Q&A With a Tire Engineer: R-Comp Race Tires vs. 200-Treadwear Extreme Street Tires

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

Good luck guessing how they'll actually suit your driving style."

For one thing, "driving style" doesn't really become a factor until you're talking about competition tires. Beyond that, a big part of the problem is it varies depending on what vehicle the tires are going on, what kind of driving you're doing with them, etc.

Follow-up question. 

At what point will we see the 200tw super tires out today be able to hold up to 4 or 5 track weekends a year? Give me RC1 or NT01 grip levels that can handle 32 sessions while driving to/from the track please (potentially driiving to events in the rain). 

Also, was NT01 the target for your RC1 offering? Where do you see success in dethroning the ultimate HPDE tire and where do you see room left to improve? What causes a tire to better handle braking zones and why does one tire prefer to have higher angles of slip versus another in the same treadwear segment?

THANKS SO MUCH for building a tire in the 275/35/17 profile, it is awesome having an HPDE tire in this shape!

In reply to David S. Wallens :

I'm interested in the differences between high end R-comps (like Hoosier R7s) compared to true slicks (like Hoosier C3000s). Also, R-comps vs. asphalt circle-track slicks. 

In reply to Olemiss540 :

Hankook RS4 does this now.  We get 3 whole lemons weekends out of a set, that's 50 hours of track time.  

Sonic said:

In reply to Olemiss540 :

Hankook RS4 does this now.  We get 3 whole lemons weekends out of a set, that's 50 hours of track time.  

I have about four track hours on my current set of RS4s and a few thousand street miles and they look like they're barely scuffed in.

dps214 said:

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

Good luck guessing how they'll actually suit your driving style."

For one thing, "driving style" doesn't really become a factor until you're talking about competition tires. Beyond that, a big part of the problem is it varies depending on what vehicle the tires are going on, what kind of driving you're doing with them, etc.

If that were true, there would be no test-and-review articles about tires.  companies like Tire Rack will pick a category and buy a set in every category, put them on the same vehicle with the same drivers and get vastly different results.  I have a 4x4 compact pickup.  The tires I chose for mine will satisfy me in PA, but not do so well for someone in Nebraska on the farm.  So yes, driving style has everything to do with it.

This is my whole point.  We either trust what manufacturers claim, or try to read between the lines of a review that may or may not exist.

Anyone remember the original BFG Comp TA R1 tires?  Not sure what the wear index on them was but those of us who ran them on the track sure did shave them first as they lasted far better and didn't build up enough heat to chunk.

The follow-up piece is coming together.

Thanks again for all of the interst in the topic. We could talk about tires all day. 

dps214 said:

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

Good luck guessing how they'll actually suit your driving style."

For one thing, "driving style" doesn't really become a factor until you're talking about competition tires. Beyond that, a big part of the problem is it varies depending on what vehicle the tires are going on, what kind of driving you're doing with them, etc.

Also the average non-competition driver has almost no self-awareness regarding their driving style and even plenty of competition drivers. Makes it tough to write ad copy.

In reply to GCrites80s :

I do think people realize when they're not happy with their tires--too noisy, too harsh a ride, etc. But you're right, most people don't realize what goes into a tire and want it all. And at a fair price. 

I should add that competition drivers do have access to data analysis these days to help them immensely with their self-awareness.

In reply to David S. Wallens :

definition of a heat cycle?  eg, if I drive to autocross in the morning,  but don't run until the afternoon,  how many 200tw "heat cycles" is that day?  1, 2, 5? 

2nd, if I spray water on tires between runs, will I heat cycle my tires out sooner?

I'd say everything's a heat cycle, even when your garage drops 10 degrees overnight. But more extreme heat cycles do more for aging out. Overnight temp changes are still 365 heat cycles of some degree each year.

David S. Wallens said:

I have joked with friends in the tire biz: Why can't you make a tire that's really fast and also long-wearing? Oh, and I only want to pay $75 for it. 

Honestly I'd be fine with fast wearing and sticky but cheap.  It's paying Hoosier money for something with such a crazy short service life that grates on the nerves.

Also would like to see comparisons between A7's and true slicks.  What is the end all be all fastest tire and all that.

GCrites80s said:

I should add that competition drivers do have access to data analysis these days to help them immensely with their self-awareness.

Based on racing tire temps, I'd say close to zero.  Highway driving just doesn't build heat like racing and neither does autocross.  Autocross is a cold tire sport. The runs aren't long enough to build up heat and change tire behavior.  I'd consider a 15-30 min lapping session a full heat cycle.  
 

I don't think anything sticks harder than an A7. There's no way tires built for a race series can need to take on water once a lap.