OE Tire Rule?

[PatMcSwain]

Per 13.C.1 :
"Any tire which is OE on a car eligible for Street Category may be
used on that car in Regional Solo® events. OE tires must meet
all requirements of Section 13.3 to be eligible for National Solo®
events."

It appears that on my car, tires changed during the model years.

Are OE tires from a 2012 legal on a 2010? Rims are the same, sizes are the same. Basically, they put better tires on the car as time when on, but did not change tire size or wheels.

It's not like I drive fast enough to be competitive, but just don't another misstep. The 2010 tires are glazed, and I'd rather run the newer tires since they are cheaper and better.

[Jeff Stuart]

Per 13.C.1 :
"Any tire which is OE on a car eligible for Street Category may be
used on that car in Regional Solo® events. OE tires must meet
all requirements of Section 13.3 to be eligible for National Solo®
events."

It appears that on my car, tires changed during the model years.

Are OE tires from a 2012 version legal on a 2010? Rims are the same, sizes are the same. Basically, they put better tires on the car as time when on, but did not change tire size or wheels.

It's not like I drive fast enough to be competitive, but just don't another misstep. The 2010 tires are glazed, and I'd rather run the newer tires since they are cheaper and better.

Pretty much any tire is legal, so long as it has a Treadwear grade of 200 or higher. Technically that number is 140TW for the remainder of 2014, but it changes to 200 for 2015. That includes non OE-sizes for tires, so you can get wider tires if you'd like. The more restrictive rules are for wheel size, but tire size is open as long as you can fit them on legal wheels.

I believe the purpose of 13.3.C.1 is to allow cars that come with OE tires that are <200TW to run regionally, but you must adhere to the 200TW rule for national events.

[Leonard Cachola]

Per 13.C.1 :
"Any tire which is OE on a car eligible for Street Category may be
used on that car in Regional Solo® events. OE tires must meet
all requirements of Section 13.3 to be eligible for National Solo®
events."

It appears that on my car, tires changed during the model years.

Are OE tires from a 2012 legal on a 2010? Rims are the same, sizes are the same. Basically, they put better tires on the car as time when on, but did not change tire size or wheels.

Technically, you can't update or backdate in Street class. So, no, if the tire is below 140 TW this season. If it's above 140 TW, it doesn't matter. Next season that changes to 200 TW.

[PatMcSwain]

The 2010 tires are TW 220 runflats.
The 2012 tires are TW 80 runflats.

What bites is the 2012 tires are cheaper by $140 each.

So a 2012 car can run with TW 80 in regionals. But the earlier years can't.

It does seem strange that older cars are handicapped because tires improve over time.

And while I love Michelin PS2's, I'm not "in love" with them at the 2010 prices.

[PatMcSwain]

Probably the best idea is to just run the old glazed tires until I wear them out. It's just for fun anyhow. I just hate running glazed tires on the street.

[Jeff Stuart]

The 2010 tires are TW 220 runflats.
The 2012 tires are TW 80 runflats.

What bites is the 2012 tires are cheaper by $140 each.

So a 2012 car can run with TW 80 in regionals. But the earlier years can't.

It does seem strange that older cars are handicapped because tires improve over time.

And while I love Michelin PS2's, I'm not "in love" with them at the 2010 prices.

In reality, most people who are trying to be competitive don't use OE tires, they use tires like Hankook RS3, Dunlop ZII, Yokohama AD08, BFG Rival, Bridgestone RE-11, Kumho XS, and generally run sizes that are larger than the OE size.

[PatMcSwain]

If I wanted to be competitive, I'd have to fire the driver.

[Jeff Stuart]

If I wanted to be competitive, I'd have to fire the driver.

I'm just pointing out that your choices aren't limited to OE equipment. You might shop some of the tires I listed and find that there is a cheaper option there (I haven't looked).

[PatMcSwain]

If I wanted to be competitive, I'd have to fire the driver.

I'm just pointing out that your choices aren't limited to OE equipment. You might shop some of the tires I listed and find that there is a cheaper option there (I haven't looked).

As far as I can tell, if you want ~26.5" dia rubber on 20x12 rims, you have 3 choices. Two Michelins and a Pirelli. The cheapest is the 2012 OE Michelin tire.
The factory size is 335/25-20. There simply aren't a lot of 25 section tires.

It's just one of those unusual quirks of the auto world.

What kind of sick puppy puts Dubs on a freaking sportscar to begin with????

[Kurt Rahn]

If I wanted to be competitive, I'd have to fire the driver.

I'm just pointing out that your choices aren't limited to OE equipment. You might shop some of the tires I listed and find that there is a cheaper option there (I haven't looked).

Plus runflats suck monkey balls.

[PatMcSwain]

If I wanted to be competitive, I'd have to fire the driver.

I'm just pointing out that your choices aren't limited to OE equipment. You might shop some of the tires I listed and find that there is a cheaper option there (I haven't looked).

Plus runflats suck monkey balls.

Yeah, but what if they have spike strips on the course? Then those monkeys will have VERY dry balls!

PS - All the 20x12 wheel 26" diameter tires are runflats. It's not like you get a choice with that wheel.

[Will Kalman]

Plus runflats suck monkey balls.

[Kurt Rahn]