therieldeal said:
Driving style-wise, I set the car up loose and tend to “toss” it into turns, to get it to rotate ASAP & get back on the gas (high power fwd). Wondering which tire is going to be more forgiving in this situation… I’m thinking the BFG, as I’ve heard the A7 requires “precision”.
therieldeal said:
Alright so obviously a fast driver would be giving up a fair bit of time on the street tire. However, I would put myself more firmly in the “competent” driver category… this will only be my 3rd season of autocross. I *might* have a chance of winning my class here and there but no way will I be competing for FTD.
So looking at this from one more angle… developing my driving skills/car control/etc. Better off with the street tire or the slick?
This thread is turning into a religious discussion, which seems to happen with this particular type of question ('which tire is fastest?' turns into 'why do you race?' turns into 'what are your life goals and philosophy and how does your tire choice reflect how you live your life') and I'd like to address some of these more specific questions from OP.
Which tire is going to be more forgiving of an aggressive driving style?
The Hoosier, in my personal experience. The levels of absolute grip are significantly higher, so for any given corner, you can throw the car harder into the corner and not lose the tail, everything else being equal. I also have found that the transition from static to kinetic friction is more progressive with the slick, even if the transition happens more quickly than the Rivals. Sure, the Rivals might tolerate a slightly higher slip angle before giving up and sliding, but when they do give up and slide it happens quickly and the difference in traction between gripping and sliding is more dramatic. The car will rotate quickly when the Rivals start to slide (especially if they are hot and at the limits of their temperature range, ie, when they are working their best). When the Hoosiers start to slide, the drop-off in grip is less steep, and the car will rotate more slowly, making tucking it back in line fairly simple. It's as if the lateral grip of the slicks is like a gradual peak, whereas a 200tw that's really hot and sticky has a peak grip and then a sudden drop-off. The local drivers that are really fast on 'street' tires are fantastic at finding this peak and then not going past it.
I think the Hoosiers could actually cover up issues with your driving that the Rivals might not tolerate as well.
I find them to be very forgiving, but I also don't ignore what they are telling me. Compared to a typical street tire that will start making noise, complaining more and more as slip angle increases, and then finally giving up and sliding, a slick will quietly reach it's limit, grip will start to drop off, and then it will be sliding without any audible feedback or tread squirm or other indications. I suppose this could be an issue for some drivers. Personally, I like to drive with my butt rather than my head, and the Hoosiers communicate far better to me through the chassis and steering than any street tire.
So looking at this from one more angle… developing my driving skills/car control/etc. Better off with the street tire or the slick?
'Street' tire wins this one hands down, unless the skill you're developing is specifically driving on slicks, which is where I find myself now. If you're trying to improve your car control and get faster, seat time matters more than anything, and pushing the limits and exceeding them on a regular basis to become better at handling the car beyond it's limits. Because the limits of the slick are so high, and the costs of running them so significant, pushing past their limits safely might be more of a challenge and every time you do so, you are wasting precious grip you have spent a lot of money on. It doesn't make sense.
Of course these are all my opinions, and as such aren't worth a great deal. However, I'm also trying to learn better skills and maximize my bang for the buck, so I'm in much the same boat. Given that both sets of tires are readily available to me, I don't run the Hoosier unless I'm really trying to be competitive.
