asflyboy

I am taking my 911S to PIR which is the local track in the Portland/Vancouver area next week. I currently have a set of Potenza RE970's on it. I am considering purchasing a set of tires just for the track. I am thinking about Potenza RE 11's. Would this be a good choice?

Sooner

It really depends on your skill level. If you are just getting into DE's or still a novice, your street tires should be sufficient. Just make sure to focus on tire pressures. Once you move into later stages of intermediate & advanced, it starts to make sense to upgrade to a more competition focused tire. I have always used the Michelin Pilot Cups on my 911 (formerly a 993).

I may be out there running next week as well (Fri afternoon SCCA event), be sure to stop by & say hi. Black 997 C4S. I'll be running my street tires for this event (Mich Pilot Super Sports), as it's the first for me in my 997 so I plan to take it fairly easy.

AWay

RE-11's are great street/track tires, as are MPSS. Hard to go wrong with either. Most of us run NT01 on track but the difference in lap time honestly is not that significant at all.

If you are just dipping your toe into the track action I would definitely run a season on RE-11's or MPSS before investing in a second set of wheels/tires.

PelicanParts.com

How aggressive of a tire are you looking for? Just an aggressive street/track tire or an R compound/slick?

-Luccia

mdrums

New guy for the track...it seems...get Yokohama AD08R. These are street tires but extremely capable at the track and autocross. Best real street tire I've driven on. Better than Michelin Pilot Super Sport (MPSS)...again Yokohama AD08R...THE BEST

Best option for track tires that you can drive to the track but are really competition tires are Nitto NT01 245/40/18 and 305/35/18 on a second set of track wheels 9x18 and 12x18.

DO NOT go and start running these type of track tires until you are at least solo. Street tires like the Yokohama AD08R will give you better feedback.

Hella-Buggin'

Having just switched from MPSS to AD08R's heres my .02

It really depends on your skill level.

Have you done DE's prior?

The MPSS are a fantastic street tire and a decent novice DE tire. I bought new MPSS before my first DE event. Two sets of rears to the fronts but when the fronts were toast I was experienced enough to need an upgrade to the ADO8R's. I've done one DE weekend on them and they are fantastic. In the MPSS getting excess of 1G was where the tires started letting go. The AD08R's where taking me to 1.2 G's. They also have less Hot Pressure issues than the MPSS's.

If you're going to have dedicated track wheels, NITTO's are awesome if you are skilled enough. You also need to realize that the increased grip adds stress to the car. You'll need lot's of negative camber.

If you're a novice and your current tires have tread then just stick with them. You'll have plenty of obstacles to overcome than your tires at first.

I chose not to go with Nitto's and dedicated wheels because I know there's plenty of time being left on the table by yours truly.

eviligloo

I will say that I loved my Toyo R888's. They felt incredibly confidence inspiring around fast turns. Unfortunately they wear quickly on the street (and maybe on the track too...they start at 6.5/32)

BIG smoke

Are you trailering to to the track? Bringing two set of tires with you.
Are you driving from home to the track?
Newbie to the track. Any tire will do, provided you drive with good sense.
Newbie? You don't need a track tire. Super gooey max G's in the corner.
You need a good tire, with plenty a tread. Enough tread to get you to the track, play for the day, and safely home. Something that makes loud noises at the limit to let you know your doing something stupid.
Slow in, fast out. Braking before turning.
We need photos padwan. Let us know how it goes.

Para82

I'm an R compound guy (Pirelli Corsa) to be specific. I've found them to be great on the street and glued on the track and can also handle the occasional rainstorm without a problem. Drive them to the track and then drive them home. (Keep in mind i've never done this in my 911 so track tire preferences may differ slightly) - for the Porsche a lot of guys swear by the Michelin PSS - I personally have the PSS on my street car 911 and I find they are awesome in all conditions above 45F.

Jake951

Aren't the RE970's all season tires? You can try them on the track but in general all season tires don't handle the heat load of track driving like a real high performance summer tire will. I second the recommendation for AD08R's. It's a "street" tire but works great on the track.

asflyboy

Yes the RE970's are all season tires. They came on the car when I bought it last year. I like the specs and the recommendations on the AD08R's. I'll probably get a set after this first time on the track. I don't think I have time to get the tires, extra wheels etc. before track day.

Alexandrius

Personally, I believe a second set of wheels is the way to go. I drive a set of 18 inch oz allegs to the track with toyo r888 tires and couldn't be happier. They will heat cycle well before their tread is gone, and even near the wear bars I have driven through an insane rainstorm (even with wipers could not see anything...it was like hurricane style rain) at or faster than the pace of traffic on the highway with no issue. If I had driven ten or so less mph I would have felt 100% comfortable like a normal street tire. Yes they are less forgiving than a street tire, but approach the limit slowly in them and after a year of events they will pay off. They will allow you to keep your second set of wheels and tires safe for street cruising.