All three of NASCAR’s national series will be in action this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway, and they will all compete on updated tire combinations on the 1.5-mile track.
Compared to what was run at Chicago last year, both left and right-side tires feature construction updates to align with what is run at other speedways, while the right-side tire has also gone from a multi-zone tread tire to a single zone tread tire and will increase grip.
This tire combo was confirmed at a Goodyear test at Chicagoland on May 7. The drivers who participated in the test were Brad Keselowski, Ryan Newman and Paul Menard. As on all NASCAR ovals greater than 1 mile in length, teams are required to run inner liners in all four tire positions at Chicagoland. Air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.
“Based on some indications we saw at our test at Chicagoland, we felt like we could bring some additional grip that will help the cars in traffic,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing, in a press release. “When a trailing car closes in on a car ahead, it loses some aerodynamic downforce, so the additional mechanical grip from a more tractive right-side tire can help offset that loss. The 2019 Cup rules package has produced some good side-by-side racing so far, but based on what we saw at our test, as well as additional driver feedback, we feel like a more tractive right-side compound might help the cars throughout the field.”
Here is the tire info for the weekend.
Set limits: Cup: Three sets for practice, one set for qualifying and nine sets for the race (eight race sets plus one set transferred from qualifying or practice)
Xfinity: Eight sets for the event
Truck: Seven sets for the event
Tire Codes: Left-side -- D-4928; Right-side -- D-4930
Tire Circumference: Left-side -- 2,227 mm (87.68 in.); Right-side -- 2,248 mm (88.50 in.)
Minimum Recommended Inflation: Left Front - 19 psi; Left Rear - 19 psi; Right Front - 48 psi; Right Rear - 44 psi