analogmike

The Grand Am GT3 cup tires are VERY tall, 310mm in back.

The Conti challenge 997 tires do seem to be a whole lot shorter but they don't have downforce or as much power.

Veloce Raptor

Hopefully JMon will pipe in here regarding his interesting tire experience this weekend at Daytona...

Also, I got to drive his car...with him riding right seat...it's a very nice car...yummmmmmmmmmm

911racer

So, What did you (he) go with.

I know there has been a lot of bad press for other tires, but I had my fair share of rear Michelin tire failures at Road America last weekend.

Ed

Veloce Raptor

We used both Hoosier slicks (R100/R80 and Michelin N1 this weekend.

Skypalace

Interesting, I've had very different experiences, I've run a lot of tires on both 996 and 997.2 Cups, but primarily Michelin and Pirelli. Recently I've had much longer longevity with Pirellis than with Michelins. The current Michelin blues don't seem to have nearly the longevity of say the previous Michelin yellows, which I'd run (in not terribly competitive races) up to 14 heat cycles.

Agree with boothkc that it takes some effort to learn waht different tires like. Setup is somewhat different, both camber and pressures. Tire management during a race is also different (ie. how hard the tires can be pushed and when, and sensitivity to oversteer/understeer).

Competitively running a Pirelli series for the last three years has given me a strong appreciation for the Pirelli tires. They aren't perfect, but no tire is, there are always tradeoffs. See other posts for the problems a number of drivers (including myself) have been having with the Michelins, particularly on the fronts of 997.2s which have a different tire.

Setup and tire wear needs to be very very closely watched on banked ovals, which require a very different setup, and provide much greater stresses on the tires. I personally wouldn't run an oval without setup advice from an engineer that knows the car and the specific tire well.

You need to 'interpret' setup advice from tire manufacturers. They tend to be conservative, as they have little control over how a car is setup and driven, so their recommendations are not necessarily going to give you the best handling car on the track.

If your tires are going off, come in and check pressures, they might just be off. It's crazy the number of drivers I see doing entire practice and qualifying sessions without checking pressures. Different sidewall constructions will change pressures are different rates. Air and track temp, humidity of the air/nitrogen in your tires, driving style, setup, will all affect tire pressures. A pyrometer is of course also very helpful for evaluating both pressures and setup.

coryf

We gave the pirelli's a try at the Glen PCA race this year and used them again for daytona. So far we really like them. Great longevity. On the 6th-7th cycle (and after sitting a few months between races) they still were very fast. Handling balance stays very consistent. Good lap times with great wear and cheaper than Michelin. Not much to complain about. We are running the DH compound. They take a little time to heat up but still are decent when cold.