MustGoFaster Posted May 18, 2006 Share Posted May 18, 2006 I just singed up for my first HPDE. 3 days at BIR. I am wondering if I am going to need 2 set of tires? One to drive home on and on set to wear out on the tack? Seems like a good idea to have a spare set, incase anything happens on the track anyway. Any reccomendations on tires to run? My car is a Conquest TSi, about 3000lbs, RWD, if it matters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddg Posted May 18, 2006 Share Posted May 18, 2006 What tires do you have currently? Unless they're REALLY worn out, I wouldn't worry about major damage. I WOULD however, rotate them on the 3rd day, I'd keep a very close eye on pressures. If you have a high compression engine, you can experiement with race gas, just don't put leaded gas in your tank!! Do a major inspection of your car (brakes, coolant, tires, belts, hoses, etc.), change the oil, flush the brake fluid and if it's due in the near future, do a tune up!! I also clean my engine before an event, it helps me track any leaks that might develop during an event, it's also easier to see everything too!! While your at the event, do periodic checks of the drive train, pretend you're mister pit crew and keep an eye out for leaks and an ear out for strange noises!! In allot of cases, you car might actually run better after the event!!! Lots of high speed full throttle driving tends to clean the carbon out of an engine.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAC Posted May 18, 2006 Share Posted May 18, 2006 If you can afford to have an extra set of cheap wheels with cheap street tires, that's always the way to go. Think about what you would do if you only had one set, had a blowout, and had to drive home. Not a good position to be in. Still, you can probably manage on one if you HAD to. Another thing to keep in mind is that when you at some point have your car aligned for a track setup, it won't be a good idea to drive your track tires on the street as they will get worn down rather quickly with camber and toe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebionicman Posted May 18, 2006 Share Posted May 18, 2006 I ran my first year on regular street tires. Now I have upgraded to a set of RA-1s for the track. I will warn you that BIR can be tough on tires depending on how much you are pushing the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MustGoFaster Posted May 19, 2006 Author Share Posted May 19, 2006 Thanks for the tips. I would be more comfortable with 2 sets, just in case. Any recommendations on brands? Any to avoid specifically? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAC Posted May 19, 2006 Share Posted May 19, 2006 Thanks for the tips. I would be more comfortable with 2 sets, just in case. Any recommendations on brands? Any to avoid specifically? The Azenis RT-615 is about the best you can get for a street tire for the track, especially at the price point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
granracing Posted May 28, 2006 Share Posted May 28, 2006 Ryan, Having a spare tire with you is a good idea, just in case. As someone brand new to driving on a track, you won't go through tires nearly as quickly right now as you will after a few events. But if you want to, get a set of junk yard rims and put some tires on them. The Toyo RA-1s are an excellent tire - they are a great track tire and won't wear down extremely quickly. Another thing to keep in mind is that when you at some point have your car aligned for a track setup, it won't be a good idea to drive your track tires on the street as they will get worn down rather quickly with camber and toe. Yes, but then your street tires will get worn down more quickly. For your first few events, keep your alignment settings close to (if not) stock. Do keep in mind that if you change toe and camber, it will have an impact on your street driving tire wear. When using a car for both street and track, you'll want to find a good compromise. Don't worry about this stuff too much. As previously said, spend some time going through your car to make sure everything is in good working order. Esp. check your brake system. I would recommend flushing your brake fluid with one that has a higher boiling point. (My favorite is ATE Superblue - it is a very good fluid and will only cost you about $15 for the amount you'll need.) Have a blast at the event! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MustGoFaster Posted May 29, 2006 Author Share Posted May 29, 2006 I picked up a set of stock rims and some RA-1's. But the RA-1's didn't show up on time. So I just went up and had fun. I did also get a set of pads (Porterfield R4-E's) and did a full bleed of the system with Valvoline Synpower fluid (480F dry boiling point). Didn't have a problem with them at all. Thanks for the advice I had a great time! Ryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr PS Posted June 4, 2006 Share Posted June 4, 2006 I started out with street tires as well with just one spare. Then moved on to RA-1s after about 20 events. Since then I have been bringing extra RA-1s to the track. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midngn Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 A great tire for an HPDE is the Hankook Ventus Z211. They are being discontinued so they are going for good prices. These tires are currently being used as the SPEC tire shaved in the USTCC Race Group. These would be ideal tires for a HPDE driver that wanted to go with a race compound but not spend huge bucks on full blown DOT slicks. They would be good left full tread but better shaved. Worth a look. I would not recommend a race tire to a novice HPDE driver, a race tire will not squeal and scream at you when you do something wrong until it is too late!! Learn on street tires and then move up to a better, faster compound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcmmotorsports Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 I am having a slight dilema right now in terms of tire choice for an HPDE 3 event at the end of July. The car I will be taking is a '94 Civic with 155/80/13's on it. This car will most likely be built over the winter as a H4 Racer and I really don't want to spend money on tires that I am only going to run 1 time. I have thought of buying some RA-1's with new rims, but there are conflicting stories about sizes. 15x7 is the apparent rim of choice along with a 225/50/15, but I read somewhere else that a 205/50/15 would be better. I have also read that a 14" would be better. So much confusion. I wanted to run some Goodyear treaded racing tires that I can get for free, but they are 13's that require an 8" rim and I can't locate any with a 4x100mm bolt pattern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
granracing Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 I'm not sure what the CCR says about your car - are you allowed to run 13s? If so, why move to 15s? Your gearing will be better, tires are less expensive, ect. (I use 225/45/13 on my Prelude - a H5 car) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MustGoFaster Posted July 5, 2006 Author Share Posted July 5, 2006 Well, the RA1's I ordered never showed. Are they a ok tire to be using as a beginner? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
granracing Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 They are an excellent tire for a beginner, or someone looking to race on a budget. There are faster tires, but the wear rate typically is not as good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcmmotorsports Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 I'm not sure what the CCR says about your car - are you allowed to run 13s? If so, why move to 15s? Your gearing will be better, tires are less expensive, ect. (I use 225/45/13 on my Prelude - a H5 car) I figured everyone was running 15's. Oh well, I guess I need to do more research. For my next HPDE at VIR, I am still working on getting some tires to replace the current 155/80/13's that are on the car. I have a pretty good idea what I am going to be using. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TorqueAholic Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 I am running Azenis 615's on my Mustang and I am extremely satisfied. I bought them local for somewhere near $100.00 a piece brand new (245-45-17). They are awesome on the track: stick almost like r compounds, very forgiving and durable. You might find yourself cornering harder than guys on R's (I did..) just because they are so predictable and forgiving. On the street they are amazingly civilized with a fairly quiet ride and a good resistance to hydroplaning. So far I have 3 on track days and about 9500 street miles and I think they will last another couple HDPE weekends and some more street miles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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