Driving to the track on race tires??

I want to buy some Yokohama 032's or Kuhmos. I was wondering if it hurt the tires or shortened their life if I drove to the track on them. I am in Charleston, SC, so the tracks I would go to and the roundtrip distance is as follows:

Roebling Road, Savannah Ga: 200 miles
Carolina Motorsports Park: 250 miles
Charlotte Motor Speedway: 450 miles
Road Atlanta: 500 miles??

Part of me thinks that since I would be traveling on the highway, with no serious cornering, that they would be ok. Part of me wonders about the heat cycle issue, and thinks I would not be ok. What do you think??

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E. William Reinecke
1988 Carrera Targa

The last event I drove to was Mid-Ohio, about 200 miles from Pittsburgh on A032R's. If there was any tire that is suitable for this, it is them. That , to a degree, is their downside. They are a compromise in compound for wearability. They are noisy for everyday street use but are ok in the rain as long as they are not worn past the treads. With events you are doing, it may be difficult for them to last the year. This year I am going to run a softer compound and either trailer the car or bring them in another car. I found the A032's good when they get hot, I just think a Kumho or Hoosier will give you more grip but , of course, not last as long.

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8 9 9 1 1, The last of the line.

A cheap way is to transport your tires via a towable track trailer....check out this link. http://www.nosubstitute.org/events/SdAutox19Nov00/PA280001.JPG

I have used the trailer with both my 911 ans 914. Of course you need to bring tools and change tires when at the track...but you can now use super sticky tires and not wear them out...

I was thinking of the A032's for my 911 turbo. I saw on the Tire rack site that 10k miles was about the norm for a mustang, probably more for a lighter car and a 3.2 6engine. I only drive my car about 5k a year so 10k a year is ok with me. I am worried about things like flat spots and not sticking well until warm, but it sounds like the A032 is the best comprimise between a street and track tire.

The price isn't that bad either, slightly less than a AVS sport in the same size.
I'm going for it,
Chuck

The A032's do produce a high pitch whine that can be irritating on long trips. Just a warning.

I drove from L.A. to Laguna Seca about 700-800 miles, 300 miles to Buttonwillow and 200 miles to Willowspring. It's very acceptable on the wear. Yes, it's noisy and less gripy than Kumho and BFG on the track. But, you can drive back and fore the track which it's great. Never driven on the rain with it, so can't tell you.

This is an extreme example, but one of our PCA members had a supercharged SC that he raced all over the country. He drove that car everywhere on SLICKS. I never saw the car without them. I asked him about longevity, he just said you could pick up a set anywhere and have them mounted so no big deal. Now, I don't think I would do that, but apparently it can be done.

I have Yoko AVS Intermediates mounted on my SC. I've used these tires for years on the street with no problems. They aren't slicks, but with a wear rating of 90 they ain't far from it. I've also used 008's (the ones with only 1/2 of the tire having tread, the rest slick) on the street. Can be a little hairy in the rain.

[This message has been edited by RarlyL8 (edited 12-13-2000).]

Normal driving isn't really an issue with these types of tires. My cousins drive down from Toronto to Road Atlanta every year,(sometimes twice a year) on R1's or now Gforce, with no problems whatsoever. I have driven several hundred miles going to and from tracks myself, no problems at all. On another note, when I first got into this whole drivers ed thing 8 years ago, the only tires I had (read afford) on my 911 were R1's. Drove year round on them. The only problem was when it was raining,. Just a LITTLE squirely!
Marc

The wear of your tires will be at
the track not on the highway. That
said, Kumho Victoracers are downright
scary in the rain which usually what we
have every summer afternoon in Colorado.
I have loaded up my track tires inside my
911 for track events but things do
get tight. Two up front, one in the
back and one in the passenger seat.
Now I usually find a friend with
a trailer or truck to carry my tires.
for the far events. Track tires can
wear quickly sometimes so it is nice
to have an alternative to finish out
your sessions. HTH

Bill
72T, track junkie

I'm going to weigh in on the other side. Depending on what you want out of your tires, how fast you want to go at the track, and how often you want to buy new tires is relative. I have found that heat cycling is a much greater wear factor than treadwear (at least on DOT race tires). I used to race on A001R, A008R, BFG, MickeyT's, and Hoosiers. With all these, the grip would go away after about 4-5 races. (losing 1-2 secs per lap). IF this is ok, and your out to have fun.. I'd probably follow the advice previously and use the A032's. As they are a compromise compound, they will not be a grippy as th Hoos, but they also will not go away as quick. One more note, Don't forget that the Hoos are bias ply tires, not radials. This means that all else equal, the A032's will be closer in behavior to your street tires (e.g. slip angle, breakaway). This is neither good nor bad, but if you drive the car 15k/yr with radials, you may actually be quicker with the similar tires (until you learned the new behavior).

Finally, consider flexibility.. None of the tires is "great" in the rain. Think about I-95 during one of our spring downpours with psuedo-slicks on..

In light of all that, a spare set of rims and tires can actually make economic sense.
(at least that's how I'd sell it to the wife!!)

The closer your street legal tire is to a race tire construction and compound, the more grip is lost to heat cycles--up to a point. The tire will lose grip then stabilize. Then tread wear is the limiting factor. Unless your car setup and driving are optimized, you are better off with a harder compound, tougher tire that yields consistent results from one session to the next. This will allow you to adjust your car and driving without being concerned about the tires "falling off". A set of new "stickers" can actually mask setup and driving problems.

silly question but...

isn't it illegal to drive tires without some sort of tread on public roads? yeah, i have a few friends that do it, but i remember seeing somewhere that it was "questionable" to do so.

obin