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RE: Tires

To: Aaron Johnson <fpspitfire37@msn.com>, John Price
Subject: RE: Tires
From: Bill Babcock <BillB@bnj.com>
Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2003 09:42:28 -0800
Actually, that's the reason everyone is looking so hard at alternatives.
The Goodrich tires were great, but they are not in production anymore.  

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-fot@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-fot@autox.team.net] On Behalf
Of Aaron Johnson
Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2003 5:33 PM
To: John Price; Friends of Triumph
Subject: Re: Tires

Did Bf Goodrich stop making the G-Force TA R-1 (and before that the comp
t/a) in 205-60/15.  that is what I ran on my TR6 for a while and they were
quite nice.  I don't see it listed anywhere so I'm assuming that they are
no longer in production.

aaron
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: John Price
  To: Friends of Triumph
  Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2003 8:50 AM
  Subject: Tires


  I am almost sorry I brought this up, but if anyone cares...

  For the record, I replaced my old A008s with Khumo V770 205/50-15s. I
made
  this choice because (a) CVAR allows my class to run 50 series tires, (b)
The
  smaller diameter allowed me to avoid getting a lower ratio diff and (c)
They
  were a lot cheaper than Hoosiers or Dunlops. Unfortunately, the wider
tire
  created some suspension interference problems that cost a lot more than
the
  difference in tire cost to remedy.

  The problem as I see it is this:

  1. When Yokahama was still making the A008 in the 195/60-15, life was
good.
  The tire was durable,  sticky and the 60-series was the standard for
most
  organizations.

  2. In spite of the demise of the A008 for 15" wheels, some racing
  organizations have continued to insist on a 60-series tire (or
equivalent) and
  some have not. CVAR and VSCDA, for example allow 50-series tires in some
  classes. However both require a DOT-approved tire. SVRA still requires a
  60-series, but has a provision in their rules for non-DOT  tires
provided they
  are pre-approved and an appropriate note is in the logbook. So, even if
we can
  get our hands on those big Yokahama mammas, we may not be able to use
them.

  3. Because of this conflict we are forced to run tires that are not only
more
  expensive than the old A008s, but are not as durable or sticky. If we
are
  fortunate enough to be in a club that allows 50-series tires for our
class, we
  may have to buy a new set of tires just to go race with another
organization.
  Yes, I know that some organizations will give waivers for certain
non-safety
  related items, but it's a hassle both for the tech inspectors and the
car
  owners. Sometimes you may not be sure you can run until you get there,
and you
  always hope the tech guys are not having a bad day.

      This is vintage racing. In the old days (which I can remember)
everyone
  ran on street tires ( The films of XK120s and the like power-sliding
through
  the corners are really spectacular. Try that on your Yokahamas! ). The
issue
  is not whether the tires we are allowed to use are the stickiest
available or
  whether they are the best in the rain, but about establishing a level
playing
  field. If we were all running on Hoosiers or Dunlops, so what? Remember,
it's
  not whether you win or lose - but how you play the game.    Right...

     I don't know much about the Vintage Motorsports Council or how it
operates,
  but it seems VMC would be the appropriate venue for either establishing
tire
  standards across all (about 30 at last count) the affiliated racing
  organizations. So, all you people get in touch with your organization's
VMC
  representative and see if we can get the issue on the table.


  John

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