First DE Event Experience - Feedback and Questions

[gandrade1]

Hi guys,

I did my first DE event this past weekend at Pocono (North Course) - what a great experience! By the end of the second day I actually started to have a better understanding of (or at least scratch the surface on) how the car reacts to my inputs in the corners and how to tackle the turns in a more smooth, safer and faster fashion. 996 guys out there - watch out! :jump:

My instructor was courteous, extremely knowledgeable and patient enough to show me over and over again where I was missing the line in a particular corner. The event was very well organized and the environment, conducive to learning -thumbs up to the NNJR PCA!

All that said my 01 Boxster also handled the event very well. However, I started noticing added wear to my (then) new Continental SportContact 2 tires. By the end of the event the tires were peeling off a bit. That led me to consider getting dedicated track wheels and tires. I intend to do 3 to 4 more events this year and keep up the pace, or increase a bit, for the years to come.

Is it really worth it to go for track wheels and tires? What size and offset of wheels should I go for and where do I get them? I did some web search but came out empty handed and a little confused by all the adjustments and trade-offs between offsets and wheels widths out there! Plus some guys consider 2.5 grant cheap for a set of wheels :( . Well, thats not my case...

I heard some people favor 17''s because they are more cost effective and handle really wheel when used with Kuhmo Victoracers tires which, by the way, are not available in 18''s.

If I decide to go for 18''s I might as well wear out my Conti's and then get track tires on these size and a 17'' wheel/tire set for the streets (or lack thereof) of the Garden State!

Any opinion will be greatly appreciated.

Best,

Gus

Edited April 7, 2008 by gandrade1

[djantlive]

17 in wheels could be had for fairly cheap and would be a good choice for track tires.

keep your 18 in for street.

this is if you have room for extra set of wheels and you plan on doing a few DE a year. if you only go once or twice a year, you may want to just use the street tires bc your savings will be limited.

i don't see myself going more than 2x year so i'm just keeping one set of wheels for now and keep an eye out for almost new street tires at bargain prices. for example, i bot 4 Pilot Sports in 18" for $550 the other day. 2 of them are new and others barely worn. there are good deals out there since most will not wait for used tires when they need fresh rubber.

[gandrade1]

17 in wheels could be had for fairly cheap and would be a good choice for track tires.

keep your 18 in for street.

this is if you have room for extra set of wheels and you plan on doing a few DE a year. if you only go once or twice a year, you may want to just use the street tires bc your savings will be limited.

i don't see myself going more than 2x year so i'm just keeping one set of wheels for now and keep an eye out for almost new street tires at bargain prices. for example, i bot 4 Pilot Sports in 18" for $550 the other day. 2 of them are new and others barely worn. there are good deals out there since most will not wait for used tires when they need fresh rubber.

Thanks djantlive,

I will be doing 4 to 5 events per year...I guess that can mount to a lot of wear on the street tires, but I am not sure about the cost effectiveness of having a dedicated track set. I have no idea how many trackdays each type would last and still be safe.

Any idea on the offset/size of the 17'' wheels if I decide to go aftermarket?

Best,

Gus

[Topless]

Gus,

It's pretty normal to do some tire damage your first few DE's as you learn car control and smooth lines. +5psi in each tire will help reduce shoulder damage during this time. The instructors in our area usually recommend running street tires for your whole first season. They are more forgiving of rookie mistakes and are a lot less likely to flat spot in a full brake spin. Track tires have higher grip levels and are much softer compounds. It would be a shame to destroy a fresh set of victroracers your first day out on them with one big spin.

If you want a second set for track days get some cheapies and expect to maul them a little for a while. When you are outrunning all the guys on street tires then go for the Victroracers for higher grip and even faster times.

[gandrade1]

Gus,

It's pretty normal to do some tire damage your first few DE's as you learn car control and smooth lines. +5psi in each tire will help reduce shoulder damage during this time. The instructors in our area usually recommend running street tires for your whole first season. They are more forgiving of rookie mistakes and are a lot less likely to flat spot in a full brake spin. Track tires have higher grip levels and are much softer compounds. It would be a shame to destroy a fresh set of victroracers your first day out on them with one big spin.

If you want a second set for track days get some cheapies and expect to maul them a little for a while. When you are outrunning all the guys on street tires then go for the Victroracers for higher grip and even faster times.

Thanks, Topless

Great advice.

I will use up my Contis for now.

Best,

Gus