Fulton 1

Anyone using the new Bridgestone RE-71R for HPDE use that could provide some feedback on your experiences? I've heard glowing reviews for autox use, but limited and mixed reviews for road course/HPDE work. I'm wanting to stick with street tires for my usage and have been on RE-11's for a couple of years. For an "arrive and drive" guy like me that's only doing HPDE's they have been great. However, my sizes are currently back-ordered and so I'm considering moving to the RE-71R instead. Any feedback or comments are appreciated.

Thanks.

l98tpi

RE71r's are great until they hit 150degrees and they get greasy. They are great for autox but will heat up above 150 too quick on a track. I think I saw another Bridgestone tire at Nationals that would be a good HPDE tire and a 200 tread wear. Check out their website.

Fulton 1

Thanks for the feedback. This echoes what I've been hearing elsewhere as well.

AUTO_X_AL

Depending on how big the track is, they do well for a little while and then they fall off with the heat. I never thought that they were dangerously greasy but I definitely knew that peak grip was lost after 3 laps on a 3.2 mile track.

Fulton 1

Great info. My "home track" is Pacific Raceways near Seattle and it's about 2.3 miles in length. During a 20-minute session I can usually get in 7-8 laps before coming in for a cool-down depending on the conditions so it sounds like this would reduce my window.

Another thing that concerns me about this tire as compared to my trusty old RE-11s is the unidirectional tread pattern. We have a couple of long LH sweepers that really tend to wear the right side more than the left. Since I'm on a staggered setup having the ability to swap left to right easily is nice.

AUTO_X_AL

I've run the RE71's both ways. That say directional but i didn't see any fall off in the dry.

Kubs

The directional pattern only really matters in the wet. They can be run either way in the dry.

Fulton 1

Huh. I did not know that. Thanks!

mikeCsix

What events do you usually attend?

The Ridge tends to be a bit easier on tires, that section through 3A-3B is pretty rough.

Fulton 1

Mostly Proformance events and an occasional BMW club event at Pacific. It's been a couple of years now since I've made it down to the Ridge. Loved the track, but with us living up north and the crappy traffic it makes for a really long day.

My RE-11's have held up surprisingly well and, while certainly not the highest performing tire out there these days, they seem to be a great match for my usage and skill level. I'd probably just go that route again if they weren't on back order. Since I run an 18/19 setup my options are somewhat limited, but plan B will likely be the Hankooks since the RE71's don't really sound like the right path for me.

mikeCsix

Did you look at Toyo tires?

I'm tempted to try some BMW events, I usually attend PCA or Turn2. The Turn2 events are a lot of fun with the diversity of cars that come out for them.