Road course/auto cross tires on 15" rim

[Rennkafer]

at autocrosses around here, there is usually a Miata(s) battling for fast time of the day and sometimes get it. bastards are not far from stock either. A guy works hard using factory competition manuals, the internet, and sourcing cool parts to have a fat Lotus Elan clone Miata, spank you.




I've looked for tall, wide, 15" tires to replicate the tires that came on a special edition Binder.
Until I stumbled onto SascoSports today, I thought my only choices were a Milestar or Goodyear Polyglas GT from Coker. I would like a square edge, like the original H-70's

You're pretty much not going to find tall competition tires, except for those used in vintage racing... the performance world has moved on, and for good reason. Vintage racers try to preserve the look and some of those tires may work for you, whether or not they're DOT approved or not for street use is another matter.

And Miatas win because they were an exceptionally well-designed car. Give them some suspension tuning to reduce the compromises made for street use, and they're pretty tough to beat from a handling standpoint. Give them some power to go along with that (which is easy to do), and they become little giant killers. A friend of mine with a turbo'd Miata was running faster lap times at Laguna Seca than some of our customers with Can Am cars... my boss (who dislikes Miatas) was pretty amazed when I pointed that out. And he stopped talking smack about them.

 

[j-c-c-62]

I wasn't comparing grip for grip, I was responding to the incorrect information you gave on the availability of 15" tires.

You mean "The selection for 15" has been declining for over a decade."

Whatever.

 

[33 IMP]

Op?
As I understand it, there is basically two classes in autocross, 200 wear rating, or full-on race rubber.
Which are you trying to compete in?
Race rubber? Maybe used 15" Nascar rubber. (From a couple years ago).

 

[Rusty knuckles]

Op?
As I understand it, there is basically two classes in autocross, 200 wear rating, or full-on race rubber.
Which are you trying to compete in?
Race rubber? Maybe used 15" Nascar rubber. (From a couple years ago).

So the autocross club here kinda follows SCCA and kinda not. 200tw is the limit before you should go to what they call the outlaw class, which is basically no limits. I run what they call GT-vintage meaning I run a full size car that's older than 1985. This class is fairly open too. One guy runs an old Ford on modified crown vic chassis.

So at the end of the day what I'm saying is none of us are running for points in a national circuit. They do keep points internally among the classes for bragging rights but nobody really pays a lot of attention to it. They're pretty good about telling everyone to check their ego and race their own time. It's fun to compare against each other though.

So if I could stay above 200tw I'd like to just to stay in my class. But I don't care if I come in dead last in the outlaw class either. Again I will never get fast time of the day. I'm just having fun.

 

[33 IMP]

So the autocross club here kinda follows SCCA and kinda not. 200tw is the limit before you should go to what they call the outlaw class, which is basically no limits. I run what they call GT-vintage meaning I run a full size car that's older than 1985. This class is fairly open too. One guy runs an old Ford on modified crown vic chassis.

So at the end of the day what I'm saying is none of us are running for points in a national circuit. They do keep points internally among the classes for bragging rights but nobody really pays a lot of attention to it. They're pretty good about telling everyone to check their ego and race their own time. It's fun to compare against each other though.

So if I could stay above 200tw I'd like to just to stay in my class. But I don't care if I come in dead last in the outlaw class either. Again I will never get fast time of the day. I'm just having fun.

Having fun is what it's ALL about!

 

[sam dupont]

I raced with a club that classed and went by rules according to the SCCA. My car at the time had to run A Mod, which meant I was mostly last place, unless somebody messed up. I was in with real road race cars, Wissota powered Vettes, and the like. I was there to get my heart pounding, not a trophy, so I just ran every time they said I could.

This was 150 horse, 1,585 pounds street weight

 

[Rennkafer]

I raced with a club that classed and went by rules according to the SCCA. My car at the time had to run A Mod, which meant I was mostly last place, unless somebody messed up. I was in with real road race cars, Wissota powered Vettes, and the like. I was there to get my heart pounding, not a trophy, so I just ran every time they said I could.

This was 150 horse, 1,585 pounds street weight


View attachment 1625593

GT6??

 

[sam dupont]

GT6??

Spitfire body on a GT6+ chassis with GT6 hood. The motor was a TR6 built close to the factory completion manual, without 12.5:1 compression. The intake is GT6, carbs are TR6. The intake ports are straight in and down, so porting is just enlarging. Had a PI camshaft and springs. It ran pretty good. Notice the A Arms are boxed in. Very light parts. Lotus used that suspension and steering on the Elan and Europa.

 

[Rennkafer]

Spitfire body on a GT6+ chassis with GT6 hood. The motor was a TR6 built close to the factory completion manual, without 12.5:1 compression. The intake is GT6, carbs are TR6. The intake ports are straight in and down, so porting is just enlarging. Had a PI camshaft and springs. It ran pretty good. Notice the A Arms are boxed in. Very light parts. Lotus used that suspension and steering on the Elan and Europa.


View attachment 1625643

Nice, I had a pair of GT6's, one with the stock 2.0 and one with a Ford 302 stuffed in.

 

[Superbeemike]

Sorry I’m late to the conversation here. Work has been a bear. I’m running Mickey Thompson tires with 245/60R15 in the front, and 295/50R15 in the rear. They have a 440 treadwear rating. Great for the street, but leave a lot on the table at the track.

Here’s a link to my setup: B Bodies and Road Courses - My Super Bee Setup

I’ve considered upgrading to Hoosier. My buddy bought a set for his El Camino and they were pretty good. Unfortunately new track tires and wheels aren’t a high priority for me at the moment. I do have an upcoming track day in May but I will probably take the Challenger instead of the Bee. That is unless Hoosier wants to sponsor me.

 

[33 IMP]

Nice, I had a pair of GT6's, one with the stock 2.0 and one with a Ford 302 stuffed in.

302 Ford was a much better fit than a sbc.

 

[j-c-c-62]

Sorry I’m late to the conversation here. Work has been a bear. I’m running Mickey Thompson tires with 245/60R15 in the front, and 295/50R15 in the rear. They have a 440 treadwear rating. Great for the street, but leave a lot on the table at the track.

Here’s a link to my setup: B Bodies and Road Courses - My Super Bee Setup

I’ve considered upgrading to Hoosier. My buddy bought a set for his El Camino and they were pretty good. Unfortunately new track tires and wheels aren’t a high priority for me at the moment. I do have an upcoming track day in May but I will probably take the Challenger instead of the Bee. That is unless Hoosier wants to sponsor me.

View attachment 1626466

Nice Apex BTW

 

[Rusty knuckles]

Sorry I’m late to the conversation here. Work has been a bear. I’m running Mickey Thompson tires with 245/60R15 in the front, and 295/50R15 in the rear. They have a 440 treadwear rating. Great for the street, but leave a lot on the table at the track.

Here’s a link to my setup: B Bodies and Road Courses - My Super Bee Setup

I’ve considered upgrading to Hoosier. My buddy bought a set for his El Camino and they were pretty good. Unfortunately new track tires and wheels aren’t a high priority for me at the moment. I do have an upcoming track day in May but I will probably take the Challenger instead of the Bee. That is unless Hoosier wants to sponsor me.

View attachment 1626466

I've read your thread probably a dozen times and keep referring back to it. I'm of the same opinion that my tires are leaving a lot on the table. I really need a new set anyway which is why I'm researching a lot. I want more stick. But also want to drive down my gravel road. I'd rather not swap tire for events if I can help it. Can't satisfy all of this so compromise to be made.

How does your buddy like his Hoosier? What size is he running? What model?

 

[sam dupont]

With aluminum heads and parts, the 302 might weigh less than the GT6 motor, but easily have twice the power. A recipe for fun... until the diff goes: POP! TVR used small block and V6 Ford power plants and Salisbury diffs similar to Jags. I went to a Rover V8 and had to buy new front springs. The RV8 and 5 speed are lighter than the IL6 and only 40 pounds heavier than the original four cylinder. Those Leyland cast iron motors are heavy. Some were repurposed irrigation pump motors, even in the 1970's.

A guy blew up a GT6 and made the mistake of offering a fair offer for mine, so I took it. Then I bought a Rover sedan. I painted the perfect body, found some wide Pirelllis on a Sears bargain bin rack and drove it every day. I found a buyer for the carcass in Toronto, so while I gutted a popular car of limited numbers, it didn't go to the scrapper. The 1980 SD1 was a great car, and the built 6 was fun, but I kept thinking: "I could have had a V8"

 

[Superbeemike]

I've read your thread probably a dozen times and keep referring back to it. I'm of the same opinion that my tires are leaving a lot on the table. I really need a new set anyway which is why I'm researching a lot. I want more stick. But also want to drive down my gravel road. I'd rather not swap tire for events if I can help it. Can't satisfy all of this so compromise to be made.

How does your buddy like his Hoosier? What size is he running? What model?

Spoke to my buddy, he really likes the tires. Here’s what he bought….

 

[Superbeemike]

Nice Apex BTW

Thanks….If you look close enough, you can see daylight under the tire.

 

[sam dupont]

This was taken in the wild, I'm thinking about painting it
edit: oops wrong thread

 

[Superbeemike]

This was taken in the wild, I'm thinking about painting it
edit: oops wrong thread

View attachment 1626607

I’d take that to the track and run it ragged. Obviously on wide 15’s with steel wheels.

 

[Rusty knuckles]

Spoke to my buddy, he really likes the tires. Here’s what he bought….

View attachment 1626598

View attachment 1626599

Thanks!

 

[moparedtn]

If this has been posted already, let me know...
Chris Birdsong (a bit of a wheel man himself) just posted this video on the subject the other day: