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What does effective tire testing look like in your book?

burglar

AFAIK SSC was wished into existence straight from either the SEB or maybe even the BOD. With the popularity of the class, I wouldn't be completely shocked should another one show up. I'd likely be a quite different car though should it happen, I dunno. Could always put a bug in their ear to try a 2nd SSx class based on the success of the first. A 981 with GT3 control arms and 18s would be nice but don't think there's enough out there who would run it. Nor does that get people to buy a special modification package only available at Tire Rack.

bpstanaway

The only way to avoid this is a spec tire which isn’t practical in the current street class model. Even if everyone agrees to only run one tire model you still have different sizes to play with, wheel diameter, offsets, shaved vs unshaven, scrubbing methodology, temp management, etc. and if any of those variables produces results you should go through your list of alignment checks, sways, and seat time, it’s part of racing and will never ever go away. Some SSC guys carry two sets of tires, one that’s used and low tread for dry and one that’s fresh and high tread for wet events, so in a spec class, the best tire cost control you can get, guys have three sets of wheels for their spec cars (assuming it gets driven on the street with regular street tires).

Current street tires are still more economical $/run then hohos and if you decide to not run on your test tires for locals they’re typically easily sold to someone else in your neck of the woods. Certainly not everyone is doing it, we bought two sets of yokes and two sets of Bridgestones, plan is to wear them all out so we still get our moneys worth out of the tires, killed the first two sets pre nats, will run the next two into the spring.

justint5387

I was at Lincoln and only brought Yokes. Must be doing it wrong

Auto_Werks 3.6

I guess that depends on whether you won your class or not. Or at least met your personal expectations. If not, then yes, you were doing it wrong

justint5387

We were first and second in STU.

It was obvious from results that any of the 3 (yoks, stones, falkens) can win, just pick one and stick with it.

BmacIL

Some platforms/classes it was more skewed than others, but yes, all three tires are clearly quick enough to win. Cars on double wishbones that need help putting power down generally see a pretty sizeable advantage on Yoks, especially on Lincoln's concrete. Camber-limited and/or front heavy cars generally did better on Falkens or Bridgestones.

Z3papa

Buying one set of tires, say Rt660's, at the beginning of a season and either borrowing or buying a second set (Yoks/Nankang or now Bridgestone) later in the year ostensibly in anticipation of Nat's, isn't testing in my book. I don't even think that having two sets of tires/wheels and spinning some laps on the Nat's practice course (which is typically not representative of the competition surface run on) is really worthwhile testing but it's better than nothing if you want to see which tire works best for your car setup on that course. Using Nolan as an example, as much as I believe the new Stones are a better version of the RT660, I know Dave doesn't drive using controls. His ego gets into the mix (as is the case with most folks hitting the practice course) and is prone to try a flyer on the practice course even knowing he'd hit cones just to flash a faster raw time to other potential competitors watching or running the same time slot. It's kinda like the guy who will jump in someone's car during fun runs, lay down a blistering time with no pressure, hit a cone or two and walk off saying he would have won if he were driving that car, that day, with that competition. OK yeah right. That's why guys like Andy and Whitener aren't just slapping tires without real controls for their GRM tests as they would be scrutinized even more. They use the same damn course over and over with same cone markings as a base control so that course familiarity doesn't skew results. I suspect strongly that the vast majority of folks assess their cars strengths (suspension geometry and putting power down) and weakness (lack of camber or tendency to under/oversteer) and decide which tires best suite their car/their driving style, and then work to making their cars as fast and predictable as possible.

daaa nope

Car, driver ability and driver's driving style can all impact tire preference. To a degree it's all subjective. For every driver that went from the Falken to the Yoko and found a second, I'm sure there's a driver that's gone the other way and found a second. Maybe more found time going one way vs. the other but again IMO that comes down to a lot of factors above and beyond just the tire.

edfishjr

A competitor of mine tried 4 different combinations of Yoks and 660's, new, mid-life, etc. on the practice course on a BS Supra. He and his jacketed co-driver found no time difference for any of the combos. They ran Yoks in the competition. That was a good choice, as the Yoks accumulated much less OPR, according to a friend that cut OPR for both of us. (I was on 660's.)

daaa nope

OPR?

Other People's Rubber... like pickup?

arthurc604

It happens. This was from Nationals 2011.

BmacIL

Possibly because everyone running yoks was spraying them profusely to be at ambient or cooler vs. 660s that don't mind heat nearly as much?

edfishjr

exactly

edfishjr

I don't know if that's the difference or not.