The majority drives them until they blow.

No, I do not, but maybe I should reconsider doing so. Very good suggestion.

Lol! Yes, racing will have you thinking about all kinds of things that a average owner would never consider to be a concern.


I am seriously thinking about the towing option but mostly to minimize the impact of getting myself and the car home.

Actually, tire wear to/from the track is almost irrelevant since the Toyo RR's heat cycle out prior to actually wearing out of tread.

What this means is that the tires lose grip through repeated heating and cooling cycles and at some point will have lost enough grip as to not be able to turn competitive lap times so they can't be used for racing if the driver wants to be at the front. Freeway driving doesn't get the tire hot enough to count as a heat cycle.

After a couple of weekends racing, most racers will move that set to practice-only duty while bringing a new set to racing duty. When the second new set moves to practice duty, then the original set typically ends up in the dumpster (with usable tread still on the tire).

Some racers even use a new set of tires every weekend which makes the process of racing-practice-dumpster progress even faster. This might be overkill for some tracks but there certainly are tracks where you need brand new tires to be competitive.

Now, there are some racers who have won races on tires with a lot of heat cycles. It can be done, but is highly driver and track dependent.

It seems you've already made up your mind about the subject.

So just pursue it. Your VISA card has seen worse. ;)

Just sayin'..............

TO

Would a detailed oil analysis help in any way? I'm not knowledgeable in this area, but I sure am lazy.
Perhaps getting these done often, might help with your decision?

If you had almost enough pads left, would you change pads before your next event or try to get 1 more w/e out of them? The answer to this question would probably be the same answer to your engine dilemma. I would change my pads, but I know many ppl who would try to get 1 more race out of them.

My opinions on some of the intelligent suggestions:

Uhaul - don't know what your rates are out there, but anytime I've looked into renting a truck and trailer to buy a Wheeler Dealer car from a far, it has been extremely cost prohibitive. It always baffles me how they can charge that much. It's mileage based and becomes quite expensive after not too many miles. Maybe I'm not looking at the right deal.

Buying your own truck & trailer - this ramps up the expense of being a track junkie to the next level. Not only do you have to pay taxes and ins on whatever you buy (plus the cost of the purchase), you have to have a place to store these 2 extra items. Can't leave a trailer on the street and the neighbors may get tired of the truck sitting on the street. Plus you have maintenance on 2 more vehicles.

I give up a lot by DEing with street tires, but it allows me to keep expenses reasonable. I can drive to any DE anywhere in the country, rain or shine. I don't need to haul an extra set of tires where ever I go, and my expenses stay in the reasonable range. Plus I don't pi$$ of the neighbors with lots of vehicles sitting around.

Good luck with your decision, Tom.

Yes after every race remove the oil filter & get a sample of the oil which should be what Jake Raby recommends for racing, Joe Gibbs "XP50" ?? This can establish better wear predictions & find the "weakest link"

Is that statement also true of the Nito NT01's? Have I been packing my race-tries to the track in a trailer just for show? I've been working from the assumption that the 40-mile drive to the track, and then the same back, would each count as a Heat Cycle.

Not so?

Not so.

The tire has to get to track operating temp which is around 200F for the NT-01. It will be hard to get the tires that hot just driving on the freeway (even in summer).

I time trialed on NT-01's for two years in my old Boxster (BSX build) before building my Spec Boxster. Drove to every event, time trialed, and drove home on those tires. I won 16 time trial events (fastest lap time) in BSR/SPB doing this. :D

I drove the NT-01's until they corded - they didn't heat cycle out like Toyo RR's do - fast until completely worn out. The NT-01's are great tires and simply can't be beat for grip, longevity, and price.

Serious question, but do people ever use NT-01s on the street?

So what happened? How long did it last? When did it fail?

That Didn't Work Out as Planned

Yes. Fairy common for a certain group of people who drive modified Japanese cars in SoCal. Rhymes with icer.

Checkout Bilt racing to see what you can do to increase reliability & power. You will save time & money too.