Bill Farrell

I just ordered my race tires from JM. Prices now up 10% effective last Friday:

24/64-18 tires are $515 each (was $470 last year - +9.6%)
27/68-18 tires are $545 each (was $495 - + 9.2%)
Shipping: $40.00
Total cost to ship a set of tires was $2,335 !

Has anyone else seen this increase ?

I spoke with Eric who stated that part of the increase was to fund their Support at the Track with the new arrangement with PCA. I shared with him that I would expect some backlash on that position.

Zuluracerx

I just picked up (2) sets of RSR spec tires 27's and 31's. $4025 delivered.

Surfbum

John, the RSR spec also went up this year, I am looking into what the Faulken and Pirelli alternatives are.

Phokaioglaukos

I just got volume 12.1 of PCA Club Racing News. The Chairman's column has a lot of interest to this topic. Including:

The GTC3, GTC4, and GTC5 classes will benefit the most from the JMG/Michelin sponsorship. They will be required to run Michelin race tires purchased from JMG [emphasis added]. They will also run windshield banners with the sponsors’ logo and wear driver’s suit patches from both JMG and Michelin.

I do not recall seeing elsewhere the obligation to buy from JMG.

The benefits noted in the column from the JMG sponsorship include

• track support at 7 race and those that have at least 10 cup cars registered 2 weeks (4 weeks on west coast) in advance
• at track free mounting and balancing (free shipping to track when JMG is not at the track)
• tire contingency program
• discounts for Michelin high performance street tires
• technical support at track from JMG or by phone otherwise
• checkered flag and hat for podium finishers
• money to PCA to be used to improve scrutineering

Some of that I have seen, but not all. Lots of the benefit looks to flow to all PCA racers. Would it not have been fairer to add a few bucks for race registration for all racers rather than force these classes to buy tires from JMG at what seems to be $90/set more than the other Michelin distributor?

I know this is not the place to raise these issues, but it does seem odd to me. Anyone here know Bryan Henderson and can fill us in on how this makes good sense for the Club?

Plavan

You guys just made me realize that I really do not want a Cupcar now.....

bauerjab

talk about a group discount....

al@cpt

There won't be much need for better scrutineering in GTA.

GT3 Techno

^^
+100

Geoffrey

The simple solution is to install a wickerbill on your Cup which forces you into the GTA classes where you can run any tire...

fstockcarrera

Just running any other tire will get you to gta or just register in GTA. I Can't see any Benefit to having Mechilin as a spec tire at this point. Ridiculous. Way to go!!!!!

Phokaioglaukos

I looked it up so that you do not have to: "The Gurney Flap (or wickerbill) is a small flat tab projecting from the trailing edge of a wing. Typically it is set at a right angle to the pressure side surface of the airfoil, and projects 1% to 2% of the wing chord. This trailing edge device can improve the performance of a simple airfoil to nearly the same level as a complex high-performance design."

Info here.

ZSA Motorsport

Eric is a great guy. And Jackson is a fantastic operation. They help me out all the time; they are crazy responsive. i'd use them deal, no deal, or under any other circumstance. i dont begrudge them making money and i'm happy to see them do a bit better.

That said, this deal irks me just for the way it was discussed (or not discussed), voted on (or not voted on), and then shoved at us. seems like a lot of blowing smoke and distraction instead of just telling a bunch of semi-smart guys exactly whats what.

I'll leave it at that.

brad@tirerack.com

Just to be clear, this isn't for the Pilot Sport Cup tires......

bauerjab

Well, you do get a discount on Michelin performance street tires when you buy the slicks.

Manny Alban

It's related to the price of oil. Anything with petroleum is going up. In my real job, we deal with stretch film, bubble wrap, tape, etc. It's all going up. I'm getting price increases almost daily. I just ordered polybags....11% increase from three months ago.