Goodyear has been the sole supplier of tires for NASCAR since 1994. The ongoing need to develop new tire technology to provide safety for the drivers and keep cars running fast is a tough balancing act. Goodyear must content with changing surfaces of the racetracks as well as weather conditions. As the car design changes so does the forces (pull, drag) working on the car which mean new tires have to be developed to deal with new car setups. The cars are not the only thing changing that Goodyear needs to deal with, the tracks themselves are changing as well. Tracks are being resurfaced and reconfigured. All this adds up to a year round development cycle for Goodyear as well as the driver and race car teams.
References:
Website / Photo: NASCAR©: Many changing factors play a part in tire development - http://www.nascar.com/2008/news/features/04/04/drodman.enterprise.goodyear/index.html
I particularly enjoyed this blog post. Not all technology is electronic. This blog did good stressing the constant evolution of the technology. The adaptation to constant change by the drivers is an art form of its own right. The one thing this blog did not catch onto was the effect on society. Goodyear's constant work to keep the tire technology for NASCAR up to date has led to more effective tires for everyone. Also the fact that Goodyear keeps changing to fit more evolved needs the other companies are also evolving. If Goodyear wasn't constantly pushing for a better tire than tires could have become one of those things that just never change over the years. When one company does something innovative all the others are forced to keep up to fight for their market share. The drive of competition is a strong motivator for Goodyear and all its competitors to keep evolving. Everyone's looking for the next big thing so that they can stay in business.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Michelle says in her comment. The biggest reason companies put some much money into racing research and development is that the research they do on the track directly correlates to improved products for the street and everyday consumers.
ReplyDeleteTires are also one of the most important parts of the car as well. My experience in motor sports has showed me that tires are everything. Unfortunately there are so many tires to choose from that it is nearly impossible to make a decision as to which tire to actually buy. Thankfully all the research and development these tire companies do one the track give us the consumers the safest and most reliable tires we can ask for, and as time goes on tire will become better and better.