- A long-term critic finally praises Goodyear after thrilling Coca-Cola 600.
- Hamlin applauds NASCAR’s new tyre breakthrough following Charlotte chaos.
- How a softer tyre compound transformed NASCAR’s longest intermediate race.
For months, if not years, Denny Hamlin had been one of Goodyear’s loudest critics.
From blasting NASCAR’s Bristol short-track tyre package to repeatedly questioning whether the sport’s racing product was heading in the wrong direction, the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran never minced his words.
But recent races appear to have given him a change of heart, and after Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Hamlin tipped his hat to Goodyear.
Instead of another fuel-mileage parade or strategy-heavy snoozefest, NASCAR’s longest race delivered aggressive battles, tyre falloff, multiple comers-and-goers, and a dramatic finish that kept teams guessing until the very end. And according to Hamlin, one major factor changed everything: Goodyear’s new tyre compound.
From Phoenix chaos to Charlotte praise: How Goodyear finally found the sweet spot
Ironically, this praise comes less than a year after Goodyear found itself at the centre of one of the most chaotic races of the 2025 season.
At Phoenix Raceway during the Cup Series championship finale, NASCAR introduced a softer Goodyear compound designed to increase tyre wear and create more falloff during long runs. The idea itself was exactly what drivers had been asking for.
Meaning, more degradation, more movement, and more opportunities for drivers to attack instead of simply running wide open. But the experiment quickly spiralled into survival mode.
Tyre failures began during practice and only intensified once the race started. Every Championship 4 contender suffered at least one issue, while cautions repeatedly flew for blown right-fronts and shredded rubber throughout the afternoon.
By the closing laps, teams were desperately balancing aggression against pure risk management. Yet even amid the chaos, Hamlin never fully blamed Goodyear.
Instead, he argued teams themselves were pushing the limits too far by aggressively lowering air pressures to maximise grip and long-run speed. In Hamlin’s eyes, Goodyear deserved credit for finally trying to bring softer compounds that forced drivers to manage tyre wear again instead of flat-out qualifying laps disguised as races.
Now, several months later, that same philosophy finally appears to be working exactly as intended.
Charlotte showcased everything NASCAR has desperately wanted from its intermediate-track package: tire falloff, varying strategies, cars moving through the field, and, most importantly, leaders suddenly becoming vulnerable late in runs.
In short, rather than fuel mileage deciding the outcome, tyre management became the central storyline. And for perhaps the first time in years, Hamlin sounded genuinely excited talking about a NASCAR tyre.
‘Tires won’t last a fuel run’: Denny Hamlin explains why NASCAR’s racing suddenly looks different
During his latest “Actions Detrimental” podcast, the 45-year-old admitted he could actually feel how entertaining the racing looked while sitting behind the wheel himself.
“There was one where it was the Christopher Bell one where he was coming on late at the end of the stage,” Hamlin explained. “I went from third to battling Bell off of turn two for the lead… and I knew at that time, I was like, ‘Man, I bet this is a fun show on TV or in the stands.'”
That moment perfectly captured what made Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 feel different from many recent intermediate-track races. According to Hamlin, the biggest reason is one simple thing: the tire finally wears out before the fuel tank runs dry.
“It seems like Goodyear’s gotten to a place with their intermediate tyre, which I absolutely love,” Hamlin said. “These tyres are more consistent now than they’ve ever been.”
Hamlin specifically pointed toward what drivers commonly refer to as the “Kansas tyre,” or the “intermediate compound,” the same tyre Goodyear has now started using across multiple 1.5-mile tracks. Because teams have developed a better understanding of how the tyre behaves, drivers can push harder while still managing wear over long green-flag runs.
But the real breakthrough, according to Hamlin, is the falloff. “What makes this tyre so good is that it really won’t last a fuel run,” he explained. “We could go almost 70 laps on fuel. Tyres won’t go that far. Tyres could go like 60.”
That detail fundamentally changes how races unfold. Instead of the field freezing after pit stops, tyre wear gradually creates significant speed differences across the track. Leaders begin struggling in dirty air, faster cars charge through the pack on fresher tyres, and lapped traffic suddenly becomes a major factor late in runs.
“And that’s the moment at the end of these stages where you see a large discrepancy of speed between cars,” Hamlin continued. “It’s because the tyre is wearing out.” For years, drivers begged Goodyear to build softer compounds capable of creating exactly this type of racing.
Now, Hamlin believes NASCAR may have finally found the balance. “After years and years and years of begging Goodyear to get softer on their compounds,” the veteran said, “they’ve really gotten to a good place where you need tyres before you need fuel. And that’s why you’re seeing the racing improve so much.”
