r-comp advice needed

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Mon Jan 26, 2009 4:55 pm

as you can see in my other post, the hoosier r6's are being voted against for autox tires. Since I'm running the mustang in FS, this is my first opportunity to run r-comps from an autox standpoint.

What's recommended? What's the best bang for the buck in the tire world now? I could run tire class and run the re01r's again, but I think Stephen and Michael need someone to beat up.

Advice appreciated....

Wes Eargle · **Joined:** Mon Oct 27, 2003 9:47 am **Posts:** 3683

Run what Strano runs.

Matt McGrain · **Posted:** Mon Jan 26, 2009 5:31 pm

Rodney, I'd find out which would get the most life in terms of not cording early.

I'm in the same boat as you with a little heavier rwd car, but I'm concerned about not having enough camber to prevent overheated/corded shoulders on the fronts like Chuck experienced with his 330. Plus they're x2 the cost of 15's.

I agree with Jim though about not buying used, if anything the cost of mounting (sometimes balancing - track I guess) isn't worth the hassle.

The best thing is to just find your size and make (probably A6's and V710's) and make a WTB post on the SCCA Forums for a new set and make sure they're not more than 3 years old IMO by the stamp or etching, I can't remember which. It's worked for me twice.

Good luck in FS!

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Mon Jan 26, 2009 5:48 pm

Wes Eargle wrote:

Run what Strano runs.

per a forum I just saw, he's running Hoosier A6's in 295/30-18. COMPLETLY out of my price range @ $322 per. I just picked up a set of takeoff wheels for the mustang, so I'll be stay'n in the 17 range.

damn.... 255/45-17 A6's are $250 per at tire rack!!! Not digging on these prices.

Aaron Buckley · **Posted:** Mon Jan 26, 2009 5:50 pm

As probably the only person on the board that's ran a Shelby Mustang that was setup (SCCA DoubleCross 2008), I can say that there is little to no grip differential between the Hoosier A6 and the Kumho V710. The V710 though will last you 2x as long for competitive runs.

Here's a picture of me barreling into the final turn of the right hand course:

There was a quick elevation change there and you'd get minor wheel lockup on the brakes and a puff of smoke when the passenger front tire made it's initial contact

We were on 60 run V710's which probably was a disadvantage to the new A6's that the winner was on, but we weren't off the pace that much. This is the same car that waxed the winner at the Arkansas ProSolo about 6 weeks prior to this event. - AB

Chuck Branscomb · **Posted:** Mon Jan 26, 2009 6:43 pm

Rodney,

I would advise going with V710s over the A6 also simply from the longevity standpoint. The next step would be to use the BFG R1 which, according to the test GRM mag did, was very close to the A6 and V710; however, the R1s will last MUCH longer than either of the other two. The R1 is a great tire from a feedback standpoint whereas the A6 is initially fair but as it gets heated up it requires higher slip angles and is much more difficult to feel the top of the traction curve. You can run the R1 at VIR and have a blast on them. No chance of doing that for long on the A6.

There was a test recently on a skidpad where they simply kept doing laps and heated up the tires (A6s). Once the tires got above 160F, their grip plateaued but the hotter they got, the more slip angle you had to give them to get that max grip out of them. Hence they feel sloppy, imprecise, etc, once you get them really hot. You can feel this difference in our long autox courses as the tire is a completely different animal from the early part of the course to the latter part (at least on the 330i where they were getting serious heat in the fronts). Chris Peterson learned this first-hand in the Evo Extreme school too.

Hence you will need to keep them cool at our events with lots of spraying and such.

Conversely, the R1 loves heat. I rarely spray them. My experience on the 330i is that they lasted somewhere more than 7-8 times as long as the A6s did on that car (I could do in a new set of front A6s in less than 15 runs and at $274 each, it wasn't exactly fun). I finally did in a set at the extreme school last year after way over 120 runs on them.

So, yeah, with the R1 you won't have the "top of the line" autocross tire, but it is perhaps 95% there or so. They last, they're fun to drive on, you won't ever see someone at a national event trophy on them, but...oh yeah, they last.

Karl Shultz · **Posted:** Mon Jan 26, 2009 7:40 pm

RodneyWright wrote:

damn.... 255/45-17 A6's are $250 per at tire rack!!! Not digging on these prices.

That's just sort of part of the game with 17" wheels, I'm sorry to say.

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Mon Jan 26, 2009 7:43 pm

Chuck beat me to it.

BFG R1, I have seen a ton of takeoffs on Ebay. I am gonna give them a run after I kill my V710's in L'burg. Mike Whitney ran them last year and he did pretty damn well with them.

Aaron Buckley · **Posted:** Mon Jan 26, 2009 8:02 pm

Chuck Branscomb wrote:

Rodney,

I would advise going with V710s over the A6 also simply from the longevity standpoint. The next step would be to use the BFG R1 which, according to the test GRM mag did, was very close to the A6 and V710; however, the R1s will last MUCH longer than either of the other two. The R1 is a great tire from a feedback standpoint whereas the A6 is initially fair but as it gets heated up it requires higher slip angles and is much more difficult to feel the top of the traction curve. You can run the R1 at VIR and have a blast on them. No chance of doing that for long on the A6.

There was a test recently on a skidpad where they simply kept doing laps and heated up the tires (A6s). Once the tires got above 160F, their grip plateaued but the hotter they got, the more slip angle you had to give them to get that max grip out of them. Hence they feel sloppy, imprecise, etc, once you get them really hot. You can feel this difference in our long autox courses as the tire is a completely different animal from the early part of the course to the latter part (at least on the 330i where they were getting serious heat in the fronts). Chris Peterson learned this first-hand in the Evo Extreme school too.

Hence you will need to keep them cool at our events with lots of spraying and such.

Conversely, the R1 loves heat. I rarely spray them. My experience on the 330i is that they lasted somewhere more than 7-8 times as long as the A6s did on that car (I could do in a new set of front A6s in less than 15 runs and at $274 each, it wasn't exactly fun). I finally did in a set at the extreme school last year after way over 120 runs on them.

So, yeah, with the R1 you won't have the "top of the line" autocross tire, but it is perhaps 95% there or so. They last, they're fun to drive on, you won't ever see someone at a national event trophy on them, but...oh yeah, they last.

While I agree that the R1 is a good tire, the Mustang has a decent camber curve when compared to the 330i which eats the outside edge of the front tires, so the V710 will last likely just as long as the R1, and be more competitive in the process. There are a lot of people that get more than 100 runs prior to cord.

If I were buying the tires, then I would be looking at what has the most advantageous sizes between the V710 and the R1.

Don't feel bad Rodney. The rears for the C6 are $394 a piece :shock:

Our first set of A6's were $1511 delivered and fortunately we mounted them over at Keith Vail's house

- AB

MarcusMcRae · **Posted:** Mon Jan 26, 2009 8:48 pm

Try the victoracer. I will be starting my third season on this set. I have to admit they are not quite as "grippy" as they used to be but they were pretty good until the last couple events. They are $185 in the 255/40 17.

steve remchak · **Posted:** Mon Jan 26, 2009 10:01 pm

while they are not r-comps, a set of Michelin Pilot Sports PS2 will serve you well Rodney. i have driven to the track, run a weekend and driven home on them. (twice) insert slow-ass corvette slur here. they are good in the rain, which was not the case with the OEM Goodyears. i was impressed with the grip and they are very predictable on the track. more like a r-comp than a street tire.

they are however a little pricey.

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

Regarding the R1's -- Fantastic for the first few events but ONLY if it's warm out. Not a 4-season track tire, IMO, they NEED heat. Only good for autocross for a few months of the year in my experience. More temp sensitive than anything I have ever run. They feel heat-cycled out after about 3 track events and 2 autocrosses, but the last few events have been cold.

I'm using a set of R888 takeoffs for VIR-Feb then will probably bring the R1's back out for any summer track events I can get to. No idea what I'm going to run for autocross, but it won't be either of those tires...

No more R1s for me just because of the inconsistency.

Karl Shultz · **Posted:** Tue Jan 27, 2009 1:19 am

Rodney, have you considered finding a co-driver?

steve remchak · **Posted:** Tue Jan 27, 2009 1:38 am

i hope to run my R888s for the forseeable future, as dim as that is. i poppped them mid summer and they are sticky out of the box. longevity being the question there. still, i am not sure they are an autox tire.

since you plan on driving your Mustang regularly Rodney, why not put a Corvette / P-car tire on it? drive it like you stole it dude.

along those lines; if the world is due to end in the year 2012, should i start shopping for a 997S? i mean DFI only comes around what maybe once in a lifetime.

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Tue Jan 27, 2009 9:41 am

Karl Shultz wrote:

Rodney, have you considered finding a co-driver?

not sure where you're going w/ this Karl....

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