I just have had my first week-end event at LRP with shaved RA1-s on...

They were much different from my street tires (2 sec. faster) as I could feel much more grip, but I still had drifting, even though controlled.....

All of the experienced racers I talked to, told me to just go to Hoosiers R6 and stop messing around. They say the R6 are a couple of steps above the Toyos.....

What has your experience been in the transition from the RA1-s to the Hoosiers R6?


Thanks.......

 

R6's stick like crazy...but don't give you alot of warning when they let go. You can catch them, but you just have to react quicker. However, it is hard to go back to anything else once you've taken a hit on the "Hoosier" pipe...

 

Slicks are worse.

 

went from 275/335 ra1's to 245/315 r6's, the hoosiers squealed more and didn't seem to grip better, but that's apples and oranges maybe.

 

So I hear......

 

I like ra-1s, good tire to do DEs on, good feedback, okay grip and good value for money...

 

RA1's like lots of slip angle

DOT slicks like the R6 and Z214, not so much.

 

If you race to win.....you've got to run Hoosiers or someone else will....likely the winner.

 

BFG R1's have been a very fast alternative to R6's.

If you're just doing DE's, I'm not sure why you're considering R6's, though. The only time I run R6's at DE's is to check for rubbing and to get a baseline for suspension settings before a race.

 

If you need them to win races Hoosiers are the obvious choice but if it's just for DE then RA-1s will last WAY longer. Some people get an entire season out of a set of RA-1s while even at the DE level you're looking at maybe 3 weekends for a set of Hoosiers.

 

I agree that RA-1's and other brands may may serve one's purpose to adhere to economic constraints and they're possibly plenty for de's, BUT, you "play like you practice", If you have racing in mind you'll want to step up and get used to R6's so you can get used to driving faster in turns with less slip angle and adjust you turn in points because higher speeds will change your apexes.

 

I did a back-to-back test last year. Well-worn RA1s (when they're fast) against some few heat cycle S04s (old tires I had laying around). SO4s were 2.5 seconds faster around Summit Point. No experience w/ the R6s so can't compare with the RA1s or SO4s.

If you're just doing DEs, stay with the RA1/R888s. You'll never notice the 2 second gain from Hoos. If you're racing, though, 2 seconds is a lot.

 

I race on RA-1s and love it. Of course being a spec tire for the class everyone is on the same thing so relative speed is all that counts. There are many faster tires than the Toyo, but nearly all are more expensive and don't last as long. The Hoosier is just one of those tires. Just remember though... any time gained due to faster tires is time NOT gained due to skill. What tire you run is dependant on your goals and $$$$$$$$$.

 

This is true, but the finer the "edge" is in finding that speed, the faster some people will be than others who may have been similarly quick on easier to drive but slower tires.

 

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