04 Tires
Tires are a BIG topic! Below are some considerations when thinking about your tire choices.
Tire Types
There are various types of tires, many of which we're all familiar with. However, it's worth discussing a few types that are particularly relevant to track driving. This topic can be a bit perplexing, as each tire retailer and manufacturer employs their own terminology to classify their products. Nonetheless, we'll roughly categorize them into three groups that should provide clarity: Non-street Racing Tires (Slicks), Ultra High Performance Summer Tires, and Summer Tires.
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Non-street Racing Tires (Slicks)
As the name suggests, these tires are precisely what they sound like. They're not intended for street use, being purpose-built for bone-dry track conditions. They're called "slicks" because they lack traditional tread patterns (as seen in the picture above of the Ferrari F1 team). Although there are rare instances where you might spot these tires at an HPD event, they are primarily designed for track-specific applications. If you're already seeking racing slicks for your track day adventure, we're genuinely impressed you're taking the time to learn more about them (and we're flattered).
Ultra High Performance Summer Tires
This tire class can be a bit intricate, given the wide array of brands and designs that, on the surface (quite literally), appear vastly different. However, in broad terms, these are tires that ride the edge of street legal. They possess just enough tread and grip to earn the "DOT-approved" status from the Department of Transportation, allowing for highway use. To be fair, many options in this class perform remarkably well in wet summer conditions and could easily be used off track very safely, the category is so diverse that careful research is essential to make sure you are getting a tire fit for your purpose. Are you looking for tires dedicated solely to track usage, or do you expect to employ them as your daily drivers too? The answer to this question will significantly impact your decision, steering you towards options like the one on the left (Nanking AR-1) or the one on the right (Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2), both pictured below.
Nanking AR-1
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
As a beginner, there's no need to jump into investing in a set of Ultra High Performance tires right away. Your current level of experience likely won't fully utilize the performance capabilities these tires offer. However, as you inevitably become enamored with track driving (which tends to happen), you'll soon find yourself seeking dedicated track tires. Using your daily tires on the track will quickly lead to wear and tear that you might want to avoid.
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When that day arrives (and it certainly will), we highly recommend referring to the regularly updated review published by Grassroots Motorsports to assist in your tire selection process. This review is comprehensive, covering over 30 tires across various classes. It even includes a handy selection chart at the end to help streamline your search. You can find their review here.
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On the track, you'll notice that many participants opt for tires in this performance class. However, a word of advice: don't let others easily sway you into thinking that their choice of "best" tire is the one you absolutely need. It's crucial to conduct your own research to find the tire that suits you best. Consider factors like your car's specifications, your driving style, tire durability, and cost, just to name a few. Tires are a personal choice, so invest time in finding the perfect match for your needs.
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Summer Tires
Among the most prevalent tire types, apart from all-seasons, are summer tires, which are designed explicitly for warm-weather driving. As a beginner, utilizing basic summer tires for a few track days is a perfectly suitable approach. Your skill level will likely keep you from pushing the tires to their limits. Moreover, experiencing regular summer tires on the track will provide valuable insight into the disparity between tire degradation and grip performance when compared to regular street driving.
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During your initial track days, you'll be astonished by the transformation that occurs in your tires in terms of composition, temperature, and overall wear. After gaining experience with basic summer tires, upgrading to Ultra High Performance Summer tires will be a great upgrade. These tires will better align with your newfound skills and you'll immediately notice improvements in performance and overall enjoyment.
Tire Treadwear
Treadwear, in simple terms, tells you how long your tire is expected to last. While closely connected to the previous section about tire types, let's dig a bit deeper because there are various levels of treadwear ratings even within the same tire category.
Now, keep in mind that treadwear ratings aren't like precise mileage or time guarantees. Instead, they're a handy tool the tire industry came up with to help us understand how different tires wear in comparison to each other.
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These ratings stem from tests done by manufacturers under controlled conditions. They basically show how quickly a tire's tread will wear out compared to a reference tire with a rating of 100. For example, a tire with a rating of 200 should last twice as long as the reference tire, while one with a rating of 50 might wear out in half the time.
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Knowing the treadwear rating becomes pretty important when you're picking out a track tire. You'll find both 100s and 200s, and maybe even a 240, all in the Ultra High Performance Summer tire class. Depending on what you're after, you might lean towards a tire that's a bit sturdier instead of gunning for pure performance, so you don't end up swapping out tires too frequently. Usually, the distinction might not be a big deal, but things speed up significantly on the track – in every sense. This means that the gap between a 100-rated and a 200-rated tire won't just be noticeable as you drive, but also in terms of how they wear and how soon you need replacements.
Tire Pressures
Let's dive into the pressure game! Track driving throws tire pressures into turmoil, leading to massive fluctuations throughout a single session. It's not uncommon to witness your tire pressures swinging by more than 10 psi within a 20-minute session. Mismanaging these fluctuations can lead to a slew of issues. Let's explore some of these potential problems and gather some tips to handle them.
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Over Inflation
If you kick off your session with higher pressures, say at the manufacturer's recommended levels – an easy mistake, especially after just transitioning from regular road driving – you might well surpass the tire's safe operating pressures by the end of your session. Beyond being unsafe, this situation decreases the tire's total contact patch. The tire "balloons," restricting contact to the middle of the tread face. This not only compromises cornering and acceleration but also triggers uneven wear on the middle of the tread face.
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Under Inflation
On the flip side, if your tires are underinflated, the outside edges of the tread face wear unevenly, and the tire walls bear undue stress during cornering. Corners become the spotlight for "rollover," where the tire increasingly runs on the sidewall due to heightened g-forces. This degrades performance and significantly shortens tire life. Sidewalls aren't built to withstand the same forces as the tread face. This can result in tire shredding and the dislodging of chunks, exposing cables and heavily compromising safety.
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Just Right Inflation
While not an official title, it captures the essence well. Achieving "just right" inflation involves understanding, through trial and error, the perfect inflation level tailored to you. Your goal should be for optimal tire pressure to be achieved when you're about half to three-quarters of the way into your track session. But how can you tell? If your car is equipped with a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), you can monitor real-time data and adapt your driving style accordingly, or cool your tires down by leaving the track if necessary. For those without TPMS, manual pressure monitoring becomes pivotal.
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Pressure measurement should be your routine: assess pressures at the session's start and immediately after using a digital tire pressure monitor. This practice reveals the variability you're dealing with on that day. Insights from your previous sessions can be used to guide your pressure decisions for the next session. Just to add some complication, you need to also consider track and ambient temperatures influencing pressure fluctuations. A setup that was fully dialed in one weekend might fall flat on another if the day is warmer or cooler.
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You'll notice by now that we haven't provided any actual numbers to aim for. This is deliberate. We really mean it when we say you need to evaluate your own tires, your own driving style, the weather, the track surface and ambient air temperatures before deciding what will work for you. As a starting place though, try going out on your first session 5-7psi below your tires recommended psi and see how that works, then adjust accordingly for future sessions taking into account all the factors explained here.
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Advanced Tactics
As you progress, merely watching pressures might not suffice. If you're at this stage, dive into tire temperatures. Monitoring tire temperatures opens the door to understanding tire pressures on a new level, as well as your skill as a driver... really! In a rather morbid analogy, analyzing tire temps is akin to analyzing blood splatter at a crime scene. By looking at the after effects you are able to derive what happened during the event itself.
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To gauge tire temps, a pyrometer is needed, either digital or with a probe (we lean towards the probe). Immediately after your session, armed with your pyrometer, pick a tire to begin with (start with the same tire each session for consistency) and measure temperatures near the outer edge, middle, and inner edge. Document all values for each tire. Now the detective work begins! While there's an intricate science to reading temps, here's a simplified scale to guide you. Your goal should be to achieve the middle "Fit inflated scenario" where sufficient pressure exists such that it maintains an even temperature across the tire face. Achieving this is easier said than done, but it is worth the time investment to get right. You will learn a lot about your driving style as you aim for this balance, which is a happy bi-product of this effort.
Tire Pressure and Temperature Guide
Conclusion
There are many other aspects that can be discussed as it pertains to tires, but the above should get you started feeling confident that you are on the right tire for you and that you are managing them safely. Other topics to consider are tire and wheel size and the pro's and con's of each, as well as paying attention to tire wear and degradation which happens much faster on track vs. street driving, both topics we will be sure to cover at a later date.
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Happy driving!
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Head back to the Starter Guide