I noticed my RE040 have chunks missing out of them after my last autocross - damn understeer and my inability to brake early . I did not really expect this to happen so soon and was kind of hoping that those tires would last me to the end of the year. The RE040 have about 15,000 miles on them and maybe 8-10 autox events. I have a set on Nismo wheels with potenzas already and I was planning to mount a set of Kumhos on my stock wheels next year dedicated to autox.

I plan to attend at least 8 autox events this year and 2 days of evolution school... I really don't think these tires will last but figured I’ll post this here so some of you race guru's can give me some input.

The only reason why I do not want to get R-compound tires now is because I keep hearing that it is a really bad idea to store these tires over the winter i.e. the rubber compound hardens/cures and looses its grippy properties.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

one more

 

I don't know about cold weather (we don't have any down here) but the best thing to do is keep them out of the sun or light, put them in those large black trash bags and close them tight.

 

Your problems with the 040's are not new. For their treadwear rating and construction, they are really not very good for Solo II and/or track days. As for the R-compound tires, you must make the decision on whether you want to spend the money now for increased performance this season, because they will get harder every time you heat cycle them

As for storage, follow Westpak's advise and also try to find a storage area that has a pretty constant temperature (ie. basement) and keeps the tires cool and away from sunlight. Possibly the best thing you can do, regardless of when you buy your R-compound tires, is to break them in properly. That entails putting one consistent heat-cycle into the tires (easier to do in road racing than autocossing) and then take them OFF the car and allowed to cure overnight. You will get the fastest laps out of a set of sticker tires, but if you keep running them after they get hot, it degrades the tires performance and longevity. Tire Rack has a nice writeup on this process if you check their R-compound FAQ.

 

or u can just buy them already heat cycled for like $15 extra a tire