Many Nascar fans have questions about the recent controversy of teams intentionally “bleeding” their tires to achieve a lower air pressure—that’s where I come in.
What exactly is “bleeding”? Drilling tiny holes into the rubber to let a slight amount of air out over a prolonged period of time, causing the tire itself immense pain and suffering.
How is it achieved? The holes drilled are almost imperceptible, or at least imperceptible to Nascar officials who spend hours making sure a spoiler isn’t 1/144th of an inch off.
What advantages do the lower air pressures afford the car? More grip, less anxiety, occasional drowsiness.
What safety issues could this cause? Damaging the integrity of the tire could cause frequent blowouts, which would put the lives of the drivers, crew, and fans at great danger—oh, and competitive balance might be upset.
Doesn’t that make it hypocritical for teams to make their cars more-dangerous when they’re clamoring for more SAFER barriers? Yes.