Recommend an inexpensive tire for track/HPDE

I have had pretty good success with Nitto NT555s for an every day tire with a few track days a year.

How many track days do you plan to do each year?

Keep in mind that a dollar saved today can quickly translate to many more dollars spent tomorrow. Many of the tires mentioned thus far are 100% street tires, which are simply not up to the task up repetitive lapping.

I whole heartedly agree with the mindset that enthusiasts should progress through the tire ranks, as this will ensure the tire is giving the driver the proper feedback (physically and audibly) and not masking your errors. There is a lot to be said about mastering the limits of your car before jumping to the next level compound (or modification for that matter). Many enthusiasts are quick to slap on r-compounds with little no no track experience and not only are they unable to leverage the added cost and grip that these tires present, their car is often times not prepared for them (negative camber) and the tire ends up hindering the learning curve.

With all of that said, you should get a tire that is up to the task of repetitive lapping. One that will not chunk, rapidly deteriorate at the shoulder and ultimately prevent you from staying out on track all weekend to further develop your skill. If you kill off a new set of street tires in one weekend (believe me that is all it takes), than extreme summer tires that may cost a couple hundred dollars more up front are actually more cost effective solution in the long run. The same can be said about purchasing adjustable camber plates, as many push that mod off when in actuality that $400 - $500 component will save you thousands on tires over the course of a few seasons (not to mention the performance benefits they also present).

Extreme summer tires are great double duty tires that can be used day to day (not in inclement weather of course) on the street, to and from the track, and on track. Tires like Hankook RS-3's (now RS-4), Dunlop Direzza ZII Star Specs, Yokohama AD08R, BFG Rivals and Nitto NT05's are all great options. I have found the RS-3's and Star Spec ZII's to be the best for the $, as the Yoko's are a bit pricier and not any faster.

Aside from high temp brake fluid, possibly upgraded pads, and decent extreme summer tires, I would only recommend dialing in some negative camber to keep tire wear even and consistent. These foundational items aren't about being a hero out there and running the fastest lap times, rather they will allow you to stay out on track so you are not cutting sessions or your day short while keeping your running/consumable costs in check.

- Ryan

Agree with the points made by Ryan above...

I started my HPDE journey years ago on a bimmer with run-flats, and on all-season tires that came on my '08 Shelby GT. (Yeah, that was annoying!) I had good luck with the NT-05's, they stuck well for a 200 TW tire, and they gave great audible feedback, so you can tell how much your pushing them.

The Pirellis on the GT-PP definitely chunk. I'm running NT-01's now, but definitely advise growing ability and speed on a street tire FIRST before going up the tire ladder.

Have fun!

MrMagnetic said:

I need a new set of tires for an upcoming HPDE with my GTPP. These will be used primarily for track and rarely on the street.

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I hope that means you're looking at a separate set of wheels for those (mostly) track tires.

Give some thought to wheel width(s) and the range of tire sizes that they will work with.


Norm

In the last 16 months I have done 13 track days with my EBPP.

I have used two different tires. The Michelin Pilot Super Sports and the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500's. (275/35/19 square)

The track I run on most often (Waterford Hills) has proven tough on tires. I have corded the outside edge on two sets of the MPSS's. Can't afford that. Took a chance on the the cheaper Indy 500's.

For the price the Indy 500's are a pretty awesome street tire. I have been thoroughly impressed. They are smooth and quiet and have proven to handle heavy downpours at highway speeds easily. They are not track tires. Not even close.

My best lap @ Waterford on the Super Sports: 1.23.39
My best lap @ Waterford on the Indy 500's: 1.25.47

On track I find the Indy 500's to be consistent and predictable. Although the limit is much lower than the MPSS's, they breakaway gradually and smoothly. The wear characteristics at this point seem quite impressive compared to the MPSS.

I don't regret purchasing these tires, but I'm currently not sure I'd buy them again.

Grafanton said:

For the price the Indy 500's are a pretty awesome street tire. I have been thoroughly impressed. They are smooth and quiet and have proven to handle heavy downpours at highway speeds easily. They are not track tires. Not even close.

My best lap @ Waterford on the Super Sports: 1.23.39
My best lap @ Waterford on the Indy 500's: 1.25.47

On track I find the Indy 500's to be consistent and predictable. Although the limit is much lower than the MPSS's, they breakaway gradually and smoothly. The wear characteristics at this point seem quite impressive compared to the MPSS.

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Friendly breakaway characteristics, durable, truly streetable from a cost/mile standpoint, and not so slow that you could blame them if you get lapped . . . sounds like a pretty good choice for novices and freshly-minted intermediates just getting started with a track-specific mod program.

Thanks for the data . . . do you have any comparative lap times from Mid-Ohio?


Norm

Grafanton said:

In the last 16 months I have done 13 track days with my EBPP.

I have used two different tires. The Michelin Pilot Super Sports and the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500's. (275/35/19 square)

The track I run on most often (Waterford Hills) has proven tough on tires. I have corded the outside edge on two sets of the MPSS's. Can't afford that. Took a chance on the the cheaper Indy 500's.

For the price the Indy 500's are a pretty awesome street tire. I have been thoroughly impressed. They are smooth and quiet and have proven to handle heavy downpours at highway speeds easily. They are not track tires. Not even close.

My best lap @ Waterford on the Super Sports: 1.23.39
My best lap @ Waterford on the Indy 500's: 1.25.47

On track I find the Indy 500's to be consistent and predictable. Although the limit is much lower than the MPSS's, they breakaway gradually and smoothly. The wear characteristics at this point seem quite impressive compared to the MPSS.

I don't regret purchasing these tires, but I'm currently not sure I'd buy them again.

Click to expand...

I'd echo similar thoughts. I have the Bridgestone RE760s in the same size all around, which are the same compound (according to a former Bridgestone guy) but with slightly different construction and tread pattern. They're really great street tires. Hard to beat the 500s from a value perspective for this. They stack well against the MPSS for anything on the street, and are much cheaper.

I've also owned MPSS and they're definitely quite a bit stickier and track focused (better response and less movement of the contact patch), albeit still not a "track tire".

I appreciate all of the feedback, especially Grafanton sharing on track experience with the Indy 500s.

I'd prefer not to spend much on track tires because I'm probably only going to use them for three weekends. I've been running autocross with worn out Pirellis on a spare set of wheels and next year I'm going to put RE71R tires on these wheels. There are three local HPDE between now and next year's autocross season. I'm considering putting Indy 500s on my spare wheels, running these three events, and depending on the life left in them possibly scrapping them next March. Buying $600 tires for temporary use is better than buying $1200 tires, if the $600 tires won't die in three weekends.

Grafanton said:

In the last 16 months I have done 13 track days with my EBPP.

I have used two different tires. The Michelin Pilot Super Sports and the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500's. (275/35/19 square)

The track I run on most often (Waterford Hills) has proven tough on tires. I have corded the outside edge on two sets of the MPSS's. Can't afford that. Took a chance on the the cheaper Indy 500's.

For the price the Indy 500's are a pretty awesome street tire. I have been thoroughly impressed. They are smooth and quiet and have proven to handle heavy downpours at highway speeds easily. They are not track tires. Not even close.

My best lap @ Waterford on the Super Sports: 1.23.39
My best lap @ Waterford on the Indy 500's: 1.25.47

On track I find the Indy 500's to be consistent and predictable. Although the limit is much lower than the MPSS's, they breakaway gradually and smoothly. The wear characteristics at this point seem quite impressive compared to the MPSS.

I don't regret purchasing these tires, but I'm currently not sure I'd buy them again.

Click to expand...

I have them on my GT PP in 275 40 18 and love them. As stated below, they're about as good as you can expect for the price. Also as you noted, if you're looking for lap times, they aren't your tire. They're a great learning tool though. Great durability, 4.5 hpdes, 3.5 at mid Ohio and 1 at nelson ledges repaved. Also have about 10 autocrosses on them and 10k street miles. They have about 4/32nds. No chunking, no feathering, just a bad ass tire. Heavy car with 2 people in it on track just taking the abuse. Can't recommend them enough, for someone who isn't looking for every last tenth on track. Only downside is soft sidewall which limits turn in and feel, but also means it's a light tire and comfy on street.

Norm Peterson said:

Friendly breakaway characteristics, durable, truly streetable from a cost/mile standpoint, and not so slow that you could blame them if you get lapped . . . sounds like a pretty good choice for novices and freshly-minted intermediates just getting started with a track-specific mod program.

Thanks for the data . . . do you have any comparative lap times from Mid-Ohio?


Norm

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No comparative times for me but I was doing 1:47 on them, and 1:41 on slicks.

BmacIL said:

I'd echo similar thoughts. I have the Bridgestone RE760s in the same size all around, which are the same compound (according to a former Bridgestone guy) but with slightly different construction and tread pattern. They're really great street tires. Hard to beat the 500s from a value perspective for this. They stack well against the MPSS for anything on the street, and are much cheaper.

I've also owned MPSS and they're definitely quite a bit stickier and track focused (better response and less movement of the contact patch), albeit still not a "track tire".

Click to expand...

:cheers:

MrMagnetic said:

I appreciate all of the feedback, especially Grafanton sharing on track experience with the Indy 500s.

I'd prefer not to spend much on track tires because I'm probably only going to use them for three weekends. I've been running autocross with worn out Pirellis on a spare set of wheels and next year I'm going to put RE71R tires on these wheels. There are three local HPDE between now and next year's autocross season. I'm considering putting Indy 500s on my spare wheels, running these three events, and depending on the life left in them possibly scrapping them next March. Buying $600 tires for temporary use is better than buying $1200 tires, if the $600 tires won't die in three weekends.

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Do it.

I just had an event with the Suhmitomo HTRZ III's and would like to recommend this with a warning. I picked these up new for just $400 at 245, 19s and after a couple of heat cycles they stick pretty well for a HPDE event. I will say if you are a novice on a budget this is a great great great choice for a tire that performs better then the stock performance pack pirelli pzeros and provide good feedback and they are a nice loud tire for a beginner as well. The only issue I say is that when they get really hot and exceed 38 to 40 psi they get real slick and greased over till they cool down abit. If this is your first year doing a HPDE and you want a tire you can use for the year and drive around on its a great choice for a daily especially for price. If you are more experienced I would pass and go for a true track tire with a separate set of wheels.

And I make this recommendation after using the PZeros, These, Sport Comp 2s, hoosier slicks, Michelin pilot sport cup 2's, nitto nT55s , Eagle F1s , and toyo R888s on previous cars.

ZanarkO said:

I just had an event with the Suhmitomo HTRZ III's and would like to recommend this with a warning. I picked these up new for just $400 at 245, 19s and after a couple of heat cycles they stick pretty well for a HPDE event. I will say if you are a novice on a budget this is a great great great choice for a tire that performs better then the stock performance pack pirelli pzeros and provide good feedback and they are a nice loud tire for a beginner as well. The only issue I say is that when they get really hot and exceed 38 to 40 psi they get real slick and greased over till they cool down abit. If this is your first year doing a HPDE and you want a tire you can use for the year and drive around on its a great choice for a daily especially for price. If you are more experienced I would pass and go for a true track tire with a separate set of wheels.

Click to expand...

ZanarkO said:

And I make this recommendation after using the PZeros, These, Sport Comp 2s, hoosier slicks, Michelin pilot sport cup 2's, nitto nT55s , Eagle F1s , and toyo R888s on previous cars.

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Z3s chunk also, the Indy500 is better at everything but sidewall stiffness. I had them prior to the Indy500s. Good tire though.