Track Tyres - Feedback and Recommendations

[Franky212]

And wouldnt you have to be a more skilled driver to still do well using a lesser tyre

 

[Mr Burns]

And wouldnt you have to be a more skilled driver to still do well using a lesser tyre

Yeah, sort of...
People will tell you that you NEED this and NEED that, but it is to be taken with a pinch of salt. I'm still quicker than pretty much all of my mates on track, and I spend less on everything. I don't even modify my cars generally, but make sure they're mechanically sound.
As I mentioned before the problem with cheap tyres is they don't last very long because they're too soft, with soft sidewalls. I've done plenty of trackdays on cheap tyres just to burn them off before changing them, and I was still quick and still had fun.

 

[Krarl]

Technically yes

But you'd be more of an idiot to bother turning up to a trackday in the summer with cheap tat road tyres

 

[Mr Burns]

Technically yes

But you'd be more of an idiot to bother turning up to a trackday in the summer with cheap tat road tyres

I'm that idiot, and I've got lots of YouTube videos of me overtaking most cars...

 

[JB21]

IMO its easier to drive on road tyres as for one your going slower and two they are much more forgiving when they let go, giving you much more time to react.

 

[imprezaworks]

Think it also depends how realistic you are when it cones to capability.

I ran slicks on my first day. Brand new, was lashing down. Fastest there.

Someone less capable would probably crash.

So weigh up which one you are and spend accordingly

 

[Krarl]

I'm that idiot, and I've got lots of YouTube videos of me overtaking most cars...

Aye but were they Landsails or were they something semi-respectable like Michelin or a Goodyear?

Personally I'd choose to spend £200 on a set of wheels with semi slicks. Plus you can sell them for £200 afterwards if you don't completely eliminate the tyres

 

[Mr Burns]

Aye but were they Landsails or were they something semi-respectable like Michelin or a Goodyear?

Personally I'd choose to spend £200 on a set of wheels with semi slicks. Plus you can sell them for £200 afterwards if you don't completely eliminate the tyres

I tend to buy a car and if I don't like/want the tyres I'll burn them off on track before replacing them. Tbh I'm more amazed how slow some people go in their fast cars.

 

[SWL16]

The main problem I found using cheaper road tyres is it knackers the tread up, and rounds the shoulders off them because they don't have the rigidity in the sidewalls. Other than that, yeah a normal road tyre isn't too bad depending on tyre and car brand.

This is the key thing for me, as you get faster you start to ruin the sidewalls of road tyres and start to take chunks out of the tread. It becomes false economy to replace your road tyres with 4/5mm left on them because you've got chunks of tread missing where they've overheated.

Also, it limits your enjoyment when you have to limit yourself to say 10/15min sessions between cool downs rather than 25/30min sessions that you can do with better tyres (and also better brake pads).

 

[Franky212]

I think most people seem to want as much help as possible and a better tyre will for instance allow you to corner faster i was just thinking if your not actually competing wouldnt it be more fun trying to be good using the most basic equipment i guess tho if that was the case people wouldnt do a track day in a aston martin they would use a morris minor i supposeits all down to the individual thanks to everyone who has given feedback its always nice to hear other peoples opinions

Yeah, sort of...
People will tell you that you NEED this and NEED that, but it is to be taken with a pinch of salt. I'm still quicker than pretty much all of my mates on track, and I spend less on everything. I don't even modify my cars generally, but make sure they're mechanically sound.
As I mentioned before the problem with cheap tyres is they don't last very long because they're too soft, with soft sidewalls. I've done plenty of trackdays on cheap tyres just to burn them off before changing them, and I was still quick and still had fun.



I was starting to think that i understand if your competing then yes you need the best kit you dont see lewis hamilton with a set of cheap uzbecistan made gogo tyres on his f1 car cos heel be at a disadvantage all i wondered was if say your on a budget isnt the money better spent on mpre track time to perfect your driving skills and become a better driver its probably not a relivant quote but the footballer pele used to do kick ups with mangos in bear feet it just seems to me like people will by i dont know say a set of slicks for £700 and im sure a guy say like you whos just chucked on some old tyres hes got spare will be quicker i suppose its about if you want to develop roar talent or just wizz around real fast i watched an interview with senna the world renound f1 driver and they said whos the best person youve raced an out of all the people he named a guy from when he did go karting who was never a world champion i dont think he even raced to any high high competative level but i do understand your point personaly aslong as it wasnt dangerous id feel alot prouder if i did a track day an people said jesus christ mate you was all over the shop you really had to use skill to keep that on the track wow no wonder you used those mickey mouse cheapo tyres good shout mate but i guess thats just me probably no different to abs or traction control they all help the driver make the job of driving easier thanks for taking the time to read my post and reply

 

[Mr Burns]

I made this vid for s***s n gigs...



1.5 Suzuki Ignis Sport, 109bhp with no mods... Standards brakes and suspension, tyres were the 'dreaded' Toyo T1-R's lol.

 

[Franky212]

I made this vid for s***s n gigs...



1.5 Suzuki Ignis Sport, 109bhp with no mods... Standards brakes and suspension, tyres were the 'dreaded' Toyo T1-R's lol.

Ha ha excellent an guess what tyres are on the clio I just got lol great tunes playing mate 👌🔥

 

[Franky212]

Ha ha excellent an guess what tyres are on the clio I just got lol great tunes playing mate 👌🔥

Anyway in the 30g porsche with prob 2g tyres cant shake you off lol

 

[Krarl]

How do you not know he wasn't on a few cool down laps?😂

Its like comparing chocolate to cheese, most people that book a trackday in a Porsche don't know how to drive and/or dont want to ruin their 50k+ car you plank

I can 100% gauranfuckingtee that if you actually stuck a set of decent tyres on you'll be nearly 2 seconds a lap quicker and have more fun and not have to worry about driving home on illegal tyres and not have to have a cool down every 10 minutes

Semi slicks are a no brainer for me, going to a trackday on road tyres is like going in equipped to f**k Hande Ercel (google her) with a micropenis and erectile dysfunction ffs

 

[Mr Burns]

Anyway in the 30g porsche with prob 2g tyres cant shake you off lol

Another one for your amusement...



1991 1.6 MX-5 with 115bhp and Nankang NS20 tyres (£28 each). No mods other than some Eibach springs. Skip to 8:07 for a funny moment with the Aerial Atom.

 

[Franky212]

I guess its all down to the individual and what skills they want to develop but surely if you have say 30gs to ow a porsche wouldn't you just buy a cheap hack to do on track days an not have to worry i suppose its each to there own i just found it interesting that he's passing people left right an centre in a enterprise small hire car surely wouldn't that show hes a more skilled driver

 

[Mr Burns]

How do you not know he wasn't on a few cool down laps?😂

Its like comparing chocolate to cheese, most people that book a trackday in a Porsche don't know how to drive and/or dont want to ruin their 50k+ car you plank

I can 100% gauranfuckingtee that if you actually stuck a set of decent tyres on you'll be nearly 2 seconds a lap quicker and have more fun and not have to worry about driving home on illegal tyres and not have to have a cool down every 10 minutes

Semi slicks are a no brainer for me, going to a trackday on road tyres is like going in equipped to f**k Hande Ercel (google her) with a micropenis and erectile dysfunction ffs

You think they were all on a cool down lap? Haha. I've got loads of videos of me hustling stuff out the way... People don't take me seriously because I always turn up to a trackday with a boggo slow car, but I've been doing trackdays for 12 years and compete too. I'm not saying I'm an amazing driver, just an experienced one.
I'm also not saying I'd rather run cheap tyres... Semi slicks all the way, I agree. I posted the vids merely to point out to the op that it is possible to have fun and push hard on cheap tyres.

 

[Franky212]

this is what I'm trying to work out if your a good enough driver as seems to be shown in the video it don't matter what car your in an surely you stand a better chance of getting better the more you do somin so if your on track more you learn more and if you were on a budget saving £100 on tyres every time would give you more track time

 

[Franky212]

totally random totally but when i served I once saw a afghani guy who was 70 years old out shoot a sniper in my regiment and he had a rifle that was pre second world war our man had a barrat cost the mod 10gs a piece but the old guy had been shooting for 60 years

 

[Franky212]

I'm just wondering if my experience of car trackdays is going to be loads of guys with a role on there wrist frothy coffee in hand having all the top top kit cost a fortune but the guys im going to learn stuff from watching are gona be the guys with a cheap little car a casio watch on there wrist an drinking a mcdonalds coffee im more interested to see the type of people and community than to actually do a trackday in a car

 

[Mr Burns]

I've watched the trackday scene change a lot since I first started in 2008. Back then it was mostly people using their daily car on track for a bit of fun. These days half the cars arrive on a trailer and have cost a small fortune.
Trackdays themselves have gone up in price a fair bit too...

 

[JB21]

I've watched the trackday scene change a lot since I first started in 2008. Back then it was mostly people using their daily car on track for a bit of fun. These days half the cars arrive on a trailer and have cost a small fortune.
Trackdays themselves have gone up in price a fair bit too...

They also let race cars/teams onto public track days these days which boils my piss as they're supper aggressive and a lot of them don't adhere to track rules. It seems the teams use the day for practice before a race weekend as a general track day is cheaper than a test day.

 

[charltjr]

Yeah if I'm doing a TD I always check these days if there's a race meet the following day and avoid those TDs. Inevitably they are used as test days and the driving standards/behaviour is absolutely abysmal.

I'm not a particularly great driver, but I also have no ego at all on track and always, always let quicker cars though regardless of what I'm driving. I'm just there for the fun.

I really don't like the way BookATrack have re-branded themselves "Want2Race" - it sends entirely the wrong message to trackday wannabees IMO.

 

[JB21]

Yeah if I'm doing a TD I always check these days if there's a race meet the following day and avoid those TDs. Inevitably they are used as test days and the driving standards/behaviour is absolutely abysmal.

I'm not a particularly great driver, but I also have no ego at all on track and always, always let quicker cars though regardless of what I'm driving. I'm just there for the fun.

I really don't like the way BookATrack have re-branded themselves "Want2Race" - it sends entirely the wrong message to trackday wannabees IMO.

I'm at Donington Park Friday 28/8. There's racing on that weekend but its the Ferrari challenge cup so doubt these lot will be cheap stakes booking the Friday track day for testing.

I always find its the junior teams with kids driving that are the nuisance on track days, mini, ginetta series etc...

 

[Franky212]

But surely if there loads of pros on there driving mad an stuff dosnt that force everyone to up there game like if souuthend play man city in the fa cup they no there gona loose 10-0 but they enjoy going up against pros is it not better to be the slowest or worst on a track with loads of ace drivers than flying about as top dog with loads of people who youve lapped 8 times

 

[JB21]

But surely if there loads of pros on there driving mad an stuff dosnt that force everyone to up there game like if souuthend play man city in the fa cup they no there gona loose 10-0 but they enjoy going up against pros is it not better to be the slowest or worst on a track with loads of ace drivers than flying about as top dog with loads of people who youve lapped 8 times

No! You're more likely to end up in the armco backwards as a novice as they'll either pressure you into a mistake or the novice will try and keep pace and bin it.

 

[Franky212]

But isnt that the idea you need to learn an be strong willed and minded an think f**k them im gona do my thing an ok if they crash into you its there loss aswell Please dont anyone take this the wrong way but do you think trackdays fill people with false hope that there all lewis hamilton because they can fly around like mad when theres no one of a good good standard would people not sooner be around better faster pros or is that the point in track days is it to make people think there a superstar for the day its a weird one personaly i hope on the day i go im the slowest shitist driver an everyone laps me an i can actually learn from others not just fly round thinking im somin im not

 

[charltjr]

No, it’s dangerous because you have people sharing a track driving under different “rules” in their heads.

Track day rules are overtaking on the straights by consent, race drivers doing test days are chasing lap time through setup and will often ignore the rules and dive bomb you in corners under braking.

It’s horrible, basically.

Also, just because someone is in a race car doesn’t mean they’re not s**t. Money talks.

 

[Franky212]

But to learn anything it isnt usually easy and is challenging isnt it I guess its all about confidence and making your self at home in a foreign environment an focusing on your goal its really good to get peoples opinions on how they gage learning it was like mark twayne said ive never let my schooling get in the way o

 

[Franky212]

Of my education

 

[JB21]

Video here from Oulton park last year where there was lots of race cars in attendance, most of which didn't liked to be pushed around by a my Skoda daily. You literally have to rear end some of them to move them aside.

 

[MarkCup]

I can 100% gauranfuckingtee that if you actually stuck a set of decent tyres on you'll be nearly 2 seconds a lap quicker and have more fun and not have to worry about driving home on illegal tyres and not have to have a cool down every 10 minutes

You'd be wrong!

I don't get fun from being fast, I get fun from driving my car as close the limit as I dare. That limit changes based upon what tyres I'm running, but the fun is still there, I may just be going slower while having it.

 

[MarkCup]

My take on tyres is this...and I'm no expert, but what I've learned is that few people really understand how tyres work and what they're meant to do.

Worn out sidewalls? You're running them under-inflated or being too aggressive with your turn-in phase.

Understeer? Normally driver induced. I've never had understeer that wasn't down to me exceeding what the car's chassis or tyres could cope with.

Go out on a set of Michelin PS4s and expect turn in speeds that Michelin Cup2s would give you, and you're going to get understeer. Is that understeer a problem caused by the tyre? No!

What I've learned is that almost any tyre will do on a trackday. The main thing for me is making sure I have the same tyres on all four corners, to make sure the balance front/rear is correct, and closely monitoring pressures and wear across the tread, adjusting them accordingly throughout the day.

A perfectly enetered corner with a nicely rev-matched H&T downshift, smooth turn in, immediate but smooth throttle through the apex with nicely progressive unwound steering, more throttle, and just a little slip at the back. That's what I seek.

And that's possible on ANY tyre. The speeds will differ, the wear will differ (admittedly if you go for someting super-cheap you may shed some tread blocks) but the experience is broadly the same.

 

[charltjr]

I'd agree ^^^ but would also add that some road tyres just simply don't work on track. I ran a set of Eagle F1's on the back of my 182 and they literally melted, it was like trying to drive on marshmallow. I'd get a lap out of them and no more. But they were brilliant road tyres.

It's easy to get caught up with "this makes me faster" and I'm as guilty of that as anyone. I threw a lot of money at my 182 and loved feeling the improvements, but the actual change in lap time was minuscule really. Should have spent the money on lots and lots of tuition. But what the hell, I enjoyed every minute and that's what really matters.

 

[MarkCup]

Yep. I ruined my 172 Cup in the pursuit of making it as fast as possible round a track.

I've learned from that mistake.

 

[Mr Burns]

They also let race cars/teams onto public track days these days which boils my piss as they're supper aggressive and a lot of them don't adhere to track rules. It seems the teams use the day for practice before a race weekend as a general track day is cheaper than a test day.

Yeah that really gets on my nerves too, all because they're too tight to do proper testing. The Ginetta Junior kids are some of the worst I've seen.

 

[Franky212]

I guess Its all down to personal choice an what an how you like to learn id sooner have to appologise to a guy whos a great driver an say sorry pal i got in your way your better than me but im on my way up than be sat saying oh i lapped him an him an oh hes slow do you think its also down to risk an how

 

[Franky212]

Much guts you have

 

[Mr Burns]

I think what you're trying to say is it's more fun to drive a slow car fast, than a fast car slow, and I'd agree.
You've just gotta get out there and take each trackday as it comes. Some are great and others are filled with idiots and red flags.
My best recommendation is paying for some tuition as it's definitely worth it.

 

[charltjr]

On a track day you'll often just never know how much of it is great driving and how much is the car. You can have the most mundane looking things out there which are serious bits of kit under the skin, equally you can have mundane looking things which are just being driven really well.

At the end of the day you're not likely to lap anyone (or be lapped by anyone) on a TD unless there's a truly massive performance difference, almost no-one is out there pounding out laps for long enough for that to happen in even vaguely similar machinery.