Tony, tell us what you REALLY think of Goodyear..

http://youtube.com/watch?v=dDwooPxRBNY

There is the link for those that are curious. I saw it on another forum. Refreshing to hear drivers speak their mind, especially about such a politically sensitive issue.

 

Tony once and for all needs to learn how to keep his yap shut.
To publicly bite the hand that feeds (supplies and sponsors) you is using poor judgement.
All his comments while possibly being true should be kept between the team and Goodyear.
I like Tony as a driver but he needs some tact. He is a professional driver.

 

+1

Not good for the sport or for his team sponsors. His statements can't be reassuring to JGR, Toyota and all the others paying his fat paycheck.

 

It's racing. The guy has his butt on the line with some crap tires and he let it out. Does everything have to be politically correct??

 

No, but it has to be business-like. This is no roundy-round racing across the street from Indianapolis on the 500 weekend or a Volusia County Speedway minor event the weekend of the Daytona 500.THis is the big-time, driven by sponsor and supplier dollars.

When Tony says he's "going home and taking every Goodyear tire off his vehicles and put on Firestones or something safer," that's not not PC, that's B$.

Sounds like he needs to head back to AM classes...

 

He may not have handled this correctly to suit all tastes, but his voice will be heard and very likely something will be done. He is not some backmarker, he is one of the top 5 draws for NASCAR.

 

Didn't the France's buy the US distribution rights to all Goodyear racing tires from Penske? Right or wrong to speak out? Gordon and Stewart both took hard hits last week and spoke of scary tingling sensations in their legs.

Has this COT turned out to be the COW chewing tires up. And what's up with the aero on this new car. The last 50 laps was entertaining to check in on when it was big time wrestling on wheels, now they appear to be wrestling all by themselves.

Also did you notice the stands? I bet they weren't half full and this is NASCAR's heartland. But then what do I know? I only watch F1

 

...+1

...maybe another Excuse for Montoya rookie mistakes...after 50+ Nascar starts...

 

Tony was not the only one, Dale Jr. made similar comments on ESPN Sportscenter along with another racer, don't remember the name.

Robert

 

Listen again.
He slaps Good-Year in the face;
"They exited out of F1, IRL ,Cart......There's a reason..."
How can improving his Nascar Tires even to the point of their being the #1 tire in the field repair the bad PR he just forever gave out.
I think it was said the team finished 1 + 2.
Worst tires he's ever raced on in his professional career ? He should hope for the seconds, maybe he'll win.

 

Nope, you're missing the point. Like it or not, Cup is the highest level of the sport, the most commercially successful and expensive series in North America and there are different PR "realities" that exist in the public scrutiny of Cup racing than in local or even regional series. There is SO MUCH MONEY in this section of the sport that to trash any part of it as savagely as TS has done is not only not PC, it's short-sighted and just plain wrong.

I agree, no one wants an unsafe tire (or "junk" as TS and Junior have described the current crop), but to lash out and trash a leading supplier (and a LONGTIME official supplier of Cup) and by rights, all of the Goodyear dealers, Goodyear manufacturing plants and even Cup fans that roll on with Goodyears underneath them is irresponsible. Heck, I use Hoosiers on my race cars (but have GY's on the F-car)!

There have been tires going down and cut down for YEARS in this series. I remember when liners were introduced and there was all that fuss a few years ago about the teams using lower than recommended pressures (by a LOT) that resulted in quite a few failures. Finally, NASCAR had to deploy staff to monitor the TEAMS to prevent that from happening.

Tony doesn't count to ten before he opens his mouth, as usual...

 

At least he didn't punch anybody out.

 

You don't know that. There probably just weren't any cameras around. Tony is an angry man. A very angry man.

 

Absolutly not.
He can give up his paycheck, pay the team directly from lack of sponsorship with his own pocket, and then say whatever comes to mind.
So far the last part is all he has shown.

 

The beauty of a free country. Any publicity is good publicity. Tony managed to give Goodyear free airtime, possibly spark renewed interest in Nascar and lodge his foot in the door with Bridgestone for future endorsements. Quite the accomplishment.
He'll simply attribute his next win to his (much improved) Goodyears and all will be forgiven. Besides, what kind of fan is likely to take his advice literally? Ain't like he's Junior.

 

You want to talk about crap tires? I was in the stands at Indy in 2005 watching 6 cars drive around in circles because Michelin couldn't bring a tire to the race that would hold up at corner 13. I made a lot of friends of Goodyear tires engineers during the 15 years I worked NHRA races and understand what they go through. Talk about building a tire to hold up under adverse conditions, try Top Fuel. They have had their problems, but it wasn't because they didn't try. NHRA has to be very careful because of Goodyear pulled out there would be no one who would want to step in with the potential liability the fuel cars present.

As for NASCAR, I have to look at all of the changes. the COT, a new track in its second year at Vegas and mandated NASCAR shocks on the front end of the cars. Drivers and crew chiefs have benn upset with the front ends being so unadjustable with the rubber bump stops that they have to use. TS's team mate doesn't seem to have a problem driving the same car anywhere on the track. I have been a fan of TS, but it just seem that it is always another driver, a bad tire or something else. Jimmie Johnson chased a set up the entire race and never did find it. I didn't hear him blame the tires or the crap Chevy he was driving.

 

Good for SMOKE!!! He got everyones attention!

I wonder how experienced Goodyear's Nascar Race Engineers, are these days??? Do they still have the same guys, calling the shots, or the "bean counters?" Something is very wrong here. Jeff Gordon, said that he felt like he was going to crash on EVERY LAP! I think that this coming from Jeff, is a stronger statement, than TONY'S.

If my life was on the line, and I was not getting anywhere, and felt that I had to issue a statement such as TONY'S, If I was NASCAR and GOODYEAR, I would be listening, very closely.

Ciao...Paolo