When NASCAR cars and trucks hit the racetrack for the 2008 season, they'll be outfitted with Goodyear tires embedded with passive UHF RFID tags. The unique ID numbers in the RFID tags will help Goodyear keep track of the thousands of tires it leases to NASCAR racing teams. They'll also help NASCAR track down any racers who've illegally tampered with their tires.

Goodyear's investment is one example of the growing market for RFID tags used to manage high-value assets. Dar Finch, president of Advanced ID, the company providing RFID tags to Goodyear, says tracking high-value tires—whether on racecars or tractor trailers—is an excellent application of RFID technology.