I need some advice re: a tire choice for DE/track days. I would classify myself as a “casual DE’er”. I will probably only do about 6 track days a season. My 2008 997S is equipped with stock brake pads and basically a street alignment. As for my experience, as I said I do a few events each year but was signed off to run solo a couple of years ago.

My dilemma is that I recently acquired a nice set of extra rims. My intent is to use these rims exclusively for track days. Since they are strictly track day wheels my first thought was to put R-comps on them but then I started wondering that since I am not upgrading the pads or going for an aggressive alignment then maybe I should stick to “extreme performance” summer street tires like Hankooks or Yokohama AD08’s.

Any and all opinions welcome.

 

R-tires are sticker.
This will make you faster on the track, but the tires will not last as long. Also with R-tires when you go off track it will hurt more since you will be faster when you lose control.


So R-tires in DE are really only good if you want to look like you are faster. Otherwise a nice performance street tire will do the job.

 

^^^^^
What he said. Street tires keep away a lot of the bad habits you will pick up with R compund tires. Once you are addicted and have moved up to intermediate to advanced run group, then go look at a more aggressive tire.

 

It's a nice treat when you move to R-comps! But IMO, you should match the entire "system." You will likely eat through stock pads and might boil some fluid with R-comps on. There are plenty of pad and fluid choices. A few searches should give you hours of reading on this subject.

-td

 

Street tires keep you slower and in return, safer, but if you like to drive fast you may overheat the street tires and destroy them so my vote would be a Toyo RA1 or R888 so it is not so (-) camber dependent like the Hoosier and at least upgrade the brake fluid to a high temp like AP, ATE, Castrol. You can always get a set of track pads and swap out before and after the events if you know the track is hard on the brakes.

 

All excellent advice here....when I have a student or friend wanting to move up to a good r-comp tire like a Toyo R888 or RA1 I always highly suggest that it is time to start to use a brake pad that can take advantage of the stopping power in a sticky R-Comp tire. Also you will want to get a spot on good alingment. For a stock 08 Carrera S max front camber will be -1...this is all you can get with the stock lower control arms. I ran this for years with Toyo R Comps and did just fine. I suggest -1 Camber and zero toe up front and -1.5 camber and .14 toe rear. Your car will handle better and you can use this with street or R-Comp tires. I will tell you that Toyo R888 can handle less camber like this RA1's or any other R-Comp tire.

Fortuanly for you because you drive a 08 Carrera S swapping brake pads is faster than swapping a tire and you can put in some pads better suited for the track when you swap out your wheels for your DE.

So in my advice you have 2 choices:

Put stock rubber on Like another set of PS2's or Pirelli P-Zero and leav the pads as stock

Put on R-Comps like Toyo RA1 or R888 and swap out stock pads for Pagid RS29 Yellow or Performance Friction PF01's

I do choice 2..it is super easy and I have more fun at the track with this set up.

 

........and now that you are going faster and increasing the chances of an off or impact you need to consider PPG (safety gear) So the tire selection adds another $3,000.00 (in round numbers): Belts $500, Seat $1500+, HANS $1000. Oh and if you are in an instructed group double the belts, and seat for = protection.

Its a huge step up to be done safely and properly

 

To continue the progression

Track Car 20,000
Trailer 5,000
Tow Vehicle 30,000
Total 55,000

Just save yourself the intermediate cost you are going to spend anyway.

 

Not to mention the separation and eventual divorce... Cost me half a million last time.

 

...you are forgetting the $10k in tools that go in the trailer...

you guys are gonna scre the OP off....I put on the track tires and swap my pads out in 1 hour in my garage and drive 1.5-3hrs over to my DE's and drive home. That is enough for me right now.

 

...or you could just stay in bed....

 

Hey;

For the casual DE'r I don't think it makes any sense to go with R tires. To do that effectively means a commensurate step up in alignment specs or you'll just fry them in no time. Unless you have money to burn, that gets expensive quickly, even with a robust tire like the RA1. Then with the track friendlier alignment you will also wear your street tires faster as well.

Stay on top of the hill. The slope is far too slippery to remain casually involved.

 

I think the AD08 could be a good choice. I am driving the AD07 on my 993 since a couple of months on my mainly DE car and are very impressed on the track. The AD08 are supposed to be even better.

 

I'm partial to Nitto NT01's. OK in rain and drive to and from track. Adding better brake pads and track alignment will only make things better and perhaps even safer. Downside to track alignment is excess tire wear if a daily driver.

 

DE 6 events a year and in solo or instructors group with a 997 here is wht I'd do:

Saftey Solution R3 head neck restrain...can be used in stock 3 point belts.

C-G Lock for 3 point belts

9x18 and 12x18 wheels with 245-40-18 and 305-35-18 Toyo RA1 or R888

Pagid RS29 Yellows front and rear

Motul RBF660 Brake Fluid

GT3 Lower control arms for good track and street alingment.

Not a huge investment but this gets you on R-Comps and brake package to go with it. In some clubs I run with even if you are advanced solo you can not run in advanced solo withotu r-comp tires.