124Spider

I have bought another set of OEM wheels for my MY04, so that I can have a set of tires for normal driving and a set for track/autocross. I'm not planning to go nuts in either track or autocross (famous last words...), but I am wondering what would be the best tires for lapping on a track and an occasional autocross, which also would allow me to drive to the track (possibly as much as 130 to 250 miles away, depending on the track) without causing undue wear on the tires. In other words, a very soft compound would not be good. Also, to the extent that my choice would be between an R-compound and a non-R-compound, both of which would allow me to drive to the track without killing the tires, is there a significant difference in performance?

Finally, with the stock wheels, could I run 255/40-17 in the back and 225/45-17 in front with no problem?

Thankls.

Fongu

Thre is a significant difference between R-compound and non-R's. You'll be able to feel it in the braking and if you push it with the greater body roll when cornering. It's worth up to ~4% improvement in lap times.

Note that R's don't scream when pushed at the limits. It is harder for novices to feel the limit. Be careful when pushing it. Also note that to get better dry performance and better tire longevity you want to shave the tread blocks to prevent overheating the tires. Of course this increases chances for hydroplaning, but shaved R's will still be better on damp tracks with no standing water. I would suggest using your street tires for full wet conditions, unless you want to also have wet R's.

With your requirements, it is basically a hard track oriented tire. My only experience is with Toyo RA1's. They are a very good compromise tire and recovers from heat cycling/overheating very well. They don't quite have the correct sizes for 17", 235/255. I've run my last set 5 track outings, 12 autocrosses and 10k street miles. They lasted longer than my SO2's, since the the SO2's died after track duty.

I would suggest just asking around and getting ride alongs the local PNW guys. You might get different opinions for the weather out there.

S Curve S

I emailed FALKEN Tire, and they have a new line of tires coming in the spring of 05. They will be producing an expanded size range which will include 225/45/17 and 255/40/17. I was told from talking to people that the AZENIS is a great compromise for R compounds. It is a street legal tire that you can drive down on too events without the worry of wet roads, while giving up little performance.

maxrev

Has anyone tried Falken Azenis on MY2004s?

225/45ZR17 F
245/45ZR17 R

lig

Mark -

The RA1s are probably your best bet. They are less sensitive to heat cycling and good for your lapping days. They also work well on the street so driving to events won't be an issue. Don't try driving to events on Hoosiers!

The RA1s aren't quite as fast as Victoracers autocrossing though.

When (or if) my street tires ever wear out I'm going to go with either RA1s or the new Azenis for my street wheels and stick with the Victoracers for autocrossing.

Tedster is running the same tire setup as Fongu and IIRC he has been very happy with the results.

Unshaved RA1s are decent in the rain too...

GrimReaper

I saw this new line at SEMA this year and got a chance to talk to one of the reps. First of all, the tire looks really nice. Pretty much same specs as the current Azenis Sport (treadwear 200). One of the big complaints of the current Azenis Sport is that they get greasy for track use (ok for autocrossing). The rep immediately knew what I was talking about and said that this was one of the key issues they addressed. I'm planning on picking up a set to test it out since I'll be getting my wheels around that time as well.

-sam

lig

The new Azenis do look cool

I have heard that they are supposed to work better hot than the current Azenis Sport...

rjosey8385

I didn't see this one answered directly in this thread so I will. Yes. That's what I'm running (Victoracers - I only do Autocross - no track).

luckistryke

new azenis, when is it available?

124Spider

There seems to be a lot of agreement about the RA-1. But my reading of other threads leads to some more questions:

Because I will be driving to the track with the tires, I want enough tread to be legal and safe on the street, but it seems best to shave them for optimal performance and safety on the track. Would it perhaps make sense, if I were to go this route, to use RA-1 tires as my track tire, shaved to 6/32?

Also, since I have stock MY04 wheels, and you say that RA-1s do not come in 225/45-17, can I use a 235/45-17 safely and without rubbing?

Thanks.