Texas Mustang Challenge Review 2016/2015

[dtanker65]

Before the RRs, and before the then current version of the RA1s you could, as I remember it, literally run competitively the entire season on 6-8 tires, flipped and well managed as long as they stayed round. One of the reasons I bought a tire machine - I counted up close to $300 worth of tire stuff I needed done.

I am asking, not trying to create controversy. I ran my RA1's in the on and off rain at Cresson this season. They are not shaved and 3 years old, run only one other time in the rain. When the track started to dry out they were noticeably slower than the RR's and looked pretty ripped up after one stint in the semi-dry. The current RA1 is 40 utqg same as the RR and they are no cheaper.

I don't begrudge the guys able to run at the front for going out on new, free rubber that they have won.
To the victor belong the spoils. I was grateful to get some of the McSpadden's scrubs. It let me work on the driver and setup in practice without wringing my hands about using expensive new tires for training.

[ShadowBolt]

I thought the "thin to win" was with the old RA1 before the 888? I'm not sure the RA1 is any better at not dropping off with heat cycles but I'm willing to try them again.

JJ

[Fbody383]

I don't begrudge the guys able to run at the front for going out on new, free rubber that they have won.

You're asking the right question.

The reaction, or pushback, is that with the "old" RA1, you didn't have to have new tires to run up front. The common "thin to win" phrase originated there, that guys would put on well worn RA1s that had been conditioned into slicks. As I remember I used to get a think 4.5/32" shave on the RA1s to not chunk tread.

Not sure about the new RTriple8 - I will tell you my recollection of a year on 888s and thought they were absolutely horrible.

[marshall_mosty]

I agree the original 888's were awful. Several "pro" series also changed to that for 2098 and hardly lasted a season...
The "old" RA1's could just about go to the cords and not fall off. The only guys doing the one set per weekend seemed to be the Miata group since they can cover 30 cars with 20 feet of track they are so close and need every bit of advantage.

[dtanker65]

It would be interesting to see how a new set of shaved RA1's do with a very consistent driver. I wonder if the current RA1 compound is the same as the old tire. When doing some tire research I remember being told the RR was developed to replace the shaved RA1 due to the problem of the shoulders cording on shaved RA1's. They increased the rubber thickness on the shoulder.

How do the historic lap times compare with today? I sometimes feel like I am chasing a moving target, most of the group seems to get faster every season. Just when I think I am getting close, the goalposts move. I like it!

[Pranav]

Let's all just run the Nitto NT-01s if they are truly the original RA1 compound.

To keep NASA and Toyo happy let's just go with this route:
https://www.tirestickers.com/tire-st...aint-overview/