Will rubber carpet overtake Foam carpet in the future???
10-25-2006, 05:42 AM
#91
The cost of running a particular tire increases with the popularity of the class no matter what type of tire. The only way you could potentially limit cost is with tire tech. This takes manpower and space by your lhs/track. Of course this does not limit you from buying tires to practice with. (..and so it propogates to testing limitations in such serious racing like Formula 1 and so on. )
Really guys, there is only one time you need to shell out a bunch of money for tires and thats when you are trying to win some big race in which some sort of marketing material can be derived from. Otherwise let the other guy win and feel good about being broke.
Really guys, there is only one time you need to shell out a bunch of money for tires and thats when you are trying to win some big race in which some sort of marketing material can be derived from. Otherwise let the other guy win and feel good about being broke.
10-25-2006, 06:12 AM
#92
Tech Adept
Everyone has good points, and the important thing is to keep the hoby going. It seems as the hobby has shifted from having fun racing with your buddies to how can I crush all who come before me racing. Like I said earlier the fast guys will always be fast, foam or rubber. At my local tracks I get to race against top level drivers and when I race foams I am probably 1 to 2 laps down, and when I race rubber against those same guys guess what? "I am still 1 to 2 laps down", so for me I might as well save a couple of bucks and run rubber with the guys whom I always race against and have a little fun. Dont get me wrong I still race foam from time to time and I do have fun, but if there is a rubber class I usually will run that instead.
10-25-2006, 10:38 AM
#93
At a offroad track once we had a situation that new tires was faster by few tenths but the tire would last a good month of racing but just not be as fast. All the locals had a gentalmen's agreement never to run a new tire in the main and only to buy a new set of tires every two weeks. We only had one person that didn't follow that rule but we consistantly beat him anyways and boy did we let him have it when he was beat. He eventually gave up and followed the agreement. Most of us bought tires just once a month at the beginning of the month also. This was some of the funnest racing I ever had.
F1 Racing has similar agreements among teams which isn't regulated by the FIA for how much they are going to practice and such. There is no reason local racers at the tracks can't have similar agreements for club racing.
F1 Racing has similar agreements among teams which isn't regulated by the FIA for how much they are going to practice and such. There is no reason local racers at the tracks can't have similar agreements for club racing.
10-25-2006, 01:41 PM
#94
An idea i have always wanted to do at our club but gets met with mixed responce is have a race sereis where u buy in with you set of 4 tires. We typically run 8 races for a sereis. You would show up on race one with a set of pre-mounts(95% of us all run the same tires) And at the end of the day you drop your 4 tires into the sereis tire bin(ziplock bag the set of 4). Next race you register and pull random set of tires from the bin and the cycle goes on. 100% cost controlled. And 100% fair. If you where to blow out a rim you would have to replace the tires in pairs. Anyway some variation of this would "ACTUALLY" control costs. This could span across as many races as you want. The tires grip is the same for everyone with the odd wild card tires that have low millage or just got trown in the bin as you could have new racers start up mid sereis. Regardless its 100% random and everyone has a fair shot at good or bad tires. The tires could be bagged as sets of 4 or set of 2 to ensure you dont get 4 left feet. 
There could even be the option of wether or not u show up with brand new or used sets of premounts. It dont matter really cuz by race 2 you aint getting you original tires back.
I have always wanted to do this but it has yet to happen... Hmmm maybe ill post it on our forum...
There could even be the option of wether or not u show up with brand new or used sets of premounts. It dont matter really cuz by race 2 you aint getting you original tires back.I have always wanted to do this but it has yet to happen... Hmmm maybe ill post it on our forum...
Simply brilliant-and the hobby shop can't bitch because they're garunteed tire sales.
10-25-2006, 03:43 PM
#98
1 set of 4 tires or 4 sets of 4 tires? the only problem with it is if somebody tosses in a broken wheel, who covers it. the person who put it back or the person who pulled it out (if nobody caught it going in to the box). would tagging them with a number and keeping track of it be feasible week to week?
10-25-2006, 03:50 PM
#99
That wouldnt be a problem. Just a simple excel spreadsheet could be made for a log. You can also track the finishing positions of the sets and maybe there is one "hot" set that whoever draws them seems to run better. That concept is a really fun one that I can totally see a club doing.
10-25-2006, 04:31 PM
#101
Originally Posted by Mason
1 set of 4 tires or 4 sets of 4 tires? the only problem with it is if somebody tosses in a broken wheel, who covers it. the person who put it back or the person who pulled it out (if nobody caught it going in to the box). would tagging them with a number and keeping track of it be feasible week to week?
The idea is cost control, so it would be a set of 4 tires for a series. Not sure how many races most of you all run for a series. But i think 10-15 races should be totally do-able. The issue of broken rims would be easy. You bag your tires and bring them back to race director or tech for storage. As mentiond you could use an excel sheet to track them but at the time of drop off they would be inspected for damage(cracked wheels) if they are damaged that person would have to replace that tire/wheel(likely a pair as they are premounts) Dont hit and u dont break so cost is under control. The hole idea of tacking the tires results would not be nessasary but it could be a fun addition to the hole thing. Or just a excuse waiting to be used, when joe-racer pulls d-main tires and sucks butt all night
10-25-2006, 09:06 PM
#102
I am interested seeing the response here...I suggested both weliin and Joel's ideas to the "locals" a year or so back and got real sour responses.
10-26-2006, 02:56 PM
#103
The problem with the Tire Box idea is that, if you have some guy who doesn't know how to setup his car and ruins a set of tires in one day, what about the guy who gets those tires next? I know some tracks have tried that with Mabuchi motors for Mini Coopers or Sedans. The guy runs a motor one day, burns the crap out of it and he doesn't care because the odds of him getting that same motor are slim.
I think out of control tire, chassis, and battery cost are the biggest factors as to why on-road has been suffering over the last 2-3 years and Off Road is starting to enjoy a resurgence. Also, Off Road has been quicker to accept newer technology such as brushless and LiPo. Tires are just part of the problem.
Oh, and Rubber Tires on Carpet Rock! But because of other influential factors, Rubber will probably never overtake foam for popularity in the USA.
I think out of control tire, chassis, and battery cost are the biggest factors as to why on-road has been suffering over the last 2-3 years and Off Road is starting to enjoy a resurgence. Also, Off Road has been quicker to accept newer technology such as brushless and LiPo. Tires are just part of the problem.
Oh, and Rubber Tires on Carpet Rock! But because of other influential factors, Rubber will probably never overtake foam for popularity in the USA.
10-26-2006, 07:31 PM
#104
if you pick a compound hard enough thats likely not going to happen. AGain its 100% random and fair. IF you run TAKEOFF tires they have a supper long life span. Again this is club racing, and it would be for a sereis, not nessarily the new rule for rubber racing. IT would be something to try. Burn up a motor in one night for sure it can happen, but i think the tires hold up pretty good.
