Tires at Streets of Willow.

 

ouch!

i assume that you were out at willow for a whole day at the track? i don't know what kind of tires those are, or whether or not they're directional, but next time you might try rotating the tires at lunch time or so.

 

Kumho Victoracer V700. Long story about rotation, but briefly I couldn't get them off due to a lost wheel stud locking key.

MM

 

ouch. few things suck like turning up at the track and realizing that you forgot something important.

 

Good question. The tires were heat cycled but not shaved. Also, the day was in a word, hot. Probably 115-120F on the track.

I think my driving style is partly to blame too. The best way to drive the STi is probably throttle on more than I did. That would have corrected some of the understeer and reduced the sliping on the left front corner in right turns. I just haven't learned the technique completely yet.

Maybe a different tire would fare better in the heat. Any suggestions on brand?

Mike M

 

track temps of 115+ are going to kill just about any tire i'd think. most tires aren't capable of dealing with heat like that, and will start to wear and degrade quickly in heat like that.

 

IMHO, the V700 is a very soft tire for a track day. You should try a set of Hoosiers, or Toyo race tires.

 

chrisw posts:

You could be correct about the Kumhos. This is my first experience with them. They were heat cycled but not shaved.

I have always driven Toyo RA-1 tires, but they do not make the right size, 225x45/17, for the STi. Hoosiers are faster, but much more expensive and have a short (but glorious!) life.

So I went with Kumho. Does anyone else have experience with these tires? Maybe the smaller sizes tolerate heat better?

Does anyone have an opinion about using a 235x40/17 tire to replace the stock size? RA-1 tires come in this size, as well as others.

Mike M