Regional/National SM Tires

[Ron Earp]

Spec Tires

As I understand it, SM will have a spec tire for national races starting in 2006. Toyos. Which, is fine since I am starting my rookie season in 2006 and I have all my schol and training track time on these tires.

Now, regional SM races the racers can run whatever they want. And, as I understand it, they will of course run Hoosiers since they are faster. Makes since, unless you are a racer with limited $$$$ because now you'll be forced to have twice the number of tires you would normally keep IF you plan to run in regioinal and national events.

You'll have to have Hoosiers if you plan to run regional since the fast guys will have them, and naturally you'll need Toyos if you run National. And, your car will have to be setup different as I can't see camber for Toyos working optimally for Hoosiers and visa versa.

What is the deal with this? Was their some sort of master logic that I missed reading here and on the IT forums? Or do I have it all wrong? Looks like to me this will increase ITA Miata counts as some folks will be frustrated with this arrangement.

Ron

 

[pgipson]

I would expect that 2006 will see the same sort of thing at regionals as this year, a specifed tire called out in the Supp's. Most regions did that this year, and most -- I believe -- did not include the Hoosier. Toyo's and Hankooks were allowed a lot. A lot more info on the SM forum.

 

[C. Ludwig]

Originally posted by pgipson@Oct 20 2005, 02:25 AM
I would expect that 2006 will see the same sort of thing at regionals as this year, a specifed tire called out in the Supp's. Most regions did that this year, and most -- I believe -- did not include the Hoosier. Toyo's and Hankooks were allowed a lot. A lot more info on the SM forum.

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Cen-Div ran SM and then SMT (Toyo). Another class is all we need IMO.

 

[JLawton]

Ohhhhhhhhhh, not only are the Miata's bothering me on the track, now they're creeping into our forums!!! Ron, why the switch to the dark side!!

 

[Geo]

Originally posted by JLawton@Oct 20 2005, 06:06 AM
Ron, why the switch to the dark side!!

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They didn't have any figure 8 racing near him so he chose the next closest thing.

 

[joeg]

You ain't going to be SM if you use Hoosiers in 2006. At a regional level, they will probably create SMTO (tire open) or some such other nonsensensical class, but they should just race in ITA at regionals.

Cheers.

 

[Andy Bettencourt]

Ron,

Just to make it clear (you probably know this):

Regions will be free to spec their own tire. Start organizing to get the Toyo spec'ed into your Region, Division and Championship series'. Most Regions in 2005 chose to spec in the Toyo if they wanted a single tire and not the open rules

I do not see ANY reason to run anything other than what is the National tire - especially now that it is the Toyo. Up here in the NE, we are VERY pro-Toyo. Our SM's have to run Toyo's and our SSM class (limited prep) has to run them as well. Many of these drivers, should the spec tire have been anything else, would have wanted to move to that new tire so that they could cross over to National races with significantly less expense.

As far as ITA, our SM/SSM drivers cross over into ITA all the time - on Toyo's. They do it for fun. When you have some of the fastest Integra's in the country racing in ITA, a SM-prepped Miata just ain't gonna win, period - but it can run in the top 10 here with a little luck - and there is always a race.

AB

 

[charrbq]

Figure 8's and SM's...yes Virginia, I think we've finally got an answer to our problem!

 

[Ron Earp]

Originally posted by JLawton@Oct 20 2005, 11:06 AM
Ohhhhhhhhhh, not only are the Miata's bothering me on the track, now they're creeping into our forums!!!    Ron, why the switch to the dark side!!

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Well, when one has wrenched on two Brit cars for 12 months and raed nary a bit one has to find a way to get some seat time!

I agree - I see no reason to have an open tire rule in Regional SM since it'll just drive the costs up to compete in SM on both levels.

R

 

[Knestis]

I don't know the specifics (like the Toyo price) so this is an academic observation: It will be interesting to see if the spec-tire policy actually plays out to save money, as these proposals are typically touted as doing. Having run spec-tire series in the past, it's been my experience variously that...

** Someone with a big tire budget will spend it putting new spec tires on their car, anyway. This is sure to be the case unless the tire really does NOT drop off in performance - which Toyos do NOT for a lot of people, myself included.

** Sometimes "spec" translates into "monopoly," eliminating price competition for tires and the opportunity for a hustling entrant to 'do a deal' to get support form another manufacturer or dealer. If the spec tire price is heavily subsidized by the manufacturer, this is not an issue.

** Occasionally, the spec tire goes wrong. I remember one year in Renault Cup when the new batch of Goodyear Eagles turned out to be crap - they blistered all to junk in just a few minutes on the track. Old shaved tires became a huge advantage and were selling for twice or more the original purchase price. Because we were cheap and kept our tires from the previous year, we were golden but most of the fast guys who had planned on new skins were pretty pissed.

Just food for thought.

K