Road legal performance tyres for short circuit races

Road legal performance tyres for short circuit races

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Discussion

steffeen

Original Poster:

7 posts

77 months

Friday 25th May 2018
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Hello everyone
I'm new in here, but im running a Citroen Saxo for short circuit track days (2-3 km pr. circuit and then wait time for next circuit) so the heat is not that great.
The saxo is a 8v VTR 100 hp with Ferodo DS2500 front and DS Performance rear.

Any recommedations on a road legal tyre in 14" which will fit my needs?
I have tryed Nankang NS2R but they didn't grip at all, i'm running better on continental normal tyres.

Bear in mind, im on a budget - which one will you recommend and why? Only 14".
Semi slicks is possible but I maybe think i don't get enough heat, AD08-R is not in 14" sadly.

Also, which tyre pressure should i go for?

E-bmw

9,861 posts

158 months

Friday 25th May 2018
quotequote all
14" isn't enough info for a meaningful answer as different tyres ara available in different sizes.

What is the actual size you are looking for?

steffeen

Original Poster:

7 posts

77 months

Friday 25th May 2018
quotequote all
185/55-R14

quimbles

34 posts

93 months

Friday 25th May 2018
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if you can go to 185/60 then r888r.

they used to make an SG compound for sprints, unsure if they still do.


raddog

73 posts

93 months

Friday 25th May 2018
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Sprinting you'll probably struggle to get any heat into any of these, especially on such a light car, wouldn't a Michelin PS4 or Cup2, be a better option something more performance road will have more grip from cold and you'll never be overheating it in that distance.

T0MMY

1,559 posts

182 months

Saturday 26th May 2018
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Maybe something which is somewhere between a "sports" tyre and a full on trackday tyre, like 595RSRs? I use them on the road and track and they seem to have reasonable grip from cold.

Edited by T0MMY on Saturday 26th May 16:31

E-bmw

9,861 posts

158 months

Saturday 26th May 2018
quotequote all
Unfortunately, as per the above he wants more than "reasonable grip from cold".

TBH in sizes around where you are there isn't very much choice.

Uniroyal RS 3 are well thought of by many but I think they are a bit soft, so maybe not ideal.

Other than that Conti Premium Contact 2 are a good tyre, but you are very limited by what is available in your sizes.

T0MMY

1,559 posts

182 months

Saturday 26th May 2018
quotequote all
E-bmw said:
Unfortunately, as per the above he wants more than "reasonable grip from cold".

TBH in sizes around where you are there isn't very much choice.

Uniroyal RS 3 are well thought of by many but I think they are a bit soft, so maybe not ideal.

Other than that Conti Premium Contact 2 are a good tyre, but you are very limited by what is available in your sizes.
What I meant was, a reasonable proportion of the grip they will have when hot. Pretty sure even from stone cold they have more grip in the dry than most road orientated tyres. They certainly do on my car, although maybe not in the depths of winter. Same goes for AD08Rs although he said they're not available in his size (maybe the 595RSRs aren't either though).

E-bmw

9,861 posts

158 months

Saturday 26th May 2018
quotequote all
I know what you meant, I was joking & they aren't available anyway.

As i said in 14" the options are seriously restricted, most "performance" tyres don't even start to become available until 16"+.

ETA.

Based on the very limited options these could be worth a shot.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-x-185-55-R14-185-55-1...

Edited by E-bmw on Saturday 26th May 20:46

steffeen

Original Poster:

7 posts

77 months

Monday 28th May 2018
quotequote all
Thanks for the answers guys.
My own thought was actually to get a sport performance tyre.
This weekend i ran on continental sport contact 2 which were doing great actually - i can feel the car understeering abit in the corners but its better than the nankang.

do you know any sport tyres? Which is made for driving fast and cornering but isn't slicks?

E-bmw

9,861 posts

158 months

Monday 28th May 2018
quotequote all
Like I said, looking through tyres available in your size or near to it there pretty much aren't any.

steffeen

Original Poster:

7 posts

77 months

Monday 28th May 2018
quotequote all
185/60R14 is possible aswell for the car.

Elderly

3,536 posts

244 months

Monday 28th May 2018
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Here you go: http://www.hptyres.com/dz03g/199-18555r1479v.html

I don't find them great when cold, but when up to temperature they are stickier than the a048s
in a similar compound that I used to use.

And they are road legal.

HustleRussell

25,146 posts

166 months

Monday 28th May 2018
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I imagine 13” wheels would open up your options nicely?

E-bmw

9,861 posts

158 months

Monday 28th May 2018
quotequote all
steffeen said:
185/60R14 is possible aswell for the car.
The only other performance tyre that that opens up is Premium Contact 5.

T0MMY

1,559 posts

182 months

Monday 28th May 2018
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Going to 195/50/15s would open up a lot more options but not sure 15" wheels would be optimal on a Saxo.

rallycross

13,212 posts

243 months

Tuesday 29th May 2018
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steffeen said:
185/55-R14
It wont make any difference to run either 185/50/55/60 series 14" if you are only doing short laps, just chose a tyre that fits one of these sizes, AD08 or 888 will be significantly gripper than any road tyre.

(I used to race a saxo VTR and 106 xsi they never felt any different when on 185/60 or 185/55 14's.

QBee

21,336 posts

150 months

Thursday 31st May 2018
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rallycross said:
steffeen said:
185/55-R14
It wont make any difference to run either 185/50/55/60 series 14" if you are only doing short laps, just chose a tyre that fits one of these sizes, AD08 or 888 will be significantly gripper than any road tyre.

(I used to race a saxo VTR and 106 xsi they never felt any different when on 185/60 or 185/55 14's.
I bow to your knowledge, having raced.....but I have done many sprint days in a TVR, which weighs about the same as a Saxo, and always struggled on any track tyre with an utter lack of grip from cold. I even took to leaving the track, and doing 20-30 laps, as fast as possible, round the nearest roundabout, then scooting back for my run - that didn't help either.
The best drag strip starts I have seen (ie cold starts) in a TVR came from a car on Uniroyal Rainsport 3s. I can also confirm that the same tyres, on my Saab 9-5, give incredible levels of grip when hitting lakes on the A1 in winter in the dark. A good friend of mine and TVR mechanic bought a set on my recommendation for his Fiesta van and was amazed at the level of grip from cold. The Fiesta is on 15 inch wheels.

So my recommendation would be to buy a set of them, if you can find them in your sizes. You should be able to get a set of 14s for under £300 fitted.

E-bmw

9,861 posts

158 months

Thursday 31st May 2018
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E-bmw said:
Uniroyal RS 3 are well thought of by many but I think they are a bit soft, so maybe not ideal.

Nickjd

208 posts

212 months

Tuesday 12th June 2018
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Why don't you try the MRF ZTR tyre, it comes in 185 55 14. It is used in the Fiesta Championship. No idea of the price though.