It is officially road course race week. However, the NASCAR community has yet to get over the unbridled race at Bristol. The extensive tire wear-off has compelled the drivers and teams to ponder whether this was what they asked for when they grumbled about the unforeseen circumstance. As a result, there seems to be a clear distinction between the drivers who complained about the tire management and others like Bubba Wallace who voiced their support for this new style of racing.

With the comeback of the concrete Bristol track, the negativity that encompassed the Next-Gen car and short tracks seemed to have subsided. But, what has not subsided is whether NASCAR would return to its old ways when they hit the short tracks once again. Even Bubba Wallace seemed to voice a similar concern in his latest interview with Frontstretch.

It was nice to have the fall-off: Bubba Wallace

With a record of 54 lead changes in the 500-lap race, NASCAR is finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel for its short-track package. Although initially, the teams fretted over the rapid wear and cording, it was not long before the drivers stepped up their game and prioritized tire management to end the race on a happy note.

Albeit all the ensuing chaos, a majority of the Cup Series drivers seemed to have welcomed this ball game with open arms. However, a lingering concern seems to bug the minds of the majority of them including Bubba Wallace: Will NASCAR try to interfere with the tire wearing off and return to its old ways? Wallace in his interview with Frontstretch seemed to warn NASCAR of this aspect when he stated, “It was nice to have the fall off. It was nice to be able to manage your stuff but even if you manage it the best, you are still going to blow a tire.”

“It’s like we need to make it to where I remember running the Late Model and like the short tracks stuff and when you burn your stuff up and you burn it up, like you had no grip. You still had four tires to roll around on. So we have been asking for it, they did it. I think they found the absolute limit, so now I hope this doesn’t scare us and go back to square one but we need to find a solution for that quick. So they got enough smart people to figure it out.”

When asked if they would be able to find balance when it came to tire conservation and also pushing the limits of the car further, Wallace replied, “Like I said short track stuff we were able to do it, that’s Late Model stock cars. We are a little bit more advanced than Late Model Stock, but we should be able to figure it out.”

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Furthermore, it was not just drivers like Wallace who endorsed this tire gameplay but also veterans of the sport. They were more than amused after witnessing how the drivers were able to tame the on-track threat.

NASCAR veteran states his support for the new tire management race

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 NASCAR veteran and NBC analyst Jeff Burton expressed that it was a “step in the right direction” after the Bristol race.

He stated, “Clearly, the tire wear was excessive, it was too much, but even though it was too much it was a step in the right direction. Nobody wants to see tire failures to this point but at the same time, when you’re pushing the issue, when you’re on the edge of things, sometimes you cross over it.”

“I think Goodyear, Bristol, NASCAR — honestly it should be applauded that we got over the edge. Now it’s about understanding how we got to the edge and then backing it up some. Not only for Bristol, but every other short track race. That’s really what has to happen going forward here. And if we can figure that out, then it will certainly have a positive impact on short track racing.”

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With that being said, it is to be seen whether NASCAR is able to deliver upon the hopes of the drivers or whether new surprises lie ahead for the drivers in the remaining short-track races.