Officials from Hoosier Race Tire and the sanctioning bodies for the Short Track U. S. Nationals at Bristol Motor Speedway presented by Vore’s Welding have announced the tires that will be used for the event to be ran on the weekend of May 19-21. The tire selections come after considerable testing two weeks ago, along with post testing data analysis. The major factor in the final decisions comes from the significant heat generated in the tires across the board in all divisions. The intense heat generated from the high speeds on Bristol’s high banked concrete surface led Hoosier officials to tire selections that will ensure everyone’s safety and ensure the best possible racing experience for everyone involved.
For the Super Late Models, JEGS/Pro Late Models and the Late Model Stocks, teams will use a combination of the F45 on the left and the F56* on the right. During the test the F45 performed flawlessly on the left sides. On the right sides, the F50 and F55 were tested, but were found to still have too much heat across the contact surface. As a result of these findings, Hoosier officials will utilize the F56* on the right side for all three late model divisions. This tire was built for the specific purpose of dissipating heat while providing a superior sidewall construction.
For the Modifieds and Street Stocks, Hoosier officials will be building a brand new tire for use at Bristol. These teams will both use the new 26.5/8.0-15 “895” tire. The combination of construction and compound has never been used before in short track racing. Originally developed for dissipating heat in tires used for “Cup-style” cars, the “895” proved to be the answer for Modifieds and Street Stocks in the areas of durability and reducing tire temperatures. These division’s traditional tires of the D-800 and Comanches were the first products on the track for testing and were immediately eliminated from use due to severe blistering on the D-800 and excessive heat with the Comanche.
Compact racers will also see the same new compound used on their right side tires to be known as the “795”. Tire testing again revealed too much heat in the right side tires to utilize the traditional “790”, thus the change in compound to the “795” in the right side tires. The left side tires to be used at Bristol will be the “790-B”, which is a standard “790” tire, with the “B” designation showing that it was built for use at Bristol.
Racers are reminded that they can only qualify and race on these announced tires. The Super Late Models, JEGS/Pro Late Models, and Late Model Stocks are required to purchase their qualify/race tires at the track on race weekend and leave in impound, per series procedures. Hoosier officials are also expected to announce minimum air pressures that all teams must run at all times while on the race track. Tires are currently going into production for the event, and are not expected to be available for purchase before April 20th. Below are the list of tires and contacts for the purchases of each tire:
Super Late Models, JEGS/Pro Late Models & Late Model Stocks
Lefts Hoosier 10/27-15 F45
Rights Hoosier 10/27-15 F56*
Teams can only purchase these tires from: Jeff Freeman at Hoosier Asphalt South at 336-403-3275
Modifieds and Street Stocks
Hoosier 26.5/8.0-15 “895”
Teams can only purchase these tires from: Jack Neal at Motion Motors in the Midwest at 765-606-4286 or
Kevin Piercy at MPT Tires in the Southeast at 828-217-0002
Compacts
Lefts Hoosier 23.0/7.0-14 “790-B”
Lefts Hoosier 24.0/7.0-14 “790-B”
Rights Hoosier 23.0/7.0-14 “795”
Rights Hoosier 24.0/7.0-14 “795”
Teams can only purchase these tires from: Dan Redmond at VCTS in the Midwest at 765-215-6320 or
Kevin Piercy at MPT Tires in the Southeast at 828-217-0002
Hoosier officials were quick to point out that they were very pleased with where they ended up with their tire selection for the prestigious event. “Every participant in this event is going to benefit from the recent tire test and Hoosier’s years of experience,” noted Irish Saunders, Business Unit Manager for Asphalt Oval Racing at Hoosier Race Tire. “Our hope and intent was to use the standard tires used by these divisions for the Short Track U. S. Nationals, but our experience at Bristol told us that wasn’t likely, and the results of the tire test proved that to be correct. With the correct tires currently being built for this event, we are confident in every tire we have selected, with safety being at the forefront of our decisions.”
Saunders further shared, “we are bringing the best products and the best people to the Bristol. To that end, we will have two engineers at both open tests and three engineers on site during the race weekend. These engineers will be in addition to the great staff that will already be on site servicing the racers that weekend. We are excited to be a part of a race with this kind of industry significance and are looking forward to helping build this into one of the nation’s premier short track event for years to come.”
The highly-anticipated Short Track U. S. Nationals at Bristol Motor Speedway, May 19-21, will showcase the world’s best short track racers competing for the first time on the high-banks of the World’s Fastest Half-Mile, one of the most famous short tracks in the world.
More than 500 race cars split among the six classes are expected to be in competition during the three-day event, including racing in Super Late Model, Pro/Crate Late Model, Late Model Stock, Modified, Street Stock and Compact. The five sanctioning bodies that will be represented are CRA (Super Late Models, Pro Late Models, Street Stock), CARS Tour (Super Late Models, Late Model Stock), Southern Super Series (Super Late Model), National Short Track Alliance (Modifieds), and VORES Compact Touring Series (Compacts).