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Keep us posted on how things go with the R1s Chuck. They're available in the right sizes for my S2000, and even though I'm blessed with a car that wears tires nice and evenly, the wear rate is pretty punishing on the checkbook. I'm on pace to spend $3600 on tires this year at this rate. Not to imply that I expected an A Stock car to be cheap to run, but...damn.

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Karl S.
2014 Baby, 2014 House, 2013 Ford Focus ST, 2013 BMW 328i, 1994 Mercedes E320
(Insert passive aggressive signature line here)

As I said earlier, I don't think it's the tires but the stability control causing the odd wear pattern. We had the same pattern and cording on our A6s the first T&T we did at knights stadium (not known to be hard on tires) after ~ 30 runs. We flipped the tires and learned how to turn off the ESC entirely and got > 55 more runs out of them at the Danville Evo extreme school without any sign of cording or the odd wear pattern. We now have 43 runs on another set of A6s that we will have flipped tomorrow again without any unusual wear. I'd bet you'll see the same kind of wear no matter what tire you use unless you turn off the stability control.

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SPIN or WIN!
there's no glory for going slow.

I am pretty sure that Chuck has his stability control totally turned off on the BMW and is still having horrid tire wear. The stability control cannot be turned entirely off without reprogamming the computer which you cannot do in stock class. Heck even the guy who time trials his Crossfire has yet to figure out how to totally shut it off and he has a custom computer tune and has gone through the wiring trying to fool the computer.

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2010 Honda Fit Sport
Couple of bicycles

Yep, we're of course running with DSC fully disabled. Fortunately in BMWs you can completely disable such (I think Keith's comment about reprogramming up above is in reference to the Crossfire). In the E46 you can press the DSC button once and it will just disable DSC but still have traction control enabled; to completely disable it, you press and hold the button down for about 4 seconds. Then the DSC off light comes on and the "brake" light illuminates yellow. The E90 is essentially the same way. In all M-cars, just one touch of the DSC button turns it completely off.

BTW, you would not believe how awful the car is to drive with the nanny enabled...it would be many seconds slower on a typical course and boring as heck to drive.

You know, on a course like the one just now at Laurinburg, about 70 seconds long, my old Dunlop SSR r-comp tires we were running may have been about 1 to 1.5 seconds or so slower than the A6s, but we autocrossed on them for over 1 years worth of events and drove to and from all the events on them (i.e. they are more like RA-1s). They did wear the edges more up front, but they last forever. Comparing those to the A6s cording in less then 20 runs is insane.

Karl, that is an insane tire budget for just one year. I think I would go with something like the V710 and see how that wears (or did you tell me that they don't have your size?).

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Current stable:
2019 BMW M2 Competition slicktop 6MT
2011 BMW M3 sedan slicktop 6MT
2007 BMW 328i wagon (slushbox for now)
1975 CanAm 125MX2

If anyone with a 96-99 BMW is reading and wishing they could have the ASC+T automatically turn off, see here:

http://www.jogger-egg.com/kbob/asc+t.html

It works great! Probably would work for the newer cars as well for the "partial turnoff" mode. I'm going to do the same mod to the DSC button on the 540i



Data point: 70 runs on my stock, camber challenged M3. Fronts flipped once. Rears corded before fronts. Tossed the fronts with plenty more tread than the rears. I drive like a crazed weasel, I am sure most drivers would have gotten 100+ runs from them.

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Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

At what is now ~1300. a set for our size, we are about to order our 3rd set so far this year. Fortunately Donna won two tires at Huntsville so we only have to buy two this time. In 2003 when Donna won her first jacket, we went through 6 sets of tires that season. Having two drivers eats them twice as quickly, and when both drivers are in the same household they all come out of the same pocket. That's why we don't do Laurenburg or concrete any more.

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SPIN or WIN!
there's no glory for going slow.

Ouch. I'm officially on my 5th set of tires for the 3 years I've owned the CRX. I paid ~$500 for the first 2 sets combined and ~$850 for the second 2 sets combined. I even put a combined 35k+ street miles on the first 2 sets along with racing on them.

I got a little back from selling the second 2 sets ($150) so that helped offset the cost even more. I'd still be running those last 2 sets if it weren't for those pesky Bridgestones and they would have easily gotten me through the year and partially into next year. I paid ~$800 for 2 sets of Bridgestones (that $100 rebate per set came in handy!) and I fully expect to be running the 2nd set well into next year.

And I've been known to do an event or 2 more per year than the average person.

Somebody explain to me again why race tires are so much fun? I keep forgetting.

OK, I'll shut up now...

Jim

Us mere mortals need them to hide our lack of talent!


--Donnie

Well, here's the thing Chuck. Actually, it's a lot of things.

1. The front tire size to have on this car is 245-40-17. Kumho makes a 245-45-17. The tire is just tall enough that, apparently, it starts ripping fender liner fasteners out of the car. Not to mention that the 710 wouldn't be a whole lot cheaper per set anyway at those sizes (casting the longevity discussion aside for a moment). If the Kumhos were sized right, I'd have been on them from the start of this whole process.

2. I've got a codriver either paying me money per run, or trailering my car for me. This does help (but trust me it still stings).

3. I've got a couple national events on my schedule and I don't plan on showing up with tires that "I think can make it." Especially after Laurinburg, and the beating the left front took, I'm going to the Double Cross with fresh tires mounted. I'll run the old A6s at locals until they cord. Danville isn't real tough on tires.

The Double Cross is kind of an X Factor, in that how well I do in the challenge determines how long the tires last.

4. Speaking of National events, I'm planning on going to Nationals this year for the first time in my life. And there's no WAY I'm making that trip with anything other than sticker A6s.

Now, if I show up to the double cross and go two and out in the challenge, I'd certainly be confident bringing those to Nationals. But I'm sort of preparing myself for the "worst case scenario" and budgeting for three sets of tires this year. Besides, I don't plan on going two and out at the double cross

Like I said...I didn't buy an A Stock car, with intentions of going up against the big boys, thinking I'd have a low tire budget. I just didn't think it would be a three set year. I'd budgeted for two. That particular part of the setup I missed altogether.

Stupid motorsports!

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Karl S.
2014 Baby, 2014 House, 2013 Ford Focus ST, 2013 BMW 328i, 1994 Mercedes E320
(Insert passive aggressive signature line here)

Oh stop whining about your tire costs people. I'm running 2 sets of Hoosiers. 1 set is 315/30-18 on all 4 corners. The other set is 315/30-18 front and 335/30-18 rear. That will get me through maybe 8 weekends, with no co-driver. I paid more in shipping than Jim F. paid for his tires.

Jim I hate you, really!

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http://www.greywinds.com

I am pretty sure nobody wants to hear me "whine" about how much I've spent on racing this year. Heck, I'd bet there are folks reading this forum who would *like* to be able to spend as much as Jim F does, let alone *me*.

Perspective, people...let's all be happy we can afford to race however we afford it.


--Donnie, screw the kids inheritance, Barnes

Hey, I hate myself sometimes too so I can empathize.

One day I'll write a book titled: "A Jewish Guide to Racing" with a foreword by David Lehman.

Jim

I'll be in line for that book if I'm not too old. So get started now. I want an autographed copy!!!

I think I'm going to AX this Celica I just bought. $300 for a complete set (instead of 1 tire for my Z06) of RT-615s. And the the car is HS. I finally get to run the fabled "Cheater Tire" in TIR class and PAX is my friend

OMG. I hope you are not referring to David Lehman, as in the SS driver out of FL. That boy has issues...

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http://www.greywinds.com

Holy Crap!!! Lehman has infiltrated the THSCC Forum!!! The world will surely end now!!!!!!

He is a regular "contributor" on Autocrossforum. That guys has some weird things bouncing around in his head!!!

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Todd Breakey
STS 42 - 1992 Sunburst Miata
Dammit!
"You souldn't play leap frog with a porcupine. You might get hurt." - Eliza

I'll work on a chapter list later if I have time.



Man, you've been out of the game for a while, huh? The new "cheater" tires are made by Bridgestone. Unfortunately, the smallest size is 15" so that may preclude you from getting a set assuming you are running 14" stock rims. Or did the Celica come with 15"'ers?



That's him! He was the only other Jewish AutoX'er I could think of off the top of my head.

Well, there is Jodi Bradley from Atlanta but that wouldn't have been nearly as entertaining.

Just be glad that it won't be a scratch-'n-sniff foreword.

Jim