they come in a ton of sizes from 13" to 20"
C7 tire advice
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Feb 2023
Posts: 13
Likes: 3
C7 tire advice
I have a C7 with Z 51 and mag ride control that is supercharged. Has Nitto 555G2 s on front and Nitto 305-30-20 555 Rll s drag radials on rear. works great on street but spins on drag strip. Am going to be doing some road racing this summer and was wondering if anyone has any experience with drag radials on a road course. This is for fun I will not be competing so I don't need to have world class tires but want to get after it. Have to have drag radials on the street for safety and if they will do well on road courseI would like to stick with them , thanks
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 14,064
Likes: 1,166
From: N. Alabama
Most that do road course HPDE's eventually gravitate toward Hoosier R7's. Even though you may not do W2W nor pursue the 'fastest time of the day', when you get passed by someone that has a comparable car (well, even one that is way above) you will desire all the performance you and the car can muster. 
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2022
Posts: 1,202
Likes: 569
From: MSP
drag radials won't do well on a road course, the sidewalls are too soft and they generally don't handle the heat well. the nittos are barely a drag radial, however, as they are much more on the street tire side of things. consider using tires designed for the thing you want to use them for, otherwise you run into the all-season tire dilemma.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2022
Posts: 1,202
Likes: 569
From: MSP
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 15,344
Likes: 4,009
From: Texas
If you're new to road racing, stick to a 200TW street tire or an R-compound like the NT01, R888R, or Goodyear Supercar 3R. They'll give you a little warning at the limit and won't cover up driver bad habits. Hoosiers and slicks work....until they don't. You may want to poke around in the Autocross & Roadracing section of the forum regarding car prep. Just "showing up" is not advisable.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 14,064
Likes: 1,166
From: N. Alabama
Although you may eventually end up with the Hoosiers I suggested above, I will agree with 96GS that a more 'progressive' tire with tread is a good tire to begin tracking. I believe it was Firestone Wide Ovals that I first went to track many years ago. I found the noise/sqeal (progressive) to be helpful in indicating when pushing the tire to the limit. Also, probably the best teaching of the squeal was learning how just the slightest loosening of the steering wheel, sometimes not even a noticeable movement of the wheel, would eliminate the stress on the tires. This is most important when graduating to a stickier, less progressive tire. However, I have never noticed the stickier R6's and R7's to be difficult to regain control when exceeding limits. If anything, a little countersteer/correction bring them back under control maybe quicker than a more progressive. But this all depends upon how far the other side of control one lets the vehicle get. Tires require familiarity as one progresses through track experience.
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