Slicks versus track day tyres

[greenamex2]

With a significant amount of development going into to track day tyres (eg Toyo 888's, Yokohama A048's, Kumho V70A's etc), how much better are normal (ie not ultra soft one race special) slicks?

The only example I can think of is Nick Williamson's stunning success in the TRC championship using just track day tyres.

Part of the reason for asking was the recent arrival of a pair of Avon CR500's for the kitcar which have a treadwear rating of 20. I'll be lucky if I have any tread left just getting to a track day!

[Al Weyman]

I was very disappointed with the wear rate of the medium compound V70's on the front of my black car, after about 12 laps of Brands at not full racing speed the nearside front tyre did not look to be wearing at all well and I would reckon at that rate would be good for two meetings.

[Cleggie]

We've done track days in an old 2 litre cavalier and 1.8 sierra, which you would think would be very slow, but we had a great time and it was all in the corners. We could easily catch, (or keep up with) cars like Lotus etc and we had just the cheapest tyres on. If pushed too hard in the corners, we didn't loose time, but the tyres made a horrible ripping sound and, at the end if the day and lots of laps, we hadn't really made an impression on the tread, but had worn off, and sometimes ripped off the shoulder tread. I race an F3 and previously FF1600, my opinion...use the cheapest tyre you can, and, instead, use the extra cash you've saved on the tyres on more fuel and do more laps, practice makes perfect....

[Al Weyman]

Was that the black Cavalier at Brands?

[Cleggie]

no, we only went to Brands once about 3 years ago in a shabby turquoise cavalier saloon that had done 250,000 miles.....

[greenamex2]

Originally Posted by Cleggie

I race an F3 and previously FF1600, my opinion...use the cheapest tyre you can, and, instead, use the extra cash you've saved on the tyres on more fuel and do more laps, practice makes perfect....

Unfortunately everyone else at the front in most competitive series are running the expensive tyres AND spending money testing. I can't afford to test as it costs me a lot in lost wages AND the extra expense so have to look to others experience to improve the car (and as a driver I am probably beyond help anyway!).

[Cleggie]

I can see your point, but I was talking about using tyres for track days. For races I agree you need the best you can get. But testing does give you an advantage and help you get more out of what you've got. Aside from this, and the fact that a new set of tyres is always quicker, say 1 second per lap, I wouldn't know what brand/type of tyre is quicker than another. I suppose that would be difficult to measure without back to back testing different types on the same car.

[graham bahr]

i'm guessing weight of the car may have a very real effect on the situation, slicks are pure race tyres born and breed, the current crop of trackday type road legal tyres are getting the performance mainly i think due to using very soft rubber compounds, they are certainly softer than most slicks. which is why they work from almost cold unlike a slick, i guess it wouldn't do to have cars crashing on the road because they had cold tyres!

[Al Weyman]

A good car tester and sorter outerra who is well known but name escapes me but used to specialise at Mallory and helped a mate of mine sort out his Camaro told us he was not concerned what tyres we turned up on for the testing as long as they were the same on each corner as he reconed it did'nt make a lot of difference, i.e understeer/oversteer would be the same if he took it out on road rubber or slicks and it was about improving the time on the day and getting the car to handle in a neutural fashion.

[breezeblock]

we were using a set of bridgestone potenzas but we changed to a set of maxsport rb5 soft compound tyres it transformed the car and they didnt melt either these have 8 trackdays and are only half worn also they are cheap about £60 a corner inc vat

[AndyV]

Our series races on Yoko A048s and we call them semi slicks rather than track day tyres. You get heat in them quicker over slicks because the tread blocks sqidge around so warming up the rubber as opposed to slicks with no tread. Conversly they could then go off quicker tham a slick because of all the squidging so you try a harder compound for longevity and are back into the realms of more time to get heat in. Never easy this racing lark is it

[youngoldy]

My dad bought some second hand used slicks from Clio Cup, and compared to normal track day tyres, they are so much better, cheaper, and much quicker!!

[Bob Pearson]

We've got piles of part used slicks, we're falling over the blasted things. Anyone can come and help themselves for trackdays if they wish !!

[greenamex2]

Originally Posted by Bob Pearson

We've got piles of part used slicks, we're falling over the blasted things. Anyone can come and help themselves for trackdays if they wish !!

What size?

[R59]

got any 285/680x18's Bob?

[Bob Pearson]

18's ???? What's this, tractor racing? No they are all 13's, 8 inch and 10 inch wide
( formula renault ) the fronts are the same as the Clio's use all round, I noticed on an earlier post someone had tried Clio tyres for a track day application, that is what prompted me to mention our "heap"