Goodyear is set to introduce a new left‑side Racing Eagle tire for the NASCAR Cup Series at Iowa Speedway, marking the first time the American tire maker will field a dedicated left‑side compound for a U.S. oval.
Testing and Development
The tire underwent extensive testing in May 2026 at Iowa Speedway, where drivers Austin Dillon, Noah Gragson and Tyler Reddick put the compound through its paces. Rick Heinrich, Goodyear’s NASCAR product manager, said the track’s high‑speed corners and heavy‑load demands required a specially engineered solution.
Race‑Week Details
The Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol, scheduled for August 9, 2026, will feature 350 laps covering 306.25 miles. The new left‑side setup, coded D‑5294, will be paired with right‑side D‑5266, with recommended dry‑weather pressures of 14 psi on the left and 30 psi on the right front, and 14 psi rear left and 28 psi rear right. Teams in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will also run the same configuration, having previously tested the tire at Pocono and Indianapolis.
Beyond Iowa, the same left‑side construction has already been seen at Darlington, Rockingham, Bristol and Dover earlier in the 2026 season, and Goodyear’s Racing Eagle is also competing this weekend in the British Touring Car Championship at Knockhill.