Drivers and crew chiefs complained after practice Saturday that the tires wore down too quickly on the 2.5-mile track -- some teams couldn't make it more than three laps without wearing out the rubber -- and that raised questions about whether there were enough tires on hand to complete the 400-mile race.
So Goodyear shipped in about 800 tires it uses at Pocono Raceway to have on reserve, and NASCAR said it would throw a yellow flag 10 laps into the race so teams can make a mandatory pit stop to examine the tire wear.
NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton said the tires used during the first run will then be tested to check the wear. At least one more competition caution will be called.
NASCAR took similar measures during last year's Indy race.
"We anticipate that it will fix itself," Pemberton said. "This is not anything that we don't go through leading up to the race, primarily early in the event."
Crew chiefs quietly fretted that the tires won't even make it to the first assessment.
The problem with the tires stems from an inability to lay rubber on the track, which typically occurs when the tires warm up and a small amount of rubber is laid on the surface. It creates racing grooves that act as a buffer between the tire and the surface.
That didn't happen during the first practice run on Saturday, with some cars burning through tires so quickly drivers were forced to pit every five to six laps. There was improvement in the second practice, when Juan Pablo Montoya said he was able to run over 10 laps at a time. But, the tires typically last 30-plus laps at Indy.
If the situation doesn't improve, there is some concern teams could burn through their entire tire inventory, though Pemberton said when the entire field is on the track Sunday afternoon getting rubber down should be easier.
There was also concern that the decision by NASCAR and Goodyear to not reclaim tires from teams that drop out of the race could create a free-for-all on pit road with teams frantically trying to purchase the extras from other crews.
If the tire allotment runs out, or the Indy tires begin to fail, NASCAR could order the teams to switch to the Pocono tires.
Chad Knaus, crew chief for pole-sitter Jimmie Johnson, said the problem stemmed from the Car of Tomorrow's debut at Indy. The new model car has a heavier right-side load than the old model and don't stick to the track as easily.
"It's not the tire," Knaus said. "It's the same tire we used last year. The problem is the lack of downforce on this car. If the car had more downforce, we wouldn't be sliding all over the track. So it's not solely Goodyear's fault."
NASCAR isn't the first racing circuit to have tire troubles at the nearly century-old track. The 2005 U.S. Grand Prix, run by Formula One, fielded only six drivers after seven teams pulled out of the race because of problems with the Michelin tires.
Montoya was an F1 driver at the time and decided not to run in the race due to safety concerns. He's not as worried about NASCAR's tire problem.
"I will race because they are conscious about it, they are going to bring enough cautions to study it," said Montoya, who was second in last year's NASCAR Indy race. "Are you looking forward to it? No. It happens. This is where we are, you've got to make the most of it."
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AP Auto Racing Writer Jenna Fryer contributed to this report.
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