Tire wear was the name of the game at Bristol Motor Speedway. The short track, also known as the ‘World’s Fastest Half-Mile,’ delivered all the drama and chaos during September’s playoff night race, when softer Goodyear tires shredded rapidly in the cooling air. NASCAR was forced to adapt on the fly, as they allowed an extra pair of tires for teams, who pivoted as the laps ticked on with new strategies. But now, the two-day tire test is bringing drivers back to tweak their setups for next year’s doubleheader. Ryan Preece, who pilots RFK’s No. 60 Ford, is aiming for balance amid the grid.

The 35-year-old Connecticut-native, whose 2025 season ended with 18th in points, teamed up with Alex Bowman and Bubba Wallace for this key test session. Preece’s raw take from the pits hints that the real battle is only just beginning.

Ryan Preece’s wake-up call

In a quick video update, Ryan Preece laid it out boldly on his X post: “Finding the right direction.” That bold four-word confession summed up the tire test’s core struggle. Preece, who admitted, “We just got done testing here at Bristol Motor Speedway. I feel like I did 500 laps,” captured the exhaustion of nonstop runs in cold weather, where spotter Brandon Jones also echoed the hard work that the whole team is putting in in harsh weather.

The session wasn’t just about testing tires; it tested NASCAR’s new 750-horsepower package, up from 670, which will be implemented on short ovals and road courses next year.

The test stemmed straight from September 13’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race disaster, where softer right-side Goodyears meant to add excitement but backfired because of cooler air. Crew chief Adam Stevens of Joe Gibbs Racing nailed it: “Running full tilt, high 15s, low 16-second laps, and about 25 laps in people started really slipping and sliding because they were down to cords from going all out for that long.”

Bristol testing update, 500 laps later https://t.co/bI7smHKAU9 pic.twitter.com/4PSmAUxXHn

— Ryan Preece (@RyanPreece_) November 12, 2025

That led to 36 lead changes among 14 different drivers. That race also saw three Ford cars of Josh Berry, Austin Cindric, and Chad Finchum catching fire. Teams got extra sets of tires mid-race, forcing teams to make wild strategies like reusing worn rubber to avoid running dry late. NASCAR VP Brad Moran later reflected, “If it was just a slight bit less wear, it might have been favorable, but no doubt we are heading in the right direction,” echoing Preece’s thoughts while praising Goodyear’s push for two and three-wide battles without the extremes.

Yet the real purpose of Ryan Preece’s Bristol test run is to help Goodyear manufacture tires that will deliver thrills and not ‘cars catching fire’ moments in the next season. As for the horsepower bump, Josh Sell, Competition Director at RFK, told American Cars And Racing, “It’s the same engine, from a hardware perspective, and really just changing the tapered spacer [that controls the airflow in to the engine] to get the power level correct. Then there will be some level of gearing change required to get the RPMs back where we need them to be and where we want them to be from a durability standpoint.”

As the horsepower element stole some spotlight, one driver stood out for his short-track savvy.

Wallace revs up for 750 HP trial

Bubba Wallace, riding a Toyota in the No. 23 23XI entry, jumped into the Bristol test session to examine the 750 HP bump for 2026’s short flats like Martinsville and Nashville. The horsepower bump, which was announced by NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps in October, targets tracks under 1.5 miles plus roads like Sonoma and the Roval.

This extra horsepower should produce tighter packs and more door-bumping moments to add extra excitement for the fans, without the old restrictor-plate feel. Wallace, coming off a season with eleven in standing and wins like Indianapolis, tested the extra addition of horsepower with a new set of Goodyears with the aim of finding that sweet spot between speed and tire wear.

The horsepower hike addresses fan complaints over Next Gen’s boring feel, building on tests at Phoenix and Richmond, where early feedback showed better drive-off. Wallace’s role fits his reputation for knowing and feeling the car he is driving, and this talent also helped 23XI fine-tune aero tweaks.

NASCAR’s Brad Moran highlighted the goal: “We want tires to wear out. We want big passing numbers.” With the test collecting data for Goodyear’s tweaks, Wallace’s input could shape how 750 horsepower roars into Bristol’s spring sprint, keeping the concrete coliseum’s edge sharp but survivable.