Tony Stewart Smokes Goodyear Tires

[rbroyles]

In an interview during Cup practice today Tony Stewart gave Goodyear a scathing review regarding the tires being used at Atlanta. He said the cold temps were hiding Goodyear's incompetence. He then went on to say "It's a shame the world's number one racing series has to be this way" And last said "that's what happens when they (Goodyear) pays to have an exclusive deal."

The reason I put this as a thread is it's unusual for a driver to dis Goodyear this strongly. It has always seemed to me there is an unwritten rule to cool it in your criticism of Goodyear. Even the announcers appear to follow this rule. It will be interesting to see what the reaction of NASCAR and Goodyear is.

[la.lovesorange]

This is also not the first time he dissed Goodyear. I think he did pretty bad last year after a race too. I watched cup practice and qualifying yesterday and everyone said the tires are different than when they tested and it was terrible riding on them yesterday. Of course Tony just blasted them a little worse than the rest! LOL

[dantheman617]

Just Tony being a lil baby about something else...very suprising

[erob3833]

tony says something about goodyears tires every year. if he doesn't have something to cry about hes not happy.

[dan4vols]

Originally Posted by dantheman617

Just Tony being a lil baby about something else...very suprising

If a driver in NASCAR can't be allowed to voice an honest opinion on tires just because a said company has thrown a lot of money around, I don't know who should. He's not my fav driver but he's entitled to his opionion and just because you disagree does'nt automatically make it crying. Maybe the tires are crap maybe they arent. Seems anywhere you go nowadays product quality and quality of service isn't what it used to be, maybe he's right.

[615 Vol]

He's a Michelin man.

[kkep48]

Originally Posted by dantheman617

Just Tony being a lil baby about something else...very suprising

absolutely

[rbroyles]

Originally Posted by dan4vols

If a driver in NASCAR can't be allowed to voice an honest opinion on tires just because a said company has thrown a lot of money around, I don't know who should. He's not my fav driver but he's entitled to his opionion and just because you disagree does'nt automatically make it crying. Maybe the tires are crap maybe they arent. Seems anywhere you go nowadays product quality and quality of service isn't what it used to be, maybe he's right.

I agree the drivers should be allowed to voice their opinions, particularly when safety is involved. Case in point Jeff Gordons hard hit at Vegas.

But most drivers do not criticize Goodyear strongly.

[volfanbill]

Originally Posted by rbroyles

But most drivers do not criticize Goodyear strongly.

But NASCAR is DYING to get back to the good ole boy days where drivers spoke freely. Tony will have no problem getting NASCAR back to those days.

[la.lovesorange]

If its only Tony being a baby about the tires then go ask Kyle Busch why hes so mad right now.

[MG1968]

I miss the days when you'd see Hoosier, Goodyear, Michelin and Firestone tires all represented at a race.

[dan4vols]

Thats what it is Goodyear has basically bought out any competition so they dont have to take product quality seriously. And should a vocal driver complain, the cry of ''just drive the car and quit your whining'' should be enough to quell any defect theories. All tire vendors should be at the races, all having to pass nascar qualifications, chosen by the teams.

[rbroyles]

Stewart continues to sound off against Goodyear's tires
By Sporting News Wire Service
March 9, 2008
10:12 PM EST

-HAMPTON, Ga. -- Tony Stewart just couldn't let the second weekend in March go by without another tire tirade.

On the anniversary weekend of his bashing of tire supplier Goodyear last year in Las Vegas, Stewart lashed out on the compound Goodyear brought for Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

"We've got such a bad right-side tire, compared to what we tested here [in October]," Stewart said. "There isn't anybody, I don't think, who is happy with the tires we've got. After 10 years in the Cup Series, you learn to be highly disappointed with everything that Goodyear does ...

"I hate to say it, but the best thing that Goodyear does is to make that gold trophy at the end of the year (a special award for the Cup champion, which Stewart received in 2002 and 2005). That is the one thing that they always do right. Everything from that moment on until the end of the year -- it's a crapshoot."

Stewart isn't the only driver who would like to see a softer tire, one that would provide more adhesion to the racing surface.

"Today, as hard as these tires seem, I don't know if you'll be able to wear them out," Dale Earnhardt Jr. said Friday night, after qualifying second for Sunday's race. "They did fall off really fast, but we couldn't go out there and go real fast right out of the gate like we used to be able to do. But I don't think wear is going to be an issue. It's just that they slide so much I don't think you'll wear them out, they're so dang hard."

Justin Fantozzi, Goodyear's manager of race tire sales and marketing, said Saturday that the company was "completely satisfied" with the tire it brought to the track. He indicated that Goodyear was still collecting data from the right-front tire failures last week at Las Vegas that crippled the cars of Stewart, Kurt Busch and Robby Gordon.

"For 54 years we've been involved in NASCAR," Fantozzi said. "The process that we go about to make the tire recommendations is sound, and I have complete confidence in that process and the engineers that develop that process.

"As a supplier to the sport, as a partner in this working relationship on a day-to-day basis, the fact is, we'll develop."

[utfantilidie]

Originally Posted by rbroyles

In an interview during Cup practice today Tony Stewart gave Goodyear a scathing review regarding the tires being used at Atlanta. He said the cold temps were hiding Goodyear's incompetence. He then went on to say "It's a shame the world's number one racing series has to be this way" And last said "that's what happens when they (Goodyear) pays to have an exclusive deal."

The reason I put this as a thread is it's unusual for a driver to dis Goodyear this strongly. It has always seemed to me there is an unwritten rule to cool it in your criticism of Goodyear. Even the announcers appear to follow this rule. It will be interesting to see what the reaction of NASCAR and Goodyear is.

I agree with Tony as far as quality goes (especially with my brother working for Bridgestone,lol). Goodyear should quit producing these crappy tires and quit endangering the lives of these drivers, coupled with the non-performing in other aspects.

[lll Adidas]

The Jury is still out on the tire issue with me. Until I hear more than Tony complain about them. Maybe there is something wrong with them, maybe there isn't. Different tracks take different tires. They don't run the same type of tires let's say for Bristol or Martinsville as they do in Daytona. I'm not talking about namebrand here. I'm talking about how they are made. How hard they are, how they wear and how they take on temperature. If Tony don't like the tires at a certain track and how they perform then he is voicing his opinion to get them to change them a little bit towards the way he likes them. It's not called whining or crying, it's called politics. He has every right to do it. Maybe some other Driver wants them another way, then he too, shall voice his opinion. This sport is all about getting an edge over your competition. If You aren't constantly searching for that edge, You shouldn't be racing. That is my opionion.