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🔧 Technical Decent Road Race/AutoX Tires?

Lead Pipe

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After my trip the Tail last year I have been wanting to do more road courses and autox this summer with the Vette. I know a lot about drag tires and pretty much nothing about road racing tires. I was able to trade my chrome wagon wheels for a set of silver painted wagon wheels that I plan to use for the road race tires. So the sizes I'm looking for is stock C5 sizes which are 245/17 and 275/18. Not looking to break the bank, I just want something better than the 8 year old run flats that came with car. In my research I found Toyo 888's and Nitto NT01's. Learn me.
 
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The tire of 2021 is the falken RT660, but IDK if they have those in your size. It's supposed to be faster than the RE-71R and have more life, so we'll see. I got me a set for 2021. I had the Azenis 615k+ last year, great tire for the price if they make them in your size. I was able to pull a 1:45.2 with garbage suspension and subframes moving all over the place last year. With my setup this year I could easily go 1:44 - 1:43 on those 615k+

NT01 are great as well, I wouldn't do the R888 on a mostly street driven car. Also, do track days, auto-x in a vette is going to be the most boring thing you've ever done.
 
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SleeperLS

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I'm wrong, it is a 275. Z06 sizes are 295. I don't know where I got 285 from.
I guess it depends what you want to do. I just bought new rubber for mine and decided to stay with stock sizes for a street driven car. I have read people will go 285 on the rear with a lower profile tire. Also throw 255 up front the same way. Supposedly they fit fine on stock wheels.
 
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sickmint79

I Drink Your Milkshake
Mar 2, 2008
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i have enjoyed star specs in the past.

current set up are some rs4s, which i think wore longer but were maybe a little slower, and some contingency 86 cup gt radials that you won't run/aren't in your size, super great value track tire though.

out of the loop as i tracked only a little in 2019 and was in thailand all 2020 (and now). curious what you do as far as squared vs. staggered, have never driven anything but square, figure you still quite want that for vette, hpde or autox?
 
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LikeABauce302

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For something that will mostly be driven in the street, but will see a couple AutoX or HPDE events per year, I really like my Continental Extreme Contact Sports on my Boss 302.

I usually do 2 or 3 autocrosses per year and I ran one HPDE with them last year. They aren't the fastest tire, but they are predictable and a solid performer. They are great in the wet too. I go to the tail of the dragon every couple of years. I wanted something that would work well if caught in a rainstorm, which I have been a few times. They are confidence inspiring even in heavy rain.
 
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Intel

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For something that will mostly be driven in the street, but will see a couple AutoX or HPDE events per year, I really like my Continental Extreme Contact Sports on my Boss 302.

I usually do 2 or 3 autocrosses per year and I ran one HPDE with them last year. They aren't the fastest tire, but they are predictable and a solid performer. They are great in the wet too. I go to the tail of the dragon every couple of years. I wanted something that would work well if caught in a rainstorm, which I have been a few times. They are confidence inspiring even in heavy rain.
I was going to say I know a lot of people like those tires. I just don't have personal experience with them.


Also wanted to say don't get too caught up with having the absolute stickiest tire for learning. Money is better spent on brakes and more events to learn the ropes. You will also need an SA 2015 helmet or newer. If you have any questions let us know. I know we have had a few guys in corvettes do this sort of stuff and I am hoping to get out to more events this year in either my Datsun 510 or Mazda 3 with covid easing up. Gingerman or Autobahn are probably the easiest places to do things. Also there are track nights in america which are one night things at Blackhawk farms and Gingerman if you just want to get your feet wet for a small amount of money.
 

Lead Pipe

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There are a few of us running at Blackhawk Farms on June 16th. Check out their website and register if you're interested!
I would love to but that's my bday weekend so the lady has something planned. I do want to get out there for the Corvette weekend though. I'm planning to go to the Boomer's stadium AutoX in early may. I'll be running my kumhos that are on my Forgestars.

Also, do track days, auto-x in a vette is going to be the most boring thing you've ever done.

Why do you say that? I'd like to do a few track days but I did a couple AutoX events in my C6 and enjoyed it.
 
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Watching how abusive you have to be to the steering wheel and tires, the Auto-X is harder on the car than a straight up track day IMO. Certainly the brakes will last longer and you could probably do it on the OEM stuff as long as it's all properly broken in. Since you're not DD'ing on the R888r those will have massive grip on both the Auto-X and a track day.

You don't need to do oiling mods to run 100tw tires on a vette, do you? I know with s2000's once you go to 100tw or slicks you need to baffle the oil pan because the G forces will starve the motor from oil.
 

Lead Pipe

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From what I have read the C5 oil pan is much different than the f-body and mine has a "batwing" to ensure the motor isn't starved of oil from lateral g's. Plus is had al little more oil capacity compared to LS2 and LS3 vettes. My car being an FRC it comes with the Z51 package so it gets a better suspension and power steering cooler.
 

Intel

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Watching how abusive you have to be to the steering wheel and tires, the Auto-X is harder on the car than a straight up track day IMO. Certainly the brakes will last longer and you could probably do it on the OEM stuff as long as it's all properly broken in. Since you're not DD'ing on the R888r those will have massive grip on both the Auto-X and a track day.

You don't need to do oiling mods to run 100tw tires on a vette, do you? I know with s2000's once you go to 100tw or slicks you need to baffle the oil pan because the G forces will starve the motor from oil.

I think turns 7-8-9 is tough on oiling for LS motors in general at Gingerman if you are pushing the G's with sticky tires/slicks. I know that is also a spot where flat motor (BRZ/WRX) cars have some issues also with enough lateral grip, not an issue for how slow sickmint79 sickmint79 is ;) . These are racecar problems for what I drive though (shitty lemons cars and fwd cars, sometimes both)

When I say brake mods you at least should do high temp brake fluid Motul 600 or 660 and good OEM pads, if you decide that you want pads to replace at the track that can handle the higher heat, don't get EBC pads, something like Powerstop Track Days , Raybestos ST-43, Carbotech XP 10/8 from cheapest to most expensive . Most newer drivers in higher horsepower/speed cars are harder on brakes than they should be as they brake too early and softly and from a high speed which just jacks up your brake temps.

Autocross is fun, but having to work sessions and sit around all day to just get 3 minutes of track time just wasn't going to work for me as I got older and had less weekends to race.
 
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J-LO

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ive only used p zeros and cup 2 tires. both have excellent grip, the p zeros more tread for double duty. the p zeros will give you warnings when they are about to give up, the cups, not so much.

not knowing how fast you are around a track, a really good summer tire like the two i mentioned are plenty until you start running out of talent, then something more dedicated to the sticky gods would be necessary.
 
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jason05gt

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From what I have read the C5 oil pan is much different than the f-body and mine has a "batwing" to ensure the motor isn't starved of oil from lateral g's. Plus is had al little more oil capacity compared to LS2 and LS3 vettes. My car being an FRC it comes with the Z51 package so it gets a better suspension and power steering cooler.

If the oil pan is the same as the LS6, you’ll have no issues. My buddy had a c5 z06 and ran it at Gingerman all the time. Even with Goodyear slicks, they didn’t have any issues with oil/cooling. I remember him going through suspension parts due to belt melting the bushings.
 
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