2 replies to this topic

[IndyIan]

I posted this idea to a local Mazda Miata club forum and started an interesting discussion.

My idea was to have a solo racing class for Miatas with tall, skinny, slippery (all season rubber) tires. I think that the cars would drive just like the great race cars of the 50's and 60's. Tail out, drifting around the track with the driver trying to find the perfect balance of throttle and steering to get around the corners quick.
Plus it would be cheaper as tires to worn for the street are perfect for the track and they are free.

I think that Miata owners have a great oppurtunity to try this classic style of driving.

A few members of the club race solo's with street legal race tires (very sticky) and they say they have more fun trying to keep on the higher but "thinner" limit of the race tires. They find this more challanging.

My question to this forum is: On which type of tire is it harder to be as fast as the tires allow, skinny slippery tires or fat sticky slicks.

I know slicks are faster but in assuming everyone has the same tires, skinny or fat, which type is harder for someone to be faster than the rest?

I personally love watching the goodwood festival of speed on speedvision and how the drivers wrestle/guide/caress the cars around the track in big drifts.

[Ray Bell]

I think the answer lies in the middle... skinny hard tyres allow some dramatic attitudes, slicks not so, but some skinny tyres with a good tread and something softer in the way of rubber will probably allow "Fred Average" to get closer to the limits than either of the others.

[Barry Lake]

Herein lies the problem with modern motor racing.
Drivers are selfish animals. They just want to go faster and they do get more satisfaction from the comparative precision that slicks allow.
It is a bit like the Subaru WRX syndrome. People love driving them quickly because they are so "idiot proof" even dud drivers begin to feel they are great.
For spectators, however, watching cars go around as if on rails is relatively unexciting.
Slippery tyres give the cars attitude so you can SEE that the driver is working hard. They also ensure that more mistakes are made and, therefore, more overtaking is possible.
It is for this reason that I always have been in favour of the concept of grooved tyres in F1.
I spoke to the local Bridgestone Motorsport manager about this, relevant to V8 Supercars in Australia. He said the company is pleased with the curent "control" tyre because it allows the cars to slide around more than the tyre they formerly used.
He also said they could make harder tyres that would create exactly the situation that IndyIan is talking about - but he doesn't think the drivers would go along with it.
It is only possible in control tyre situations, when everyone has to use the same. As soon as tyre companies begin to compete with one another, they go for more and more grip.
This is what will now happen in F1 with Michelin returning to do battle with Bridgestone, grooves or no grooves.