R888 in IT7

[Andy Bettencourt]

Dick - the guys are down at Sebring right now and like the tire on the new SM's we built this winter. Word is no drop off during a race and it needs less camber than the RA-1 according to the pyrometer.

[ddewhurst]

Dick, do a search on the SM site for R888 feed back.

[tnord]

Dick - the guys are down at Sebring right now and like the tire on the new SM's we built this winter. Word is no drop off during a race and it needs less camber than the RA-1 according to the pyrometer.

i've heard they're noticeably faster wearing from one of the fast guys at sebring.

[quadzjr]

Dick - the guys are down at Sebring right now and like the tire on the new SM's we built this winter. Word is no drop off during a race and it needs less camber than the RA-1 according to the pyrometer.

Thats interesting.. The Toyo Rep at the PRI show said that the R888 requires a bit more camber than the setup for an RA-1.

[andrew240z]

We have noticed less camber is working better on the BMW's. They dont last as long as the RA-1 and they do seem to drop off as well....

[dickita15]

So nobody has any experience with these tires on an IT7 car? I would really like some idea of how many cycles you can get on these tires before they start to drop off.
In the old days of SM Toyo’s had a reputation for having very long life in terms of number of races you could be competitive. I am really curious if this is the case with the R888’s

[andrew240z]

stick with the Ra1s as long as you can. they are a better tire

[ddewhurst]

^ + 1, who wants to argue with Andy.....

Dick, a racing friend went to Palm Beach/Moroso for the double National. R888 4/32 shave were totally wasted after a test day & two Nationals. He then went on to Sebring with a new set of 3/32 for the single National. IIRC he set on the front row, the 3/32 were much better at Sebring than the 4/32 were at Palm Beach. 2/32's are faster & better yet for those with $$$$. Minimal cycles but then the front 3rd of the field has minimal interest in cycles.

In short from his experience & what I read on the SM site the R888 is a mistake for the last 2/3 rd's of the field. Shave to 2/32, fastest for a couple cycles, then buy some more new tires. Great for the rich guys, sucks for the last 2/3 rd's of the field. If you can get some new RA1"s, get them now.

[dickita15]

Thanks guys, that was the information I was looking for, even if it is not what I want to hear. Now that we have IT7 up here we and we have a small but growing core group it has become pretty obvious that tire bills are the biggest part of our budget. $800 for purple crack every two or three weekends. If we could find a tire that held up like the old Toyo’s did it could make for a lot more bang for the buck. Our hope was not an official spec tire but a gentlemen’s agreement among the regulars, the five or six guys that are at most every race and in the points. That way a tourist that shows up once in a while on old Hoosiers could still race with us.