Interesting, your track only allows sticky kicks? was this a bigger race or a club race?

my guess is that Ghost pin means very worn out tires?

Yes, just enough to see tread, but not much left. They are having a trophy race this weekend, but its a smaller track, and with the hobby shop right next to the pits they don't want the place smelling like a paint factory.

got it. Thanks! I was basically running close to this with my ions. The fronts more than the rears. I started off with a set of rears that were a little too bald and earlier in the day it was too slick.

ok, maybe this has been discussed somewhere in here but I could not find it.

I wanted to know what different people did for a brake in process? how, how long, what? etc....

thanks

My break in process is to just run them in practice. Depending on the tire you can really feel it start to work. It will be almost undriveable to star. Some tires need little to no break in. The AKA Typos I run on my 4x4 are pretty much good right out of the package.

My break in process is also just to practice. I do usually put some tire conditioner on the first couple runs to help burn off the mold release agent that is usually stuck on the tires. Lately that has been WD40. Wiped on with a rag or using a toothbrush. I usually break in a set of tires in practice then set them aside for race day when they are good and ready but not worn. This also makes me a better driver as I learn to drive when it's on "ice"

It should be noted that you shouldn't make setup changes during this break in period as the traction will generally be drastically different. However, some tires work really well out of the box. Typos and Ions seem to be this way, pretty good out of the package and when they break in they are really good. I need a set of rear dirt webs and I'll be able to do some testing of these versus Typos and Ions.

thanks , that is pretty much what I try to do...

I have caught my self making changes to my set up while trying new tires. I have since stoped cause as soon as race day comes I am screwed...

thanks again.

It can be frustrating to try and drive a car that has tires that aren't broken in. I hate trying to break in 2WD front tires. I may run them on my 4WD.

I read just about every post in here and I can not believe no one has heard of central PA's saucing adventures.

Let me start out by saying I don't race anymore, but back in 2006ish, I was talked into racing 2wd buggy again at an indoor clay track my buddy found. He told me guys are running slicks on the track; so I go and order Panther "clay compound" tires along with another brand of "clay" tires.

We get to the track early to practice. No traction from any of the tires I just bought. So we go pit, both scratching our heads. We were watching other drivers own the track with their buggies looking to be on rails. I was disgusted at my buddy for letting him talk me into racing again. He had to go investigate; poking his nose in every ones pit space. Closer inspection of the fast guys tires and asking the hobby shop dude... tires turned out to be M3 compound Hole Shots with the tread completely Dremeled off!

My buddy came back and told me what they were saucing their tires with... really put me into disbelief . So there we sat in the pits for an hour gluing tires; sanding off the tread of those Hole Shots (using 4wd front tires on 2wd rims). I go to the nearest gas station; come back with new found glory... DIESEL FUEL.

I missed the first heat I believe(still Dremeling/sanding), but after watching my friend drive his Losi buggy around the track with a big grin on his face, I knew then we have arrived and was in the ballpark now. Me having installed a 5700kv MambaMax Brushless combo, that just came on the market, in my B4 and diesel fuel on my slicks... my first jaw dropping moment ... pulling a wheelie, with my B4, coming out of a corner; heading down the back stretch. That was all I need to be convinced.

Haha...yeah, I would imagine quite a few of us have used diesel. It's dirt cheap and gives you boat loads of traction. It's also a carcinogen and stinks something fierce. Our indoor track has outlawed it for application in the building because so many people complained about the smell. For those that haven't tried it before, get some cheap latex or nitrile gloves for putting it on. The tires tread pattern will actually swell to approximately twice its original size and the foam will expand noticeably as well. Other than the health issues and gnarly stink...pretty amazing stuff.

So you are taping the foam insert to the wheel???

Has anyone tried mixing diesal fuel with anything like Liquid wrench to kind of cut it in half?

I know after a couple of months back into the racing scene with diesel, guys where cutting back on straight diesel... only 'cause of the smell. A recipe was given to me with 1 oz. xylol (xylene), 2 oz. acetone, 1 oz. diesel fuel, 1 oz. Castrol transmission fluid, 1 oz. wintergreen oil (got on eBay). I'm not 100% sure of the amounts, but I know acetone was the main ingredient and some one saying "2:1" sticks in my head. It was starting to smell better. Almost like Paragon stuff and a little like Reino's Magic Marinade, or Reino's Ragu.

Oh and make sure not to get it on the edges of the rims... that acetone will soften up your CA glue too.

The last track i raced on was a beautiful, tight, hard pack/abrasive clay with light white dust (almost like dry quickrete) NO loam (except the backside of a double jump that started breaking up by the main) .

I washed my tires with Dawn as usual, and went back to my TrackBite/Acetone mix on worn AKA soft Impacts (8th buggy). Its an outdoor track under the sun with track surface temp around 105 degrees, and traction was fantastic. I try and drive with minimal wheelspin/diff unloading and the goal is a setup that rotates w/o breaking loose... im not a point and shoot driver and HATE when car or track condition dictates 'wheeling it'.

The main came and the sun went down behind the trees (track temp was 82 degrees 10 minutes before my main). Overall traction felt like it dropped off 30%. Super softs same tread with WD40 would have been my choice if i had experienced this before (first time at the track) and knew the change was going to be so drastic.

With that said i wanted to bring up track surface temp and tire temp. The thing with diesel is most set the tire on fire after application (i use a heat gun if i going to use heat. Fire BAD). Heating a tire after application helps MOST tire compounds accept the additive... but try and run a tire as close to track temp as possible. Next time youre doing some quality practice laps, compare heated tire lap times to cool tire lap times and how the car feels...