Austin Dillon Makes Concerning Goodyear Admission Ahead of Bristol Clash

Goodyear’s rolling out a new, softer right-side tire for the 2025 Bristol Motor Speedway Cup race, aiming to spice up the playoff action with more tire wear and strategy. But with no prior testing due to scheduling conflicts like the MLB Speedway Classic, teams are heading into the Night Race with more questions than answers.

Denny Hamlin is cautiously optimistic, saying the compound could make for dynamic racing if it delivers, but fans aren’t sold, remembering past tire experiments that fizzled. As the Round of 16 cutoff looms, the tire gamble could shake up the playoff field or throw a wrench in it. Austin Dillon’s recent comments only add to the uncertainty, highlighting the high stakes at Bristol’s unforgiving half-mile.

Dillon’s cautious take on Bristol’s new tires

Chatting with Bob Pockrass before the Bristol clash, Austin Dillon laid bare the challenge of the new Goodyear tires. When asked if he had any understanding of the lasting period of tires, he said, “I don’t. Currently you know we like to think we do. We went over it during the simulator session on if the race turns into a tire race, what direction we would go? And so I feel like we’ve covered our bases so far and talked about ways that you can take care of the tire in those type of situations.”

His words show Richard Childress Racing’s scrambling to prep for the unknown. With no real data on how the softer right-side tires will hold up over Bristol’s 500-lap grind, Dillon’s team leaned on simulator work to game-plan tire management. Bristol’s high banks are notorious for chewing tires. Think 2024’s Night Race, where blistering forced early pits for leaders, and Dillon’s focus on strategy reflects the make-or-break nature of this playoff race.

He didn’t sugarcoat the uncertainty, “But yeah, hopefully based off of past history and prior knowledge of you know what the track does at certain temperatures. We can make the right call but that new tire is kind of the point that we don’t have a lot of information.” That’s Dillon admitting the new compound’s a wild card.

Even with Bristol’s history of tire wear, like 2024’s chaos where rapid degradation flipped strategies, there’s no playbook for this specific tire. His team’s banking on past track data and temperature trends, but without testing, it’s a gamble. For a driver sitting 13th in playoff points, 11 above the cutline, a wrong call could end his season. Dillon’s honesty underscores the tightrope all 16 playoff drivers walk at Bristol, where tire management could mean advancing or going home.

Meanwhile, the Bristol tire uncertainty isn’t the only thing stirring the pot.

Kyle Busch’s no-nonsense take ties to tire drama

Dillon’s teammate from RCR, Kyle Busch, dropped some bold thoughts on NASCAR’s controversial 3/3/4 playoff format, tying right into the high-stakes vibe. Speaking to Frontstretch Media, the two-time champ didn’t hold back, “Um, yeah. I mean, I haven’t been in the playoffs in a few years, so it’d be nice to get back to the playoffs and have a shot to race for something of that nature.”

The current format, three races in the Round of 16, three in the Round of 12, four in the Round of 8, and a one-race Championship 4, has been slammed since Joey Logano’s 2024 title with a low average finish. Whispers of a shift to two rounds of three races have sparked debate, and Busch, out of the 2025 playoffs, sees it clearly, “Whatever it is, everybody knows what it is going in, and you just got to figure out your best way through the system in order to bring you home a championship.”

Busch got real about the format’s critics, “Uh, I don’t. It doesn’t matter what system it is. Everybody wants to make such a big deal about what it is. If you know what is going in, exploit it the way you need to exploit it for yourself to make a championship. There you go.” His no-nonsense take mirrors Dillon’s tire concerns.

Both highlight the need to adapt to unpredictable challenges, whether it’s a new compound or a playoff structure. At Bristol, where tire wear could flip the race like it did in 2024, Busch’s “exploit it” mentality connects to Dillon’s scramble to nail strategy. For drivers like Dillon, fighting to stay above the cutline, and Busch, eyeing a 2026 playoff return, mastering variables like tires and formats is the name of the game.