NASCAR Cup Series teams set for mandatory change at the Clash

All NASCAR Cup Series teams will have a new mandatory change to contend with when they hit the track at Bowman Gray Stadium this weekend.

Although there are currently question marks hanging over the event due to weather, the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series schedule is set to get underway with the Clash exhibition in North Carolina this weekend.

Ahead of the action, Goodyear Racing has revealed that it is set to introduce a new left-side tire for the event, designed to produce more fall-off than its predecessor in an effort to continue improving the racing on short tracks.

All NASCAR teams will be required to use this tire, along with a right-side tire compound that was used at the Clash last season, and six further Cup Series races.

All of the teams will also have a maximum of four sets of wet-weather tires at their disposal for this weekend's action, should they be needed.

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NASCAR and Goodyear introduce new tire

“We have introduced a new left-side Goodyear Racing Eagle tire for the Clash this weekend,” said Justin Fantozzi, Goodyear’s Director of Racing for the Americas.

“This is in line with our ongoing efforts to deliver tires that offer increased grip and more lap time fall-off over the course of a run.

"Teams will be focused on racing and battling for track position, but we’ll use Bowman Gray as an opportunity to gather data and apply that knowledge to our short track tire package for the rest of the season.”

NASCAR Clash tire information

Here is all of the official tire information for the 2026 Clash.

Tire: Goodyear Racing Eagle
Tire Code: D-5274 left side, D-5256 right side
Previous Usage in 2026: First use
Tire Circumference: 2,249 mm (88.5 in.) left side, 2,279 (89.7 in.) right side
Recommended Minimum Inflation: LF – 10 psi, RF – 22 psi, LR – 12 psi, RR – 22 psi
Total Dry Weather Sets: 5 (3 new race / 1 qualifying transfer to race / 1 practice)
Total Wet Weather Sets: 4