Beantown Kman

I've been using Hoosier R7's since they first came out. In my experience there is a large drop in performance long before they wear out. I've been replacing them after 12 - 18 HC's at which point it's just not worth trying to manage the loss of grip. I'm curious to know if anyone has tried A7's. The A7 may HC out the same as the R7 but wouldn't it have the advantage of having more grip for the same period of time?

I was previously using BFG R1's on my Cayman. Those tires wear like steel but they too suffer from heat cycling out long before they wear out. I tried R1S's, their autocross tire, and I liked them a lot. They felt as or more sticky than a Hoosier R7. But they don't perform as well once the weather, and track temperatures, get very warm. The R1S is a great tire for the cool days of spring and fall here in the northeast.

Veloce Raptor

IMO stick with the R7. Are you using a probe tire pyrometer to get optimum pressures/camber/etc? If not this may help tire longevity with a larger sweet spot of usable grip.

SWK6Cup

Hey Buddy!
I was talking with Spencer and a few others about the Pirelli P-Zero, slicks. It appears that while they cost more, there seems to be a consensus that they will last quite a bit longer..the downside, they cost more (surprise!) and you might/will need to change your suspension settings to get the max out of the tire. Doesn't work for me, as I still drive my car on the street and the changed settings will just eat my street tires. You, on the other hand have a dedicated track car, so the suspension changes (if any) shouldn't be that a big a deal. GL

Beantown Kman

Yes, I've used a probe tire pyrometer in the past. This car is well sorted. I think I have a good handle on setup and pressures. Just wondering if anyone has tried the A7 on track.

Appreciate your suggestion, bud! I've considered the switch to slicks. But as long as my two young kids are driving this car I don't think that's a wise move.

mark kibort

many people that "know" the tire, and race/DE with it, share your feedback. most feel that the R6 to R7 was a step backwards in someways in performance.
The A6 is an amazing tire for the first 6 to 8 heat cycles and then remains very sticky for the next 4 heat cycles . much better and more grip than an R7 or R6 . so, my advice is to try the A6 or A7. it is by nature a softer compound and seems to heat cycle out at the same time the tire looks to be down on tread depth or near cords.

true, but he seems to have a big drop off initially. could be the compound or he would be reallly cooking a narrow section firs and would have to change camber setttings.. sounds like this is not the case

they are very expensive.. ive ony tried 3 heat cycle used versions of these tires. they are great for session 4 and 5 and then seem to heat cycle out and not be even as good as a toyo RA1. the other bad thing , or thing you should realize, is that the pirelli slick is about almost a full size smaller than the equal numerical sized hoosier. (e.g. a 305 p-zero is like a 285 hooseir in tread width)

so, you are using the car on the street too? i did the same the A6s.. they can wear out faster on street use, especially if alignment settings are not street friendly. but , you dont want to ever use slicks on the street, its illegal, and they wear out even faster. the A7 is a great tire from what ive heard. I just bought a brand new set and will report the differences of the tire vs the previous A7. ive heard they dont go away toward the end of the race as much as the A6s from those that use both at a high level of racing.

jrgordonsenior

First off I've never driven on the A-series Hoosiers only R6's and that was 7-8 years ago when they were the original 996 Spec tire. I have however gotten my *** handed to me repeatedly over the past year or so by 3200 lb Corvettes running 315/335 A7's. These are NASA ST2 spec cars with large wings and I still don't understand why those tires are still good underneath them at the end of Sunday's race (4th HC). I may have to drop a few more lbs. if possible (2500 empty no driver) or add a few WHP (312 now w/stock flash) to give them a try. I did run Hoosier slicks last weekend at Buttonwillow and they lasted well but I missed my IMSA Yokos....

Beantown Kman

^^^ Mark, thank you for your comments.

I do NOT find the R7 drops off either quickly or abruptly. The drop in performance is gradual. But it is noticeable well before 10 HC's.

No, this is not a street car. Full race car. Both kids are doing DE events and lapping days with me.

I just heard from a friend who used A7's last season while racing his Audi. He loved the tire in temps up to 80 degrees. But he said it definitely will not last as long as an R7. No surprise. I just wanted to hear from someone who has used them and could offer some feedback. I'm going to stick with the R7 for now.

mark kibort

It was a fear factor that we all heard about. in 2008 when Darrel anderson showed up with his mustang on A6s we all were laughing. like his car was going to blow up with blistered A series (autocross) hoosiers after about 3 laps! nope, it ran fast as it was on slicks and never an issue. we finally were believers when that 3000lb car was running 1:29s at laguna. so, that was an old wives tale. they are great tires.... same compound as the R100 but different construction

hahah. i thought the kids were going to the grocery store inthe car!
so yes, do yourself a favor.. try the A7s, if you find the R7s heat cycle out after 9 heat cycles. you might be better overall, and share the same useful life for either tire and have more fun on the first couple of days than the R7s. eitherway, its not a huge difference.
Ill report back on the new A7s after the Laguna PCA/SCCA event.

Veloce Raptor

I have in clients' cars. In cool to moderate temps,with no more than 20-30 minute sessions, they are slightly quicker than the R7 but after 4-6 cycles they drop off dramatically.

mark kibort

Having 10 years of actual racing experience with this many heat cycle Rs and As, I can categorically say this is not true. the As will be better than the Rs until they cord out. they dont drop off dramatically either. it's very gratudal and predictable. having used all 6-8 heat cycle hoosier A series for many years. good for another 6-8 heat cycles with a progressive and predictable grip reduction

im using a fantastic set from Aquilante (joe sold me a used set with about 3-4 heat cycles). they have not shown any signs of grip reduction since ive run them and thats 3 more heat cycles . ill be using them again at Willow springs as my RACE set... i dont expect any "dramatic" grip reduction for the next 3 sessions. however they will be downgraded for my use , if im not showing cords, to practice tires at that point.

you dont race... you cant give "experience" by running passenger in customers cars..... brother!!!

Veloce Raptor

Maybe you're not going fast enough, lunchbox...

mark kibort

you have no clue as to how to drive fast. you have never really raced. But thats ok. you keep the mouth going short-shifter!

Clearly you haven't done your homework as to what "fast' is .

linzman

Um, wrong again. Do your research before you spout fiction

wanna911

I have used A6 and now A7 almost exclusively for about 5 years now. I have had some R7's and they just arent as fast. The A6 was very heat sensitive though and in 80 temps fell off quickly. That was really the only benefit of R6's and R7's was less temperature sensitivity. I've run back to back all day with Andrew Davis on A's but it was in March cool weather at Road Atlanta which is easy on tires. They work on those types of courses or in the cold. But tracks with long long steady state turns will eat them up. I got over 20 HC on the set Andrew and I hot lapped. They were still turning 1:27's at Road Atlanta to the cords. They wear like steel as long as your alignment works with them, you dont overdrive or overheat them. The A7 seems pretty much the exact same tire to me and most others.


Follow the Hoosier recommended break in procedure for best life (scrub in then let sit for 24 hrs). Keep them at 31-33 hot max.

Just my opinion.

ProCoach

This has been my experience.

On a number of heavy GT cars that require DOT-R rubber per the rules, the A7 works extremely well as a qualifying tire (maximum performance, quick warmup and pressure stabilization, ideal for autocross) with much more TRACK durability than the old A3 and A6 variants.

As a matter of fact, in SCCA, my clients preferred the A7's to run sprint races in the car, as long as the ambient temps were below 80 degrees.

We did find the performance to be severely compromised after a short time at higher temperatures, but this tire surprised me with its (relative) durability. For those with no budget limitations, you can see a small performance improvement with the A7's over the R7's. However, the HC life (at 90-100% performance) is between 20-40% lesser with the A7 than the R7.

For you, K-Man, the number of laps you are now putting on the car make the R7's a better choice, but if you ever have a "solo"weekend without the kids before it gets too hot, indulge yourself and try a set. You'll like it!