Heat cycling tires

[bloose]

Calling all track rats

Got a question about heat cycling tires. I've got a set of Michelin PS tires that I've got about 8 on track heat cycles on over 2 days (30 min. sessions). I'm considering a track event and the track time will be in 15 min. sessions. For a 2 mile course that seems pretty short to me as I figure it's worth about 8-9 good laps maximum per session and should get me 8 track sessions for the day (1 per hour).

I'm trying to maximize the life of the tires and from what I understand, the number of heat cycles on the tires will harden them up way before I run out of tread. So should I be concerned with 8 heat cycles in a day? It seems excessive. I've also heard that 8 heat cycles on a set of Michelin PS is where the traction is maximized (that's where I'm at now) and that it's all down hill from here until they're no longer usable on the track.

Is 15 minutes normal? Also, If I have to drive to the event (100 miles) on the tires, do I consider this a heat cycle?

Thanks

 

[Catwood]

YMMV but I tend to run a good 5 or 6 days of events with 3 to 4 sessions per day before I see the Pilot Sports start to fad. There is also a relationship to time. If things sit around for a few months they will get hard. I've run them over 10 events and although there seems to be plenty of tread...lap time and handling really start to suffer.

Again, that's been my experience.

Carl

edit. I also run a 315 on the front which tends to help with the push that occurs with the tires getting older and hard.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

15 minutes is a short session. I imagine there are others in the same boat as you. Find them and see what you can do about convincing the oganizers to lengthening the sessions to 25 or 30 minutes.

 

[FrankBarba]

it depends on 2 things.....time or dollars.....

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

it depends on 2 things.....time or dollars.....

LOL that was the first thing I thought too, but I figured I'd try to give some useful advice.

 

[treed]

Brian - another thing to consider with heat cycles is your driving style. Are you tracking the car at 10/10th's or are you buzzing around at 9/10th's. Ie, if you are truly driving the car at it's limits, 100% of the time you are on the track, then heat cycles become important, and you will notice degradation in performance. If you are just out on the track having fun and not pushing the limits of the car, you can definitely run a set of tires longer.

If you are just out for some track time and having fun, then does it really matter if your lap times are .5 seconds slower than they could be with a new set of tires? If you are racing competetively, and there is money to be won by winning the race, then that extra .5 seconds per lap might matter...

T

 

[bloose]

I believe it's only $135 for the day for about 40 drivers, so instead of 4 run groups of 10 running 15 minute sessions, I would propose 4 run groups of 10 running 30 minute sessions and you'd drive every 2 hours instead of 1. I'm still going to get 2 hours of track time regardless. I'd just rather put 4 heat cycles on the tires instead of 8.

treed, I would say I'm definitely not driving the car at it's limits, only because my skill level and confidence in the car is not there yet. The car is new to me as of this spring so I'm still getting used to what it can do after 2 decades of poser cars, with the pinnacle being a supercharged Mustang Cobra prior to the Viper. After two hours of sessions at Mid-Ohio I've definitely got significant wear on the tires and they've been warm enough to have rolls of rubber wearing off. I'm certainly not worried about half, or tenths of seconds but the tires are screaming around most turns.

Thanks for the input guys