Goodyear GS-D3 tires hold up on track?

[Frank Corkran]

I'm looking at getting a set of Goodyear GS-D3 tires for my 3100 lb Mustang since the Kumho MXs I ordered in June appear to be on extended backorder.

 

Anybody use these for track days? They seem to be a very good, sticky tire but I want to make sure they can take the heat of track use. The tires will see 40% track/60% highway *miles*. This is my instructor session car that I usually drive to the track plus occasionally commute 150 miles each way on the PA turnpike in the warmer months. The need for heavy rain traction until the tires are nearly worn out is why I want to stick to true street tires (plus they're fun to toss around on the track).

 

The GS-D3s are on sale at TireRack, so please don't suggest SO-3s or Pilot Sports. I need to save the big tire money for the AI car.

 

Any info on how these tires perform on track is appreciated - I need to order them by tomorrow, before I leave for Germany for 2 weeks.

[RenieLude]

this is my 1st post but for a track day back in June they were pretty good! They have survived at 700 mile trip, a track day at beaverun, and several autocrosses... did very well even autoXing in the rain... of course there are better tires but depends on the use but thus far, no complaints, very happy with the purchase...

[Frank Corkran]

I knew I posted about these tires somewhere, so here's an update. Great street tires, but they don't hold up to hard (dry) track use. Grip is good, fantastic in the wet, but the tall, skinny longitudinal tread blocks roll over, as do the sidewalls unless very high pressures are run. They seem to have gone away due to heat cycles as well after 11 track days. A friend's year old totally worn Azenis still have more grip, even with more than twice the track miles. Mine are done for track use, unless maybe I know it's going to rain all day. The tread from the center to the outer edge is pretty torn up, even running 2 degrees negative camber. Even the slightest noise or sliding damages these tires.

 

I strongly recommend them as street tires, maybe even for a track novice who only runs one or two events a year. They're still quiet and smooth riding after the track abuse. Best rain tires I've ever run by far, lots of grip and gentle, easily catchable breakaway. In the wet I keep up with the AWD rockets in my Mustang, with the old AVS-Is I became the slowest thing on the track when it rained, even driving 10/10ths. With these tires I prefer the rain.

[Vettedoctor]

I ran those on the back of my Vette at a HPDE at Road America in October, and there was rubber rolling off of them by the end of the event. It was pretty cold out 40s or 50's but the sessions were only 20 minutes. They seemed to have plenty of grip, I was keeping up with Z06's running the F1 super car tires. (which I can say have held up to track days VERY well) 2 of my customers run Z06's and they have about 8 events on them they (the F1 supercar tires) hold up very well but $. I definatly think that in warmer temps they would ball up a little more. The tread pattern is just too wild for track events.