NASCAR recently issued substantial penalties to Ryan Newman’s No. 31 Richard Childress Racing team for manipulating tire pressure by reportedly drilling small holes in the tires, allowing air to escape in an effort to improve tire wear and grip. The rules infractions were discovered during post race inspections following the event at Auto Club Speedway.
The “P5”penalty was one of the largest ever issued by NASCAR. Sanctions include a $125,000 fine for crew chief Luke Lambert and the loss of 75 points for Newman and car owner Richard Childress. Lambert, tire technician James Bender and team engineer Philip Surgen received a six-race suspension and probation through December 31.
NASCAR has a long standing tradition of strictly prohibiting any manipulation or modifications of tires. But considering the extensive time and effort required to police the teams for this particular infraction, maybe it’s time for NASCAR to consider a change in the rules and allow the use of bleeder valves.
Bleeder valves are used to regulate air pressure which builds as tires heat up, particularly on long runs. Proper air pressure significantly impacts tire performance.
Jeff Gordon addressed this issue at Martinsville Speedway.
“I’ve been saying for years… and probably in here… that we need bleeder valves,” he said. “We just do. I came from sprint cars where they’re built into the wheel. You set them. They may not be advanced enough for what we need in a Cup car and Cup tire, but it just makes sense. It’s crazy what we do with air pressures. These big heavy cars build the air pressures up so much that we’re always trying to start them real low, which causes issues for Goodyear and the teams. Then they just increase, increase, increase. So it makes sense to me that we should have bleeder valves.”
Darrell Waltrip also offered his opinion suggesting that NASCAR “standardize the process and level the playing field for all the teams with air bleeders.”
“The reality is that teams have been trying to figure out ways to regulate the pressure in the tires for years,” he explained. “In the past, tire softening was a big thing that teams tried to get away with. Drilling microscopic size holes in the tires sure has taken things to a whole new level. Unfortunately for the No. 31 car, they are now paying a pretty hefty penalty. They fought the law and the law won.
“Up until this year there had been a rule in place where NASCAR issued a minimum air pressure and teams weren’t to go below that. They regulated it and had officials in the pits to monitor that teams didn’t go below the line. For the 2015 season, that rule was eliminated and air pressure was left up to the teams.”
Waltrip further stated that “adopting air bleeders will not only add consistency to the tires, but will enhance safety so the teams can run the tires at the levels they want and not worry about tearing up the sidewalls.”
This latest incident has emphasized the importance of managing tire air pressures within the rules but it could also provide an opportunity for NASCAR to reevaluate the feasibility of those rules moving forward.
