsports continue to evolve, the idea of series-supplied tires represents a fascinating possibility for the future of racing. It’s not a simple fix but one that could potentially check all the boxes. Parker and Landon have effectively illustrated a motorsports utopia that includes better racing, more sponsorship for teams and even a lucrative revenue stream. Will we ever see it come to fruition? Never say never… 

Let us know what you think! Would it be a good idea for a series to take over the manufacturing of their own tires?

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