 NASCAR's NEXTGEN Cars 5-wide at Auto Club 2023. Image Credit: NASCAR If you want a race car to get loose and be harder to drive, you can do several things. You can add power which is a tried and true, yet expensive option. More power means you can kick out the rear end incidentally with just a hair too much throttle. You can also take away downforce, less air pushing the car down to "glue" it to the track does the exact same thing as adding power, this is less expensive but can change the way cars behind the lead car drive via aero dependence which could be a negative. OR We go the rumored route NASCAR is considering. You get the cars to make less contact with the track surface. On Denny Hamlin's Actions Detrimental Podcast today after Auto Club, Denny pointed out that NASCAR was considering a grooved tire like we have seen on Indy and F1 cars. Less tire surface touching the track means less grip. This is a very cost effective way for NASCAR to make the cars harder to drive.  Jenson Button at the Canadian Grand Prix. Notice the 4 grooves cut into the tires. Image Credit: Wiki Per Denny Hamlin on his podcast,
“I have heard rumors; however, that NASCAR is exploring grooved tires. That is a way, it’s actually pretty smart…it is a way to make us be a little more out of control…I think the wheels are starting to turn in motion to test grooved tires to take some of that contact patch off the road…it might be an alternative to get us back out of control.” By: Tom Luttermoser
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