Originally Posted by Corner Weight
What do you guys recommend for foam tires for parking lot racing? The surface is pretty good and has decent bite. I've been running Jaco Nitro Shoes - usually 40's in the rear and 42's in the front. I'm wondering if I can pick up a bunch of grip by going softer - like maybe 35's or 38's all around. Should I be looking at any other choices? This is for a pretty much stock FT NTC3 with a Proto Mazda 6 body and a diff installed in the front.
By goin to a softer shore, you'll definitely get more bite, but that doesn't always mean better. If the tires give you too much grip on the rear, you'll have problems negotiating turns; too less grip on the rear will cause your car to spin out; too much grip upfront might just add-on to the rear spin out problem if you're already running a harder shore compound at the rear; and too less grip up front will only make your car understeer. It all boils down to finding the right balance to suit the kinda track design you're running.
At the track I'm running (which is also a parking lot track, technical and rough cement sort), most of our guys are running softer front and harder rear; which gives more steering to meet the technical track demands. No doubt, 37sh all round provide the car excellent traction, but the planted rear makes it hard to take the car thru the technical twist and turns.