“We’re going to ask them to manage it. We’re delivering on exactly what we were asked to do.” Justin Fantozzi, global race tire operations manager for Goodyear, grew defensive when asked about last Saturday’s Bristol race. After introducing a new right-side tire combination that would peel off in 100 laps, Goodyear caught drivers by surprise with a fierce tire management race. Although it was the result of 18 months of effort, Denny Hamlin believes there is more scope.

The Bass Pro Shops night race witnessed 38 lead changes and frantic strategy shuffles. Drivers could not make their tires last more than 50 laps, with a few incurring disastrous wrecks. The extreme tire wear elicited controversy from the garage, but Denny Hamlin has a solution for Goodyear.

Denny Hamlin seeks a balance in

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