NASCAR drivers know how important tires are when it comes to winning races: team strategists try to guess on whether to change two or four tires at nearly every pit stop.

But that didn’t stop a teenage girl from using tires to her advantage when she took down Busch champion Greg Biffle in a soapbox derby race.

To be fair to Biffle, Tyler Shoff is a champion in her own right, but in a quarter-mile race at Derby Downs Raceway, it was the tires that helped to make the difference.

In a competition that lasted just 90 seconds, Shoff used specially designed tires that increase fuel efficiency by reducing rolling resistance.

“As a NASCAR driver, I understand the critical role tires play in my ability to perform on the racetrack, and today, Goodyear really proved how big a difference its new fuel-efficient tires can make… even over a distance as short as a quarter mile,” said Biffle, jokingly adding that Shoff did have more “seat time” in the racers than he did.

The fuel economy that some tires can offer may allow used car owners to maximize their cost effectiveness.

Another option is to make sure that all tires are properly inflated, which can improve mileage by up to 3 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

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