If you think those R-compound tires pick up rocks, Brian, try driving
on Goodyear R-160 compound (or R-95, if you can get them) slicks! As
soon as they start getting hot, they suck up gravel like a vacuum
cleaner!!!
As to your specific question, clean off all the rocks you can before
you make your first run and don't worry about all the little
indentations in the rubber. Like Stan said, they and any remaining
rocks will be gone after your first couple of turns on the course.
The problem arises if there's a lot of gravel ON the course. Your
tires will probably suck that up. Even if the course is clean, you
may suck up gravel when you pull back into the pits or grid, since the
tires will be hot and sticky. Just clean them off and do it again!!
8<{)
John (Old Fartz & TLS #37) Lieberman
Brian M Kennedy wrote:
>
> Driving R-compound tires over gravel or dirt roads results in lots
> of small stones getting impaled into the rubber. You can easily
> pop them out, but you'll have a small depression or slit where
> the stone once was.
>
> Now for the questions:
>
> 1) If you drive to an event and end up carrying a lot of small
> rocks in your rubber, what is the impact on the stickiness
> of your tires?? Should you take the time to pick out all
> the impaled stones?
>
> 2) What is the effect of small gaps, depressions, or gashes in
> the rubber? They are nowhere near through the tread, so the
> integrity of the tire is not compromised. But the traction
> may be affected? Or the wear of the tread may be accelerated?
>
> 3) Should I be careful to keep my R-tires off gravel/dirt?
> Or should I not worry about it?
>
> Thoughts?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Brian
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