NASCAR championship practice opens with endless tires issues

NASCAR Cup Series drivers see multiple tire failures in the opening practice for championship weekend at Phoenix Raceway

This weekend, the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season comes to a close. The 1-mile of Phoenix Raceway is set for the championship finale.

On Friday, NASCAR Cup Series teams took to the track for the first time. And, it didn’t take long for problems to surface.

Within minutes of the session opening, Chase Briscoe and AJ Allmendinger picked up a flat tire.

Chase Briscoe is one of the four drivers in the battle for the championship

After cleanup, the session opened back up. Two more tire failures, this time from Christopher Bell and Daniel Suarez.

Moments later, Riley Herbst joined the list as another driver with a flat tire. He became the first to tag the wall after picked up a flat tire.

After a flat tire earlier, AJ Allmendinger slams the wall after a flat right front tire. That’s his second incident in this session.

With 25 minutes remain, Chase Elliott slowed with an issue. The driver thinks it’s a tire.

15 minutes remain, Kyle Busch blows a left rear and comes to a stop on the apron.

3 minutes remain, Daniel Suarez has another flat left rear.

The practice session has since concluded. There was at least 9 tires issues during this session.

The minimum left rear and left front tire pressure is recommended by Goodyear at 14 lbs. Last week at Martinsville Speedway, it was just 12 lbs.

Every team was given only 3 sets of tires for the 50 minute practice session.

Tire:
Goodyear Racing Eagle

Tire Code:
D-5254 left side, D-5256 right side

Previous Usage in 2025: Bowman Gray, Martinsville-1, North Wilkesboro, Richmond, New Hampshire, Martinsville-2 (RS)

Tire Circumference:
2,249 mm (88.5 in.) left side, 2,279 (89.7 in.) right side

Recommended Minimum Inflation:
LF – 14 psi, RF – 30 psi, LR – 14 psi, RR – 26 psi

Total Dry Weather Sets:
12 (7 new race / 1 qualifying transfer to race / 4 practice)

Total Wet Weather Sets:
4

The following four drivers will race for the NASCAR Cup Series championship:

William Byron

Chase Briscoe

Denny Hamlin

Kyle Larson