iNSIDE SCOOP: Playing the Zone

The Zone has come to NASCAR.

No, it's not the diet. Nor is it a type of defense as played in football or basketball.

It is, however, a defense against lack of grip at tracks like Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Goodyear has taken steps to address both lack of grip and the potential for punctures with a new "zone tread" technology, which will be used for the first time at this weekend's race in Atlanta.

"Historically, Atlanta is one of the more difficult race tracks on tires and equipment, and this tire gives us the ability to improve performance," NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton said Thursday, according to the Associated Press. "Combining the high speeds we always see at Atlanta with the high loads in the corners and the abrasive surface that brings tire wear into play, this is the ideal track to debut this technology."

Yes, it is. Who can forget the drivers a few years ago heading full-throttle at the corners, then slowing down appreciably to actually get through them?

They were slower than the Post Office through the corners that day, and you could tell from anywhere on the place.

By combining two compounds, Goodyear has fashioned a tire that can grip the track without falling off the rim.

The right front is the biggest worry, especially the inside part. The G-load in the corners at Atlanta is immense, and the car is bound by the laws of physics and centrifugal force.

The inside of the right-side tires uses the same compound Goodyear used at Michigan this year, and the outside uses the compound from previous Atlanta races.

It's always been a balancing act for Goodyear, which has to build a tire that is safe enough to race but fast enough to make the drivers and fans happy.

If it's too hard, the tires don't give up and they don't grip, which leads to the tippy-toe dance from a few years back. That was the day that Tony Stewart went cross-eyed at Goodyear and said a lot of hard things.

If they're too soft, you wind up with Indy 2008: trophy dashes and pit stops every 10 laps.

"Atlanta is one of our biggest challenges from a tire perspective. The abrasive surface causes extremely high wear, while the length and layout promote very high speeds," said Stu Grant, Goodyear's general manager of worldwide racing. "What we've done here is take a specific rubber compound and limit the application to the inside shoulder, and then have a more tractive compound across the rest of the tread."

Jamie McMurray crew chief Kevin Manion told AP the tire held up well at the Atlanta test over long runs.

"It could handle the harshness of the Atlanta track," Manion said. "The applications may not be quite endless, but on tracks that have been repaved or where cars lack grip, Goodyear can potentially beef up the inside edge of the tread to help control heat and then use a different compound on the outside of the tread to give more grip on entry and exit, which would be a good advance."

Pemberton, who noted NASCAR's new Gen-6 car has already broken 13 speed records this season, believes the technology will lead to better racing long term. Immediately, at Atlanta, the increased downforce levels of NASCAR's new car should lead to a better show than last year, but the new tires will contribute, too.

"Goodyear always has to build a tire for the most stressful conditions possible," Pemberton said. "This multi-zone tire means they can not only build safer tires, but also tires that will allow for enhanced competition for both our competitors and our fans."

Let's hope it works, for everyone's sake.