After a thrilling weekend in Las Vegas, NASCAR teams are getting ready to compete at Phoenix Raceway with a whole new package. Short tracks like the Phoenix have different challenges than speedways, particularly with the tires. While not necessarily classified as a short track, Phoenix does demand heavy braking similar to one. However, Noah Gragson from Stewart-Haas Racing isn’t fretting over the challenges.

With a strong sixth-place finish in the Pennzoil 400, Gragson picked up some confidence after a bleak display at Atlanta. He now has a positive outlook on how his team is handling the new package. He is hopeful that the tires they will use at Phoenix Raceway will provide sufficient grip.

SHR resolved the issue with the new package’s tires

Previously, NASCAR teams altered their vehicles differently for speedways and short tracks, and they typically approached small tracks with caution. Tomorrow in Phoenix, a whole new set of aerodynamic regulations for both road courses and short tracks will be unveiled for the year 2024. This race might not be the best display of how the package would unfold on short tracks, but that is for later. Noah Gragson and his team seem to have mastered the tire adjustments for the Phoenix Raceway under this new package.

Given some drivers have found the new set of tires difficult to manage, Noah Gragson was asked by a reporter if this might widen the racing line in turns one and two, since passing is difficult in those areas. Gragson approached the question in a positive manner. He said, “Yeah, I think We started out with package A, and I was super free on entry. Then we did a whole package change for my second and third set of tires. That allowed me to really attack the entry and had a lot of stability on entry. I noticed more package-to-package set up change on my entry. It was really secure when we went to the other package.”

Drivers often encounter challenges, especially in turns one and two, while using new tires. This time, the 25-year-old racer managed to pull it off perfectly in practice because of the flawless tweak made by the SHR crew. Last year, however, he was unable to get beyond Turn 1 during the closing laps in New Hampshire, leading to a devastating failure.

Noah Gragson suffered a tire blowout entering Turn 1 Last year

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In a race where cars accelerate over 160 mph, equipment failure is not something that can be anticipated. But, sometimes, unfortunately, things get out of hand. Last year, on July 17th in New Hampshire, Noah Gragson faced a major setback due to an adjustment problem. A tire failure in the closing laps forced him to end his race, marking his sixth Did Not Finish (DNF) of the year, and third caused by equipment failure. 

Earlier speaking about the unfortunate incident, Gragson stated that he failed to secure the right front wheel properly before going out on the track. Everything seemed fine during the first few turns, but when he approached turn one again, the tire came off.

It would be great if Noah doesn’t have any hard luck in Phoenix, particularly because of tires, given that SHR has adjusted the tires well with the new package.

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