Race tire basics Philadelphia PA

Unlike on the street, race tires are less about brand appeal and more about finding something that you are comfortable driving consistently at the limit. Race tires have some quirks, which I will detail in this article. I’ll also tell you how to get the most out of your race tires.

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Here are some race tire quirks:

A race tire becomes hard and unpredictable after a number of heat cycles (heating up through use, then cooling down again). This number of cycles varies from tire to tire.

Race tires need to be slowly brought up to an optimal temperature before they perform their best. This can take a few turns or an entire lap, depending on the length of the circuit, the weather, and other factors. Autocross and gymkhana drivers have even less opportunity to bring the tires up to temperature because their runs are shorter than track drivers.

A race tire has a very narrow warning envelope at its limits. It demands a more skilled driver to feel out where those limits are.

Race tires are needed in both grooved and slick or shaved versions, depending on whether there is moisture on the track.

Race tires can flat-spot (get shaved flat in one spot, from skidding) when the brakes lock up or when the car spins/slides. A flat-spotted tire is like a square wheel, which is both an oxymoron and the end of your day (unless you have a replacement).

This isn’t same kind of flat-spotting that appears when a car is parked for an extended period and the tires become out of round. A parking flat spot, unlike one caused by friction, is generally temporary and disappears after the car has been driven a few miles.

Using racing tires meant for the track on public roads might be tempting, but don’t do it. Why?

Non-DOT racing tires are illegal on public roads in the U.S.

Racing tires puncture easily.

Racing slicks are hazardous to your health in a sudden rain.

Racing tires will blast your paint job with gravel and other debris.

A car on slicks accelerates and corners on a dry racetrack in ways that street tires can’t approach. Even a dual-purpose DOT-legal street/race tire pales in comparison to a true race slick.

To get the most out of race slicks, your car needs to undergo some preparation in order to handle all that extra grip. Race slicks will work your suspension to its limits. The car leans, the chassis twists, and the body groans under the strain. The sway bar end link mounting tabs, if not reinforced, may bend or break. Without mudguards (or careful application of masking tape) slicks will kick up enough gravel to sandblast the rocker panels under cornering. Perhaps most disastrous, cars can suffer engine oil starvation under the extreme cornering.

A well-baffled oil pan and oil pressure gauge, with a warning light, are essential if you’re running on racing slicks. Increased cornering forces can starve an engine with an oil pan not designed with these forces in mind. The baffles in the pan help keep the oil from sloshing around from side to side, and possibly away from the pump pickup point.

If you’re just getting started looking for race tires, check with race teams and on race-oriented automotive message boards for a set of used tires with a few days of use left in them. Tires that have hardened by time or heat cycles can be rejuvenated with chemicals available from race shops. Visually inspect the tires before mounting them to ensure that they haven’t sustained punctures or flat-spotting.

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For Dummies is a registered trademark of Wiley Publishing, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Used here by license.

Featured Local Company

Andy & Fred Torres Auto Repair

(215) 423-8225
1919 N 2nd St
Philadelphia, PA

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