NZPC Superlap Time Attack

[Stealer Of Souls]

me?

I'm tossing up between a new set of Yokohama C-Drives, or going all out and getting semi-slicks like yoko A032R, toyo RA1 or the dunlop eqv. I think my local tyre guys can do all three. So might see what the general thoughts from them are.

I will most likely run some c-drives since I doubt I'll be at this stage whether I can push them well and truely beyond their limits. I've got a lot of practice to go before I'll be beyond good street tyres.

Also playing with the idea of some new light-weight rims... Would love a set of TE37s. I've been fantasising about buying a set for years, and think that the reduction in sprung weight and rotating mass will cut some good time off my laps...
But again. I may not be at a stage where I could utilise them properly.

[NA Drifter]

me?

yes!... emm race tyres eh! I might just end up runnning good road tyres.. basicly, enter for fun! .. well, if i can!

[bad20v]

LOL!

Lindsey's getting serious!!!

Dude, your better off getting a stick set of road tyres for this, like some GSD3's or equivelent.

If your going for tarmac Dot rated semi-slicks, you will never get them properly warmed up in time as you only get 1 warm up lap. Unless you get the super sticky ones and thats just not economical for this one off event.

...or you get tyre warmers! Hard core tarmac god!

With the type of car you are running, you may get a 1/2 second better round the track using the slicks, but with some practise and some sticky road tyres, you could proberly do alot better.

[Stealer Of Souls]

LOL!
Lindsey's getting serious!!!
Dude, your better off getting a stick set of road tyres for this, like some GSD3's or equivelent.
If your going for tarmac Dot rated semi-slicks, you will never get them properly warmed up in time as you only get 1 warm up lap. Unless you get the super sticky ones and thats just not economical for this one off event.
...or you get tyre warmers! Hard core tarmac god!
With the type of car you are running, you may get a 1/2 second better round the track using the slicks, but with some practise and some sticky road tyres, you could proberly do alot better.

This was pretty much my thoughts too. That's why I figure I'll undoubtedly end up with just another (basically) new set of yoko C-drives (replacements for A509s). The set I've got now are very nice, more grip than I can normally use. I have yet to have lose it with these tyres without trying.

[Bazda]

im sure you can warm them up just fine. semis that is. run more tyre pressue than u normally would and they shoudl heat up a fair bit faster, and just drive it like ur already racing as soon as u leave the pits, thats the only way to get them up to temp.

[DRFTIN]

even cold semi slicks are better than road tyres
the right tyre will be warm almost straight away

and i think i read in the rules that you get a warmup lap?

[Chelles]

I've got the Yoko C-Drives as my daily road tyres on the race car (RS Mirage) and I've got some Toyo RA1's semi slicks. The C-Drives are a nice tyre for sure however for all the years I've been pounding around these tracks I would have to say don't waist your time on road tyres for track use. If you want to go fast and get some good lap times why compromise on one of the most important things that are holding you to the track. Fork out the cash and get yourself semi slicks. Don't bugger around with 'good' road tyres ... they are exactly that... road tyres!

As for going out straight from the pits like you're already racing... You're keen... cold tyres, cold brakes and cold driver... Interesting concept, good luck with that aye.

What ever semi slick you get the best thing to do is find out what their optimum operating temp is from the factory spec list and go from there. It will depend on the weight of your car, the track you're on and the style of driving. There is a basic formula to use however it's got to be tweaked to suit each set up.

I can see this day is going to be very amusing, lost of guys with their big power road cars going out to prove their worth. NZPC is just getting on to what a lot of us have been doing for years. They're just giving people the ego boosting glory that boys like. Hrmmm I wonder if I should take my RS there for a 'play' haha ... yeah right! It will be a turbo fest
Good old NZPC aye... always tryingn 'new' things.

[NA Drifter]

Well, from the last experience, R5 D1NZ, I have trouble warming up the road tyres.. took a few laps to warm it up...

[matt dunn]

Well, from the last experience, R5 D1NZ, I have trouble warming up the road tyres.. took a few laps to warm it up...

Why do you warm up road tyres? They dont get more grip when they are hot like race tyres?
they just go all mushy when you get them too hot.

[NA Drifter]

Well, from the last experience, R5 D1NZ, I have trouble warming up the road tyres.. took a few laps to warm it up...

Why do you warm up road tyres? They dont get more grip when they are hot like race tyres?
they just go all mushy when you get them too hot.

yeah just the better road tyres for the front.. Falken ST115, and something Yokohama at the back.. Once they not cold, they grip better.. as u know that cold tyres don't grip!

Maybe not the tyres problem.. maybe just the no camber and off camber track and smooth surface that is playing up... Not like Manfeild, that have massive camber in corners and very rough surface track..

[Emperor]

Toyo RA1's at 24psi all round are warmed up in about one lap of taupo. (full track)

Very sticky

[saft]

there is already a silvia out there sponsored by racepro, its got a GTR engine in it, was doing like 1 min flat around pukekohe few weeks ago in the Super GT class, and he drove it home as it was regestered and had a WOF

you sure it was running that fast?

[pc]

I like the Kumho C03's that I got recently. I got them specifically for sprints cos they only take a couple of corners to get warm. I wont put them near a track cos they cost so much and I have slicks for that anyway, but for this 'event' a semi slick that gets hot quickly sounds like the best tyre.

[Bazda]

there is already a silvia out there sponsored by racepro, its got a GTR engine in it, was doing like 1 min flat around pukekohe few weeks ago in the Super GT class, and he drove it home as it was regestered and had a WOF

you sure it was running that fast?

it was doing near the 1 min mark anyway, i got it all on camera as well .
Think it came like like 4-5th in the super GT class, thats after carl hansen, Bonneys, Chesters evo etc

[DRFTIN]

I like the Kumho C03's that I got recently. I got them specifically for sprints cos they only take a couple of corners to get warm. I wont put them near a track cos they cost so much and I have slicks for that anyway, but for this 'event' a semi slick that gets hot quickly sounds like the best tyre.

i used to use them for the 2 lap track sprints we do in chch, i rated them better than any of the other semi slicks i've used
then some kind people destroyed them for me when they took my car, but anyway...
are they DOT rated though?

[Stealer Of Souls]

I think it may be a bit of a moot point. I don't know if I'll even be at a level where I'm out-driving my c-drives. I'm only a beginner at the track.

[RomanV]

Yeah, I found that first time out on the track really highlighted some flaws in my cars suspension setup, that I couldnt even notice at all on the street.

Racing on the track is fairly dependant on a good suspension setup IMO, and fine tuning with trial and error. I've got some changes I want to make to the MR2 before next track day, and I'll probably want to fine tune it a bit more from there.

I doubt that a street car is going to do overly well, first time out on the track.

Look at kinlouds carina, it's not overly powerful or technically advanced or anything, and it goes awesomely at taupo! Because it's setup well, and he's an awesome driver with heaps of experience on the track.

Also the surface of a race track is designed to be super smooth to minimise wear on slicks, which so street tires that are designed for a far more porous and grippy surface arent going to be overly great. I was really surprised about how slippery it was, and it's not like I was running shabby tires either.

If I'm going to attend the superlap thingy, it's not going to be without revised rear shocks/springs and some semi slicks.

[Dragger_Dan]

This superlap will be intersting to see if anybody can get good times. Here's my thinking: When you go to a track day, your best times are usually later in the day when you have had plenty of laps to practice with your car setup and the track. Or that's at least what I found last track day. I would assume that most people here would agree with that. So how much practice will you get on this superlap day? Enough to get a good feel for your car and the track on the day? Not likely considering how many entrants there would be to something like this, and they wish to provide people with a spectical, not a whole heap of cars doing practice laps. If everything is all go for superlap for myself I'll see if I can get in a trackday for some practice before then to get a feel for my setup and the track. It might help a little bit.

This is not intended as a dis or anything like that, Roman, but I think changing your setup right before a track day might not be overly helpful to your times. Dunno, just a thought.

[pc]

I like the Kumho C03's that I got recently. I got them specifically for sprints cos they only take a couple of corners to get warm. I wont put them near a track cos they cost so much and I have slicks for that anyway, but for this 'event' a semi slick that gets hot quickly sounds like the best tyre.

i used to use them for the 2 lap track sprints we do in chch, i rated them better than any of the other semi slicks i've used
then some kind people destroyed them for me when they took my car, but anyway...
are they DOT rated though?

The tyres say on the side walls "for competition use only", But I have a letter from Kumho NZ saying the the tyres meet the NZ WOF standards and I keep the letter in the glovebox in-case I'm driving these tyres on the road.

[bad20v]

I think it may be a bit of a moot point. I don't know if I'll even be at a level where I'm out-driving my c-drives. I'm only a beginner at the track.

Yeah, Thats why I said what I did about those tyres and not needing semi-slicks etc. My comment wasn't an 'overall' comment to everyone who is thinking about entering, it was for you 'SOS' alone, and only because we have raced together it the past.

Personally, if I was to enter this event and it was a once a year thing for me to do, I wouldn't go out and buy a set of semi-slick tyres for a few laps of Taupo track. Its just not economical.


But if you are like myself, and do at least 5 tarmac events a year for a motorsport car club, then 'yes' the semi-slicks would be a great investment.

But this event is not aimed at members of motorsport clubs as they have their own track events throughout the year, it is aimed at getting the average 'street-racer' off the roads and onto the track to put their money where their mouth usually is.

This is much like the 'SkidFest' and 'NightWars' where its not illegal to do what was only done on backroads a few years ago. Now no one can really boast about how fast their cars is or how much smoke it makes, as they get told to put it on the strip or velodrome and prove it!


I will be doing this event on the tyres that I drive down on and back from it. I get no club points for it, so its not worth me using my semi-slick tyres just to prove that my car is fast and that I can drive it fairly well around corners, because I already know that. I will be there to compete and have fun for the love of motorsport that I have.

Peace.