Chances are High for Wet Weather Tires at Martinsville

According to the National Weather Service, there is a 60% chance of showers on Sunday afternoon, with precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. According to Weather Network.com, the possibility for precipitation is 100% with light rain the morning and multiple showers in the afternoon. According to NASCAR, that number is 50%. Clearly, everyone disagrees on the amount of rain that will fall on Ridgeway, West Virginia and Martinsville Speedway, but one thing is clearit won’t be dry. To address this, wet-weather tires will be available for the event, scheduled for 3 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN Radio, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Initially introduced for road courses, wet-weather tires made their oval debut during the 2023 All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Since then, they’ve been utilized in the Cup Series at Richmond Raceway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2024.​

Per the NASCAR Rule Book, the series managing director declares when wet-weather conditions are in effect. During a race, NASCAR determines the appropriate tire configuration based on track conditions, deciding between standard “slicks” or wet-weather tires.​

Following the 2024 New Hampshire race, NASCAR updated its procedures: if natural cautions occur under wet conditions, teams now have the discretion to manage their allotted sets of wet tires. Previously, NASCAR dictated when teams could switch between sets of wet-weather tires on ovals. This change allows teams to strategize, choosing whether to pit for new wet tires or remain on older ones to gain track position.​

Should track conditions improve and dry out, the series director may call for a caution to permit teams to transition back to standard tires. For Sunday’s race at Martinsville, Goodyear will provide a maximum of four sets of wet-weather tires. Fans can distinguish these by the white Goodyear lettering, as opposed to the standard yellow.​

Other ovals where wet-weather tires might be employed include Phoenix Raceway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Iowa Speedway, and Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park for the Craftsman Truck Series.​

As race day approaches, teams and fans alike will be closely monitoring the weather, prepared to adapt to any changes that may arise.