Rain tires??

lateapex911 said:
Tim, thanks for the props, (Unless you were being sarcastic,;)) but I wish I could take all the credit. As you remember, we were sitting in grid when the sky opened, and they sent us back, giving us 5 minutes to come back on rains. I was given help by the Brothers Blethen and crew, and it's very doubtful I could have unharnessed, jacked, changed, and reharnessed in time without their assistance. Thanks to them for that!

But, my real point is that there was so little time, that all you front drivers went out on a dry setup, and I think that was the undoing for you. I feel the FWD Acura, for example, which has easily 40% more torque than my RX-7 (And more hp too), requires a set of compromises to make it really work in the dry. My car has a less specialized setup, and was much more manageable

I'm sure, if you knew what the conditions were going to be like, and had the time, you could have dialed your setup appropriately, and the results would be different.

But hey, That's possibly the last win a 1st gen will ever see in a legitimate ITA class, so I'll take it. :)
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No sarcasim here - Keep in mind you have been my hero since viewing your "in car video" that Reed A. let me borrow - It was my stepping off point for my SCCA racing.

In that race we were running the ITC CRX - With Hoosier DS - Was hot to get the overall, in the "C" car - thus my demise in T-3 - too hot - Although I recall you had a the hot shoe of Brian M who took 2nd overall in his Bunny "C" car.

Truth be told - In th rain on the #11 TEG, we throw on the Hoosiers and go race - I never soften up the car - Just run what we brung.

We''ll be looking for more "black and white flags" from you in IT7 this year.
 
The faster I make my car in the dry, the slower it is in the wet. I would love to have a full wet set-up but it ain't ever gonna happen!
 
There is no question that Jake’s performance that day was awesome however that was a moment in time. Most of the Acura crowd that was dominating at the time, Anthony, Ritchie and Ray Lee and such, were terrified of rain. Some did not even own rain tires. After that race a number of them upped their game and learned how to race in the wet. It would be a little harder for Jake to pull off the great upset today.
Again no disrespect to Jake’s amazing drive but there is only so large a gap that can be overcome with talent.
 
Pllllease! Everyone knows those 'secrets'...my point is that my spring rates keep creeping upward - to the point where no bars and soft shocks just don't do me a lot of good in the wet stuff around here. Actually, the car is more competitive at NHIS in the wet than it is at LRP in the wet. It's always wet at Pocono!

Ideally, I would run a SM set-up in the wet and my 33% stiffer 'regular' set-up in the dry. No time to swap over.
 
We''ll be looking for more "black and white flags" from you in IT7 this year.

Are you saying we be looking for Jake to receive black flags due to his bumper being on fire and white flags for the fire crew on track driving to put it out? :cool:
 
gran racing said:
We''ll be looking for more "black and white flags" from you in IT7 this year.

Are you saying we be looking for Jake to receive black flags due to his bumper being on fire and white flags for the fire crew on track driving to put it out? :cool:
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Hey Gran, when was the last time I had a wheel fly off and needed to shut the event down for 20 minutes to drag MY car back? Hmmmmm????

At least when my bumper caught fire, I drove to the pits and got myself off track..:p
 
joeg said:
A better choice than the Toyo (as an intermediate) is the KUHMO Victoracer. While they are still available. Less expensive and work better in the damp.
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plus 1 on the above ;
The Toyo RA 1 is the worst rain tire out there, period. Whether you're a new guy or an experienced racer. They suck in the wet.
Buy the Hoosier DOT radial wets, they will actually let you drive 'off line' to pass people. If you're budget can't handle them, go for the kumho Victo, or even the new Toyo R888, which handles better than the RA1 in wet conditions.
You did say "rain" tires ? not rain and dry tires. There is a world of difference in grip between the Hoosier wet and the RA1.
Be safe,
Carlos Gutierrez
 
Carlos Gutierrez said:
plus 1 on the above ;
You did say "rain" tires ? not rain and dry tires. There is a world of difference in grip between the Hoosier wet and the RA1.
Be safe,
Carlos Gutierrez
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Carlos - I really enjoy racing in the rain - Some people think I love it - I have to say that I do not see a noticable difference in the Hossier DS and the new Rain tires - I've run them on a 1st Gen CRX and a 3rd Gen Integra and I found them very adequate in both cars and in very wet conditions. I will say that the REX looked like a Match Box car with the Hoosier Wets- But it was fun to drive.

Additional interesting photos from Doug.

Doug Koza - Photographer
 
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If someone wants to run at the front and has the budget for it, then yeah I'd buy the Hoosier DS or Wets. For someone new to racing (that's what the original post was, right?) then the Toyos can make a great wet tire. I now have the Hoosier Wets but when first started racing the Toyos made perfect sense. I knew that there was NO way I'd win even in the wet, I needed a lot more seat time, and thus the Toyos fit my goals better. When I walked around the paddock, all I saw was Hoosier DS dry rotting. What I liked about the Toyos was that after a while if I hadn't used them, I could use them in the dry then move to Hoosier wets if my goals changed (which they did).

I also will say that some of this will depend upon the climate you live in. If one lives in Seattle, then don't even bother by dry tires and stock up on the Hoosier Wet or DS tires.
 
Andy Bettencourt said:
And we can't say this enough - they don't make the Dirt Stocker anymore.
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For - what? - two years now? That means that any Dirt Stockers you find used now, unless they've been METICULOUSLY cared for, are starting to go away. Joe DiMinno *swears* by his cast-off Dirt Stockers (the dude literally pulls them off the scrap heap) but if we were to put him on some new radials I bet he'd love 'em...
 
Ran the RA1 first session at Barber last year in moderate rain and floated most of the straights, spinning in a straight line. Ran new Hoosier rains in the race with torrential downpour and went from 13th to 3rd in 5 laps before they called the race. No comparison in grip and water shedding. Toyo is great if you think it will dry up, not for real rain.
 
I was also at Barber in the rain. I was on some RA1s in qualifying and was scared to death. 15 seconds off of the pace, too. That's why my new rain setup is 4 jack stands!
 
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