Track-only Race Compound Tires recommendations & Q's. On stock wheels.

[fooddude]

Ah...yes that makes perfect sense if you're more serious about racing than just looking good around town

[CSG Mike]

Given your experience (or lack of), I'd recommend you use your stock tires, or RE-11A

[Shankenstein]

Originally Posted by fooddude

Btw: what's the shelf-life of these A6 and R6 tires? 1, 2, 3 years? And, how should they be stored when not in use? ie: in the garage (never outside) and also covered in towels or trashbags. Just asking because I read once upon a quick research, that they tend to dry, dry rot and crack if they are more than 2-3 years old in storage and should be thrown away. Idk if that's true though. If they really do have a super short shelf life, I may just opt out and just stick with street tires...as I don't really want to spend +1k on race tires just to find out they turned into dust after a year or two, after maybe taking an unforeseen/unexpected short break from racing and not using them for a little bit (I move around a lot).

Are those NT01s decent and considerably better than the usual PSS/Z2/RE11/RS3/AD08 street tires? Those look kind of street'y too and have a high wear rating of 100 just like street tires as well.

Shelf life is relevant, and most people will get a new set of slicks every season (if they last that long).

The heat cycling is an equally big deal. If you're driving like a drift king, they may overheat or unevenly heat. If you watch your tire temps closely and maintain reasonable levels and good distribution, you'll get alot more cycles. According to these guys, they saw anywhere from 6 - 30 heat cycles:
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...R6-Heat-Cycles

That said, if you go for serious rubber, get a pyrometer and a lawn sprayer (or thermal blankets if you go for 255's (lol)).

[cdrazic93]

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61655

new thread I started with some pretttty unique racing tires

[smbstyle]

Originally Posted by CSG Mike

Given your experience (or lack of), I'd recommend you use your stock tires, or RE-11A

Actually the RE-11A's on stock wheels is a great idea. TONS of grip for that tire, but still enough to learn on, and you can drive to and from the event on them, AND run them on track in the rain.

The thing is with NT01s or any R-comp or slick, you are running on the ragged edge before they break away. When they do break away, mid-corner, you're carrying so much speed vs. a street tire that there is barely any margin for error, and by the time the grip breaks away, it's already too late. You should be at the skill level that you are giving the car inputs BEFORE grip breaks away, as you can already feel what the car is ABOUT to do, before you start running R-comps or slicks. That skill level comes with seat time, and usually includes a few spins or tank slappers while exploring the limits of the car. But that's just my opinion.

Here's a video to demonstrate that; mid corner with my PSS I can feel the car is about to step out, and give it a bit of opposite input as well as maintain throttle to set the back end, BEFORE it even begins to step out. If I didn't have the seat time, and reacted after it began to step out, I would have probably eaten the outside wall. Even with that little input, I maybe had 6 inches to spare on that outer wall at track out. Like I said before, not much room for error when you are carrying lots of speed through the corners.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nsSspwIZJ8"]Getting Loose in Turn 17 at Sebring - YouTube[/ame]

[fooddude]

Originally Posted by Shankenstein

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38865

These guys know what's up. Look at the more popular tracks to see the well-tuned setups.

If you've thoroughly pushed the limits of a normal sized "street" tire like an RS3 or ZII, then the upgrade to 225 Hoosiers will be appreciated in dry conditions. Wider tires do give you more final grip, but there's a cost. To me, they feel a bit scrubby, numb, noisy, and under-utilized. Just my 2 cents.

I don't plan on being the fastest guy out there, but there's plenty of fun to be had with a light and simple setup like mine (215/45-17 Dunlop ZII's and 17x7 Enkei RPF1's). Whatever configuration lets you enjoy the experience.

Thanks for that link. Seems like most on there are running A6 and ZII street tires, as well as RS3 and a few RE11a.

Thanks for everyone's suggestions... I will just use my future DD wheel/tire setup for those occasional track days; and it should be more than sufficient enough for my beginner levels. ZII or the RE11a sounds awesome for both DD and track. It will be a while anyways, until I will really be able to push the limits of all these great street tires; and, for now it will just be for fun/learning anyways. So, until then, I'll just run street tires...then maybe in the future, if I ever "graduate" and am able to push the car and these extreme street tires outside of their boundaries, want to get a bit more serious and need more grip, then I will get some Hoosiers ...but for now, them sexy ZII's and RE11a's will do.

[Griever423]

I know the Z1's were always a great dual duty tire for a lot of people I knew who tracked their dailies. They do get greasy though when they get hot. The RS3 is what most people I know used before they graduated to R compounds or higher.

Basically if you want better dry performance the RS3 is where it's at. If you want better wet performance I believe the ZII will be the better choice (in my opinion).

Honestly just get some good track pads and change out your brake fluid and go out there and have fun. You'll learn a ton about the car and high performance driving and you'll appreciate better tires that much more when you do upgrade.

[fooddude]

Iirc, I had the old Z1's or very similar Dunlops on my S13 around 1999-2001. Never tracked it... only went on aggressive canyon runs and a few light drift events (weeee lol).

Most likely going to get ZIIs. About greasing...I keep reading that PSS grease even more easily at the track when it gets hot, more so than any other of the top extreme tires (the ZII, RS3, etc.). I was really close to getting PSS from all the rave reviews about its' good dry/wet/dd grip...but I bet I would be disappointed with them during a good full day at the track and keep reading bad things about them during tracking (so the PSS are off my list I think). I read the ZII's are better at the track and less likely to grease as quick and lose traction than PSS, correct? I will def look into the RS3 too. As for the RE11a...not really reading too many reviews on them, maybe theyre new?? How do the RE11a stack up to the ZII and RS3?

So far my top choices are ZII, maybe RS3, absolutely not PSS (keep reading it greases up quick and loses a lot of traction on a full track day)...wondering if I should include the RE11a to the list and how they stack up to the ZII/RS3 for track.

[fooddude]

Of course, there are already several extreme street tire threads, so I don't mean to resurrect the same ole question and I have read almost all of them, multiple times (but of course, still get lost as it can be very subjective and also mixed in with wet traction/wear/noise characteristics).

Many of those tire threads take into account added DD'ability, wet traction, noise, etc...BUT, if I were to toss out All concern of road noise, DD'ability, wear, wet traction, etc ..how would you rank them based purely on Dry traction, best heat distribution, least amount of greasing, just plain best track'ability ...basically can you give me a ranking of the best dry traction of the following street tires purely for the track (F wear/wet/DD characteristics): ZII, RS3, PSS, AD08, RE11a

thanks

[smbstyle]

Originally Posted by fooddude

Of course, there are already several extreme street tire threads, so I don't mean to resurrect the same ole question and I have read almost all of them, multiple times (but of course, still get lost as it can be very subjective and also mixed in with wet traction/wear/noise characteristics).

Many of those tire threads take into account added DD'ability, wet traction, noise, etc...BUT, if I were to toss out All concern of road noise, DD'ability, wear, wet traction, etc ..how would you rank them based purely on Dry traction, best heat distribution, least amount of greasing, just plain best track'ability ...basically can you give me a ranking of the best dry traction of the following street tires purely for the track (F wear/wet/DD characteristics): ZII, RS3, PSS, AD08, RE11a

thanks

for TRACK and not auto-x use.... RS3 by far, out of those choices, in terms of grippiest tire that can take heat and abuse, with the PSS at the very bottom of that list.

[EAGLE5]

MPSS are certainly greasy when you overdrive them at the track. A truly smooth driver could probably keep the temps down enough to stick like glue. On the street, they're amazing.

What would be the longest lasting stock-wheel tire a person could get for the track? I want something that won't compromise performance so badly that the brakes overheat with huge braking distances.

[fooddude]

Ya...that's what I assumed - PSS dead last for track use.

What about the ZII, AD08 and RE11a..where do they rank in that list? I assume ZII or AD08 would prolly be 2nd place after the RS3?

[CSG David]

Just in case if you haven't seen @CSG Mike experimentation of tires for the past few years. He has gone through multiple sets of each tire compound to give you some comparison...

http://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/8391...-z2-vs-rivals/

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by jsimon7777

MPSS are certainly greasy when you overdrive them at the track. A truly smooth driver could probably keep the temps down enough to stick like glue. On the street, they're amazing.

What would be the longest lasting stock-wheel tire a person could get for the track? I want something that won't compromise performance so badly that the brakes overheat with huge braking distances.

Cornering, by definition, heats up the tires...