Let's discuss SCCA Stock Class

[Mitch]

Originally Posted by 7thgear

they should just banned r-comps and avoided creating another 50 classes


I would have no problem with something like a Star-Spec or RS3 becoming the new "#1 tire", at least the majoirty will switch to that, have a tire to drive on for the entire year and have tons of fun

They're banning sub-200 treadwear tires from RT* next year, so hopefully we'll see some serious development in high performance tires that aren't bald after a season.

[dsgerbc]

Originally Posted by Mitch

They're banning sub-200 treadwear tires from RT* next year, so hopefully we'll see some serious development in high performance tires that aren't bald after a season.

More like, serious development to make balding-in-one-season tires score 200+ ugtg.

[skeeler]

Originally Posted by dsgerbc

More like, serious development to make balding-in-one-season tires score 200+ ugtg.

No development is required. There's no standard for treadwear ratings; each company decides on their own how to label their tires.

[Mitch]

Originally Posted by dsgerbc

More like, serious development to make balding-in-one-season tires score 200+ ugtg.

Layered compounds :P Super-hard protective layer that lasts 15,000 miles encasing r-compound rubber. Pity the poor soul who buys them not knowing what they are.

[7thgear]

Living in Canada i find it OKAY to buy a set of high peformance summers in the spring, drive and race all summer and then ditch them around November. Then the winters go on.

it's a pretty cost effective arrangement for a weekend warrior, personal opinion.

[dsgerbc]

Originally Posted by skeeler

No development is required. There's no standard for treadwear ratings; each company decides on their own how to label their tires.

The test is fairly standard though, and could end up leading to fines (let's say a competitor complains to NHTSA) if the wear is grossly overstated.

[7thgear]

Originally Posted by dsgerbc

The test is fairly standard though, and could end up leading to fines (let's say a competitor complains to NHTSA) if the wear is grossly overstated.

there are minimums, but not maximums

a tire with an actual 300 UTQG rating COULD be branded as 140 by a tire manufacturer if it wanted to. Or 80 or 40 or zero...

[dsgerbc]

Originally Posted by 7thgear

Living in Canada i find it OKAY to buy a set of high peformance summers in the spring, drive and race all summer and then ditch them around November. Then the winters go on.

it's a pretty cost effective arrangement for a weekend warrior, personal opinion.

My problem with this - is that in November I'm riding on tires that have very little wet grip.

Originally Posted by 7thgear

there are minimums, but not maximums

a tire with an actual 300 UTQG rating COULD be branded as 140 by a tire manufacturer if it wanted to. Or 80 or 40 or zero...

And?
We're talking branding a tire with an actual 100 utqg as a 200.
In general though I agree that those ratings are very squishy. Some might just slap a different utqg stamp on an existing tire and call it good.

[7thgear]

Originally Posted by dsgerbc

And?
We're talking branding a tire with an actual 100 utqg as a 200.
In general though I agree that those ratings are very squishy. Some might just slap a different utqg stamp on an existing tire and call it good.

we're also talking about the general trend of rule generators of limiting tires by UTQG ratings.

today SCCA says 140, tomorrow its 200,

all the while Hankooks tires are actually 300 (hypothetically) but they just chose to brand them as 140

then when the new rule comes out they just put on their troll hats and make their "new" tires at 200.

[stanm]

Do you guys turn off TCS on your runs? Anyone try just turning VSA off?

[Miniata]

Originally Posted by stanm

Do you guys turn off TCS on your runs? Anyone try just turning VSA off?

I always turn everything off before each run. I had a friend of mine who has been autocrossing for 10+ years co-drive my car at an event earlier this year and he felt it had too much oversteer and he was all over the place, so he tried leaving some electronic nannies on for a run or two. The car was definitely more controllable, also a lot slower.

[des]

I accidentally left mine on at the starting line at Nats. By the first corner my screw-up was obvious but not fixable. I adjusted where I could but mainly kept the gas pedal floored the whole time and let the throttle cutout do its job.

On a 70-second course, the difference was about 1.5 seconds. It's probably even more than that, but I had *plenty* of time to pick a great line.

[TRev]

Tire manufacturers cheating with UTQG ratings can rather easily be controlled by the exclusion list as long as the SCCA uses it.

During the RTR meeting at Nats my understanding of the 180 proposal for RTR was just that...a proposed rule change for 2013 and not something that was set in stone. It seemed like the majority of people were against changing it unless ST classes were changed so things were equal across the board. My feeling based on the feedback the SEB got from those who attended the meeting was that it will most likely not change for 2013.

[ABQautoxer]

The problem is the rule did change. So now its a question of will they reverse it by them. I have no chips in this one but I do think it was too fast.