17 replies to this topic

[pat slattery]

So, with the first big National over, what is everyone's opinion on the new tire?

Pat

[Jim Drago]

Everyone I talked to loved them.. Seem to last pretty long as well. But Sebring is pretty easy on Tires.. I suspect Homestead will be a better test as it is pretty tough on tires if memory serves me correctly?

[Alex Bolanos]

Fantastic, finally we are on a real race tire (with great BFG Super Tour contingency I might add)

[Jim Drago]

And without getting into a parity debate... Many ( myself included) were concerned what the Hoosier may do to the 1.6. I watched first hand as they sped the car up over a second over the Toyos. Many are probably unaware, but the track at Sebring was slightly reconfigured for FIA approval, so turn one was about 5-6 MPH slower than years past , the tire wall was moved inwards at 17, not sure how that effected lap time, but it didn't help. So the fact that the track record was lowered by a second or more with 5-7 guys under the old one speaks volumes about the Hoosiers.
Jim

[guest driver]

Pat;
everyone's a hero on new Hoosiers (1st and 2nd heat cycles), the challenge for the drivers will be to adjust their driving style and car set up to maintain corner speed on the 4th, 5th and 6th heat cycles, trying to stay within .5 sec of their previous times on the fresher tires, few have the experience to do this.
Very few (Buras) can handle that into the 7th - 8th heat cycles.

What Drago says above is about - 1.5 sec per lap faster than last years tire given the slightly reconfigured T17 and the 3 less H.P. from last year for the 99's,
1.6's still unknown, probably close or the same?
Homestead should be more telling.

[LarryKing]

the challenge for the drivers will be to adjust their driving style and car set up to maintain corner speed on the 4th, 5th and 6th heat cycles

Duh, just buy more tires... and more... and more....

[D Tesch]

Lets wait until races are run at road america to see what effect the changes have made! That will be the test!

[Jim Drago]

Lets wait until races are run at road america to see what effect the changes have made! That will be the test!

Yeah, that should settle everything ... Same cars/ same drivers will yield same results. Regardless of the tires we run, regardless of whether we use this years rules or last. If you want to win in any car at those two events, you better career the car or be living right.

[Keith Novak]

I was hearing from a good driver at a fall enuro that they seemed very consistent through his 2 hr stint which would have put them at about 4 heat cycles, feeling about the same at the end as the start. Were people finding they were more consistent than the Toyos throughout individual sessions or they'd fall off late in the race?

[Dan Cooper]

I bought a set of Hoosiers for our 4hr enduro a few weeks ago.

Practiced on them
Qual'd pole on them
Lap 7 was faster than qual
3rd lap from the end was faster than lap 7
Ran a test day on them. 3rd session time was .5 faster than the enduro fast lap.

I have absolutely nothing but positive things to say about these tires. Very consistent from sticker to EOL (which takes a while!)

[LarryKing]

2 hr stint which would have put them at about 4 heat cycles

Interesting. So 30 minutes equals 1 heat cycle?

I've been subscribing to the theory that a heat cycle was the incidence of bringing the tire to operating temperature and back to ambient temp, regardless of duration of time. Obviously 2 hours will account for more treadwear but does it multiply heat cycling too?

Is Saul Speedwell lurking?

[James York]

Interesting. So 30 minutes equals 1 heat cycle?

I've been subscribing to the theory that a heat cycle was the incidence of bringing the tire to operating temperature and back to ambient temp, regardless of duration of time. Obviously 2 hours will account for more treadwear but does it multiply heat cycling too?

Is Saul Speedwell lurking?

Your thoughts would be correct about a "heat cycle".

[wheel]

A heat cycle is a heat cycle. It doesn't matter if it is 4 laps to scuff, 3 laps to qualify or 20 laps in a race. Time does not make a heat cycle.
wheel

[Caveman-kwebb99]

^{I have run right up front with stickers, with 3 heat cycles, with 8 heat cycles, even with 11 heat cycles on Hoosiers. Personally I could not tell a difference except when they were stickers its easy to lock them up before they get good an warmed up. Only used them at Mid Ohio, but a heat cycle is still a heat cycle regardless of where you race.}

[FTodaro]

A heat cycle is a heat cycle. It doesn't matter if it is 4 laps to scuff, 3 laps to qualify or 20 laps in a race. Time does not make a heat cycle.
wheel

agreed each heat cycle will have the result of making the rubber harder. however Long heat cycles may result in the tire delivering fewer heat cycles. for example. we at Mid Ohio get about 15 to 18 Hc out of a hoosier, however grip does start to fall off after 8 to 10 but we are talking about a range of 20 to 40 min. heat cycles. If your doing an 8 hr endro you may only get one heat cycle out of a tire.

[Keith Novak]

A heat cycle is a heat cycle. It doesn't matter if it is 4 laps to scuff, 3 laps to qualify or 20 laps in a race. Time does not make a heat cycle.
wheel

I agree that I misspoke when I said 2hrs was like 4 heat cycles (really meaning they were consistent for a surprisingly long time) but I don't know I agree with that.

My very limited understanding is that it's somewhat like heat treating metals. You get the material hot enough that the molecules loosen up a bit and when they cool slowly they end up in a more organized arrangement which changes the material properties. There is some minimum amount of time required to get the tires hot enough for long enough to let the material do it's thing.

[Zauskycop]

I think it is still important for the life of the tire, if you are interested in longevity, that you properly heat cycle the tire the first time. I agree that a sticker tire is going to be faster than a heat cycled tire the very first run, but after that, the properly cycled tire will be FAR more consistent over its lifetime....IMO of course.

[powerss]

Is there a consensus on camber settings for the Hoosier compared to the RA1s? More/Less.....about how much?