16 replies to this topic

[Tex]

With limited resources for testing, buying umpteen sets of tires to see what works isn't realistic for me. With the limited downforce applied to these cars, I'm thinking natural rubber or possibly treated rubber is the way to go(?). What do you guys think?

[Dominator]

Which class of car are you racing?

[tonyp]

Tex, if you are speaking of retro all you need in 99% of the times is to carry 1 pair of untreated, treated and wonder. That is what I take. I usually leave the wonder at home unless it is a king or a track I know usually has a ton of traction. I run the std. dia. rims and try to work on chassis and body set-ups and keep tires choices to a minimum to keep from confusing myself and getting dialed out. Worked pretty good for me so far...

[John Miller]

When I first came back to racing I had similar advice as provided by Tony P. So far, I almost always use JK-8713P

[Rick]

Tex you could really do it with just one kind of tires, if you use what we did for years and years. Just buy the natural(fish rubber) tires and if you have too much bite, narrow them a tad, still too much? narrow a little more. When all we had was SBR rubber this was the way it was done and this method got lost as tire manufacturers started with different compounds and of course the wing gurus bought durometers.

This practice has been lost recently but will still work fine. Take 1/16" at a time and you will be fine. There are other pluses to using this sytem, but you'll figure that out quick enough.

[MSwiss]

8713P is a good starting point. I seldom let the track get so sticky you need Wonder rubber.

[Tex]

Thanks for the tips. I'd actually thought of what Rick suggests and that is probably the course I'll take. But I've also heard(been told?) that it's best to run as hard a compound as you can that will still give you the traction you want; the tires will stay truer longer. Then again, each race is only 24 minutes, right? They don't need to stay true any longer than that.

I'll be racing in all 6 races at Da Sano IV. I'll test on Thursday and determine if treated rubber is even a viable alternative. If not, natural it is and narrow as needed. Thanks again, guys.

Did I mention I'm comin' to kick some @$$ this time? Cya there!

[Rick]

Tex what you get on Thursday will not be what you get on race day. The only way to fgure out the proper tire or width will be on race day, then that can also change in when you actually get to race, like which set of heats you are in etc.

Harder tires will give you more chute speed, for sure, but so will narrower soft ones, everything is a tradeoff. IMO there is still a performance advantage in running the softer tires, if possible.

It's all part of the fun though.

[Tex]

I hear ya, Rick; it's ALL part of the game.

[Old pink can guy]

look at what all the other Racers are using!

[Pablo]

Tex, the advice here sounds good.

BUT, this Tex talk about being competitive scares the daylights out of me
Me, I'll be happy to podium the "G" Main
Then go eat some real "Chicago" Pizza

[Mopar Rob]

Me, I'll be happy to podium the "G" Main
Then go eat some real "Chicago" Pizza

That podium thing or at least the top 2 will move you up to the F main. Last year Ron VW qualified for something like the Z main or whatever was the slowest in JK spec and raced his way to the A main.



Lou Malnati's or the one huge sausage patty of Gino's East =

[Richie]

I can not wait to try out this chi-town super food LOL!

[Tex]

I was told of Lou Malnati's pizza before I came(went?) to Sano II. I had some and it was very good!

[Tex]

BUT, this Tex talk about being competitive scares the daylights out of me

I've mentioned many times here about how I am lazy; and when I DO get off the couch and actually work on slot cars, I'm slow. I must have listened to myself, because I began building and prepping for Da Sano IV about 10 weeks ago. I spent 1 - 2 hours each evening at the workbench. Scratchbuilt 3 chassis' and built up one JK spec chassis. Tested all 4 on the local King track(Dallas Slot Cars) and tested all but the F1 chassis on a flat track(Ranger Raceway). I didn't spend countless hours testing, but I at least got an idea of how they handled. Spotted a few quirks and either fixed or accommodated them somehow. When I arrive at the track in Downers Grove, I shouldn't have to thrash just to get something on the track; I should be able to tweak the cars for best results with lead and the correct tires. Then sit back and wait.


THEN thrash on race day because everything feels different 1 hour before the race!

[Pablo]

I hear you, dude.
Just relax.

[MantaRay]

That podium thing or at least the top 2 will move you up to the F main. Last year Ron VW qualified for something like the Z main or whatever was the slowest in JK spec and raced his way to the A main.

Lou Malnati's or the one huge sausage patty of Gino's East =

Rob, I still have that car