NASCAR’s Return to Chicagoland: A Tire Setup That’s Already Proven

For the first time since 2019, NASCAR’s Cup Series will fire up engines at Chicagoland Speedway this weekend. While the seven-year gap means the track itself feels like a fresh challenge, the tires teams will bolt on are anything but new. Goodyear has chosen a familiar package, one that’s already been tested on multiple intermediate ovals this season, giving crews a head start on setup work.

The tire selection comes from Goodyear’s successful intermediate-track formula, most recently used at Nashville Superspeedway. The left-side tire has also turned laps at Michigan and Pocono this year. For the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, the right-side tire debuted at Charlotte Motor Speedway earlier in 2026, paired with a left-side tire last seen at Nashville.

All cars will run inner liners, standard on tracks a mile or longer. Goodyear’s decision was backed by an April organizational test at Chicagoland, where Cup drivers Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, and Denny Hamlin, along with Xfinity regulars Justin Allgaier and Brandon Jones, put the package through its paces.

According to Goodyear’s NASCAR product manager Rick Heinrich, that test confirmed what the company already suspected. “Although teams have not raced at Chicagoland Speedway since 2019, they have lots of data on their Goodyear Racing Eagle tire setups for this weekend,” Heinrich said.

” With the race falling on the Fourth of July weekend and excitement high for the return, Goodyear’s focus is on providing consistent performance rather than introducing unknowns.

Each Cup team will receive 12 sets of tires: eight new race sets, one qualifying set that transfers to the race, and three practice sets. Xfinity teams get seven sets total: four new race sets, one qualifying set that transfers, and two practice sets. Running a tire package that teams already understand should help them dial in speed quickly, while still delivering the wear and feel drivers have come to expect throughout the season.