Tyre life

[Chris71]

How quickly do people tend to go through (road) tyres on track days?

I need to get a new set of boots for my daily driver and the idea is to go to the 'ring at the end of September. I then thought about going on the PH track evening on the 4th or something similar as a bit of a warm up (don't have a huge amount of track experience, none in this car, and even that's a while back...)

So, the intinerary would be something like, pick up the tyres at the weekend; commute until early September; do first track day; commute 'till end of September; enthusiastic drive to the 'ring; do four or five laps; enthusiastic drive back.

Will there be any tread left on normal road tyres (something vaguely sporty, but not cut slicks or anyting!)? Car is only a 100PS Focus.

Tempted to finish the current set of at the first track day, but they're so dire I wouldn't count on the car handling in a similar way next time out.

[mmm-five]

Depends entirely on how you drive!

I can ruin a set in less than an hour (down to canvas & steel banding) on an airfield day or I can use the same tyres for 3 track days at Oulton Park.

[chris7676]

I get as many as 5-7 track days from my tyres on a MR mk1 (1000kg, 120bhp).

[Munter]

On the Focus I'd think you'll struggle to destry a set of tyres doing what you suggest. Assuming you dont just go for crazy wheelspining understeer out of every tight corner.

[John D.]

Munter said:

On the Focus I'd think you'll struggle to destry a set of tyres doing what you suggest. Assuming you dont just go for crazy wheelspining understeer out of every tight corner.

[Chris71]

So, sounds like I should be ok with some reasonably hard wearing sports tyres (any suggestions? Goodyear Eagles? Yoko S306s? Michelin Pilots?)

The next question is where to kick off my track day experience. I think either the PH track evening or perhaps this novice evening at Brands Hatch:
http://www.motorsportvision.co.uk/brands-hatch/tra...

Plenty of run-off, some instruction available and a novice-friendly approach would be good.

[chris7676]

I would just do an open pit lane with decent company (instead).

[Chris71]

Also been meaning to do one of the Car Limits days at North Weald for a while. They're quite good value at £200ish (bearing in mind there's only four of you on the airfield and you have an instructor) but I'd still feel a little unsure about spending that much on playing around with my daily driver.

[Toltec]

Chris71 said:

Also been meaning to do one of the Car Limits days at North Weald for a while. They're quite good value at £200ish (bearing in mind there's only four of you on the airfield and you have an instructor) but I'd still feel a little unsure about spending that much on playing around with my daily driver.

There is an activity day on the 29th, only £38 too. You will not get the 121 instruction but the exercises are nearly the same so you would get an idea of what is on offer and a chance to see what your car does pushed past your and its limits.

I have nothing to do with the company btw just been there several times.

[Chris71]

Toltec said:

Chris71 said:

Also been meaning to do one of the Car Limits days at North Weald for a while. They're quite good value at £200ish (bearing in mind there's only four of you on the airfield and you have an instructor) but I'd still feel a little unsure about spending that much on playing around with my daily driver.

There is an activity day on the 29th, only £38 too. You will not get the 121 instruction but the exercises are nearly the same so you would get an idea of what is on offer and a chance to see what your car does pushed past your and its limits.

I have nothing to do with the company btw just been there several times.

Hi,

Still mean to do a full driver training day with the TVR (as I believe we've talked baout in the past!) but this would just be a quick pre-'ring shakedown as I've never taken the Focus on track before (not surprisingly!) and so I had been thinking about going.

Have you ever done one of the activity days? Any idea how much track time is involved and what they're like?

Quite tempted. £38 is throwaway money if the car proves to be completely unsuitable or something, but £200+ for the day isn't. (Dare say it's worth it, but I think I'd need to be in the right car to justify it!)

[RMac]

you may round the edges of your front left on a track day - you won;t do much more to it - 5 laps at the ring for your first visit seriously won;t touch the tyres. Again, worse case scenario is the front left may get some edge wear. Just rotate them round a bit.

I wouldn't worry too much about the tyres, I would get something half decent in the wet though as it will probably rain at the ring.

[Toltec]

Chris71 said:

Have you ever done one of the activity days? Any idea how much track time is involved and what they're like?

Done a few, both in the Wedge and the Impreza.

I the morning you start off turning left,
then right,
then left,
then spinning

Honestly you would not believe how much you can learn just turning left at 60+mph off the throttle. Lightness of touch, balance of the car and feel etc. You will get 8 - 12 runs depending on how much time cars spend spinning and stalling.

In the afternoon they set up a couple of gate to gate circuits on which you do timed runs to see if you have learnt anything in the morning. Each run takes a minute or so meaning you should get 3 - 4 goes on each iirc. This is driver training not a track day so no helmets and your insurance is still valid.

Tbh I think the activity days become really useful when you have done one of the full training days as they are a cheap way to get some extra practice. They probably also a cheap way of finding out what Andy and Carlimits is about. I think this sort of training is complementary to track day tuition and if anything should come first.

Last thing, pump your tyres up a bit, it saves a bit of wear as the slides happen at lower speeds, a wet day is better still.

[Chris71]

Cool.

I am hufely busy over the next couple of weeks, but if I get the chance I'll get the new tyres fitted next week (Wednesday) perhaps and go along to the activity day.

I'd definitely like to do the driver training day in the TVR, but I think a quick pre-ring shakedown is all I really need for the Focus. I intend to treat 'the green hell' like a fast road rather than a track on my first visit.

[chris7676]

So why using the Focus instead of the TVR?

[Munter]

Chris71 said:

I intend to treat 'the green hell' like a fast road rather than a track on my first visit.

Wise move. I've just ordered new tyres ready for my visit at the end of the month. I dont expect a lot of wear at the 'ring compared to a trackday. But I might report back on wear experianced anyway if I remember.

[Chris71]

chris7676 said:

So why using the Focus instead of the TVR?

There's a niggling electrical issue that I probably won't have time to sort out before hand (I think it's a starter motor earth - only starts on a jump!), the hood needs a little bit of attention and it's not the most stable vehicle at autobahn speeds!

That's for the 'ring trip. For a one off track day I'd normally take the tiv, but seems sensible to give the Focus a shakedown before the trip. I've also been meaning to do a track day for ages and there's always been little jobs I've intended to do on the car beforehand or whatever and hopefully this way I can just get on with driving!

[iguana]

The walshy thrashabout days are excellent, but I'd say its a waste of time in a stock focus all it will do is wallow about & understeer everywhere slowly. Car will be fine at the 'ring for a novice tho, but you can murder a pair of brand new fronts if you push really hard in a couple of days.

[Chris71]

iguana said:

The walshy thrashabout days are excellent, but I'd say its a waste of time in a stock focus all it will do is wallow about & understeer everywhere slowly. Car will be fine at the 'ring for a novice tho, but you can murder a pair of brand new fronts if you push really hard in a couple of days.

Dunno, it seems to handle fairly respectably for FWD, but I agree it's never going to be quite the same as taking to the track in a proper. The idea is just to get an idea how much wallowing and understeer is going to take place whilst I have acres of run off in England, not some unforgiving looking armco in Germany.

[Toltec]

Chris71 said:

The idea is just to get an idea how much wallowing and understeer is going to take place whilst I have acres of run off in England, not some unforgiving looking armco in Germany.

Good idea for any car/driver even if only driven on the road imho.

Helps you learn/program the right response when things go tits up without having to think about it first. You can try things that there just is not room for on the road or a circuit.

[anonymous-user]

An alternative would be to hire something track prepped once out there. The Alfa 75s from RSRNürburg don't look pretty but they're bloody good fun, caged and RWD.