That's where the crew chiefs come in. Jimmy Makar, crew chief for defending Winston Cup champion Bobby Labonte, and Todd Parrott, crew chief for 1999 champion Dale Jarrett, are chassis experts. Ray Evernham, team owner of the Dodges driven by Bill Elliott and rookie Casey Atwood, is a chassis genius. In a competitive scenario, a tire company tries to construct the fastest tire possible within reasonable safety limits. Softer compounds provide more grip.
Compound refers to a tire's rubber, fabric and tread construction.
In racing vernacular, a compound is referred to as a code. Goodyear decreased its compound inventory from 60 to 22 in 1995, after Hoosier's second pullout. But as new tracks came onto the circuit in the late '90s, Goodyear's compound inventory grew to 35. Adding to the difficulty was drivers had to get used to a different tire at almost each track. Adjustments to camber and air pressure can make a tire faster but more prone to blowing.