Along4theRide

What does everyone recommend for a good occasional road racing tire and auto X tire? These stock Pilot Sport tires have been good all-around road tires, but they just don't have the traction for some of these driving events. I don't need run flats either.

Is there a forum vendor that can assist me in putting together a package with proper racing tires and wheels?

If you are tracking your C7, what are you running.

Thanks so much!!!

VGLNTE1

Not sure man...those c7s require space age new technology tires...

Solid1

For Auto-x I would recommend Hoosier A7's. They can work for track at either a moderate pace or a couple of hard laps after that they will over heat.

Hoosier R7's will work better for track but will be hard to get up to temp for auto-x. The same applies to Pirelli slicks, continental slicks and so on...

Olitho

I am constantly surprised that drivers on this forum don't know which tire and it predecessors the winning Corvettes and Ferraris et al have won SCCA T1 since the early 2000s, GT2 the past few years and many of the other Touring classes. Bill Brinkop just won the NASA Nationals at Laguna Seca last month on these tires and the next four cars in class were on these same tires.

These tires do drop off a bit on lap times like almost all road racing tires as the laps go on, but they start faster then most other tires and even at the end of the race they are turning faster lap times than most other tires start. Bill Brinkop again proved the point at Laguna Seca. his fastest laps were half way through the race and towards the end. I am not saying the tires are faster on lap 20 than two, but I am dispelling a commonly repeated myth.

The tire comes from Hoosier and the model ends in a 7. I am being a bit mysterious here not to be a dick, but to get people to think a bit about what I wrote and what is the correct answer. I know someone will quickly jump in with the definitive answer, but think about it for a moment until then.

National championship results repeated in multiple classes over multiple years in at least two different racing organizations don't lie.

blkbrd69

C7 or C7Z? For all intensive purposes the C6Z ZR1 and C7Z are the same for tires.

If you want to buy a gorgeous set of wheels already mounted with race rubber give Daniel at Finspeed a call.

Autocross and road course use are 2 different animals. A really good autocross tire wont last long on many roadcourses.

Many of us use scrubs from Continental, Pirelli or Michelin. All depends on your ideas of what you want out of the tire. Grip, Life, Drivability, Feedback, Price? Todd at GT racing tires or Frisby tires are great resources.

You do have to ask yourself (then a driving instructor) if you are really ready for slicks? I say this as with enough track time to be ready for them, you should have talked with many drivers on them already?

Olitho

I say go with Hoosier A7s. The R7s heat cycle so bad by the third cycle they feel like crap. I would rather be on a street tire after the third heat cycle. Worn to the wear bar A7s at the beginning of a session and at the end of a session are faster than almost any R7, even when the R7 is fresh. It appears the new A7s are also more durable than the A6s, but even A6s could last a decent amount of track time.

Like I said, I would rather drive A's that almost have the grooves completely worn away than near new R's. R's might still have rubber left, but they are done after a number of heat cycles. Your tire mileage may vary.

I also don't ascribe to the motto that beginners can't or should drive on race rubber. I find good race rubber to be a good manageable tire to drive on, the only downside is the beginner doesn't get the audible feedback of a street tire. I have never felt that race rubber breaks away suddenly as some assert. Overdrive any tire and it gives away, but in the case of Hoosiers and V710s, they give a lot of good feedback and are forgiving.