18s for the track for sure.

And Glen L covers the track tire issues well.
I have seen a couple guys run full out slicks (hoosiers) to the track which is 5 miles away or so on a very nice day.

 

Hi

I run 18s on both road and track...

I can drive AROUND 928s using 16 or 17 inch tyres even on sharp corners on the track, although the width of the wheels (10 inch) and width of tread makes a big difference.

In the Uk it is much easier to find 18 inch rubber in various sizes than 17 inch rubber, although more expensive.... I just replaced a pair of my rears (275/40/18) and they cost £320

All the best Brett

 

I run 18" on both my street and track 928's....... The 18" tires do cost a shade more...but there is FAR more tires available.... Well except for the 335/30-18's on the widow...those are kinda tough to find :>)

 

Brian, you should be able to find a true slick that would work for that size though.

 

hey mike, welcome back

currently running 265/35x18 front, 295/30x18 rear. had to roll the OB's fenders to make them fit and it's wall to wall rubber underneath, so it's not going any wider w/out some serious torch work and a lot of beer.

I dont' know for sure, but imo I think there is a bit of a grey area btween "race" and "streetable" rubber. the michelin sport cups are a good example - although they are street legal DOT, and are OEM on a GT3, tire rack care and feeding claims "a competition tire you can drive to work and back on"...

yet they have a TW of only 80 vs a race bred R compound yokohama DOT AX tire (a048) that has a tw of 60 and that isn't recommended for street at all, although some guys do run them on their weekend canyon runners.

as you progress down the scale, you'll find "DOT" hoosiers at 40 TW and no tread sans a couple of grooves. decidedly a bad choice on the street, won't last 500 track mi, and prolly less than 1000 on the street/assuming one is lucky enough to get that far w/out incident, imo.

in contrast - I am getting about (12 events/yr or so) and 3k miles out of my rear (5k fronts) with bridgestone "performance street tires" S02's w/a TW of 140, which are (IMO) probably about as streetable as a performance tire can get (along w/the Pzero and AD07, maybe a couple of others).

when cold they are pretty squirrely, but I am able to beat out many guys equipped w/r compound stuff at willow and some AX courses when we get warmed up and I can outmuscle most of the 4/6 bangers enough to compensate for what I lack in holding turns like the R compound stuff can.

but those guys are still pretty cocky in the shallow water, so now it's time to step things up a bit and terrorize them where they least expect it/chase them onto the beach, lol

guess it's 18's and some hoosier A6s, should be a hoot

as always - U da best!

thx guys!!

 

Thanks Rob, where are you finding tires in that size? I poked around on tirerack.com and didn't see much in a racing tire in both 265 and 295.

 

Ive been running 18s for 8 years now, and this is over 30,000 of street miles and 120 race days!
The toyos are near as sticky as the hoosier and last a long time. my street use has shown no abnormal wear patterns or wear. I have 2 sets, one for the commute to the track and usually the 1st practice and then my qual or race set. Most of the time, if my "A" set is real new, Ill qualify on the "B" set. in the end, the "B" set with 25 heat cycles and 1000s of street miles, are near as fast as the "A" set, usually trailing by about .4 seconds max per lap. the feel is not as secure with the B set, but it just means the entire car is just a tad looser.

18s are available from Speed WC events for under $50 per tire, so you can get an entire set from $200 no problem, and they will be almost new. Problem is, you need to go to an event an cart them home.

mk

 

You could always drive to and from the track on a set of R888s. (full tread) and be a heck of a lot faster and for sure they would last 5000miles no isusues with as many events as you could fit on them in a year.

dont let the tread wear numbers fool you . R888s and RA1s are rated at 100, but as soft as the 40 or 60 that Hoosier touts for their DOT slick. (with grooves)
You can also have the R888s shaved for more performance and they will last about 25 heat cycles and hard sessions, and a year of weekend driving, in the 5000mile range. I remember even driving back in 2000 with the hoosier R3s when I had my A and B set (one 17s and one 18s) the hoosiers didnt like lots of street miles and heat cycles, as they would get hard as stones well before they ran out of tread (but they were fine for open track days or practice)


mk

 

I like 18's since it's easier to find good used tires from various race series. Friend of mine collects a trailer full of tires every year at Sebring and Daytona 24. Many of them only used for a lap or two.

 

For most all racing, and ESPECIALLY DE, I dont know why guys that dont race professionally, dont use more of the toss aways. $1500 a set for 2 tenths of a second is hardly worth it. Plus, they are cheap and usually last a few weekends, even if you drive them to the race track.

 

Because they have money to burn. You know that!

For people who haven't seen a PCA Club Race, or even a DE, it's hard to picture the money some guys put into playing with these toys. Nothing on the line except bragging rights. A lot of guys have $100,000 into the hobby and some have got up to $500,000 into their track car and tow rig. Then there are the guys that just fly in and meet the professional support team that has trucked in their car.

Use $10k in tires for a weekend? Not a problem.

 

Its pretty funny isnt it. Hey, if you have it, why not, plus it migth be cheap insurance for them to make sure their $100k car is not on a tire that will have a leak or something. So far, ive been pretty lucky, but I also get the tires from the teams I know, and take the tires for weekend runs to make sure they are in good shape. Plus, toyos are very tough tires , with their steel belts and durable construction.

But, even most of the club guys still are buying several sets of $1500 tires through the year for really no more than a tenth or two of a gain. I remember when Anderson and I were doing the speed GT races. He had a lot into the weekend and was in the mid pack . For him, it made sense to get a new set as all his competitors were on new tires for qualifying. turns out, he only ran 1 tenth faster with the new set. I would have done the same, if I had been as far up in the pack as he was. But, afterward, we kind of agreed that it was a waste money considering how long a new set lasted . some even say, they get faster as they are worn in a bit. Others say they are good until they see cords. I have almost proved that true, but the real old tires, 3-4 years old, even with some tread left, are just a few tenths slower, even though they feel greasy at that point compared to a fresh set. . my only cost for tires is getting them mounted!

mk

 

I've got cords showing on my front left and the others are all smooth and very hard now. so I guess I got my money's worth out of them

I'd sure love to find good used stuff around here. I'd jump on them for a track set in a flash.

I'm guessing with only 12 or so AX events /yr, my race set will last at least a couple of seasons. interesting notes on the toyos. I've seen the R888's around and wondered how they fit into the mix. couldn't get them in my preferred widths though.

iirc, khumo has some good stuff too.

hoosier and michelin seem to have sizes I want and some pretty solid reviews, so that's how I ended up targeting them.

doc brown has a guy that keeps his car there, so his wife won't find out he has it. he has it hand cleaned top and bottom after every use, puts new everything in it when it's dirty or if he finds out there is a newer part. last year's bill was close to $1m dollars. he threw away his new stock gt3 motor for a race built unit from germany - 55k and 22 more hp. custom exhaust - 5k for 8 hp. no worries. he finishes mid pack at best. he's a very nice guy, so I guess if he has fun, who cares?

I used to see the same thing in aviation - doctors with super pristine birds just sitting on the line, getting used maybe 4x /year. guess they needed the writeoffs.

 

Rob
I have 25 heat cycles on my full tread (6/32) R888's and they barely are showing wear.....I would say well over 50% probably closer to 75%.....so thats almost 10 hours at track pace.....its safe to say I will get at least 50 heat cycles.....

After this its Kibort "recycled" tires for cheap...which means MK will have to battle me at the world challenge dumpster for tires!!