Mikey Thompson and NHRA....

[john]

I must be missing something here, but I don't recall seeing any pro stock cars on MT tires last year. Max Naylor switched from Hoosier to Goodyear at one point last year, but I can't remember exactly when that happened.

I bring up pro stock because the story specifically says they're pulling out because only goodyear will be allowed. Weren't the other pro classes with the exception of bikes, already exclusviely goodyear anyway?

As someone who covered a couple tire wars in nascar, i can tell you from experience a tire war is never good for anyone.

BTW, Happy New Year!

 

[Shaggy]

Billy Glidden run a few races on MT last year

 

[Kevin]

There is only one reason to be exclusive with any ONE supplier.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$


If anyone knows any better, please enlighten me.

The NHRA is all about the NHRA. They could give a rats a$$ about the racers and competition as long as fans keep spending their money and keeping the NHRA organization with cushioned pockets

 

[Ponyhntr]

I must be missing something here, but I don't recall seeing any pro stock cars on MT tires last year. Max Naylor switched from Hoosier to Goodyear at one point last year, but I can't remember exactly when that happened.

I bring up pro stock because the story specifically says they're pulling out because only goodyear will be allowed. Weren't the other pro classes with the exception of bikes, already exclusviely goodyear anyway?

As someone who covered a couple tire wars in nascar, i can tell you from experience a tire war is never good for anyone.

BTW, Happy New Year!

John-

M/T haas spent TONS of money in R&D on their 'big tire' program. Billy Glidden tested tires for them all of last year. While they have not finished testing/developing this tire yet, they are/were working in the direction of having a competitive tire for Pro Stock. The rule change made by the NHRA this offseason effectively wasted a bunch of M/T's time, money, and resources by not allowing them to run the tire they have spent so much to develop.

 

[None]

I find it hard to believe that a few hundred pro-stock tires a year would keep a company the size of Goodyear in business...

Doesn't have anything to do with a couple of hundred pro stock tires. Has to do with tens of thousands of dollars in free media advertising showing Good years involvement. Since it's only the pro classes that get any tv exposure, it doesn't help when a competing brand is the viewers mind. How about the thousands of tires in the sportsman classes that a little psyche generates? Goodyear says they are the grand poobah or no tires for nitro, what a lever.

 

[Mooseman]

Personally I think more companies should be allowed to have their tires used .
Sure Goodyear has had all the R&D but they are really a road tire company that makes racing tires on the side , where as there are others like Mickey Thompson , M&H , Hoosier and they specialise in performance tires and thats all they make high performance tires , In fact Mickey Thompson makes 600-700mph tires for land speed cars so I think those other companies tires would probably do well .

What ever happened to M&H tires they are still around but you look at pics from the old days and everybody used them but now its all Goodyear.

 

[Nick Name]

I was told by a person in the know that Goodyear came to the NHRA and pretty much said that if they were not the exclusive tire in PS that they would pull out of the Nitro Classes.

The NHRA pretty much got on their knees at that point.

And there it is, plain and simple. Goodyear has wanted out of this deal for a long time.

 

[d'kid]

And there it is, plain and simple. Goodyear has wanted out of this deal for a long time.

or as someone once put it, can you really blame them. Looking at the photos or Cory's car over the last weekend, and photos of both T/F and Floppers going through the lights, and what I saw at the track last fall, you'd think Goodyear would run screaming away from the Nitro Tires.

Black and Round only happens on the tow to and from the pits.

d'kid

 

[vegasnitro]

As long as all the tires had to be available to everyone it wouldn't be that big of a deal (at least to the teams with more $) as they could choose what tire to run.

It doesn't normally work that way ... teams normally sign a contract with the tire manufacturers that way the teams would get the tires at a reduced rate or free for marketing purposes. For instance, if I ran Pro Stock and signed a contract with Hoosier tires ... and we got to a track that Goodyear had a performance advantage for whatever reason, I would be stuck. The secondary byproduct of this arrangement is that the tire manufacturers will start tailoring their development to the most successful teams. A few years ago in F1, Bridgestone spent all of their R+D with Ferrari, and the Ferraris would run great on them, but other Bridgestone teams struggled. Now that there is only 1 tire manufacturer in F1, it has reduced costs and levelled the playing field a bit for all involved.

I agree with John Kernan ... I remember the tire wars in NASCAR when Hoosier tried to come in ... and I have seen tire wars for a long time in F1 ... and I think 1 tire choice for the teams is just fine. NHRA could have handled it a bit better from a PR/business standpoint, but I ultimately think they got this one right in spite of themselves.

HOWEVER, what I would like to see is the exclusive contracts be for 2 or 3 years, then come up for a rebid ... so if any other manufacturers wanted in, they could submit a bid to NHRA to be the exclusive tire for whatever class.

Lastly, you gotta dance with the one that brung ya ... and Goodyear has supplied tires AT A LOSS to the fuel teams for a very long time when no one else could or wanted to. That loyalty should be respected and repaid to some degree. I appreciate that M/T lost money THIS year in NHRA ... Goodyear loses money EVERY year in NHRA.

 

[d'kid]

Chris...
This is the Mater, STOP making sense....

d'kid

 

[.]

And there it is, plain and simple. Goodyear has wanted out of this deal for a long time.

And if that's how Goodyear went about it then they've lost me as a customer. I'll buy something else when it's time to throw new tires on the car.

 

[haagar]

It doesn't normally work that way ... teams normally sign a contract with the tire manufacturers that way the teams would get the tires at a reduced rate or free for marketing purposes. For instance, if I ran Pro Stock and signed a contract with Hoosier tires ... and we got to a track that Goodyear had a performance advantage for whatever reason, I would be stuck. The secondary byproduct of this arrangement is that the tire manufacturers will start tailoring their development to the most successful teams. A few years ago in F1, Bridgestone spent all of their R+D with Ferrari, and the Ferraris would run great on them, but other Bridgestone teams struggled. Now that there is only 1 tire manufacturer in F1, it has reduced costs and levelled the playing field a bit for all involved.

I mentioned the F1 issue later in my post, but didn't name teams. It also caused the whole Indy debacle since the Michelin teams couldn't just put Bridgestones on their cars.

I guess I was picturing it working more along the lines of the contingency programs the tire manufacturers have in the sportsman categories, but you are probably right about how it would end up in the pros.

 

[vegasnitro]

I mentioned the F1 issue later in my post, but didn't name teams. It also caused the whole Indy debacle since the Michelin teams couldn't just put Bridgestones on their cars.

The Indy F1 Michelin debacle is a PERFECT example of a tire war gone wrong and the perils of competing manufacturers pushing the development to the 10th tenth. As ALWAYS, in the end, it is the fan that loses.

 

[dave]

Personally I think more companies should be allowed to have their tires used .
Sure Goodyear has had all the R&D but they are really a road tire company that makes racing tires on the side , where as there are others like Mickey Thompson , M&H , Hoosier and they specialise in performance tires and thats all they make high performance tires , In fact Mickey Thompson makes 600-700mph tires for land speed cars so I think those other companies tires would probably do well .

What ever happened to M&H tires they are still around but you look at pics from the old days and everybody used them but now its all Goodyear.

Yes I also feel William that other companies should be allowed. Goodyear is a huge company, and they do alot of testing. They also take on the issue of the fuel tire, which for liability reasons I am not sure anybody else would even want to touch. They are very big in pro racing, but in the bracket world they are a small percentage of the tires used. Also yes m&h is still in business making tires. They make a tire that front engine fuel cars were using, and they make a really good 26/8.5 that is used alot in outlaw streetcar racing. Overall I do also feel that M/T got the shaft, and that there reaction is probably justified.

 

[none]

And there it is, plain and simple. Goodyear has wanted out of this deal for a long time.

I tried not to respond but I can't resist. Time for a little devil's advocate spin.
If Goodyear REALLY "wanted out of this deal for a long time", does it make any sense to keep the competition from working on a new tire. Wouldn't they welcome someone else stepping up to the plate, spending their own money on R&D. Wouldn't they offer to help the company get to the point where they could get out of this "horrible" situation? If you are honest, you will admit that this does not add up.

 

[FC Girl]

I knew I'd seen a thread on here regarding MT.

Check out a news blast that I just found:

Hmmmmm

http://fastdoorslammers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2615

 

[Spanky]

There is only one reason to be exclusive with any ONE supplier.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$


If anyone knows any better, please enlighten me.

The NHRA is all about the NHRA. They could give a rats a$$ about the racers and competition as long as fans keep spending their money and keeping the NHRA organization with cushioned pockets

ding ding ding... we have a winner!!

IT IS ALL ABOUT THE MONEY FOLKS AND NHRA'S GREED (and the companies that the NHRA is willing to cater and bow to)

in my opinion when it comes to tires it is blood money!

by monopolizing the fuel tires and giving completely exclusive rights to GY the NHRA has not only made null and void any monetary competition... they have made null and void any need for R&D competition. this has lead to the increase of tire failures and a design that cannot keep up with the demands of the cars that are FORCED to run them.

what if all the manufacturers could try to make a better slick for TF/FC? they would all work toward making a tire that worked well AND LIVED. that is what teams would buy... to win AND keep their drivers/equipment alive.

i honestly feel that the monopoly on tires MANDATED BY NHRA has put the blood of our heroes killed in tire related crashes on the NHRA's hands... it has taken away the ability of teams to seek out a better and safer piece of equipment.

put yourself in GY's shoes... you make a tire that everyone HAS TO RUN... what is your motivation to change it? bloodmoney folks... and an vicious and unsafe monopoly

I bring up pro stock because the story specifically says they're pulling out because only goodyear will be allowed. Weren't the other pro classes with the exception of bikes, already exclusviely goodyear anyway?

As someone who covered a couple tire wars in nascar, i can tell you from experience a tire war is never good for anyone.

john i have a ton respect for your insight and opinion but i think this is different than the nascar deal for one reason and that is the lethality of a TF/FC tire failure.

a nascar may or may not crash if they cut down or lose a tire... but 9 times outta 10 a tire failure in a TF or FC is a catastrophic event that once set in motion is virtually unstoppable and often unsurvivable. this isn't about money or bangin up a car... it's about one component on the car that has the ability to kill a driver in a literal instant and yet the NHRA has MANDATED that teams have no option to explore a better component