14 replies to this topic

[FTodaro]

What is the latest news? Are we on the SM7.5 for 2021?

[38bfast]

yes 

[Sphinx]

So, what's the difference, other than the tread pattern?  Is it my imagination or are the minimally wider?  I'm relatively new to Hoosiers and recently ran on some 7.5s but don't have enough seat time or experience with Hoosiers to tell a difference.

[FTodaro]

So, what's the difference, other than the tread pattern?  Is it my imagination or are the minimally wider?  I'm relatively new to Hoosiers and recently ran on some 7.5s but don't have enough seat time or experience with Hoosiers to tell a difference.

Well there are two differences.

1. one is legal one is not.

2. Seriously, the only thing i could tell is the 7 has a more rounded edge and the 7.5 is more square at the edge. 

[Ron Alan]

At least in my region...pretty sure I read SM7's are still good for 2021(If you have old stock)...along with Bilsteins in SCCA and NASA!

 

I think the point of the 1st question was are the 8's out yet! We have been on the 7.5 2 years...or 3?

 

Spinx is a little behind...

[Caveman-kwebb99]

Come on guys the 7.5 are so much better then the 7s man oh man you can get 3-4 hc out of them before they become uncompetitive. Isn't that a huge improvement?

Fixing problems that dont exist while not embracing tire marking which solves many problems and just like the tech shed only the top guys are really called in so if your back in the weeds you could run whatever you want and who really cares

[Jim Drago]

At least in my region...pretty sure I read SM7's are still good for 2021(If you have old stock)...along with Bilsteins in SCCA and NASA!

 

I think the point of the 1st question was are the 8's out yet! We have been on the 7.5 2 years...or 3?

 

Spinx is a little behind...

I thought we were on 7.5 for less than a year?

[gerglmuff2]

i sincerely wonder how good folks think the tires can be? like, a cheap tire, with 20+ competitive heat cycles, no shaving, without slowing down, on these street based cars, seems unrealistic.

not saying the 7.5 is perfect. but thinking that we are gonna get anything other than a marginal improvement on the 7.5 i think is unrealistic. not saying i wouldn't like another 2 heat cycles, for the same dollars, and the same speed, i would, but we arnt going to be getting double any time soon. 

if it matters, if the competition is hot, people are always going to drive to the limits of there wallets. even on street tires, people are going shave, run stickers every race that matters ... etc. 

i would like a better tire, dont get me wrong. but i think your setting yourself up for disappointment if you think we are gonna get anything other than a marginal improvement on the 7.5. couple more heat cycles would be nice. 

[Jim Drago]

i sincerely wonder how good folks think the tires can be? like, a cheap tire, with 20+ competitive heat cycles, no shaving, without slowing down, on these street based cars, seems unrealistic.

not saying the 7.5 is perfect. but thinking that we are gonna get anything other than a marginal improvement on the 7.5 i think is unrealistic. not saying i wouldn't like another 2 heat cycles, for the same dollars, and the same speed, i would, but we arnt going to be getting double any time soon. 

if it matters, if the competition is hot, people are always going to drive to the limits of there wallets. even on street tires, people are going shave, run stickers every race that matters ... etc. 

i would like a better tire, dont get me wrong. but i think your setting yourself up for disappointment if you think we are gonna get anything other than a marginal improvement on the 7.5. couple more heat cycles would be nice. 

 

You are exactly correct and why we blew it by not supporting the tire limiting proposal.  

[Ron Alan]

I thought we were on 7.5 for less than a year?

I think my brain is thinking 7 rebranded(tread pattern) as 7.5...so technically 3 plus years?  

2020 definitely felt like 2 years of my life!

[gerglmuff2]

You are exactly correct and why we blew it by not supporting the tire limiting proposal.  

 

i cant speak much to that, im just a lowly divisional racer. i did support it, but it would not have effected my racing budget as i dont do super tours. at the divisional level, we are all still just racing to the depth of our wallets, trying to get a good bang for our buck. and the 7.5 does deliver slightly better bang for the buck, and i expect the 8, when it comes, will too. 

 

[Sphinx]

I think my brain is thinking 7 rebranded(tread pattern) as 7.5...so technically 3 plus years?

2020 definitely felt like 2 years of my life!

 

So, I'm not as behind as you thought I was!

[Ron Alan]

So, I'm not as behind as you thought I was!

Age...dont worry, you'll get there

[Steve Scheifler]

Only Hoosier knows for certain but most likely, and evidence suggests, the 7.5 is merely a rebranded R7. Recall that unlike earlier versions the SM7 did not follow the R7 redesign following the SM6/R6. But when demand for an improvement became loud enough and tests were done, as I understand it the R7 performed as well or better than a pre-production SM8 so the “temporary” SM7.5 was born by rebranding the R7.

Open to factual knowledge to the contrary.

[gerglmuff2]

i mean we could be in worse shape. i find i get probably 2 extra competitive heat cycles from the 7.5, and i also notice it doesn't overheat and start losing performance as quickly (ie instead of my fast qualifier being lap 3-4, it will now hold on to lap 5 or even 6). for the same price as the 7, i think thats actually a pretty noticeable improvement. 

i once last year ran a mixed set, sticker 7s and 7.5s (i had won a pair of 7s at the last race of the previous season, and had to claim within 30 days) and wow, that was an adventure. ended up having to keep the 7.5s on the rear, because by the second or third HC, on the 3rd or 4th lap, if i had the 7s on the rear, i could not handle the car at all. rear end was all over the fudging place. no adjustments to the car, just tire rotation. 

they are different, and the 7.5 i think is in every way an improvement. 

id always be happy with more HCs though.