Overview
- NASCAR will run 750 horsepower with a short-track aerodynamic setup at Darlington, including a 3-inch rear spoiler and a simplified rear diffuser.
- Goodyear is bringing softer compounds, and teams have 12 total sets for the weekend with 10 available for the race, raising the cost of early mistakes.
- Drivers forecast heavy degradation and tricky handling, with Denny Hamlin predicting as much as four seconds of falloff and Chase Briscoe calling the package “out of control” in sims.
- Brad Keselowski warns of spins, crashes and potential component damage, while Ryan Blaney and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. see the changes as a chance for more passing and a truer strategy race.
- NASCAR’s John Probst cites Phoenix’s higher-horsepower race as a positive precedent and says officials expect less stability and more tire management, reflecting ongoing collaboration with Goodyear.