ShaneM

I have been digging around for some nice 19-inch tires for track work. i had almost settled on the bridgesonte potenza s-04 pole positions and then found that the continental extremecontact dw turned a batter lap time and then was told by a few people that the contis were not great for track work and ended up confused again.


I was at the track this weekend and the vorschlag guys were out with their 5.0 running their lightweight track wheels and the potenza RE-11 tires. those tires seem to work very well and they like them a lot after trying a lot of tires on the car.

I poked around and bridgestone makes the RE-11 in the exact rear size I need on the boss, 285/35-19. its the front that will be an issue, the closest they have is a 265/35-19. the stock tire on the boss is 27-inch diameter, 4-inch sidewall, 13.5-inch radius, 84.9" circumference, and 746 revs per mile.

the 265/35 would be 3.7-inch sidewall, 13.2 radius, 26.3 diameter, and 82.6 circumference with 767 revs per mile. they are right there for fit.

does anyone think that little bit of a change would affect the handling of the car at all? it's very neutral now and i don't want to introduce under or oversteer. is anyone has better track tire suggestions or any input on tires in 255/40-19 and 285/35-19 suggestions are welcome

Argonaut

Regarding the Continental Extreme DW tires - they are a 340 treadwear rated street tire. So are they "great" for track work? I guess that depends on what you compare them to but I will say this - they are damn good for their class of tire and their price point. I bought mine primarily as my "rain" tires for the track, and they are stellar in the wet. But I've also done five or six 30 min sessions in the dry with them and have been totally impressed. Make no mistake, they are not R-comps by any means, but for a high performance street tire that can do the occasional dry track day and never put a foot wrong in the wet they are a great bang for the buck.

Personally if I had your awesome car I'd be looking for a set of 18" beater rims for the track. Tires are so much cheaper.

I've only ever run a square set up on my '07 GT. But on my Vette (a car that came from factory with a staggered set up) I've run all sorts of combinations of different sizes front and rear as well as different compounds. Honestly I've found that it can change the balance of the car a little bit but I've never found it to be a hinderance. In fact I'd even say that weather and which track you are at have a bigger effect on handling than small changes in tires width and circumfrence. The difference in the car's balance on a hot and humid day vs. a temperate and dry day is huge. I just adjust my inputs, tire pressures and occasionally something on the car. Having adjustable sways really helps because it's so easy to make a change at the track if balance is way off.

ShaneM

I love road racing, but I have 0 desire to change tires at the track and a long drive to the track on r-comps isn't something i am interested in. generally when i go up my kids are with me to visit their grandmother. the track is 3.5 hours away from me so i cant load extra wheels up and go. I know i am giving up some performance, but i really just want a good, grippy set of street tires that perform well on the track too. lap times with the p zero tires the car comes with and the super expensive r-comps the laguna seca come with are so close that it's not that big of an issue to me. we don't get a lot of rain in Texas so im not so worried about wet performance as i am the best grip and handling on the dry track surface.

i was so very close to buying those extremecontact dw tires, they are a great price. i just don't want anything on the car that reduces performance. what sort of drop in your lap times did you see between your normal track tires and those conti DWs? my home track is very twisty and i hate soft sidewall tires that feel sloppy.

JAJ

What's the reason you're not just staying with the P-Zero's the car came with? Is your goal to find a cheaper tire to run at the track?

There are a number of good tires in the sizes you need but they're all priced up there in the nose-bleed zone with the P-Zero's. As Argonaut said, a cheap set of 18's (I'm partial to the GT500 rims from FRPP) might be your best bet. You get a wider range of tire sizes to choose from and an expensive 18 costs about the same as a cheap 19.

ShaneM

looking for something better than the p zeros which aren't the highest rated tires for track work, id say the p zeros are decent for track but at their price you can get better. As i said before, I'm not interested in changing wheels and tires for track right now. i also really like the factory wheels on the Boss. As for why i'm changing them now, the factory tires are pretty much gone after multiple track days on them.

Argonaut

Shenandoah is a tight, twisty, big elevation change 2.3 mile track. In back-to-back sessions on a dry track new Conti Extremes were 2-3 seconds slower per lap than new Toyo R888s (same size tires). I wouldn't characterize them as "sloppy" but then thats a subjective term. I would say they talk to you. They will let you know when you ask too much of them with sqeals of protest. But they are always predictable.

I don't want to make it seem like I'm pushing the Continentals. I got them specifically for rain use. Since thats not a primary factor with you it removes a big reason for getting them. So that leaves you with a 340 treadwear tire that does a decent job for the occasional track day and don't cost an arm-n-a-leg.

Don't know if they come in your sizes but I've used the Nitto 555RII and really like them for a do it all tire - street, track, some wet work. But they are also a lot more expensive.

It really comes down to what you want to spend and how short of life you are willing to put up with. Like they say - going fast costs money. The faster the tire, the more it costs. I haven't tried the RE-11s but if Vorschlag is using them its a pretty good recommendation.

Norm Peterson

I still see the concept of having a set of 18" wheels/tires dedicated to your track days (including your ride to and from) to have merit. I'm not saying these tires should be R-comps, given your drive distance. Just the same sort of tire being mentioned already to maybe just a little higher up the food chain. Change to them at home, drive to the event, re-check the lugnut torque, and go. Change back within a day or so of when you get home.

What the factory Boss wheels look like on track isn't going to impress the folks there whose opinion of your track performance actually counts for something. Save those originals for the majority of your street driving where you'll be more aware of the appearance and it will almost certainly matter more.


Norm

ShaneM

thanks for the input norm, that said i don't care if people at the track are impressed with the way the wheels look, i like them is the point. i also don't have the space or inclination for a second set of wheels at this point. if anyone has input on if the wider front tire will change the handling of the car it would be appreciated.

Norm Peterson

Probably small effects, but

If wider is really a wider tread, that *might* help a wider front tire relative to the original size rear over time as tire heat builds. If so, I'd expect a handling change over time of gradually decreasing understeer relative to the all-OE setup.

Shorter will cause the front geometric roll center to drop slightly, which is also an effect in the less understeer direction.

I don't know if the shorter sidewall vs the wider section will result overall in turn-in response that's sharper or softer, but I think there will be some differences.


Norm

JAJ

I've run BMW's and my Mustang with 275 fronts, 265 fronts and 245 fronts (paired with 265 and 275 rears, square and not so square) in three different tire types. Basically you end up driving the car you've got. If it understeers a bit you move weight around with the brakes, if it oversteers a bit you manage it with throttle. The difference with 265's vs 255's up front won't be as noticable as the difference caused by switching brands and types of tires.