NASCAR (off) BEAT: Due to Budget Cuts, NASCAR Teams Will Use Spare Tire in Trunk

CHARLOTTE, NC – In a shocking announcement today, on what is almost the eve of the Daytona 500, NASCAR officials have decided to limit the number of tire sets they allow each team to have during a race, due to budget constraints.  Once those tires have been used, they will have to pull out the spare tire in the trunk.

“This really makes the most sense,” says Mike Helton, President of the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing.  “We talked about cutting back in other areas like duct tape and catering, but tires are what really eat up our budget.”

Needless to say, this has come as a surprise to teams across the country that have been testing their cars for the 2012 season on the four Goodyear tires they’ve used year after year.  With one more test to go before the start of the season, officials will see how the cars are affected by using one spare on the track and teams will do their best to figure out, if all of the tires are worn, which tire will benefit most from new rubber.

“It will be hard to configure a car that will race well on four racing tires for ¾ of the race…and then a donut towards the finish,” says Chad Krauch, Tire Specialist for Furniture Row Racing.  “But we always do our best to comply with NASCAR’s requirements.  When they say jump, we ask how high.  So if they say donut…we say eat it.”