Chase Elliott Says NASCAR Aero Issues Eased, But Tire Questions Remain Unanswered

• The tire situation that developed early in the Bristol race caught everyone off guard—NASCAR, Goodyear and the teams.

• Tire wear was extensive, with cords showing within 30 to 40 laps.

• The race turned into a tire management event because rubber was not adhering to the concrete track in the middle and upper grooves.

Aero issues during a race have monopolized drivers remarks after NASCAR Cup events in recent years, but when the tires low grip level was coupled with the slower pace in Bristol Motor Speedway’s Food City 500, those problems were erased, Chase Elliott said.

“Normally, you can’t get to a guy’s bumper to hit him even if you wanted to without just completely wrecking your own corner and doing it,” Elliott said when reflecting on the event a few days after the checkered flag waved at the half-mile track.

“We were going at a pace that we could be close to each other and be around each other. We were sliding around trying not to hurt tires. A lot of the race was in your hands as a driver as to what you could do. There’s got to be some good lessons to take from this because our product could be way improved in my view. There were some good things that happened there on Sunday.”

While the conditions allowed the drivers to experience a racing environment they haven’t faced in several years, Elliott believes numerous questions must be answered before NASCAR and Goodyear can determine what created Sunday’s situation.