What do you guys think about this new rule for 2011? If you haven't heard anything about it here you go...

9.1
TIRE SIZE REGULATION
Cars are limited to the size of the rear tire that can be used, depending on the weight
of the vehicle. There are 7 weight classes, each spanning 200 lbs. A car must be
track-ready, and running when it is weighed and registered to a weight class. A car will
be weighed without the driver, and once the car is registered to a weight class, it will
be recorded, and issued a class-specific sticker that must be displayed prominently on
the windshield. A car’s weight may fluctuate within the limits of it’s weight class, but it
can never weigh less than the minimum weight for its’ registered class. Tire sizes are
AS MEASURED in mm, across the span of the contact patch. Tires will be measured
on the rim, while on the car, while the car is on the ground. Tire size must not exceed
the maximum size dictated by class at any time on track. Tire size will be measured
and verified on track before the start of every tandem round. A Formula D official may
also check tire size at any time during the event.
Weight and Tire Classes-
2000-2199lbs up to 215mm tire width
2200-2399lbs up to 235mm tire width
2400-2599lbs up to 255mm tire width
2600-2799lbs up to 275mm tire width
2800-2999lbs up to 295mm tire width
3000-3199lbs up to 315mm tire width
3200-3399lbs up to 335mm tire width

 

One thing I noticed that I think is a problem is it doesn't take tire compound or tread-wear ratings into account. A 215 with a tread-wear rating of 140 is grippier than a 235 with a tread-wear rating of 340.

 

thats gay...thats going to be the cause of the sport dieing out...smh

 

Wow, Formula D rules are going crazy ...
Ok, in your country there's a power war but if you look in other countries, there is no similar rule.

Making it ruled from A to Z is going to make it a boring motorsport. Or maybe the big money and it's consequences ?

 

Adding the physical measurement on the ground is gonna get a few people upset as well - I know of very few tires that are as wide as labeled ...

... This is why I keep it grassroots, fellas. No rules, no problems.

 

this rule is going to really help the grassroots guys getting into the sport.
but as mentioned before in previous ruling (not now) is that the tire must be a street version tire.
usually the big tire companies that buy into FD (sponsoring the series) run their best street/performance tire. i cant remember the exact details, and how it was "worded" to me but it was something along the lines of that.

tire pressure will really come into play now, dropping pressure in any tire will make it hook-up better. cant say how it would feel, but Sam Hubinette runs like 12PSI in his tires in the Charger. **** always looks like theyre flat.
i wouldnt be surprised if the big companies started using softer compounds, but honestly in all reality JR's mustang weighs about 2500lbs from what he was saying in some video i saw, and going to a 275mm tire wouldnt really affect much with 10psi dropped..

as stated, grassroots guys should have a better chance at competing now, but where there's a will, there's a way, and i'm sure some new tire compounds will come into play.

 

^^^ Main problem with dropping your pressures low is that it will increase your measured contact patch. That will be a hell of a balancing act.

How much (on average) does a stripped and caged 2 rotor FC weigh?

How much (on average) does a stripped and caged 2 rotor FD weigh?

 

I didn't even think of that. Good thoughts.

 

yea you're right on the widening. i knew mainly that when you drop pressure to those extremes, you'll be sidewall sliding somewhat (but not really given wheel speed will expand the tire again)
we'll see how it plays out. i wish my name wasnt bitch; and i drove harder at Irwindale so i could be apart of FD Long Beach this year..

 

YES... it levels the playing field.
Dia's car was at about 2100lbs making what? 700hp? and a 275 or whatever he runs -how can anyone compete with that without a killer huge budget... -but put him on a 225 tire and now Mr.X who just got his FD lic can actually have a chance.

As far as tire pressure goes -yeah should be interesting to see what people do -but it does state in the rules that they are going off "as measured on the wheel" -so even though your tire may SAY 275/xx/xx FD is going by the actual fit.

I'm excited by this rule and I think it is going to make the action on the track better.

 

might make things slower. What were consistently 90mph entries may now be 75mph entries

 

Sounds like it'll make things more interesting. If anything, it'll help even the playing field.

 

hopefully it will help the first year or privateer guys stay in the field..

just something about 650+ hp rwd scions that make me think "how cheap".

 

^^^ Haha. Funny you mention that because Tanner Foust was the guy who requested this rule be instituted I believe.

 

 

I think it's not a bad rule. The tire sizes are pretty generous. They are just there to keep 335 shod 700 horsepower miatas from being the only cars in the game. This levels the playing field for everyone and makes many heavier cars far more viable now.

 

the show itself wont be any worse... slower entry speeds wont be much slower if any difference at all.
it will be like iceskating so driving will come into play again. dudes might be lower powered now to compensate for the tire.. maybe even adding weight to get to a certain tire size.
but for sure i think the tandem battles will be alot better to watch..

 

^^ I can agree with this. It's going to be like boxing where guys find the right weight classes for them to perform the best in.

 

No.


Yes.... action will be better!

They are allowed a certain amount of ballast.

 

i do remember forrest saying something about them allowing a certain amount of ballast that has to be permanently fastened to the car or something to that nature.
i honestly don't know, as i havent read the new rulebook, but honestly i think this is a good ruling. who am i to say though...

 

I have a weird feeling about this new rule. I think that it's a great way of evening the playing field so that it's not comprised of "335 shod 700 horsepower miatas" as stated earlier but I also feel that it's restricting teams from really shooting for the stars and pushing innovation ahead. I always found that the lack of standardization was a strength of the drifting series, not a weakness. So I'm caught between fair play and ultimate performance I guess.

 

The reason why he sets it 12psi cold is because[for example] if he were to set it it 40psi cold the tire would pop because he spins so hard that the tire will become 70psi hot instantly , over expand and blowout

More wheels spins= more psi in the tire

too much psi hot in a tire will cause it to blow, thats why he presets it at 12.

I used to leave my rears at 35psi cold

 

new rule will work well in our favor

 

yea but adding rules is gay theres low hp cars that can slide better than high hp cars oooooh woooow more smoke from burning tires.... i think hey should drop the rules so we can see some all out slides like in japan... in the u.s they need power cause they cant handle low hp drifts lol :P

 

These new rules are pointless.

If you think your car's too heavy, you picked the wrong car. Pick something else.

If someone wants to run 355s on a Viper, that doesn't mean he's "cheating." It should be up to each team to decide what street tires to use. People don't seem to realize the driver still has to be good to win, regardless of the mm's of rubber on his rear wheels.

So some kid is going to bring out a measuring stick each time and measure the width of each rear tire of each car before each run. Is he also going to bring a calculator with him onto the track so he can subtract the grooves in the tires as well to get the net width, then have someone else come out and verify his measurements, and then have the teams challenge the decisions, over a few millimeters of rubber, all the while completely ignoring the actual area of tire contact with the road? That's shortsighted and just ridiculous. Only on America would someone come up with this rule.

There are already WAY too many rules as is. In drifting, you don't need a one-million-dollar NASCAR - which is carbureted btw - to compete. One of the great aspects of drifting is that someone with an S13 or an FC can can spend a few thousand on suspension, tires, ecu, and a turbo and be competitive if he or she is talented enough with drifting a car.

As far as "officials" making things "fair..." So... you're only allowed to run street tires of a certain width, yet officials allow Scions to run $100,000 NASCAR engines sitting inside the center of the firewall. But I'm not allowed to drift my FD RX-7 because I have 285s in the rear. Yeah that makes total sense.

Just bring your car and drift it. Enough with the rules and laws of drifting already. Seriously.