Adverse comments about Goodyear's choice of Eagle tyres for the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway continued throughout last weekend, with some of the Cup Series' more established members happy to offer their opinions.
The problem appeared to stem from Goodyear fearing that its usual compound may be prone to sudden deflations with speeds approaching 200mph, and overcompensated with a harder compound as a result, leading to complaints that the handling of cars had become vague after just a handful of laps at speed.
Unsurprisingly, out-spoken two-time Cup champion Tony Stewart had the most vitriolic views, claiming that he had never run as bad a tyre as he found at AMS, making his #20 car loose on entry and exit, but tight in the middle of the corners.
That was the most pathetic racing tyre that I've ever been on in my professional career, the Joe Gibbs Racing ace said, "It was just sliding around. They were loose in and loose off [and] tight in the centre. Just every aspect of the car that you were asking the car to do, it wouldn't do because the tyres couldn't take it.
[Goodyear] exited out of
Formula One. They exited out of IRL. They exited out of World of Outlaws and there is a reason for that. Goodyear can't build a tyre that is worth a cr*p. If I were Goodyear, I would be really embarrassed about what they brought here. I guarantee you Hoosier of Firestone or somebody can come in and do a lot better job than what they are doing right now.
Pole winner Jeff Gordon didn't exactly have rave reviews about the selection either, admitting that it made his #24 Hendrick Motorsport Chevy extremely nervous.
I felt like I was going to crash every single lap, he said of his race, I'm exhausted right now. I feel like I've run a thousand miles here. That was the hardest day I have ever had at Atlanta, especially for a top-five finish. This car, this tyre, at this track, was just terrible.
Dale Earnhardt Jr, who joins Gordon in the Hendrick stable this season, was a little more diplomatic when asked about his opinion during the top three press conference after the race.
![Tony Stewart. [Pic Credit image.net]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/416203.jpg)
