Phoenix Raceway, AZ – The final NASCAR Cup Series practice session ahead of Sunday’s championship race at Phoenix Raceway was dramatically overshadowed by a spate of tire failures, primarily affecting the left side tires, which impacted several drivers, including a contender for the ultimate prize. This unexpected turn of events has cast a spotlight on the delicate balance between maximizing performance and ensuring mechanical reliability as the season culminates.

The session saw a concerning number of left-side tire issues. Among those affected was championship finalist Chase Briscoe, who experienced a tire failure. The situation escalated with consecutive left-side tire failures for AJ Allmendinger, the second of which resulted in a significant incident that will force the Kaulig Racing driver to utilize a backup car for the race. Christopher Bell also encountered a left-side tire problem, followed by two successive failures for Daniel Suarez. Riley Herbst and Kyle Busch were also victims of tire issues that led to crashes, while Chase Elliott expressed concerns about similar potential outcomes.

The prevalence of left-side tire failures was particularly perplexing, as many crew chiefs had anticipated greater sensitivity on the right-side tires. This expectation stemmed from the March wheel force test conducted at Phoenix Raceway, which was designed to identify potential stress points on the tires. However, the practice session revealed that the left sides were proving to be the Achilles’ heel for a significant portion of the field.

A representative from Goodyear indicated that the tire issues were a direct consequence of crew chiefs aggressively pushing the limits of the tires during the limited one-hour practice session, a crucial period for optimizing car setups for the championship race.

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James Small, crew chief for Chase Briscoe’s No. 19 team, acknowledged this aggressive approach. "Too low on air, too much camber. Just too aggressive, I guess," Small commented. "You saw it with a number of cars out there, so, don’t know if it’s been resolved yet. We stopped running there. We had a little bit of a scare at the end. We made a lot of changes through the session, so, yeah, we’ll have to look at it more, break these tires down and see."

Rudy Fugle, crew chief for William Byron’s No. 24 team, highlighted the unique demands of Phoenix Raceway. "There’s definitely some things to learn," Fugle stated. "At the test, I think there were some right side failures. I think we were more concerned about those and what would happen in the left rears were kind of a surprise. But yeah, this is a track that’s tough on tires for what we’re trying to do to them, what we’re trying to do with our situation to make the cars go faster." Fugle pointed out that Phoenix imposes greater load on the left-side tires compared to other tracks where this tire compound has been utilized, such as Richmond and New Hampshire.

Chris Gayle, crew chief for Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 team, echoed this sentiment. "Definitely the load is the thing, right," Gayle said. "He’s right, I don’t think there were any left side failures at the wheel force test. I was a little concerned about left side failures, knowing where we’ve been at other tracks. Started on the cautious side because I didn’t want to have a left rear failure, go the other way, make sure I have a chance to tear down three tires, Goodyear look at them, know it’s going to be okay, get closer to that edge in the race rather than practice."

Beyond the tire drama, Denny Hamlin, a championship finalist representing Joe Gibbs Racing, encountered a persistent clutch issue with his No. 11 car. This problem has been a recurring concern for the team throughout the season, adding another layer of uncertainty as they approach the championship race. At the time of the post-session press conference, Gayle could not provide a definitive explanation. "I don’t know much about it now other than the throw is a little off, and he’s having a hard time with it disengaging just because the throw gets so long it won’t disengage," Gayle explained. "We’re looking into it now. I don’t know any more at this point."

From a pure speed perspective, Ty Gibbs set the fastest overall lap time during the practice session. Among the championship finalists, Denny Hamlin posted the fifth-fastest lap, William Byron was ninth, Kyle Larson was eleventh, and Chase Briscoe was sixteenth.

In terms of race pace simulation, Ryan Blaney demonstrated strong performance over longer runs, leading in five-lap averages ahead of Hamlin and Elliott. Blaney also paced the field in ten-lap averages, followed by Larson and Byron. Kyle Larson led in fifteen-lap averages, with Blaney, Tyler Reddick, and William Byron trailing.

Notably, Cliff Daniels, crew chief for Kyle Larson, opted out of a mandatory NASCAR press conference following the session. Instead, he engaged in an extended debrief with his team, suggesting a focused effort to analyze the practice data and address any concerns, particularly in light of the tire issues encountered by other competitors.

The tire failures in final practice raise significant questions about the durability of the tires under the extreme conditions of Phoenix Raceway and the aggressive strategies employed by the championship-contending teams. As teams meticulously prepare their machines for Sunday’s title decider, the ability to navigate these tire concerns will undoubtedly play a critical role in determining the next NASCAR Cup Series champion. The focus now shifts to whether Goodyear can provide a solution, or if teams will be forced to adapt their strategies to mitigate the risks associated with tire degradation and potential failures.

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