IcemanG17

My 1st experience in R comps on my budget racer was with the BFG R1 in 245/45-16 all around.....amazing improvement compared to the street tires I ran before....I dropped 9 seconds per lap in 1 weekend!!! The downside of the R1 is its really is like velcro....once its gone...its GONE....so I think it doesn't like large slip angles at all and its overall grip once sliding drops off really quickly....it could be that mine had many cycles on them (about 30) and I noticed the largest decrease in traction in braking....way to easy to lock up....which caused the flatspot that ruined the "set" of tires

Next was Hoosier R6, two day of DE old.....WOW....amazing tire....peak grip equal to the R1, with BETTER braking....overall lap time was slightly better than R1 to 2:09.975..BUT they wear super quick.....I got one long weekend out of them and the front left corded (odd at Thunderhill)

Left with a race day pending and no tires....I bought a set of Shaved RA1's from AIM (spec 911 rear tire) The first couple sessions they were okay at best....steering feel and grip are noticeably worse than the R6 or R1....by the end of the day they were getting better......but it rained so I couldn't really get a great idea......

To me the RA1 seems like a great street tire... My best lap was a 2:09.46 on the bypass and I have ran 2:06.98 on the R1's..... Hopefully the RA1 will get better the next time I take them out!

Others thoughts-opinions.....I can honestly say I REALLY want to try Hoosier A6....that must be like GLUE....

JackOlsen

The RA1 is a very good tire, but it's no equal to the Hoosiers. It will continue to get better as you drive it. And it's less sensitive to heat cycling than the Hoosiers.

I don't autocross, but I'd think the A6 would go away pretty quickly in track use.

Veloce Raptor

A6 works very well on track with very light cars. But beyond ~2800 pounds IMO they go away very fast...as you'd expect for an autocross tire.

IcemanG17

I heard this too....but some friends that race Corvettes (3260lbs race weight) run them and LOVE THEM..... It seems to not make sense, but many guys on the vette forum preach about them?

Veloce Raptor

You're right, but I don't have any experience with them on heavy cars. But my experience with them on light cars has really impressed me a lot more than I expected.

333pg333

I've read about this Corvette thing too. Does seem really weird. Maybe it's guys that are just doing 10 DE laps?
I've certainly had good experiences with them in a similar situation. With the blessing from Hoosier themselves.

wanna911

Most of the Corvette guys are doing Time Trials, and even then, a set will not yeild top times for a whole weekend worth of sessions. The ones that are racing them can use them to competitive times for a single sprint race, but only in moderate temperatures and must preserve the tires.

And even then, most of those guys count on the generous Hoosier contingency to win more tires so they don't have to buy two sets to win each weekend.

mikew968

i went from street tires to Michelin PSC, to RA1 to R6. This is as i went from A-X, to DE to Race. I only run R6 now. You probably need more neg camber on the front.

Gasser

Just curious but:

My car is 2650 min with me in the car. How would these A6 tires compare to slicks like Yokos or Hoosiers? Sounds like my car is light enough to try them some time. Are they as soft/ sticky as slicks? Probably would not last as Long I suspect but they are cheaper for sure plus would qualify for a S class race if there were more registered in that class. Lap time difference???

Im just thinking since some races there are more S class racers in GT4 than R It might be fun to move back and forth depending on who shows up.

Veloce Raptor

Jeff: stick with slicks...

Gasser

They are awesome for sure. Amazing how long they last on a light car.

mark kibort

Dont listen to VR, as he says, he has "no experience" with heavy cars, and Ive been running them , based on the heavy cars in the area for years now. These cars are not only heavy, but have power up to the near 650hp range. They are fantastic.

Better or worse than slicks, well that depends on the slicks.

The american V8 supercar series in the west is running a spec Hoosier slick too. (R100). this tire is about the same stickiness as the A6. (personallly, i would bet it is better, but its not that far off). by closest competition Viper, is 3100lbs, 550hp and was alway on the A6s as was I. now that it is on the R100, it sure seems to be a second faster based on times at a track we all have near 10 races at per year.

try them. they seem to have different stick profiles during a race. Ive heard the R100s last longer, and dont go away toward the end of the race as much.

The A6s dont have any of the problems that some assume they would have being an "autocross" tire.

So, in the end, if you want to run in the "S" class, i would bet you could try a set of "A" series and you might like them and would expect the times to not be more than .5 to 1 second off the harder slick compound tires. (i.e. R100, etc). compared to the goodyear, yoko, and the pirelli, i bet the differences are more like 2 seconds at least.

Lemming

I spoke with Hoosier about the A6's before I started using them a few years ago. Jeff S. stated that they work well as long as you do not over heat them. Once they get too hot, they drop off quickly. I ran a set for a 90 minute enduro with no problem, but it was cool (60oF). I tried running a set during the summer for a short sprint (30 min) and they dropped off (85oF and sunny). Thus, I run A6's for races when it's cool (<75) or damp. I always use A6's for qualifying, regardless of temps, as my goal is to run less than 5 laps.

mark kibort

I tend to agree with you on your experience. However, I have run them on some pretty hot days with no real issues. I mean, no more than the toyos or R6 Ive run in the past. I ususally kill them, and have to back off a tenth or two, mid way through the race. they seem to come back though and Ive had my fastest laps on the final lap, even with a 1 hour race as we had with them at the GTGP race at laguna in November. (I was running agaist cars with real slicks too! ) I think any tire, when punished, will go away . it seems the A6s will go away on a hot day, but like I said, they are still better than RA1s, when they are at their best and that is the most important point I would make. I always like practicing and sometimes qualifying on the toyos, so when i go to the A6s, its a very safe and grippy change. I had some moments when the A6s were going away yesterday, but at those moments, i was going faster than even the toyos could support. I didnt have to pull back too much to have them work just fine. I felt like I was going 11/10s for much of the race too, trying to catch some more powerful cars. the lap times support this also, where my times for the entire race were within .5 second with the fastest being on lap 4 (heavy with fuel) and on the last lap

Potomac-Greg

RA1 is a different animal -- it's a relatively inexpensive DOT tire that cannot be compared to a racing slick. But it will heat cycle forever and can be used for several seasons, making it the ultimate tire for the occasional HPDE. For racing, unless the RA1 is a spec tire, [AND IT'S NOT WET] it's never going to be the best choice. [Edited. ;-)]