The cost of running a NASCAR team and car is a long list. One of the most significant costs is the tire. NASCAR teams all make use of the same type of tire, which is all part of the “stock car” racing experience. Goodyear is currently the official supplier of tires at the time this article was written.
The average price for NASCAR tires is between 350 and 500 dollars. But they are customized for each track and car and optimized for performance. The real cost is in the number of tires that can be used in a race. A race may cost up to 16 sets of tires per team, which could be more than 25,000 USD.
How much do NASCAR tires cost? Per race? Per race? The numbers might surprise you, but at any rate you’ll find it interesting How much do these rubber contraptions cost teams? And how many are used in a race or season?. These ideas and more are what we’re exploring in this article.
It’s everything you wanted to know about NASCAR tire expense!
Background: What type of tires does NASCAR use?
Although we have already mentioned that Goodyear is the exclusive supplier of NASCAR tire tires, why is this? Wouldn’t it be more interesting to allow a bit of market force to take place? Goodyear is no stranger in the NASCAR world.
They have been together since 1969. However, it was 1997 that NASCAR & Goodyear signed their contracts that allowed them to be the sole supplier. The main NASCAR series. It has enabled the Goodyear plant at Akron in Ohio to produce as many as 100,000 tires per year for NASCAR.
The tires Goodyear Eagle Radical Racing tires are used for these vehicles. These tires are 18-inch in diameter and will be used on the 6th generation vehicles that were launched in 2022.These include additional tread compounds to increase traction and no inner liner. Prior to 2022, tires were always 15-inch models.
What is the Average Cost of Tires for NASCAR Teams Per Race?
Each tire costs $350-$500, so a complete set will cost anywhere from $1,400-$2,000. Remember that teams can make up to 10 pit stops in a race. You can get up to 16 sets per race.If so, the total budget for each tire-race is approximately $20,000.
However, it can vary between races. But that’s what it tends to work out at on average, and that’s what the top teams budget for each race.
Why so much?
The investment per-race for tires seems exorbitant., but the fact is that these tires are hand-crafted in Goodyear’s Akron, Ohio plant, and are thus not in the same league as ordinary tires that are mass produced for passenger cars.
A track-friendly tire requires a higher level of engineering, which includes high speeds, sudden maneuvers, and many other factors. The cost of $350-500 per tire actually doesn’t seem so high when you really think about it, but the number is simply driven higher because of the sheer number of tires that are needed to keep cars safe on the track. Each one is only good for 100 miles.

What is the Average Cost of Tires for NASCAR Teams Per Season?
Even the amount of money spent on tires for one car in a single race can be enough to make some people’s eyes water, but it’s really when you see the costs over a full season that they start to properly sink in. Each team must have at minimum $720,000 annually.You can give or take some contingency funds in case things go wrong on raceday.
What are the Numbers of Tires NASCAR Teams Use
Each team is allowed up to 16 sets of tires per race, not all of which may be used, but those tires still come into the teams budgets if they’re used in the lineup. Let’s say a team uses its full allotment over the course of a 36-race season, that comes to a total of 64 tires per race, or 2,304 tires for the season. Take that number and divide it among all the drivers and teams, and you’ll get about 100,000 tires per annum.
Tire Leasing System
One word has been interestingly absent from our tire story so far, and that’s “buy” or any of its synonyms such as purchase or procure. This is because technically, the NASCAR teams do not buy their tires from Goodyear but lease them.
NASCAR invests in tires because it is only concerned with the use of the tires. Goodyear takes care of all other aspects. Although some teams get Goodyear tires from third-party suppliers, this is not a common or standard arrangement.
How do the NASCAR tire costs fit into the larger budget?
A NASCAR car costs up to $400,000 per race At the top of the series. We’ve mentioned that the tires cover about $20,000 of that cost, but that clearly only forms a small portion of the overall costs. Below is a list of important costs that go into running a NASCAR car and team for each race.
- Engine and gearbox – The engine alone costs between $60,000 and $150,000 to prepare for each race
- Chassis – The chassis usually costs between $70,000 and $120,000, and is absolutely critical to the safety of the driver and car
- Fire suits – These usually run to about $400,000 per season, with $2,500 in cleaning costs needed in between races
- Travel – Each race requires a team to get all its people and gear there, a feat that takes up another $150,000 in the annual budget
Tires are not the most expensive or least expensive, but it is clear that no team can afford to make a mistake by investing in too many tires.
You can find more information and facts about NASCAR (and all other) tires at the site. You can see a few of them below.
Conclusion
Although the price of NASCAR tires can make your eyes water just by looking at them, they are not ordinary tires. These tires are made specifically for the car, drivers, and track that is being raced during that week.. It is understandable that custom-made tires are so expensive at 400 dollars per pop.
The only issue is travelling at 200 Miles an Hour puts some pressure on those tires and they have to be changed at lot, that’s where the real cost mounts up, not just tin the cost per tire but the amount that can be used in a race!
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