steve40th

Just curious , it seems very common for folks to recommend to run whatever you have prior to running good autocross tires? Why, if you go to the drag strip, street tires arent the best to get your best ET?
Also, if you have a very modified car, with a pretty stout chassis etc, good tires are the best way around a track?
Just a thought?

L98Terror

R tires are less forgiving and it's harder to learn car control, you will learn to be faster quicker on street tires

steve40th

Sorta like learning to drive in the snow or on a dirt road before hitting a dry road?

TedDBere

Exactly. Also, the street tires will make all sorts of noises before letting loose...the Rs will just let loose without any auditory warning once you pass the limits.

FasterIsBetter

Not exactly. Street tires tend to give you some warning before they let go, and do it rather predictably. You start to feel that you are losing grip and can correct for it. With R compound tires, like slicks, you are either sticking or you're gone. They don't give you a warning that you are about to let go. And because they grip more, by the time they do let go, you are probably beyond being able to control what is going to happen if your really are a rookie.

If you are just getting started on the track, get the feel of the car first. Figure out how it handles, get the feeling of what its like to have the tires on the edge of letting go. Learn to control yourself and the car. Then, when you move up to race tires, you'll be able to handle them without the risk of having them let go beyond your ability to react and save your butt.



p.s. Use competitive mode until you learn to drive well on the track. You may not be able to react quickly enough to save your butt, but active handling will.

steve40th

That makes sense.
Now I have competetive mode on my C4, its called ASR off.
I think my new BFG KD's will be good then, instead of Kumhos etc.

robvuk

BFG's will be great. The real issue here is that the car handles the same. Street tires just get you sliding at lower speeds. So it's like learning in slow motion. Sure, you'll go around the track faster on R tires on your first day but you won't be going faster based on your skill level. My mom could probably go around pretty fast on R tires. Plus, your instructor will probably feel better about it too.

AU N EGL

Almost all DEs STRONGLY recommend that Novice to Intermediate level students learn and drive on street tires. Some DEs wont allow any students on R compounds at all.

When a student can learn great lines and car control on street tires, then the transition makes it easery and safter.

JiminVirginia

Nothing wrong with Toyo RA1s as a compromise: very decent autocross tire, very decent for HPDEs, assuming your local clubs allow it.

If you make any progress at all in autocross, you'll want to be competitive for the simple enjoyment of it, so while you might not want to make the leap to a true, heat cycling r-compound, the RA1s could be very appealing.

When you autocross, turn off all the electronics. They'll ruin your times and interfere with your learning the car's limits. On the track, leave the electronics on and see if you can be smooth enough that they don't activate more than once or twice an event.

Anyhow, that's my experience. YMMV.

dmwhite

not true in my experiences with r-comps...i've found that toyo and hoosier R-comps give plenty of audible feedback...imo, RA1's are just really really good street tires and hoosiers are even better

now, most true slicks (not dot-R's) will let go with much less warning...

Lancer033

I would also add a $$ reasons into it. What's the point in going out and spend several hundred to several thousand dollars for wheels/tires when that money would be much better spent on more track time & it's one less thing (changing tires) to worry about for you first few times out.

UstaB-GS549

I ran KD's for a few seasons. IMHO, they are one of the best dual purpose street tires.

I run R-compounds and won't go back mostly because of the cost difference between scrubs and new KD's.