[nizam]

What's the point of R compund tires if the car is rolling on the door handles to begin with.

I used to think that, until I put R compounds on my (then) stock suspension car. When I gained four seconds on the Willow Springs big track, I rethought my strategy.

Sure, it's nice to have a car that's composed and all that (I have that now), but even back when it was stock - scraping on door handles as we proverbially put it - I could still keep up, and in some cases, pass "faster" cars that couldn't hold the line due to poor tire choice.

Grant - it's your money, so do as you please. The simple fact is, even with a good setup and bad tires, you ain't gonna get the results you want. I guess the ultimate year-to-year lesson is, $$$ = speed. Our fathers and grandfathers ran into similar paradigms ever since the automobile was invented

 

[nizam]

Jon, you should bring your Verde down to an AROSC race at Buttonwillow or something. It's not TOO far for a once a year thing

I'd like to see Louis' car in action too ... Buttonwillow is a good track for both fast and slow turns. The runoff is great too incase you forget to slow down enough

 

[nizam]

Grant, if it's all the same to you, let's pick a timed event (with official timing, e.g. via transponders).

 

[nizam]

The AROSC runs the best timed events, and they're Alfa-centric!

 

[nizam]

Again stock suspension but with R compund tires and drilled and slotted brakes. Turns are nice and fast as well as anyone ...

Based on what you're saying, it sounds like it's doing just fine. It could do better but it doesn't sound like it's handicapped (i.e. performs less well than the others on the track events you've been on).

Any chance you can bring Blatta down to Buttonwillow at next year's AROSC Time Trials?

 

[nizam]

I just mounted ES100 225/45/16. I had to do some fender modifications but it wasn't too bad. So far, the grip is noticeably better but still isn't that great.

Grant, I don't know how much you paid for your ES100's, but the Tire Rack shows them at $103/ea in 225/45/16, without shipping.

For $3 more, you could have bought the Toyo T1-R's from Edge Racing. Those are some grippy tires! I use them as warm-up tires (for the driver) when I go to the track ... they don't give up much when compared with R-compounds, and have really good behavior in the wet, too.

Tires are part of the admission price.

+100

The whole "handling" discussion is really a discussion of the whole package ...

 

[nizam]

... the SoCal club won't let you run without first going through their ground-school and everything!)
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Not much incentive to drive all of that way only to play follow-the leader at lunch time!

JJ, as Jes noted above, I believe the AROSC still allows un-AROSC-licensed drivers to participate in their Time Trial events, as long as they run in the "novice" run group and adhere by the passing rules, put a big 'X' on the back of their car, etc. I asked Paul Blankenship in another thread, and his reply pretty much sums it up:

http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/showpost.php?p=404066&postcount=22

The key is, the CAR has to be prepared for the class of event. As I remember it, the Milano you drove to Laguna didn't have the required safety equipment like 5-pt harness nor fire extinguisher, hence you had to run in the lunchtime "follow the leader" pack.

I don't know what transpired at the WSIR event when Ron was there, so I can't comment.

However, for the rest o-you Milano boys, we should definitely get together for a track event like Grant posted above. I personally like running with the AROSC (like AR4Me, 75Evo, etc.) because they're a good, safe, and cost-effective group to run with.

Edit: In order to run in the race group, like in the Alfa Cup, you'll have to get the AROSC Racing License, or have an SCCA Competition License. Grant, 75Evo and I will be down at the school this September to get our AROSC Racing License so we can give Jes some competition!

 

[nizam]

I bought the 4 tires for $250 and picked them up in Daly city. They were used for about 10 miles.

Also, do you feel the Toyos are as grippy as the Falkens? I heard they were not, but with a treadwear of 280, they seem like a better value...

Well, for $250/set, with no tax and no shipping (well, your gas money to go pick 'em up), that's a great deal. Enjoy them!

I haven't tried the latest Falkens, so I cannot comment.

 

[nizam]

Don't want to hijack the thread about tires

It's Grant's thread, it's OK.

So, how's the wife and kids?

 

[nizam]

And aren't 205's a bit undersized? I thought running too narrow of a tire would cause it to overheat at the track?

The events I enter have 20-25 minute heats (AROSC, HOD). Even on a brake-intensive track like Laguna Seca, I haven't overheated my race rubber. During the last event, both my wife and I shared the car, so it ran for forty minutes straight at track stress levels and the car's attitude didn't change.

I was running 205/40/17 that day.

Well, I take it back. You COULD overheat any tire if you beat on them enough. Just drive smoothly, it'll all be OK.

 

[nizam]

All I can say is, beware of the free advice you get on the internet.

You didn't already know I was opinionated?