A lot of components face wear and tear in a racecar during NASCAR races, and tires sit high on that list. Race tires are all about grip, not longevity. A NASCAR race tire has to put more than 750 horsepower to the ground and provide maximum traction at 200 miles per hour. A race tire lasts up to 100 miles, and the average length of a race is 400 miles. A NASCAR race team is allotted anywhere between five and 14 tire sets, depending on the race length (a team is allowed five sets to get through practice and qualifying). A racecar typically goes through nine to 14 tire changes during a race.
Four tires per change equates to anywhere between 36 and 56 tires, and if you consider each car in the 40-car NASCAR roster, that's a freaking mountain of tires after each race. No, they don't end up as bonfire fodder for a local festival. The answer lies in where these tires come from.
Since 1954, Goodyear has been NASCAR's official tire sponsor and sole supplier, as well as the resident blimp over its races. Goodyear does not sell the tires to teams; it leases them. At the end of each race, the tires are returned. There are several good reasons Goodyear takes back these tires. There better be, given the logistical nightmare of transporting up to 300,000 used tires across all of NASCAR's race series back every season. What happens to NASCAR tires, in many ways, is quite similar to what happens to F1 tires after a race.
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After the race, the spent tires are either sent for recycling or held back for analysis. The tires are recycled through NASCAR's official tire recycler, Liberty Tire Recycling. They recycle up to 120,000 Goodyear tires annually from just NASCAR's top three national series. As a part of NASCAR's green initiative, these racing tires can be converted into rubber mulch used in landscaping. These work better than wood mulch in preventing ground soil from washing away.
The tires are recycled into rubberized asphalt, which is used to pave NASCAR's racetracks and parking lots around the country. They are also shredded into tiny coin-sized rubber bits. Besides being used in landscaping and road building, it is also used as fuel for kilns and boilers in concrete mills and paper factories.
Some of the spent tires are selected for analysis. Goodyear engineers examine wear patterns to understand their track performance, and the data is used for future development.
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As a souvenir, yes. You can buy cut and autographed tire patches or even a whole used tire signed by racing legends on sports memorabilia websites. A race tire patch could cost you between $60 and $120, while a whole autographed tire would cost upwards of $1200. Of course, you can find cheaper ones if you look far enough. eBay is your friend.
If you are planning to get used NASCAR tires for your expensive cheap Ferrari project car, that's gonna be a tall ask and not recommended, as NASCAR tires are designed for specific tracks and won't work as well on the road or a private racetrack. Moreover, used tires will have a lot of wear and tear which, besides being unsafe, will not offer you the performance you expect. Goodyear does offer Sports Car Special racing tires, which offer the look of a NASCAR race tire and will suit your project car better.
