hey guys sorry if this has been covered but i did try searching......i was just wondering typically how long do your tires last??? also what brand of tire would you be running. This would be at events such as NASA/Road race. I have had someone tell me you should buy track tires off the bat due to how long they will last...this true?

 

i dont do much track events just autocross but maybe i can help you out.

besides the obvious fact that the more you use them the faster they'll wear out.
tire wear comes down to many factors including but not limited too

Wear rating of tires
conditions of track
speed of track
weight of car

i will start using falken rt-615 this weekend. i autocross them twice a month on a g3 integra.
i plan on using them for the entire season. they have a 200 wear rating.

 

I had kumo spt's last summer on my dc-2 auto-x once a month and one track day and they lasted the summer. Got the car set up for auto-x so i have some heavy toe in up front, so there is some toe wear. But other than that they are in good shape. RE-01's this summer, not expecting to get them to last for so long.

 

actually alot od the re01r that i have seen .. are wearing like steel ive seen some with 70+ run that barely look like they are scrubbed in.. but then again you would want to shave them anyways

 

An actual R-compound road race tire (treadwear of about 40) would probably last between 4-10 hrs of on track activity depending on many factors.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Godspeed07 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">how long do your tires last???</TD></TR></TABLE>

With R compound tires (Toyo RA-1, Yokohama A032R), starting with full tread and driven until the belts start to show, rotating front vs back, I usually get 1200-1800 actual track miles, plus another 300-500 street miles between the track and the hotel.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Godspeed07 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I have had someone tell me you should buy track tires off the bat due to how long they will last...this true?</TD></TR></TABLE>

I disagree. When you are first starting out doing track events, you will be gaining experience and the limiting factor on your speed will be your experience, not your tires. Furthermore, R compound tires will make it more difficult for you to learn, because they give very little warning before losing traction. I strongly recommend that you do your first half dozen events using whatever street tires you're normally using. After you start to build up experience, then you might consider whether upgrading to R compounds (or a supersticky street tire like the Azenis) is worthwhile.

Some groups don't even allow novices to use R compound tires.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SleeperGSR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Got the car set up for auto-x so i have some heavy toe in up front, so there is some toe wear.</TD></TR></TABLE>
toe in?

my first set of kumho victoracers lasted exactly a season and one extra day. i did alot of autocross. like sometimes 3 events a weekend (gotta love friday events).
switched to azenis for sts and would get a season and a half out of them. autocross (still a boat load of events), daily and a couple track days
now back on r's and going to the track way more and still autocrossing alot, i get about 1.5 seasons out of used toyos as long as i dont put real bad flat spots in them (did that right to the belts once like a retard)

 

i get about a season out of used r-comps. that = about 10 days on track = about 15 hours. they're not that fast... heck, maybe even slower than azenis or a street tire of that sort, but they're cheap... ~200 mounted for that longevity.

 

thanks guys for the response. I agree, i don't think its smart to jump into straight r comps either......i have a friend whos going to be racing with me...different car same event. Well he has told me hes been talking to a part time race instructor who works at his job, who is advising him to go with race tires over street tires because the street tires will be worn down in one days worth of racing......that true?? The event in question is put on by Chin motorsports.....it seems that they have hour long track sessions throughout a day.....my concern is wearing out the tires in one go...... can anyone recommend a path for me to follow??....im thinking of just running my street tires, but id rather get a different set if im going to render the street ones useless after a days racing. Sounds a little strange thinking that tires could wear out after a one or two day event...i would have thought at least they would last for 6 or 7 events each lasting the day. Ill be running a DC2 teg. once again i apologize for my ignorance if this has been covered, thanks for the help guys.

 

"street" tires are harder and therefore wear slower than r-comps. pick up some azenis, be happy.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Mike_C &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">"street" tires are harder and therefore wear slower than r-comps. pick up some azenis, be happy.</TD></TR></TABLE>

thanks for the advice mike

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Godspeed07 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i have a friend whos going to be racing with me...different car same event.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Is he a beginner also?

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Godspeed07 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Well he has told me hes been talking to a part time race instructor who works at his job, who is advising him to go with race tires over street tires because the street tires will be worn down in one days worth of racing......that true??</TD></TR></TABLE>

No. However, some street tires are not really up to track use. For example, I wouldn't go out on the track with Blizzaks (winter tires) LOL! Seriously, using decent street tires on the track might mean that they wear, oh, maybe three times faster than on the street. So if you drive 150 miles during a day on the track - and that's a LOT of track miles in a single day - that's like driving 450 miles on the street. No, it won't wear out your tires.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Godspeed07 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The event in question is put on by Chin motorsports.....it seems that they have hour long track sessions throughout a day.....my concern is wearing out the tires in one go......</TD></TR></TABLE>

It won't happen. Period.

Also, as an instructor for Chin Motorsports (as well as BMW CCA, NSXCA, and some other groups), I can tell you that you're not going to go out and drive on the track for an hour at a time (even though the opportunity is there). Most beginners are pretty beat after half an hour. Heck, even I don't drive for an hour at a time. And I'm a track *****.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Godspeed07 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">can anyone recommend a path for me to follow??....im thinking of just running my street tires, but id rather get a different set if im going to render the street ones useless after a days racing.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Just use your street tires and you'll be fine. I wouldn't even bother getting Azenis or anything else, for your first few events; just use whatever's already on your car. And tell your friend that the guy he works with is an idiot.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Lo-Buck EF &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
toe in?
</TD></TR></TABLE>

OUT....my mistake

 

only thing i would worry about with street tires is chunking.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 90_EX_Civic &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">only thing i would worry about with street tires is chunking. </TD></TR></TABLE>

which likely won't happen for a few events.

 

Thank you so much nsxtasy for the comprehensive answer to my question. I personally was thinking to myself "what the hell???" ...........and yes my friend is also a beginner. Thanks a lot guys for the help

honda tech

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nsxtasy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

I disagree. When you are first starting out doing track events, you will be gaining experience and the limiting factor on your speed will be your experience, not your tires. Furthermore, R compound tires will make it more difficult for you to learn, because they give very little warning before losing traction. I strongly recommend that you do your first half dozen events using whatever street tires you're normally using. After you start to build up experience, then you might consider whether upgrading to R compounds (or a supersticky street tire like the Azenis) is worthwhile.

Some groups don't even allow novices to use R compound tires.
</TD></TR></TABLE>


Great advice