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Reed Sorenson says Indianapolis Goodyear tire test will extend into Wednesday
By Rea White - Associate Editor
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Richard Petty Motorsports' Reed Sorenson is one of four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers participating in a Goodyear tire test this week at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Jim Fluharty
NASCAR Scene
Richard Petty Motorsports driver Reed Sorenson says that Goodyear officials will extend their Indianapolis Motor Speedway tire test into Wednesday for four drivers because of rain that has continually interrupted their efforts.
Sorenson, Roush Fenway Racing's Matt Kenseth, Stewart-Haas Racing's Ryan Newman and Red Bull Racing's Brian Vickers began testing tires at the track Monday as Goodyear officials work to find a better tire for this season's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at the track after a 2008 event in which drivers had to pit regularly because of issues with tire wear.
Sorenson said that he's pleased with the tire the drivers have been working with, though rain has hampered their ability to get many laps on it.
"It has been wet,” Sorenson said Tuesday during a national teleconference with reporters. “It seems like every time we get out on the track and get running a little bit it seems to rain. We actually started out this morning and the track was dry and went out and ran a couple of times, and then it started raining, so that's kind of what we've been battling for the past two days here. It looks like we're going to stay tomorrow … I think tomorrow the weather is supposed to be great, no chance of rain at all."
Sorenson said that Goodyear officials want to get enough laps on the tires to get a true measure of the wear on them, but he added that they already have a much better tire than teams raced on last season.
"I think they did a lot of work actually at the end of last year, so I think they're a couple of sets ahead of where we would have been if they hadn't have done that," he said. "They actually already have a tire that I think is a lot better than what we had here last time we ran here. We've been running 10- or 15-lap runs, and it wears them out, but when we were here last year for the race, you couldn't run five or six laps without having cords on the tire, so I think they did a lot of work from even after the race last year and throughout the end of the season. I think they came up here a couple of times and tested.
"They definitely worked on it, and I think they're just trying to get a little bit better. I think they want to try out a couple more tires so see what the grip levels are like and what the wear did on those. I just think they're trying to fine-tune it. I think they definitely have a tire that they could go with if we race next week … This rain the past two days, it's been kind of boring for everybody. Just kind of been hanging out in the trailer and sitting around."
So far, Sorenson thinks the four drivers have been on the control tire, but he expects that to change in the morning. Sorenson was somewhat skeptical about whether or not drivers would log any more laps Tuesday afternoon. He said that all four drivers involved in the session had agreed to stay and that they will "probably run half a day tomorrow."
Sorenson expects them to spend the opening hour of that session on the same tire and then to try a couple more tires that Goodyear has at the test.
Asked what the drivers were looking for specifically, Sorenson said that all they want is more grip than what they had last season at the track. While drivers might have some concern about going too far in the other direction and ending up with a tire that will last for long runs but is difficult to race with, Sorenson said that the tire they have been on doesn't seem to have that problem.
"I don't think anybody is upset if the tire wears out over a 30-lap run or something like that; I mean that's normal," he said. "I just think we need to get it where we can run that many laps. Last year, the track didn't take any rubber. I think that was the biggest issue is no matter how many laps we ran in the race or in practice, no matter how many cars were out there, your tires were gone after like six laps. So I think the goal would be to get a tire that can get better as the weekend goes on.
"This place is notorious for when you first get here that it wears your tires out, but by the time you get a practice session in they start getting better and better, and I think that's what they need to get back to, and I think that's probably the main goal that the drivers look for and that Goodyear probably does as well."
Mentioned Drivers: Reed Sorenson
2009 Sprint Cup Race for the Chase Standings
Driver Standings after the Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500
| 1 | Jimmie Johnson | 6492 |
| 2 | Mark Martin | -108 |
| 3 | Jeff Gordon | -169 |
| 4 | Kurt Busch | -211 |
| 5 | Tony Stewart | -285 |
| 6 | Juan Pablo Montoya | -289 |
| 7 | Greg Biffle | -321 |
| 8 | Denny Hamlin | -352 |
| 9 | Ryan Newman | -411 |
| 10 | Kasey Kahne | -476 |
| 11 | Carl Edwards | -520 |
| 12 | Brian Vickers | -666 |
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Comments
7 responses to "Reed Sorenson says Indianapolis Goodyear tire test will extend into Wednesday". Post a Comment.
Andrew Briscoe said:
Apr 21, 2009 at 3:14 PMForget for now a 30 lap run, I just want to see a 15 lap run at the Brickyard this year. Let's get the tires to where they will go more than a dozen laps and the fans will be happy.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportAndrew Briscoe said:
Apr 21, 2009 at 3:14 PMForget for now a 30 lap run, I just want to see a 15 lap run at the Brickyard this year. Let's get the tires to where they will go more than a dozen laps and the fans will be happy.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportDawn Dunn said:
Apr 21, 2009 at 3:44 PMAMEN Andrew, no more fiasco of a race. That was an embarrassment not only to the drivers but to the fans also. I'm sure Goodyear doesn't want that AGAIN.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportAnonymous said:
Apr 21, 2009 at 3:46 PMI can't wait to see them change the tire size altogether. I read once last year that the COT was designed to run on 16 inch tires. But once I read it, it disapeared. The car is hard enought to drive as is. But I think Goodyear has a bunch of 15 inch tires and does not want to take the loss. There has not been a lot of racing with the COT. Most races are lost on pit road. Very little passing on the track.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportWerner Boehmert said:
Apr 21, 2009 at 3:50 PMit's been wet and cold...
Report as Abusejust what kind of feedback can you get for a hot summer's day race?...they have always told us how crucial trak temp is for the cars...
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» Confirm Abuse ReportBernie said:
Apr 21, 2009 at 10:07 PMWerner, at Indianapolis, it's not the issue of weather, air temp or track temp. It's the condition of the track that Goodyear needs to contend with. They need to manufacture a tire that will last longer than 15 laps. Talk about a race that sucked last year!!!!
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» Confirm Abuse ReportKyle Newton said:
Apr 22, 2009 at 8:59 AMReed Sorenson has improved since last year. So stop talking bad about him he will get better and probably win his first race after the R6 comes into play after Richmond. Good choice for the new 43 driver.
Report as AbuseI wonder why Tony Stewart wasn't there. Lol.
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