Denny Hamlin, a Joe Gibbs Racing veteran, was quite impressed by NASCAR’s All-Star tire options for the upcoming race. Hamlin finished sixth during the practice session at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports announced the format and schedule for the 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race, emphasizing the return of different tire compounds for the exhibition race. Teams racing at North Wilkesboro’s 0.625-mile short track will have access to both prime and option tires during dry conditions throughout the race weekend.
Denny Hamlin, a Joe Gibbs Racing veteran, was quite happy with NASCAR’s All-Star tire options for the upcoming race. Hamlin finished sixth in a practice session at North Wilkesboro Speedway. NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports have revealed the format and timetable for the 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race, with an emphasis on the return of various tire compounds for the exhibition race. During dry circumstances, teams competing on North Wilkesboro’s 0.625-mile short track will have access to both prime and option tires throughout the weekend.
Teams were allotted two sets of option tires for practice and the heat races, providing ample opportunity to strategize their use ahead of the All-Star race. Veteran driver Denny Hamlin was queried about his opinion of the tire during the practice race. He said (via NASCAR.com):
“They nailed it with this one. It’s just a great tire. Great lap time variation between the two tires and also just the ability to pass with it because there’s a difference in speed between the cars. So, as you’re seeing now guys are searching for new pavement to try to get a grip because they don’t want to be in the rubber because it is kind of slick. Right now this is like back to the old short track game.”
Denny Hamlin on what would make the option tire a success during NASCAR All-Star race
Hamlin delved into the impact of the option tires when speaking on a recent episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast. The 43-year-old emphasized that success would mean many overtakes, especially since North Wilkesboro is a challenging track. He stated:
“A success would be lots of overtaking, passes. Let’s just call it passes. That’s what we want to see, right? Because North Wilkesboro is going to be a huge challenge. It is going to be a very tough track to pass on. Because the cars will have so much grip that it would be an aerodynamic race.”
Denny Hamlin explained that using hard, durable tires would make passing difficult, turning the race into a follow-the-leader situation due to excessive grip. The JGR driver added:
“With this alternate tire what you’re hoping is that it’s got enough grip in it where people will choose, knowing maybe there is a short run coming, they’ll choose this tire, be able to pass people on hard tires and then they fall off.”
Denny Hamlin is ranked third in the NASCAR Cup Series standings. He has 447 points to his name, courtesy of three wins and five top-5 finishes.
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