Goodyear plans for new right-side tires at Atlanta

HAMPTON, Ga. – Goodyear has introduced a new tire that will be utilized during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Goodyear will utilize zone tread technology to create a more durable tire that also will have grip for Saturday's 500-mile Cup event. Goodyear made this announcement days after the Aug. 6 tire test at the 1.54-mile Atlanta track. Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS and two-time Atlanta winner, participated in the test session, which featured 13 teams.

The left-side tires will be the same ones the Cup series used in the 2012 Atlanta event, but the right-side tires will utilize the zone tread technology. Two-thirds of the tire will be based on the previous tires used in Atlanta and will provide grip while the other third of the tire will utilize the tread similar to that used at Michigan earlier this month. The mixture is designed to counteract heat produced from the high speeds.

Jeff Gordon earned runner-up honors in last year’s Atlanta race, while his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. joined him inside the top 10 with a seventh-place result. With 11 Atlanta victories, Hendrick Motorsports ranks second all-time there to the Wood Brothers (12 victories).

For more information on the Labor Day Race Weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, visit  www.atlantamotorspeedway.com or call the AMS ticket office at 877-9-AMS-TIX or 770-946-4211.