Bring Back The Tire War

Winston Cup teams are using Hoosier tires to test around NASCAR's tire lease rule, a development that brings to mind an angle the sport has not dealt with since 1994 but which it may deal with again. The angle is the tire-exclusivity rule for Goodyear. Put in place following the 1994 Tire War, the deal basically locks out other tire manufacturers from participating in NASCAR's big leagues.

Of course the tire landscape is a lot different now, with Firestone a major racing force and the rumor never completely dying out that Firestone will enter NASCAR circles. It brings to mind the need for a tire war.

The idea of a tire war is considered verboten in many racing minds because of a supposed increase in injuries during such a time. Such "greater danger" arguments, however, fall flat after enduring years of consistent Goodyear failures, most notably in 2000 with Goodyear unable to make up its mind what compounds to bring to a race and with the endless game of "aggressive setups," a catch-all way to blame raceteams for frequent failures of right-front tires.

The danger level is not less now than it was during tire wars, and the advantages for the sport are numerous, most importantly in the ability of tire competition to break the quasi-monopolies that exist in the competitive field. Both times Hoosier Race Tire fought Goodyear - 1988-9 and 1994 - the number of different race winners increased dramatically, not only for drivers but for teams. The sport regularly saw more teams in contention for wins than has generally been the case with tire monopolies.

And there is certainly a need for an increase in competitive teams nowadays, given the lock on victories held by Hendrick Motorsports and Roush Racing and to a substantially lesser extent Joe Gibbs Racing. Dodge could potentially benefit the most from a tire war, getting the kind of competitive shot in the arm presently lacking for its program.

Hoosier's unofficial status as test tire supplier can be a road toward what more teams need in NASCAR circles.