Ever Seen a Toyo R888 Do This?
 

Brand new Toyo R888 245/40/18 on my 9x12 CCW 2009 Porsche Carrera S with 1 DE day at Sebring. My alignment specs in front are -2.3 camber with zero toe. I run 36 hot front.

I am sending this back to Toyo for possible warranty so I will let you all know if Toyo stand behind their product and if they can explain what happened. I've run many Toyo R888 and RA1's in the past and never had this happen.

I have been running R888s for four years now, haven't seen that happen. Did you hit anything, like a sharp curb or a piece of CF may be?

That was my thought as you may have run over something like a metal flange on the side of the track or pit area.

Looks like a cut to me.

+1 on a cut, doesn't have to be metal I've had similar cuts from sliding over rocks kicked up on the track..

How deep is it? I'd check it out carefully but if it's superficial you can still use it.

I thought maby a cut too...but if you look closely at the tread it looks like a seem is coming apart and you can see starting seperation.

I bought a new R888 to replace this one.

I had a couple of Kumho Victoracers do the same thing. I can't say for sure but my guess is the same as yours some kind of seam.

Actually, yes, it is not a continuous cut, so may be it is the seam.

That's a cut.

It looks like you may have backed over something which cut the tire.

I've gone through 5 sets of R888s in the last 2 years and haven't seen that Mike. I too wonder if something tore the tire though.
It's certainly reasonable to send it to Toyo to see if they have any thoughts.

I had one that did something similar although much smaller - looked like a seam of sorts, I asked a few people in the paddock and deemed it not a big deal. Ill go out in a bit and see if I can still find it although they will be much more worn now.

I got a call from Toyo yesterday. They are sending me a refund on this tire per the cost I paid for it. It split at the seem. They would not go toomuch into detail but they said tire tread seemed melted...well yeah it's used on the track.
It's awesome to know that Toyo cares about a little guy that DE's like me. Although in the back of my mind I am a little concerned it split at the seem though.

I know some said it's a cut...it was definitly not a cut...the tire was coming apart.

A little guy that DE's crashing because of that defect is just as crashed, hurt, dead as a racer. A $200 tire is a lot cheaper than whatever the legal fees might be.

Glad it worked in your favor. That's pretty nuts and good for the rest of us to know.

True...what I was getting at as a DE guy I do not spend the money a race guy spends and also I am not on TV like a semi-pro or pro racer is so a lot of these company's do not care what I think about their product.

So I was happy they helped me out a little with the tire. However in the back of my mind I am now cautious with these tires. I'd love to try some other tire/brand but nobody makes anything in R-Comps that fit my car.....

I could go up to the stock 19" size and run MPSC, Pirelli Corsa or the new Trofeo but dang...$500+ for each rear tire!