Track tire for very cold track days

[Autoxer62]

Originally Posted by CSG Mike

How long are the sessions?

It's a trackcross (partial track course), not a track event. I haven't been, but to my knowledge the event runs like an autocross. So, the session length is one run, then go back to grid and wait for the next run.

I'm thinking about going this winter, tho, so I really appreciate the thread. We're generally happy with BFG's Comp-2 A/S, I'm thinking about putting a set on my "off season" wheels and they should work well for this event on the colder days.

Here's Sam Strano in 2019:

To the OP, you might ask around at the next WDCR event at SP and see what the locals have to say.

[Westen86]

Falken EuroWinter. V or W rated winter tire.

[strat61caster]

Sam's comment's on tires in the video description

[Jstyle]

Originally Posted by Autoxer62

To the OP, you might ask around at the next WDCR event at SP and see what the locals have to say.

Yeah I have the SCCA HPDE on Sept 11-12 and I’m sure I can get some feedback. Plus I’m doing the NASA HPDE on Oct 30-31 and Jon Felton and his crew are running that one who also runs the Refrigerator bowl so worse case I can find out then. Thanks all for the help.

[racingfool]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

Sam's comment's on tires in the video description

Sam's a hell of a driver. Anyone know him? What's he like?

[CrowsFeast]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

Sam's comment's on tires in the video description

For anyone who doesn't want to open it up in youtube:

2018 Corvette Grand Sport Z07 wearing 500TW Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ all -season tires due to time of year.

Note the snow. Black ice in the AM, not worth showing it's just slow looking.

Warmed to mid 50's by the time I made this run, didn't win the class, but wasn't way off, about .6 slower than the winner in his Porsche on Bridgestone RE71R.

The weather is warming, which means back to better tires soon, though these are much better than you might think. But they aren't nearly what the Conti Sport Contact Extremes are, let along the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2's, or my favorite Hoosier A7's.

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by racingfool

Sam's a hell of a driver. Anyone know him? What's he like?

Spoke on the phone once or twice, he sells parts, call him up and ask advice, buy some stuff from him. He's very opinionated and that can be a huge turnoff but he's got a lot of experience and has spent some time in these chassis.

The website is crap, gotta get him on the phone, his assistant (can't remember her name) can get you parts as well.

http://www.stranoparts.com/

[racingfool]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

He's very opinionated

On the internet he comes across as angry or defensive.
Seriously talented driver but lacking in social skills?

[CSG Mike]

Most guys with results will have opinions validated by their results!

In Sam's case, he's got a lot of strong results, resulting in some strong opinions.

I don't necessarily agree with everything he says, but if you follow his formula, you'll get his results, and the guy's definitely pedigreed.

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by racingfool

On the internet he comes across as angry or defensive.
Seriously talented driver but lacking in social skills?

I mean, he's been punching at the SCCA tire issue for decades, it's one of his short fuse topics that gets him riled up real quick, that and a few other rules things he disagrees with, I don't bother to keep track but he probably writes a short form essay on tires at least once a month at this point, maybe more, I'm not that active on facebook.

Talk about a car and a class/whatever rules constraints you're working with and he's as pleasant as any grassroots racer.

Tell anyone they're wrong or full of shit and of course they get defensive, even ol' Mike.

[Jstyle]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

Spoke on the phone once or twice, he sells parts, call him up and ask advice, buy some stuff from him. He's very opinionated and that can be a huge turnoff but he's got a lot of experience and has spent some time in these chassis.

The website is crap, gotta get him on the phone, his assistant (can't remember her name) can get you parts as well.

http://www.stranoparts.com/

Wow your right the website is some kind of awful. But if he has the stuff and the expertise that’s all that matters.

[cmiovino]

Originally Posted by racingfool

Sam's a hell of a driver. Anyone know him? What's he like?

One of my first memories of him are me running grid at Central Pa Region (not my local region) at some local event (2018-ish?) trying to fit him and his co-driver in. By the time I'd get back to 2-driver cars, they weren't ready (small, local event, quick rotation) and were checking tires, spraying them, etc. So I'd have to pass them up to keep cars going to the line - which is your job running grid.

Mid-way through the heat, he comes over and says if I don't fit them the rotation quicker, they'll be taking all their runs at the end back to back. Meanwhile, my fellow grid-worker is no where to be found and still I end up coming back to them specially periodically to see if they're ready.

... and of course even doing that, they had to run back to back to back again at the end swapping drivers. I could tell he and his co-driver weren't thrilled, but with probably 20 cars in the heat, that's what happens. Starter dictates the pace, not grid.

When he's in business-mode out racing he can sometimes come off as unfriendly. If you ask for suggestions, he's opinionated, but will try to help you out. But hey, I can understand it. When you're good, you know what works, and stick to it. Plus I'm sure he gets a ton of messages asking for opinions and has to say the same thing over and over. And yes, I do see him cracking jokes and smiling too, haha. He runs at our local events at Steel Cities here and there, and I see him at Central PA a good bit. I haven't talked directly with him much, but he's around in groups when we're bantering or around the trailer sometimes. Here's him screwing around with my co-driver in my car before a run earlier this year:

[Breezio]

In Idaho our first event or two of the season is pretty much always around 35-40 degrees F. I've always run my regular autocross tires (RE-71r, Yoks) and haven't had an issue yet.