Remember to check these tyres !!

[Sandy59]

I'm sure this is pretty standard practice for regulars, but I overlooked inspecting my tyres closely after my first track day last week.

I got all the tyres renewed a few days later (this was pre-planned) after a few hundred more miles and found a 1" wide deep slice, right in the centre of the contact patch in one of the rears.
The cut was right down to the canvas and I think I was very lucky it held out until it did.

Not 100% sure it was caused on track, but the tyres were closely inspected during a geo check 2 dyas earlier and were fine. Thinking back there was some light debris on the circuit for a while but thought I'd avoided it - maybe not !!

Anway just a reminder mainly to the novices out there like myself.

[mmm-five]

That's why I have a set of track wheels that I can slam any tyre I want on.

I've been at trackdays in the past where all 4 tyres have been loosing air as the tyre was so worn you could the canvas and the metal wiring was pointing in all directions. If I hadn't had my road wheels I'd have been up poo river without a propulsion device.

[johnnystealth]

Im going on my 1st track day soon- does the track really munch through tyres? My fronts have plenty of tread all round, but the rears are worn down to 1mm at the lowest point, but only the very inside edge. This is normal on my car (fwd Alfa GTV v6). The rears will obviously need changing soon, should I change them before the day? Will I be just wasting fresh tread when I could finish the old ones off and change after? Or will I be risking doom if I use the old ones? How much does the track shred tyres?

[thetrash]

johnnystealth said:

Im going on my 1st track day soon- does the track really munch through tyres? My fronts have plenty of tread all round, but the rears are worn down to 1mm at the lowest point, but only the very inside edge. This is normal on my car (fwd Alfa GTV v6). The rears will obviously need changing soon, should I change them before the day? Will I be just wasting fresh tread when I could finish the old ones off and change after? Or will I be risking doom if I use the old ones? How much does the track shred tyres?

Depends how fast you go! On my FWD the fronts last 2 trackdays ish and the backs look about 6 months older than they are.

[mmm-five]

Also depends on whether you're going to a 'proper' circuit, or an abrasive airfield.

I can get through a set of tyres in 20 mins if I push hard on an airfield - but the same tyres last 2-3 days at somewhere like Donington.

[Gizmo535]

As a track-V-plater I can't imagine getting through a set of tyres that quickly - I used to cane my old Civic VTi for 35 miles every day up and down some pretty badly surfaced lanes to work, and more at the weekend, and still used to get 10k out of a set of fronts...

Still, I checked and I can get a set of Toyo T1Rs for my new car for about £200, which is great