pdmracing
Enthusiast
I had the chance to test a set of full tread(not shaved) but heat cycled pilot Cup DOT race tires @ Road Atlanta this Saturday. It was not my Viper but a brand P car. First off, people have been raving about the tire , saying that they are as fast as the Hoosier but last 3 times longer.But none of the people I know who are raving are not ********* racers, but track junkies none the less. Also I did not pay for the tires so price was not a factor.The ambient temp was in the high 40's & ended up in the mid 60's
First observation was the tires are about 1 size smaller than the Hoosier, A 245 Pilot cup had the same width as the 225 Hoosier, The optimum hot pressure for the cup is 32 psi +-. I started with 28 lbs cold & the tire was undrivable. It was loose & tight @ the same time. After 30 minutes I came in & the pressures were 39psi plus. I dropped them to the recommended 32 & went back out , better but still 2 seconds off the Hoosiers. I was still getting 36 + hot on the left side so we dropped them to 30 lbs all around. This was the fastest setup but the combo of tread squirm & soft sidewalls made for some interesting dynamics on turn in. I did over 195 HARD miles & the tires showed little or no wear at all. Important to note that the cold pressures ended up being 19 lbs in the left front & 22 lbs all the other tires.
The overall performance with full tread was similar to a Toyo RA 1 or Khumo Victo racer (unshaved) I find the Khumo much more forgiving & much easier to go fast in. For the high price of the pilot cup, I would recommend buying two sets of the Khumo's.At no time was the car comfortable to drive & most of the time I found my self working very hard to go fast. The full tread pattern might be good for wet weather,which is what I will use the Pilot cups for on my race car. Also with wear pattern of the tire it might make a good choice for everyday street use.
The final verdict: In unshaved form, keep the Hoosiers if winning is important to you.
First observation was the tires are about 1 size smaller than the Hoosier, A 245 Pilot cup had the same width as the 225 Hoosier, The optimum hot pressure for the cup is 32 psi +-. I started with 28 lbs cold & the tire was undrivable. It was loose & tight @ the same time. After 30 minutes I came in & the pressures were 39psi plus. I dropped them to the recommended 32 & went back out , better but still 2 seconds off the Hoosiers. I was still getting 36 + hot on the left side so we dropped them to 30 lbs all around. This was the fastest setup but the combo of tread squirm & soft sidewalls made for some interesting dynamics on turn in. I did over 195 HARD miles & the tires showed little or no wear at all. Important to note that the cold pressures ended up being 19 lbs in the left front & 22 lbs all the other tires.
The overall performance with full tread was similar to a Toyo RA 1 or Khumo Victo racer (unshaved) I find the Khumo much more forgiving & much easier to go fast in. For the high price of the pilot cup, I would recommend buying two sets of the Khumo's.At no time was the car comfortable to drive & most of the time I found my self working very hard to go fast. The full tread pattern might be good for wet weather,which is what I will use the Pilot cups for on my race car. Also with wear pattern of the tire it might make a good choice for everyday street use.
The final verdict: In unshaved form, keep the Hoosiers if winning is important to you.
