[Overdrive]

Well, yes, that's their job, but if the thing wrong is just balance/alignment, that's ok. Bent suspension bits and things of that nature are in that "undersirable" category that I save for bent suspension parts and people I don't like to be around.

As for the question you stated, the answer to that is exactly what I'm wanting to know. Unless I really went super-psycho this last autocross and just didn't know it, I've never noticed the tires get scalloped like that before, whether it's from normal driving or autocrosses. And those pictures are of the left front tire, so the scallop is showing up on the front portion of the tread on both front tires.

If it's just a byproduct of autocross and there's really nothing to be done, then so be it, I guess I'll be that guy who goes through fronts more than rears until I get better at driving the car. I'd just rather be sure of that than have an issue with the balance, alignment or suspension that's only going to get exacerbated by my regular autocrossing.