What Tyres for Sprints?

[jjprestidge]

I'm taking the plunge and buying some proper semi-slicks (List 1B) and need some advice. Most people in my class (Road prod up to 1.8) are using super soft Yokohamas A032. I'm thinking about either these or the Toyo R888, which I think is slightly harder, but I suspect, a lot more durable.

Does anyone have experience of either of these, and which suits my purpose best? Bear in mind that the tyres will be driven mainly from cold, so I am inclined to go with the Yokos, but am concerned that I will get excessive wear driving the ten or so miles each way to the track.

JP

[Shaun_E]

10 miles isn't going to wear those tyres very much. Plenty of people use them on road going Caterhams. Yoko A032R in soft should give few thousand road miles - super soft will obviously be a bit less but I'm pretty sure that they will wear more during the sprint than they will on the road (unless you are a complete hooligan on the way there )

[jjprestidge]

Thanks. The advantage of the R888 is that it is significantly cheaper. Has anyone tried these at all?

[coxy]

Personally, I really like the Yoko 032R but they are not made any more although there are still some about. The Yoko replacement is the 048R which has been used on the Lotuses for the last few years. These are available in several compounds and you would need the softest for sprinting - if more road miles are a requirement, there is a med/soft available which is also good and used by the guys in the TVR Challenge (ex Tasmins). The Toyo R888 is finding favour and our sprint guys in the Cerberas are using them to good effect.

Personally, I would shortlist 2 for track and road use - the Yoko 48s and the Toyo 888. For something more sticky, Khumo make a good track tyre which turns into chewing gum quite readily.

Coxy

[Shaun_E]

You could go really mad and use Avon ACB10 in (I think) A24 compound. These are the nearest thing you'll get to a road legal slick tyre but they are crossply so will probably need a suspension setup change (less camber required).
The Yokohama A032R is no longer made but there are still some stocks around. The A048R which replaces it has been around in medium compound for a while (supposedly equivalent to A032R soft) and has just been released in soft which should be equal to A032R supersoft. I've got medium A048Rs fitted to my Caterham which is used on road and track days - I've been very pleased with them but I'm no racing driver!

[GarryM]

Woah! Steady on Coxy, with 4 posts in 45 months you're becoming a PH addict!

Just got my acceptance for Goodwood so see you in a month's time

[jjprestidge]

I'm leaning towards the R888s at the moment, as they also have some capability in the wet. A test in German magazine Autobild showed them to be better than the A048s as well, but I'm not sure if they will be soft enough to give an appreciable advantage over 1 lap from a standing start.