My first track-day even is on the 29th and 30th of May at NJMP in HPDE.

I just put a Mariah WB and a 5-lug conversion (still INW actually as of this writing) on my FB. You can see some of what I did here:

https://www.rx7club.com/1st-gen-general-discussion-207/mariah-wb-seats-harness-rollbar-t04-re-speed-etc-894184/

Now, I need to get some race wheels and tires. I want to be able to run 245/45or50/16 an all for corners. I may have to run 225s in the fron though--I need to investigate further.

I will probably be orderint Diamond Racing wheels (unless anyone has a better suggestion).

Any tire is a possible option, but of course I would like to get the best value.

I'm currently looking at

Nitto NT-01 245/50ZR 16 at Discount Tire for $162.77
http://www.discounttiredirect.com/di...w=false&cs=245

Toyo R888 245/45 16 at Tires Direct $134 (out of stock)
http://www.tiresdirect.net/TOYO_Prox..._94W_P4750.cfm

I ran the Toyos last year because they were cheap, available locally and were pretty decent with good feel and turn-in but a little low on maximum grip in my opinion.

If anyone else has any options or comments on what they have found works, please speak up.

Thanks for any input!

 

Both of these tires should work well for HPDE. Also consider the Toyo RA1. The spec miata guys seem to prefer them over the R888. I am not sure why exactly.

I only have experience on the R888s out of the tires mentioned here and I was not particularly crazy about them. They are dangerous on the street due to there nature to follow ruts on the highway and pull the car towards the center divider. I can't really comment about race performance of the R888 as there were many underlying problems with my car at the time I ran them.

 

R888 requires a different driving style than the RA1. It doesn't like to be slid around. Similar overall grip levels.

 

Any thought to using Victoracers?

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....V700&tab=Sizes

A little more expensive, but a good tire.

 

I'd do a couple things that will help you decide. Set a budget and decide how often you are willing to replace tires (related). Be honest with yourself.

If you want the fastest tire out there, then I'd go with the Hoosier R6. The Toyo RA1s are also good and will go through many heat cycles.

While you are thinking about your budget, know that tire selection may require different alignment settings (camber). I am only familiar with 3rd gen, but there are lots of guys who can help you with this.

It's been said many times, but bears repeating- "Speed cost money, how fast do you want to go?"

Good luck,

Guy

 

I would go with the R888s. The nittos are almost an inch taller than the factory 205/60/15s.
Switching to these would have the same effect as changing the final drive to a 3.9.

245/45/16
24.68
245/50/16
25.65
205/60/15
24.69
24.69 / 25.65 = .9625 * 4.1 = 3.946
*These are calculated sizes, not measured. Soooo, they very well could differ in reality.

 

Thanks guys, great input.

Instead of a budget, I'm looking for a tire that has a decent trade-off between grip and durability. That is why I would prefer not to go with the Hooser R6s as I know they have awesome ultimate grip, but cannot put up with a lot of heat cycles and wear quickly.

I have used the Victoracers before, but it has been a few years.

Anyone with thoughts on the BF Goodrich G force R1?

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....omCompare1=yes

They are $183 each and I have heard good things from the Nissan guys about them.

Also, I found the RA1 for $142.98 each plus about $45 shipping for 4. Most other places had them for a about $200. Can anyone compare these to the Victoracers?

 

Nitto nt01, best bang for the buck! Everyone I talk to don't seem to like the Toyo R888 vs. the RA1s. If it's between the RA1 or NT01 I'd get the nittos. Cheaper and faster.

Go here and have discounttiredirect match the price! Thats how I got another $10 off each tire (from their already low price) when I bought mine.

http://www.onlinetires.com/products/...al%22+97w.html

-Jack

 

Great! I was leaning towards the RA1 anyway. They are actually about $10 more than the R888 as I found those for 135. That price is the same as Discount Tire Direct. Do you shave them or run full thread?

 

I don't shave mine. They come at 6/32. I just do track days and run them until corded. (I'm on a budget!). It depends on your track experience. If your fast and your looking for those last few tenths on your lap time go ahead and shave them. If your still learning, I think your better off saving a few bucks and focus on driving. I've been doing trackdays for years and am still learning and lowering my laptimes every time I go out. When I can go out and drive on the edge of slip at all times, then I would probably start shaving tires to keep them from chunking real bad.

Here's another opinion of the R888 vs Nittos:

http://www.trackhq.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3045

-Jack

 

Yup, also on a budget. I'm actually debating the Toyo RA1 ($142.98) vs the Nitto NT01 ($143.47) so the cost is really no different except the Toyos should be shaved (great original names product designers).

If you have a link comparing those two, that would be awesome!

From the reviews I read, they seem to be a dead heat although people claim the Toyos hold a little better. They both seem to have wear charateristics. The Toyos come in 245/45 16, but the Nittos have a slightly larger sidewall at 245/50 16. +1 for the Toyos as I can ride lower without rubbing.

The Nittos can be run without shaving +1 for the Nittos.

Damn dead heat here!

I ordered some Diamond Racing 16x8" (they don't make 9") wheels yesterday. I really hope they get here in time. If not, I will have to mount race tires on my BBS RS

 

Nitto hands down over either of the Toyo's.

 

the R888 is nice cause you can run em at full depth, which can last a really long time. we can get 25+ hours out of rear tires on the honda.

the RA1 doesn't last as long cause its normally shaved to 4/32"

in HPDE you're not going to set a lap record, so the tire you're on isn't critical, its a school

 

I know its a school, I have been participating for about a year now. I'm trying to find the best value for a race tire. I will generally do not guy anything without reading reviews and getting opinions. I figure other people's experience can save me heartache and money.

Edit* I see how you may have thought this was my first track day from my original post. I should have said first track day of the year...

 

most race classes tell you want tire to run, this makes it easy to pick a tire

the Ra1,R888, and the NT01 are all the same rubber compound, so you're splitting hairs between the 3.

the kumho always blistered for us after like 2.5 hours in a 3 hour race. once we got lucky and the throttle cable fell off before the tire failed, the second time the tire failed. the new BMW came with kumho's but other than that we'd probably not run those again.

 

I appreciate everyone's input and help.

In the end it came down to what was available. The Nittos are back ordered with no ETA
Too bad because that was what I was going to go with.

I did find the Toyo RA1 245/45 16s from tiresdirect.net (low stock but available) at 142.98 +$15 to shave them to the suggested 6/32 (from 8/32). So, total cost with shipping $687.73. Not bad in my opinion as Hoosers would have run me about $1000.

So new tires and wheels on their way. Now it is just a race againt the clock to see if they all get here before the 29th. I'm pretty happy with the price, now lets see how they perform!

 

BFG-R1s have similar grip levels to the Hoosier R6 but last way longer.