Even MORE Tire Talk

[BCDP341]

Before I start, I have read A LOT from the autocross guys, the posts by SUX2BU which I am extremely grateful for his wheel sizing guide and have watched a lot of reviews and pre-HPDE car prep videos.

So the question is for a rookie to HPDE which tire sizing would be best to get feedback from? I am looking at only two sizes for a square setup.

305/30R19 - Gone over Vorshlag blogs about their Camaro they did for a customer.

275/40R18 - The tried and true general size used for starting out in drag racing. Can make work on all 4 corners with an 18x9.5 +30 wheel. No I'm not solely sold on drag racing but having a setup that can technically do both would be nice. Would obviously run only a pair at a time on the rears and have skinny fronts but can throw on all 4 to do road racing.

Now I may or may not have answered my own question above but looking for feedback from others who have been out doing this longer than I have.

Tire choices are:

Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar 3 (EFS3) (non R, but based on pricing in Canada I can go either way since they cost the same here)

Hankook Ventus R-S4 (RS4) (directional yes but enough people have rotated them as long as it is dry out with no issues to make me confident to do the same)

The tires will be on a dedicated set of wheels and I won't be traveling to the track solo (dad is using this as his way to badger me like he used to when I was a kid) so I'll have a support vehicle that I can swap tires into.

Also I'm not a huge fan of Michelin's despite how great they have been stated to be mainly from a price point and availability. So you can recommend them but just letting you know my bias beforehand. Also if you have a tire you would prefer for a beginner that isn't listed above, please go ahead and state why. If anyone decides to bash a tire but without anything backing it (personal experiences, actual data, etc.) I'll remove the comment. Looking for actual round table help not, as I call it, "fan 590 blasting".

Major thanks in advance and be safe all.

[BCDP341]

This post may be in the wrong part of the forums? Hopefully not.

[cdb95z28]

The 305/30-19 is a popular size. I run it on all 4 corners for the track.
And there seems like a fair amount of guys who run the 18" wheels so they can run the Pirelli DH scrubs.

The wider 305/30 will present challenges when it comes to tire to strut clearance when using aggressive camber settings. But with the correct offset, this is not a problem. But, when you do have a proper offset for tire to strut clearance then the tire starts to poke out a bit at the fender. Camber plates help all of that.

The use of an 18" brings the clearance issue to the wheel and not the tire because, depending on offset and camber setting, the wheel is going to hit the top of the knuckle first. The knuckle can be ground down for clearance.

The only tires I've run on track are the:
-Gen5 SS 1LE OE tire Goodyear F1 SuperCar G:2
-Bridgestone RE71R
-Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
-Goodyear F1 SuperCar 3R
I have been running the 3R for almost 4 years now.


The Goodyear SuperCar 3 is a great tire. I say that without having run them on track the (yet), but I've driven them on the street. So take that for what it is worth. haha. But the Gen6 SS 1LE and ZL1 both run them and are fantastic track cars and the feedback from others confirms that they are very good on other models. One of my track buddies had a Gen6 SS with the 3's and he laid down some amazing times with them. They have great potential in the right hands. But be prepared, there's always a trade off for grip. Wet performance and longevity. But since these are going to be a track only set of tires, then it doesn't matter.

The Michelin 4S does not have the same dry grip as the SuperCar3 but it does better in the wet, cooler temps and longevity.

As a novice, you're better off with a less grippy tire. Going to something like the DH scrubs or the 3R would not be good for a novice. I think the SuperCar 3 would be a good choice. But that would be at the upper end of the tire choice spectrum for a novice. Realistically, tire choice for a novice is pretty wide. A novice will have a lot of other things to be concerned about other than getting the most out of a tire.

And yes, the Road Course/Track and AutoX subforums would be a better place for your question.

[AnnaMia]

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2

Bridgestone RE71R-
The two tires are to die for, super awesome, and highest quality there is, not forgetting the look and the feel.

[BCDP341]

Originally Posted by cdb95z28

The 305/30-19 is a popular size. I run it on all 4 corners for the track.
And there seems like a fair amount of guys who run the 18" wheels so they can run the Pirelli DH scrubs.

The wider 305/30 will present challenges when it comes to tire to strut clearance when using aggressive camber settings. But with the correct offset, this is not a problem. But, when you do have a proper offset for tire to strut clearance then the tire starts to poke out a bit at the fender. Camber plates help all of that.

The use of an 18" brings the clearance issue to the wheel and not the tire because, depending on offset and camber setting, the wheel is going to hit the top of the knuckle first. The knuckle can be ground down for clearance.

The only tires I've run on track are the:
-Gen5 SS 1LE OE tire Goodyear F1 SuperCar G:2
-Bridgestone RE71R
-Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
-Goodyear F1 SuperCar 3R
I have been running the 3R for almost 4 years now.


The Goodyear SuperCar 3 is a great tire. I say that without having run them on track the (yet), but I've driven them on the street. So take that for what it is worth. haha. But the Gen6 SS 1LE and ZL1 both run them and are fantastic track cars and the feedback from others confirms that they are very good on other models. One of my track buddies had a Gen6 SS with the 3's and he laid down some amazing times with them. They have great potential in the right hands. But be prepared, there's always a trade off for grip. Wet performance and longevity. But since these are going to be a track only set of tires, then it doesn't matter.

The Michelin 4S does not have the same dry grip as the SuperCar3 but it does better in the wet, cooler temps and longevity.

As a novice, you're better off with a less grippy tire. Going to something like the DH scrubs or the 3R would not be good for a novice. I think the SuperCar 3 would be a good choice. But that would be at the upper end of the tire choice spectrum for a novice. Realistically, tire choice for a novice is pretty wide. A novice will have a lot of other things to be concerned about other than getting the most out of a tire.

And yes, the Road Course/Track and AutoX subforums would be a better place for your question.

Can you DM me your wheel specs or is it in your build sheet?

[cdb95z28]

Originally Posted by BCDP341

Can you DM me your wheel specs or is it in your build sheet?

19x11 fronts, ET20
19x11.5 rears, ET40

I felt that keeping the 20mm delta was a good match of the OE 1LE wheel offsets (ET23/ET43).

I use spacers to fine tune front clearances. Every owner will have different suspension/tire/alignment/camber plate combos so my specs may not be perfect, but the ET20 keeps poke to a minimum vs. say, the Z/28 front wheel offset of ET11. And if I need more tire to strut clearance due to high (knuckle generated) camber, then all I do is add the appropriate spacer. I like to minimize poke as much as I can, so the ET20 helps me do that.


I do have longer wheel studs for proper lug engagement. I've run 325/30-19 all around with those wheels and had no clearance issues. It did poke a little bit though. I'm back to 305 all around now.

[Clyde Buenvides]

Originally Posted by AnnaMia

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2

Bridgestone RE71R-
The two tires are to die for, super awesome, and highest quality there is, not forgetting the look and the feel.

I agree, so which tires are you running on your Camaro now?

[wakespeak]

The GY Supercar 3R's are awesome at the track if you have a spare set of wheels, but slicks are another world altogether based on the other guys in the run group. I get about 4-5 track days per set w/ the 3Rs. An R spec tire makes a big difference in track times. I lose 5 seconds at COTA once the tires get heat cycled on the 4th day but its so gradual its hard to notice. 0.25 sec per corner over 20 corners adds up. Guys on DOT rated R compound slicks are 4-5 seconds faster.