The tires on your car were most likely manufactured by a machine, honed by a computer to be identical to thousands like them on roads around the world.
But even that’s not exact enough for NASCAR and NHRA racers.
In a video posted to the United Steelworkers’ Facebook page, Goodyear provided a glimpse into the process by which these elite racing tires are produced. Perhaps a bit surprisingly, each tire is lovingly made by hand by a craftsman or craftswoman.
When they’re whipping around the track at close to 200 mph, NASCAR drivers probably don’t think about the men and women who put together their rubber. But those drivers are always on the minds of the people crafting the tires, because they’re well aware that a driver’s life could depend on their workmanship.