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A NASCAR pit crew member handles a tire on pit road during a Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway.
A familiar tire setup is returning to Kansas Speedway this weekend — and it could play a major role in how Sunday’s race unfolds.
NASCAR will use a previously run Goodyear right-side tire combination for both the Cup Series and Xfinity Series races, a setup that has already influenced strategy and long-run performance earlier this season.
The same configuration was used at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Darlington Raceway, where tire wear and falloff became key factors in how races developed. Now, that variable returns at Kansas, a track already known for high speeds and multiple racing grooves.
Goodyear Setup Returns With Strategy in Focus
Goodyear introduced this right-side tire combination last fall with the goal of giving teams more options as races unfold, particularly over long green-flag runs.
“We introduced new right-side Goodyear Racing Eagle tires last fall, which help give teams different strategy options as the race unfolds,” Goodyear NASCAR product manager Rick Heinrich said. “This will already be the third time Cup Series teams have run this setup in 2026, so they come to Kansas with valuable data under their belts.”
Cup Series teams will have 10 sets of tires for the weekend — eight for Sunday’s race, plus one set each for practice and qualifying. Xfinity Series teams will have nine sets for their race, along with an additional set for practice and qualifying that carries over.
Why Kansas Could Magnify the Impact
Kansas Speedway already allows drivers to move across multiple grooves in search of grip, from the bottom lane to the outside wall as track conditions evolve.
With this tire setup, those conditions can change even more over the course of a run.
As lap times begin to fall off, teams may be forced to pit earlier or split strategy, creating opportunities for drivers on fresher tires to gain track position. Over a full race distance, those decisions can significantly impact how the race plays out.
Cooler temperatures expected this weekend could also increase overall speeds, putting additional stress on the tires and accelerating wear.
Drivers Expect Aggressive Approach
Drivers are already anticipating how much the tire could factor into the race.
Todd Gilliland, coming off a strong finish at Bristol, said teams will continue pushing the limits to maximize speed.
“I think all the work Goodyear’s been doing has been super-helpful,” Gilliland said. “Over even the last four years now, it’s just been a continual progression of all that stuff. I mean, we put them in a really, really tough spot at these mile-and-a-halfs, going as low as possible on air, and probably even a half-pound lower at times, just because you have to get every ounce of speed you can out of the car and the tires.
“That puts them in a tough box. It’s going to be cooler this weekend, speeds are going to be up. I don’t think we had a ton of tire issues on the right sides (last year), so I’m sure the teams will keep pushing it. The more the tires have been wearing out, the more it seems like at these places, it just becomes easier to pass. A place like Kansas is very wide, so it makes the racing more fun.”
What to Watch on Sunday
If the tire behaves similarly to earlier races this season, several factors could shape the outcome:
How quickly lap times fall off during long runs
Whether teams vary pit strategy across the field
How much fresh tires matter compared to track position late in the race
At a track where clean air and momentum already matter, added tire wear introduces another layer of strategy.
And in a race often decided by small margins, that could make all the difference.
Maggie MacKenzie Maggie MacKenzie covers NASCAR for Heavy.com. She previously worked for NASCAR.com, where she reported, wrote, and edited race-weekend coverage and traveled to key events throughout the season. She has more than ten years of experience in sports media and is based in Boston, Massachusetts. More about Maggie MacKenzie
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