SpecRacer.com

Simple question: When SCCA Enterprises adopted Hoosier tires as the SRF3 spec tire, I recall they used to last until the cords started to show ~ 16 to 18 sessions or so. A nice long time! Now they don’t seem to last much more than 6 or 7 sessions at best. The actual cost of a set of new shoes has also increased by about 10%. As a result now my tire budget (and others) have increased significantly. Seems like Hoosier may have changed the rubber compound after SCCA committed to them. Anybody else have the same experience with these less than before lasting tires?

While I never experienced the good old days of 16 session Hoosiers, I agree with Jerry's point on the cost of tires.

In a spec class like ours, where all other performance factors are limited, drivers and teams with the budget to run tires in their narrow optimal window have an advantage. It would be nice to have a tire that provides consistent performance for longer.

This thread confuses me. I have watched people turn fast laps on 15-16 session Hoosiers.

I have personally seen my son run on, and have myself ran on 15-16 session tires without any issues.

Everyone I run with considers 5 to 10 sessions to be in the sweet spot, and no one likes to run for time on a fresh set.

Maybe, maybe there is a minor difference felt at the sharpest point of the grid between a 3 cycle and a 12 cycle, but if so, it's almost more perception than reality.

That all being said, setup and driving style certainly have a lot to do with tire life, so I would suggest looking there.

Finally, budget: Please. SRF tires are an order of magnitude less expensive for a set than pretty much every other DOT race tire out there. Even if they only got 8 "fast" heat cycles, that would be 5 or 6 more than any other car in any other class. Since they get more like 15, it's even more of a bargain.

Try running slicks on a GT car and then talk about relative costs.

Scott

The tires still last just as long as they did in 2016. The tires have not changed and still last 8-16 sessions depending on the track. I ran the fastest lap of the event at the June Sprints on tires that had 9 sessions on them. The tires go up a 1-2% a year which seems perfectly reasonable to me.

Anecdotally (which is my way of saying "no hard data, ymmv"), the tires seem to last a bit longer (i.e. "stayed competitive longer") with a smart initial heat cycle.
They are fast all the way to the cord. I run them to "no more dots" usually, or very near that. At that point they are nearing the cords and are generally camber cut or rounded off on the outsides which I think has a bigger impact on handling deficit than the rubber itself. Just my .02.
This is also track specific so don't forget that variable.

My experience is that the tires last just as long as they always have.

However, on tracks that have a rough surface with high speed large radius turns (such as Roebling Road), the edge of the tire gets worn to a new camber. Therefore, a fresh set will give better lap times for more laps. Tracks with more straight sections and quick, small radius turns (Road Atlanta, VIR, Daytona) are fine for older tires.