NASCAR: Major concern emerging before the Brickyard 400?

Fans in Indianapolis can rejoice, as NASCAR is set to run the Brickyard 400 once again in less than a week. After three years of races on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) Speedway, Indiana oval is back.

While a return to the oval is exciting, it may not be the glamorous return the sport has hoped for. With this year's Brickyard 400 being the first race on the oval for the Next Gen car, a major concern could lie ahead.

For starters, there's the tire wear. One could argue that this was the reason NASCAR stopped racing on the oval in the first place. In 2020, Denny Hamlin, who led 19 laps and looked to be closing in on a win, suffered a blown tire with seven laps to go. His No. 11 Toyota went from a potential race-winning car to a ball of fire within seconds.

Unfortunately, he wasn't the only driver who suffered a blown tire in that race.

Erik Jones and Alex Bowman also experienced wrecks due to blown tires, adding to the theme that Cup Series races at Indianapolis and blown tires have gone hand in hand.

In 2008, the first race at Indianapolis with the Car of Tomorrow was contested, and NASCAR had to throw a competition caution every 10 to 12 laps due to blown tires. Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. all fell victim to the trend. The average green flag run only lasted about nine laps throughout the race.

With the Next Gen car, history has already seemed to repeat itself on a track with a similar surface. During the 2023 race at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, brake rotor issues stole the headlines. Carson Hocevar, Tyler Reddick, Noah Gragson, and Bubba Wallace all saw their races end because of those issues.

Regarding the Next Gen car on the Indianapolis oval, Kyle Busch wrecked during a recent tire test. A spokesman for Goodyear confirmed that the wreck was not tire-related. However, it seems drivers are not adjusting well to the track in the new car.

Tire falloff has already catalyzed less-than-stellar racing this season. It has compromised many Brickyard 400 races in the past and could be a major concern heading into this year's return on Sunday, July 21. The race is set to be broadcast live on NBC beginning at 2:30 p.m. Et. Start a free trial of FuboTV and don't miss it!