Face as big as a ham

[nomadtrash]

You might also consider the federal 595rsr. It is an approved tire for local competition and is dirt cheap.
https://www.onlinetires.com/products...g+94w+bsw.html
You will not notice any performance difference from the other tires. Several local guys run these with good success.

[Davidss]

In my opinion the RE71R is an excellent tire but not the best choice for a novice. I have seen a lot of students at Evo schools this year who developed bad habits from driving on it.

Go with the V720 or the Federal 595RSR. Spend the extra money on getting more seat time, working on your driving, and having fun. When you get good enough that you are within a second of the fast guys then it's time to start making sure your car, mods, and tires are the best available.

I will promise you this if you buy the V720, Federal 595RSR, or RS3 they will not be the limiting factor holding you back!

[865]

Thank you Andy and David for the tire insights. And thanks to all of the rest of you too. I appreciate the advice.

I've got a line on an extra set of wheels, some alloy OEM 17x7's from another NC GT. I should have my hands on them this weekend. They're not the lightest, but they are affordable. Coupled with one of those less expensive tire options, it should get me well situated for my first year of driver development, without undue expense.

[sammm]

I've been threatening to try a set of the Federals....I know lostlorin has been happy with his.

[POS Racing]

I've been threatening to try a set of the Federals....I know lostlorin has been happy with his.

But are all clubs going to allow sub 200 tires this season?? Or have the latest Federals bumped up to 200??

[Robert]

I have also been happy with the Federals. They work much better than the RS-3's in cool/cold temps. They are 140 TW, so as long as the local clubs stay with the 140 TW rule that's the tire I would recomend. They are a little slower than the top tires but not by much.

[865]

The price on those Federals is great. But they are 140 tread wear rating. Andy said they are approved for local competition, but I'd want to confirm that with the Texas Region SCCA before buying them. Might be safer to stick with a UTQG 200 rated tire.

[OZMDD]

I'm all but certain that ER will be continuing to allow 140+ tires, as they have shown no advantage whatsoever over the 200+ "top shelf" tires. I believe NTAXS and BMW intend to do the same. I cannot speak for TX Region SCCA and I have not heard what they plan yet, but I'm crossing my fingers that they also stick with the 140+ as they did last year, since it makes it much simpler for locals to participate across all the clubs.

Until a 140 tire hits the scene that genuinely threatens the competitive balance with the Rival S/RE71R/V720, I can't see anyone "gaming" the system, and there is no argument that the best budget tires are in the <200 choices.
If it hasn't already been decided, it might be worth dropping an email to the SCCA BOD to voice your support for continuing the 140 rule locally.

[jrj512]

I am not aware of any plans by the SCCA to not allow 140 TW tires.

I can state that the NTAXS has absolutely no plans to change the current rules that allow 140 TW tires.

[Robert]

I agree with OZMODD. I hope they keep the 140 rule. There is one ringer tire that’s 180 TW and very pricey, but I have only seen a few non-regulars running it.

[OZMDD]

Which tire is that Robert? Not the AD08R?

[Robert]

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2

[OZMDD]

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2

Oh yes, forgot about that one. You are right that its too pricey for most to bother trying to get an edge with it, if there really is one to be had at all.

[CosmosMpower]

I don't see the cup2 being a good autocross tire. It's a R comp track tire with tread that needs some heat to work properly. Same with the V720 although the grip appears to be pretty insane on the new Viper ACR.

[Davidss]

I don't see the cup2 being a good autocross tire. It's a R comp track tire with tread that needs some heat to work properly. Same with the V720 although the grip appears to be pretty insane on the new Viper ACR.

There are 2 totally different versions of the V720. The regular version and the Viper version which is not legal as a street tire (not enough tread depth).

To get heat in what some people do is drive around 30 minutes dragging the brakes until they are red hot. Then pull into grid at the last second and put insulating bags over the wheel/tire.

There actually is a proposal out now to ban insulating tire bags before your first run. My guess is the proposal will fail.

[CosmosMpower]

There are 2 totally different versions of the V720. The regular version and the Viper version which is not legal as a street tire (not enough tread depth).

To get heat in what some people do is drive around 30 minutes dragging the brakes until they are red hot. Then pull into grid at the last second and put insulating bags over the wheel/tire.

There actually is a proposal out now to ban insulating tire bags before your first run. My guess is the proposal will fail.

Learn something new every day, I knew autocross was serious bizness but geez that tire bag situation is pretty crazy.

[MadMonkey]

Come autocross with Equipe Rapide. We won't be grumpy like Gabby and Jerrett. We will let you run whatever tires you want and heap lots of praise on your mad skills.

You get kicked out of Novice if you win three in a row though

[nomadtrash]

You get kicked out of Novice if you win three in a row though

ER rules say that you can run novice till you win 1st place in 6 events. Then you can still finish the season in Novice class. You would move to open class the following season.

If you were so inclined you could stay in novice class indefinitely depending on your skill level. Most people voluntarily graduate themselves.

[865]

I am not aware of any plans by the SCCA to not allow 140 TW tires.

I can state that the NTAXS has absolutely no plans to change the current rules that allow 140 TW tires.

I wasn't able to find the 2016 Supplemental Rules for Solo on the Texas Region SCCA web site (the 2015 supplementals were still posted), so I emailed Bob Neff to ask whether Texas Region SCCA will allow 140 TW tires for 2016. I'll post his response when I get it.

[sammm]

you get kicked out of novice if you run three years in a row though

ftfy.