Option tire presents chance for differing strategies in NASCAR Cup race at Phoenix

AVONDALE, Ariz. — Crew chief Matt Swiderski nearly turned a unique strategy into a top-five finish for Daniel Suarez last August at Richmond in the most recent NASCAR Cup race with a primary tire and an option tire.

Austin Dillon won that Richmond race — after contact with two leaders on the final lap — by focusing more on the primary tire than the option tire.

It shows the different tactics drivers and teams can take when they have different sets of tires. Today's Cup race at Phoenix (3:30 p.m. ET on FS1) features a primary tire and an option tire, creating various possibilities with strategy.

Teams will have six sets of primary tires plus the set they qualified with and two sets of option tires for the 312-lap race. The primary tires, which feature yellow lettering on the sidewall, are faster over a longer distance. The option tires, which feature red lettering on the sidewall, provide more speed early in a run before wearing and become slower than the primary tire.

The key is when to use each tire. The general belief is that most teams want to hold their two sets of option tires until the final stage, saving one set in case their is a late caution — as was the case in that Richmond race.

Of course, when the cautions wave and what strategies others employ could change the thinking for some teams in today's race at Phoenix Raceway.

Swiderski said the team thought it had a 10-15th-place car going into that Richmond race and that's why they planned to use a set of option tires earlier in the race. It also helped that Suarez had won early last season, securing a playoff spot.

Suarez went from 22nd to 15th in the first 74 laps at Richmond with everyone on primary tires. After the first stage ended at Richmond, Swiderski had the team put a set of option tires on Suarez's car. Suarez restarted 16th and was leading 14 laps later.

Suarez was sixth when a caution sent the race into overtime. Having used both sets earlier in the event, Suarez could only run the primary tires while others around him used their second set of option tires. He finished 10th.

"The main goal was just to try to do something different, try to shake it up a little bit because, otherwise, we thought we'd have a decent day but really just a 10th to 15th at best," Swiderski told NBC Sports.

The question is who feels they are in that 10-15th range heading into today's race and willing to try to "shake it up" by using their option tires differently than most of the field? Without that late caution, Swiderski's plan would have succeeded in a better finish.

It's easy to focus too much on the option tires because of what the quick gains they can provide but most of the race is run on the primary tires.

"I think that's the most important thing, being good on the (primary tire)," Dillon told NBC Sports. "If you're good on the (primary tire) and you're just mediocre on the (option tire), you're going to be better off."

But Dillon noted that Phoenix is not as abrasive on tires as Richmond and that the option tires could last longer before they lose speed and run slower lap times than those on the primary tires.

While Dillon's victory is recalled more for spinning Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin on the last lap of overtime to win, he ran in the top 10 most of the race and raced to the lead in the final stage on the primary tires.

There were cases at Richmond — and likely to happen again in today's race at Phoenix — that drivers back in the field will switch to the option tire early to avoid going a lap down.

"What's cool about the option is if you struggle early, you can bail yourself out and give you one more adjustment, depending on where you are in the pack," Dillon said. " … I think it's great. Creates more strategy. I don't think there's anything wrong with it. I think we should run an option tire everywhere. It's cool to me. It's just more strategy."