We have a set of wheels and tires just for going to the track. We run these both on Shawn and Tristan (Cooper-S and Cooper). They're just about worn out and I'm wondering what to replace them with.

Currently we have Dunlop Direzza Z1 Star Specs in 205/50r16. We've been pretty happy with them, except that they exhibit an alarming degree of what I think is graining. See the picture below, for what I'm referring too (if its not graining, what is it?). Its worse on the front, and this picture is after a couple of hundred miles on the street has worn a lot of it off.

So what should I replace them with? If I stick with 205/50r16 there's only one Extreme performance tire available, the Direzzas like we have now. One performance category down there are Continental DW tires which have a good reputation as street tires, but are notorious for having soft sidewalls. With the Direzzas I already have to pump them up to 41/38 psi to stop them scrubbing the shoulder, I wonder how the DW tires would hold up.

I could go to 205/55r16 where the choice really opens up, Tirerack lists 27 potential tires. That would increase the gear ratios slightly which might help in some places, but hinder other, Tristan already doesn't have much get up and go in 4th, that would make it worse.

In Extreme performance tires there's the Direzzas again, as well as Bridgestone Potenza RE-11, Hankook Ventus R-S3 and Yokohama ADVAN Neova AD08. There's a host of others in lesser categories, including the Continental DW previously mentions and also Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 which Shawn runs as his street tires. The PE2s are almost as grippy as the Direzzas, though I've never run them on the track. There's also Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 and Yokohama S.drive which we've used previously and they don't grip nearly so well.

Any thoughts?

 

I'm very happy with my RE11s but I haven't spoken to anybody using StarSpecs that didn't like them; they are very popular and widely-used. Don't think you can go wrong with either one.

Gary

 

I've heard the R-S3's are very good, and also very reasonably priced compared to other tires in that performance bracket.

 

If you are willing to invest in a set of light wheels for track use only, the world of R-comps opens up for you. You'll never go back to street tires!

 

We have a set of track only wheels, but we use them for going to and from the track. I don't want to have to take a spare set of wheels and tools.

 

If you're not too far from the track, you could mount the Nittos on your track wheels and drive them to and from the track, as they are DOT street legal. Don't try this if the roads are wet, though.

 

Giving opinions of what tires to use is only as good as the experience that someone has had with them. Having tracked many different brands, without going with a completely track tire, out of the list you gave, the RE-11’s are without a doubt the best on the track. They’re stable, wear evenly, sticky as hell without going to an R compound. They’ll squeel just enough to let you know when they’re on the edge and you can drive them home.

One of those “I’ll never go back to anything else” tires....

Like I said, based on previous experiences... they’ve worked for me.

Mark

 

Mark,

Have you tried the RS-3 too? I'm curious of your comparative impressions if so - I'm convinced of the virtues of the RE-11, having been beaten by it more than a few times....

Cheers,

Charlie

 

There's not many tests which include the RS-3 out there. The only one I've found is interesting but doesn't include the RE-11: http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/top-tires/

 

I found a test with all the suspects: http://www.eurotuner.com/techarticle...e/viewall.html

Interestingly, this gives first place to the Continental DW, which is from a lower performance category. That's because of its wet performance. Its not often wet here, but I'd like something which isn't dangerous in the wet.

 

My situation also, though I do take two spares and tools with me--I've never had a failure on the track but on two occasions I picked up a puncture on the way.....

I posted this on the track forum but FYI the RE11s are awesome in the wet--I currently have mine mounted "inside-out" (like you're not supposed to do) and with all the rain driving I've done lately I honestly can't tell the difference from having them mounted the "correct" way.

Gary

 

Most of us trackheads wouldn't think about going to the track without a basic tool kit, an extra serp. belt, torque wrench, etc.

 

Extra set of pads, street and track pads, jack, tape...etc.

Mark

 

We take a few tools, I've never used them apart from the torque wrench.

 

I just ordered some Bridgestone RE-11s in 205/55r16. I hope that works out.

 

In my last event, I was talking to a local tire shop employee (they come to our track events to help out etc). He suggested Falken Azenis 615, since they are very suitable for rotation.

 

+1 for RE-11's.
Best performance street/track tire money can buy.
They are not the cheap (thus preponderance of fans of more budget oriented alternatives), but they are the BEST in the dry, and surprisingly good in the wet.


alex f

 

We used the new tires (RE-11s) for the first time on the track on Wednesday. I knocked 2 seconds off my best ever time. I'm not sure how much of that is down to the tires and how much is my driving.

Surprisingly quiet, they didn't squeal much except when really pushed. There was some graining, but I don't think it was as bad as the Direzzas.

 

I've grained/chunked tires like that before (Hankook R-S2s on a ~2900 lb AWD Diamond-Star). It's just a product of mechanical friction and the heat generated by hard driving. Extreme Performance tires are meant to take that. Heat cycling and shaving will cut down on graining/chunking, and if the tires are mounted on a set of track-only wheels, it's a worthwhile investment. I think TireRack charges $15 per tire.

I ordered a heat cycled and shaved set of Falken RT-215s before, but my R-S2s were not. As long as they spin true (ie. no weird vibrations at speed) and aren't flatspotted, I'd still use them, but I'd keep tabs on them (like we're supposed to, anyway). I put My R-S2s through maybe a dozen autocrosses and 3 track days on a significantly heavier car with much more power before they were done. Without the shaving, they had more life and were much more useful in the rain than the Falkens (lots of close calls in the rain, even with AWD).

RE-11s are a little on the pricey side. $200+ a tire is waaaaaaaay out of my budget.

 

If you have physical and budget space for track-only wheels, do yourself a favor and buy proper track R-tires.

Save your pennies - crappy tires are like ugly girlfriends - easy to come by, but hardly rewarding.

alex f

 

We used the new RE-11s at the track again on Thursday, this time at Infineon. I'm thinking the tires were worth about 1.5sec a lap there and at Laguna.

 

They were $160 each from Tirerack for our 16"s, they'd be $189 each for 17"s.

 

The Direzzas are hard to beat for performance and value. There was less than a second difference between them and the Nitto NT01s on the same weekend at Watkins Glen back in September.

 

The Direzzaz are hard to beat for performance and value. There was less than a second difference per lap between them and the Nitto NT01s last time I was at the Glen.

 

this past season, i used yokohama AD08 205/45-17 on ssr c's. i thought they did great.. awesome grip.. fair tread life.. minimal noise.

next season im going to try the re11's 205/45-17.. not that i didnt like the yokohama.. just for something different and because i got 2 brand new re11's for free..