2018 86Cup & GTRadial
 

Hello,

I'm interested in participating in the 86cup for the 2018 year. However, I'm struggling with the points calculator. From what I understand, Stock class is 0.5 points, and I'm planning on getting wheels which are 0.5 points already. I also have a tune, which counts as another 0.5 points. What I really want is to either get a header or trailer + e85, which would be either another 0.25 or 0.5 points. All this adds up to 1.25 - 1.5 points, which puts me outside the stock class.

What I'm getting at, is that I need to take a penalty on tires to remain in stock class (since coilovers are out of the budget, and the only competitive/reasonable way for me to run in Street). I noticed that the GTRadial are sponsors for the 2017 86cup, which leads me to the following questions:

1) Which tires should I run? I've heard that GTRadial SX2 are -1 points, but this doesn't sound quite right to me since they are TW 200. I do know GTRadial has another tire at TW300, but I'm wondering if I'd be better running something like continental extreme contact sport?

2) Are GTRadial still sponsors for 2018? Do we still get 1 free tire for every 10 points?

Thank you for reading my post. My main requirements are to stay in a reasonable budget (<$5000), make a little power (I'm satisfied with my current OFT + e85 combo), and be fairly competitive (shot at running place 1-2 assuming driver mod).

1) To my knowledge running the SX2 does get you -1 points. At least I believe that was the case for 2017. Not sure if that carried over to 2018 rules or not. If so, I'd say it's definitely the way to go.

2) Don't have a definitive answer for this, but I'd imagine so.
@CSG Mike would be better set to give you any information you might be looking for. If you're on the BookFace I'd recommend joining the 86 Track Cars and 86 Cup groups too.

The rules will slightly change in 2018 but will look the same for the most part. Join the 86cup Facebook Group to stay updated and get answers if you have any more questions.

GT Radial SX2 & HPY will allow for -1 pt as per 2017 rules & you can get points for tires each round. There's nothing against running other tires and you will still be able to get the point deduction by running higher TW rated tires if you want to. But the SX2s are a great learning tire @ a very affordable price point and last a long time making it a great choice for a season of tracking. Plus everybody is on the same tire which makes it fun to compete in 86cup :D

GT Radial will continue to be sponsors next season. For 2018 I believe they will be doing 2 tires per 10 points (if I remember right from what Mike said on the SlipAngle podcast) but this is yet to be confirmed officially (wait for new rules).

I encourage you to drive the car first at the track before going down the rabbit hole of modding. You also get to save your money for more seat time. See you at the track! :thumbup:

Thanks guys. Sounds like SX2 is the way to go. I definitely need more seat time, which is another reason for limiting the budget.

Somewhat on topic, SX2 owner here checking in. Great tire for canyon carving, and from what I've read pretty nice on track as well.

Hi Hades,

The 2018 86CUP points allocation will be modified slightly by the 86CUP committee, but they have not finalized all the updates from the 2017 season. Overall, CSG has been a committed sponsor of the series since 2012 and has witnessed the growth of the series which included a few pro drivers making a showing to spectate.

GT Radial SX2 is classed as a 220TW tire (confirmed by GT Radial), therefore it will be allocated a -1 point. Personally, I have used the SX2 and HPY tires extensively with a variety of modifications and have extensive experience on a variety of 100-300TW tires (TD and lower treadwear is straight up baller territory anyways). The tires have their own characteristics and require some delicate modifications to extract the most out of the tire. If you have any questions on brake and suspension setup, we recommend you contact us for support on getting yourself ready for the 2018 season.

Finally, the 86CUP committee is working with GT Radial on 2018 details. Once everything is set in stone, an official announcement will be made.

Thanks,
CSG David

Thanks. Which "delicate modifications" are you referring to above? I was recommended by @CSG Mike to get a full set of SPL arms, I'm assuming camber is necessary to fully exploit these tires?

I'm actually considering holding off on heavy modifications this year to keep the budget small, would camber bolts + alignment be adequate in the interim?

Thanks

SX2 is officially being re-stamped a 260TW tire.

They will be -1 points for 2018, as per the current rules.

Additional announcements to come as details are hammered out.

Hope this is cool with OP but I was just wondering what you think about the HPY vs the SX2.

I can find the HPY around ~$20 less than the SX2s... Are the SX2s worth it? Looking for a dual duty tire.

Thanks!

Totally worth it.

I'm interested in joining 86 cup this year & learn. But I'm still on stock size rim 17x7 & isn't planning to get a different wheel.


So do i go with 225/45/17? or just 215/45/17 is fine?... Thanks.

@chaoskaze - 215/45/17 on stock rims works just fine.

You might wait until the points/specs are finalized for NorCal before buying though.

Also - make sure to buy from a reputable source. Quite a few people, including me, received tires with a manufacturing date from 2013 or 2014 this year.

Actually, that's one thing I'm curious about. Where do I buy these tires? Looks like tirerack doesn't stock them. Looks like simpletire has them for ~$80 for 215s, is that a good source?

Adjustments to the static wheel alignment allows for a better utilization of tire. Anything done to suspension is to purely to extract the potential from the tire. You can follow up with @CSG Mike on this or you can PM me if he is busy. Hope you can come out to the 86CUP events soon!

simpletire will be the cheapest source for gt radials sx2 and hpy.
prices have increased a bit because 86cup peeps found out about the ridiculous prices :)

Official 2018 Rules have been released and the calculator has been updated to reflect the new rules. https://www.86cup.us/calculator/

Full schedule has also been released https://www.86cup.us/schedule/

GT Radial will continue to be our primary sponsor for 2018 and we'll have an improved contingency program (free tires and cash prizes). Details will be released very soon as GT Radial goes thru their approval process.

Make sure to pay attention to manufacturing dates. A lot of us got tires last year that were manufactured in 2013 or 2014.

If you're planning to do a bunch of track days and burn up the tires pretty quick, this may not be a big deal. If you only track occasionally and want the tires to last a while longer, then good to keep an eye on this detail.

I just ordered 4 SX2 from simpletire, we'll see how it goes. I haven't ever ordered tires online before, but so far it looks like it is going to be a *lot* cheaper than discount tire even.

Thanks for the help, guys.

Just got my first set of SX2 and was looking for some initial tire pressure settings before my event in a couple of weeks, Ill be running -3 up front.

Also, eBay has them cheaper than simple tire!

Would you guys mind posting what your manufacture date for your SX2's are?

My first set from simple tire was manufactured in the 44th week of 2015, my more recent set (tires-easy) was 04th week of 15. Several places that used to carry them are out of stock, and sizes seem to be very limited. Wondering if it's just the 86Cup buying up all the available stock or if something else is going on...

Thanks.

That's...discouraging. Not sure how to check that, but if I figure out I'll let you know.

Anybody know where to find these tires reliably?? No places locally have them in stock :(

EDIT: Looks like 3 of my tires are from '15 and 4th is from '14. My tires are over 3 years old - that kinda sucks. Grip seems OK though.

I suspect it's a combination of 86CUP buying them up, and a lot of people learning/hearing about the tire and wanting a fantastic learning tire that has a really, really long life.

The SX2 has displaced my previous recommendation for a learning tire, which was the RE11. The SX2 is superior in communication and grip, and costs less.

The only downside is the SX2 has more road noise than the RE11, but the RE11 is exceptionally quiet. A Federal is still way louder than the SX2.

Yea, I agree with you there. The SX2 has a phenomenal combination of grip & communication.

Mine shows a build date of 0415.

I ordered 4 from simpletire.com at the end of Jan, for $73/ea, mfg date: '15.

https://simpletire.com/gt-radial-215...andon+48+Hour#

The official GT Radial sponsorship information for SoCal 86CUP is here:
https://www.86cup.us/gtradial/

Tire contingency for other regions is the same. Cash prizes are only SoCal and NorCal.

Friend just got a set from tires-easy : 37th week of 2013 - 4.5 years old...

If you are participating in 86CUP, you can get a really good deal on tires direct from GT Radial. Check my link above or ask on our Facebook group for details.

GT Radial SX2 260TW status report.
Tire Manufactured Mid-2014.
86Cup 0.125pt Stock Class build.

Trackdays:
1. Laguna Seca (1:51.2) 4 sessions - 1st place
2. Streets of Willow CW (1:30.01) 4 sessions - 1st place and 86cup record
3. Chuckwalla CW (2:15.6) 4 sessions - 2nd place
4. Buttonwillow 13CW (2:09.3 moist weather ) 5 sessions + 1 session driven by Mike (2:08.3). - 2nd place

18 track sessions with 8k daily canyon miles, barely hit the treadwear indicators. Good for about 2 more trackdays ;)

Bought online from tirecrawler.com for around $350(?). Tires did not explode, car did not burn down. Not bad for 260TW tire.

Its fine.

https://i.imgur.com/V4wDh5y.jpg

GT Radial recommends a range of 32 to 38psi hot. Personally I keep it on the low end of the range. 32-33.

200TW, right? Mine are marked 200...

They were restamped/reclassified as 260 TW.

Has anyone seen tires with a 260 on the sidewall?

I don't think any of the tires have actually been stamped in 260. It's still rated 200 on their website and tire sites. But according to 86 Cup board they're 260 TW & you still get -1 pt :iono:

Round 4 Results for Socal 86 Cup

23 competitors arrived at Buttonwillow Raceway Park and were greeted by mixed and changing weather conditions thru out the day. Despite the inclement weather, all participants had their share of track time and learned a lot from each other. Hoping for better weather next Buttonwillow round!

Join us on May 12 for Round 5 at Streets of Willow! Register via Speed Ventures:
http://speedventures.com/events/eventdetail.aspx?id=677

See you there!

https://i.imgur.com/79kfJUg.png
https://i.imgur.com/336HtR5.jpg

I have seen them with 260TW in the sidewall :)

Unicorn tire! What year were they manufactured? 2017?

It was either late 2017 or early 2018. Purchased directly from GT Radial. I'll see if I can find a picture somewhere.

What alignment settings are you running? How are SX2's shoulders holding up?

Thanks!

[QUOTE=mixxxx;3061909]GT Radial SX2 260TW status report.
Tire Manufactured Mid-2014.
86Cup 0.125pt Stock Class build.

Trackdays:
1. Laguna Seca (1:51.2) 4 sessions - 1st place
2. Streets of Willow CW (1:30.01) 4 sessions - 1st place and 86cup record
3. Chuckwalla CW (2:15.6) 4 sessions - 2nd place
4. Buttonwillow 13CW (2:09.3 moist weather ) 5 sessions + 1 session driven by Mike (2:08.3). - 2nd place

18 track sessions with 8k daily canyon miles, barely hit the treadwear indicators. Good for about 2 more trackdays ;)

Bought online from tirecrawler.com for around $350(?). Tires did not explode, car did not burn down. Not bad for 260TW tire.

Its fine.

https://i.imgur.com/V4wDh5y.jpg[/QUOTE

Stock alignment with camber bolts (-2.0 front).
Outside wearing faster than inside but can't really do anything about it since stock class. Unless I add top hats :)

But they can be run on these settings for up to 7-8 trackdays.

[quote=treedodger;3072611]What alignment settings are you running? How are SX2's shoulders holding up?

Thanks!