Should I run my T1-S's at VIR?
 

I am going to do the VIR Full course in Sept. with the Mazda boys. i currently have 19" volk te-37's on my car with the Toyo meats. Here's the question...

Do i use the Toyo's, and therefore the lighter wheel, or do i conserve them for daily use and slap the stock 17's and bridgestone's back on?

My only concern is using up my very expensive tires in two days at the track. anyone with track experience on the Toyo's please chime in.

As usual, thanks for the help.

Sean

That is funny you posted this, I have the same wheels,(18s) w/ T1s and will also be there and was debating killing off my RE040s one last time, or using these. I am also going to VIR south w/ the Alfa club 2 weekends before that and will use my stock wheels/tires. See you there...

that is funny. i can't wait. i am leaning towards the Toyos BTW.

See you there.

sean

Personally, I think alot of us are having these thoughts with aftermarket rims on our car. Really, I think in any racing environment, I will use my 17s. This way, you can replace your Bridgestones with some real racing tires and use the 17s exclusively at the track, and use your 19s for the street.

The Toyos are real nice and expensive tires. But in a racing environment, I would rather buy some more hardcore racing tires that can be actually cheaper if you are buying tires for 17s than the 19s. Try to find different tires for the 19s, lol, the 17s are much easier to use for racing and cheaper for replacement also.

what do you recommend for my stock 18s? I don't think there are a lot of options.

I just got a set of falken fk 451. I've only put a few miles on them but they feel really good and are dirty cheap. Not exactly a race tire but again they are dirt cheap. I got them for $97 a piece. They make a 225, 235, 245, 275 that will fit on stock 18s.

Well, there are alot more options for 17s and 18s than 19s. I don't know if I will actually race my car very much at all. But if I do, it will probably be on my 17s. Heck, you could even put drag slicks on your 17s if you want to, especially if you don't have to worry about snow tires. Really, it is the best of both worlds, you have some nice street wheels and tires, then you have some that you can race which retain your factory look.

Bigdaddy, how many events have you run in the past? I think the RE040s are going to be a better learning tire, and if you go agricultural, you're less likely to screw up your more expensive wheels. 19s may be lighter, but all the weight is farther from the center of the wheel.

john,

i have never tracked before. that's the main reason i am asking this. i have no idea what to expect.

little_rod,

you make a good point, the only problem is that there is no way i can replace the bridgestones on my 17's before the event. therefore, i would be running them on the 17's.

thanks guys.

sean

dude, you don't have to replace your Bridgestones, just run them til they give out. Then replace them with some racing tires......:D

It depends on how much experience you have. If you are at the novice/intermediate level - use whichever set you feel like - you probably won't trash them that quickly anyway.

If you are an advanced driver, I would recommend a real r-compound. For an advanced driver, the T1-S kind of sucks on the track (I had a set once). They overheat quickly and their response is not that great (due to a lot of sidewall flex). Basically, they don't have much grip and don't give you much feel.

For the track your best bet is to go with an intermediate R compound - something like the Yoko A032R, the Kumho Victoracer, the Toyo RA1, or even the Michelin Pilot Sport Cups or P Zero Corsa if you want to blow some $$$. These tires are all very streetable - I drive from April to October on my A032Rs (including the 5,000 or so street miles in between track events) and they work very well. They're louder and have lower hydroplaning resistance than regular street tires but are very tolerable. If you can't live with that, I would recommend the Kumho Ecsta MX, Falken Azenis Sport or BFG G-Force TA KD (not KDW!). These tires are a bit more aggressive than the average street/sport tire (i.e. Bridgestone S-03 or Toyo T1s) but are still street tires and have good hydroplaning resistance and noise characteristics.

I've driven all of these tires (except the P Zero Corsa) on track so feel free to ask more questions if you want more detail.

Jason