Circuit Semi Slicks

[Russco]

Harry, would be VERY interested to hear your thoughts on the RS-RR compared to RS3.

Having followed you around Lakeside I know you can pedal which is why it'd be good to hear your opinion on these otherwise unknown tyres.

[Aqua]

Harry, would be VERY interested to hear your thoughts on the RS-RR compared to RS3.

Having followed you around Lakeside I know you can pedal which is why it'd be good to hear your opinion on these otherwise unknown tyres.

Second that.

[warps]

Harry, you should get a better car you'll do better times.

Lol if you only knew.

Harry's set some obscenely fast lap times in utterly unremarkable cars in the dozen or so years I've known him. In fact I'd wager his lap times in a relatively stock daihatsu charade a few years ago would embarrass whatever it is you throw around a raceteack.

I think harry's comments on the merits of competition tyres carry more weight than most others here.

[260DET]

I was going to say...personally I'd give Harry's opinion some credit given he has been driving a range of cars on a range of circuits over a decade or 2....but he got in first.

I mostly keep an eye on 245/45/17 prices because that's what I run on the race car, my opinion from fastest to not:

Hankook Z221 $400ea

Dunlop DZ03 $550ea

Federal FZ201 (dry only) $300ea

Yoko A050 $550ea

Bridgestone Re55s $550ea

Yoko A032

Yoko A048

Dunlop D01J/D98J

I've probably used a few others but can't remember everything

Other tyres like Toyo 888 I've never tried but anyone who has on a heavy car says they don't work well. They seem to be good on clubbies/mx5 etc. I've never tried the Nittos.

That makes the Federal FZ 201 pretty good value then, plus they are road legal in Europe anyway. How much of a performance gap for track use to the Handycook's do you think Duncan?

[MrStabby]

I remember my disappointment going from Fed RSRs to R888s. Was a fair time between track days, but I couldnt really tell much difference.

I was going to say...personally I'd give Harry's opinion some credit given he has been driving a range of cars on a range of circuits over a decade or 2....but he got in first.

I mostly keep an eye on 245/45/17 prices because that's what I run on the race car, my opinion from fastest to not:

Hankook Z221 $400ea

Dunlop DZ03 $550ea

Federal FZ201 (dry only) $300ea

Yoko A050 $550ea

Bridgestone Re55s $550ea

Yoko A032

Yoko A048

Dunlop D01J/D98J

I've probably used a few others but can't remember everything

Other tyres like Toyo 888 I've never tried but anyone who has on a heavy car says they don't work well. They seem to be good on clubbies/mx5 etc. I've never tried the Nittos.

Where do the Kumho V70s fit in that list?

[Duncan]

Dammit I knew I forgot something....they used to be our control tyre I did heaps of laps on them.

updated "semi slick hall of fame according to Duncan (SSHOFATD™ )

Hankook Z221 $400ea

Dunlop DZ03 $550ea

Federal FZ201 (dry only) $300ea

Yoko A050 $550ea

Kumho V70A $400

Bridgestone Re55s $550ea

Yoko A032

Yoko A048

Dunlop D01J/D98J

I thought the Federals were excellent for the price and would happily run them again if I didn't have to try and beat people on Hankooks (they are our new control tyre anyway so it's a moot point for racing). I ran both softs (hillclimbs) and hards (circuit) and they were a bit over 0.5sec off the Hankooks. They were diabolical in the wet though, I had commodores overtake me on the inside in the monsoon we were racing in. Not sure how easy they are to get any more though, there was some sort of issue with distribution in Oz.

[boxheadmr]

Duncan, have you tried the soft AO50'S? Surprised you have them down the list.

[Duncan]

lol I haven't, only the hards. Even those are pretty good, but just soooooooooooooooo expensive.

I think a key difference to keep in mind is whether you need medium/hard (racing, rallies, track days) or medium/soft (supersprints, hillclimbs, superlap). My list above has been a mix and it's not fair to assume one brand's hards would be the same relative to their softs either.

BTW just my opinion.....over about 15 years but I've never done a back to back comparison of 2 tyres on the same car/day/track so it's not exactly scientific. mostly based on a mix of results and lap times that I've done on each

[boxheadmr]

Agree with the cost. No way they cost that much to make even in smaller numbers than passenger tyres.

[Duncan]

Oh, and everything on that list is better than the best road tyres I've ever used. I know a lot of street tyres are trying to be cross overs but it's just not the same. Driving on real semis is an awesome experience.

I've run on 2 sets of new slicks as well (kumho and falken) and didn't find them particularly better than a good semi slick (plus of course you either need to take wets, or be willing to park if it rains hard). It feels like a lot of the development goes on semis because that's where the sales and money are (outside control tyres in full on racing series of course)

[Adz2332]

can anyone recommend a budget decent tyre for the amateur occasional track day. non competitive etc

r33 gtst 400kws

probably 18s but can go 17s

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

I know some people hate the NT01 with a passion, but it hooks up great for me. Doesn't spin tyres once they're warm.. and cheaper than other tyres mentioned. I know there are better, but for an amateur just like yourself they're awesome to drive to and from the track on.

[Adz2332]

9 hours ago, Dose Pipe Sutututu said:

I know some people hate the NT01 with a passion, but it hooks up great for me. Doesn't spin tyres once they're warm.. and cheaper than other tyres mentioned. I know there are better, but for an amateur just like yourself they're awesome to drive to and from the track on.

cheers! sorry should have mentioned its a track only car. on the trailer to and from events

[GeeDog]

I agree with the NT01's - with 400kw anything less (cheaper) would be very slippery on a track, and you wouldn't be able to use the power.

 

[Hadouken]

Depends how much coin you want to drop on a set of tyres?
What size will you be running?

[Adz2332]

I guess depending on prices anything around the 245 up to 285 mark and 225ish fronts. just guessing. and either 18 or 17s as i have both sizes in the rims. id go what ever is cheaper

[Hadouken]

If you are going to run 400kw then you will need 285's on the rear.

225's on the front are going to get chewed out.

[Adz2332]

what size would you suggest for the front mate?

[Hadouken]

245+

[GeeDog]

We've run 245 on 8" rims on the front / 275 on 9" rims on the rear in NT01's at Mallala (I assume that's where you'll be using it) on an R33 GTST with pretty good results - best lap time was 1:21 with slower traffic on the track (ie no clear laps - probably good for sub 1:20 with a clear run). We have a bit less power than you - 320rwkw - and a 2 way diff.

Last time out we swapped the fronts to 235 & rears to 275 Hankook C91 super soft (old used tyres) and did a best time of high 1:18.

I may be interested in selling the NT01's - 245 & 275 in 17's - as they won't fit over our new brakes. Fronts have done 3 events, rears 1 event - pm me if interested.