Performance driving has always been a passion of mine. Whenever I modify any of my vehicles, the intent is to drive them in some sort of competition. I have been a member of the Sports Car Club of America since 2006 and have autocrossed many many times during my tenure. One of the biggest considerations for my vehicles has been which tires to choose, whether it be for any type of competition or just street driving.
If you have ever looked, you know there are a great deal of tires on the market, from cheap to extravagant, and from pedestrian to the ludicrous. Normally these choices are dictated by a combination of requirements. Budget is usually a large portion of requirements. Another is treadwear, and yet another is intended use.
The two types of competition that I usually compete in are autocross and track days. For these two types of driving situations, I have two completely different requirements I must meet.
The 1987 Toyota Corolla FX-16 is the vehicle I use for autocross and is set up for maximum transitional effectiveness. Autocross is a short technical course set up in a parking lot and dictated by cones that you must navigate around in a set order. The requirement of tires depending on class is ultimate grip and meeting dot restrictions. In my particular class for SCCA Autocross, SMF, the tires can be any treadwear as long as it is dot certified (must have a measurable tread depth). The wheel size I currently am running is 15"X7" +35 offset. The tire sizes currently are 195/50R15 rear and 225/45R15 front. For this, I am budget conscious and choose tires under $200 a piece in the 100-200 tread wear range. In the past, I have used Bridgestone Potenza RE71-R tires as they yield significant grip in conditions ranging from wet, snow and can be driven on the street though it is recommended that for competition use they are stored and not used for daily driving to retain as much performance as possible.
This year, I have switched to the Nankang AR-1 100 treadwear tire due to size availability limitations of the RE71-R. The Nankang is more of a competition slick than the RE71-R but does not seem to have problems in the wet conditions during street driving. It is a very predictable and controllable tire with high levels of grip and reasonable tread life. (Note the Bridgestone RE71-R are out of production.)
Track days put a whole different kind of strain on a tire. At higher speeds that cannot be reached in Autocross, the tire has to endure constant high temperatures at maximum load and deliver consistent performance. The tires I choose for my 2007 Mazda Miata MX5 during track days are the Hankook Ventus RS-4. I am using a 16"X8" +50 and a 10mm spacer. Tire size all around is 225/50r16. These tires have proven to be the ironman of tires. Having driven over 10 track days and daily usage, they have yet to be worn past the tread wear bars and give consistent levels of grip after a year of hard driving. They come in at around $150 a piece.
Chart from Tire Rack
Chart from Tire Rack
Chart from Phils Tire Service
Chart from Phils Tire Service
After having changed to the Nankang NS-2R Tire for track days, I have assessed that the tread wear is not as durable as the Hankook Ventus RS-4 Tires. The track that I visited was very abrasive to tires and has worn through 2 of the tires on the left side. I will be purchasing 2 more tires and trying them at a different venue to more completely see their performance and lifespan. Hopefully I will see better results in tire wear in the future.
Though the tread wear is not as durable, a noticeable increase in grip has been assessed and I do feel that these tires perform quite well at the limits while showing very progressive drop off in grip as they reach their limits. I can recommend these tires for someone getting into track days. The price is reasonable with good levels of grip.
-Anthony Lleras
DISCLOSURE: I purchased all these items with my own money and the company had no prior knowledge to this promotion. All opinions are my own.
Photos taken by V Michel Buck
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