...the drivers side rear on my 997S or just get a new tire? screw is in middle of tire ON the tread, not in groove. i have 3000 miles so far on these b-stone potenzas so i'm thinking replacing one and not all would be noticable, yes? and i do plan on doing more autocrosses and 1 or 2 track days on these tires.

i have called 2 places (including where i bought the tires, who will do free repair) and both have essentially said they will be "good as new/no loss in speed rating" etc. bulls**t?

thanks for any help...

 

There have been many threads re: this on the board. Personally, given your stated facts, I would be happy with either a plug or patch. the key thing is that you are not near the sidewall. I had a similar nail plugged last month (tires only had 5K miles on them, and there was no way I was throwing them away), so I had a VERY reputable mechanic "plug"the tire. Call me crazy, but took the car to Sebring with no issues at all...no loss of handling, zero pressure leaking, etc. if you are nervous about that, then go the extra step and get the patch. Either way, a) go to someone good (i.e., no midas or tire kingdom, and b) don't toss the tire...that'd be a waste. My .02

 

Since you obviously have no tire insurance a simple plug or patch should be sufficient for your demands.

 

I had a very similar event happen to me with approximately the same mileage the first year I had my car. I had a plug installed in a rear 295 PS2...
It served me well with absolutely no issues for another 10k miles, including some lapping and PCA DE events.

 

Have a good shop patch the inside of the tire and you'll be fine for the remaining life of the tire. I'm sure it's possible for the patch to fail but I've never had a problem. I haven't tracked my car on a patched tire though; if you're planning on using the tire at the track the replacement cost may be worth the peace-of-mind it brings.

Just don't try to plug the puncture. It's worth the extra effort to dismount the tire and repair it properly.

 

What Chris said

 

self vulcanizing plugs are the preferred method of tire repair now.

 

I've had several tires patched (from the inside) and my tire guys (Porsche experts) tell me its safe (actually they tell me when its safe and when its not, but in your case you should be good to patch).

 

not sure if thats what the guy called them, but he assured me theyre safe. the shop i go to has a great reputation in the area and also supports a team/racers at summit point WV. they said they've never had a problem with the plugs they use (which by the way, look different from things i've gotten before on other cars thru NTB. he mentioned R-compound...but i'm not sure if "all plugs are R-compound" etc).

anyway, the shop prefers these plugs for smaller holes, and mentioned that patches can come unglued (??) from the heat in high perf driving. that all being said, i should note that the decision was all mine - they didnt "force me into a cheaper/easier to install plug". they simply told me pros and cons, asked me what i wanted to do and i told them. but more importantly i had a lot of feedback from friends and others who have plugged and raced with no probs.

thanks to all replies - i'll post an update after i finish the 2 autox's and the DE in nov!