Intermediate Rain Tire

[benspeed]

I got a set of stock rims that are sorta oddball 16 fronts and 17 rears. They fit my 968 which is good because finding a rim with the correct offset for this car is tough.

Decided I'd experiment with mounting a set of intermediates on these oddball rims. Went with the Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec in a 225-50-16 up front with a height of 24.9 and 245-40-17 in the rear with a height of 24.7. I'll put a spin on the coil over collar in the back to even it up. Cheap tires as the set was only $575 shipped. This model of tire is supposed to be a very hot autocross setup with great wet traction.

Anybody ever run a set of these? I'll share my impressions after I give them some laps.

[Andy Bettencourt]

I got a set of stock rims that are sorta oddball 16 fronts and 17 rears. They fit my 968 which is good because finding a rim with the correct offset for this car is tough.

Decided I'd experiment with mounting a set of intermediates on these oddball rims. Went with the Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec in a 225-50-16 up front with a height of 24.9 and 245-40-17 in the rear with a height of 24.7. I'll put a spin on the coil over collar in the back to even it up. Cheap tires as the set was only $575 shipped. This model of tire is supposed to be a very hot autocross setup with great wet traction.

Anybody ever run a set of these? I'll share my impressions after I give them some laps.

That's a street tire dude. If I had an unlimted budget, I would have the race dries, Toyo RA-1's in 4/32's AND full tread an then Hooiser Rains.

[benspeed]

I figure I'll change that order. Word from tAB is gold...

[benspeed]

OK - now I have the Hoosier R6 for dry - Toyo RA-1s Intermediate (only $200 more) and Hoosier radials for full rain.

I cannot have another season where I'm caught out with the wrong rubber. Thanks bro

[ulfelder]

OK - now I have the Hoosier R6 for dry - Toyo RA-1s Intermediate (only $200 more) and Hoosier radials for full rain.

I cannot have another season where I'm caught out with the wrong rubber. Thanks bro

Andy: Thanks for helping out the other ITR dudes, BRO.

05

[ulfelder]

OK - now I have the Hoosier R6 for dry - Toyo RA-1s Intermediate (only $200 more) and Hoosier radials for full rain.

I cannot have another season where I'm caught out with the wrong rubber. Thanks bro

Does anybody remember the super-rainy NARRCoffs weekend ('02? '03?) when Kip VanSteenburg, lacking a good set of rains, bought himself a set of snow tires on Thursday night? He tried them during a wet session and spun out about 5 times during his out lap.

Steve

[lawtonglenn]

.

Ben, I agree with Andy, that's the three sets we
take: R6(or Z214), RA1full, Hwet

I actually have better race times with the Z214s than the R6s,
as low as 14.8 at NH

I think you'll like the RA1s
.

[Jeremy Billiel]

With Ben's heavy car I would think RA1 at full depth would quickly chunk and come apart. Better shave them and hope that it does not dry out too much...

[joeg]

Kumho Victoracers--If available in your size.

Easily the best intermediate rain tire.

[benspeed]

I got the RA1 shaved to 4/32nds - gotta go with the advice of my inside spy over at Flatout :-)

(Steve - bet you were looking forward to racing me in the wet while I was on Dunlops)

Seriously though - glad this site is a resource. Been racing for 10 years now but a little good advice is always appreciated - can never get enough.

I'm feeling good - all rubbered up....uh, that sounded wrong....

[ed325its]

Ben,

I have had very good results with the Kuhmo V700 as intermediate race tires with two race wins. However, if the conditions change to dry during the race they slow down very quickly.

[erlrich]

That's a street tire dude. If I had an unlimted budget, I would have the race dries, Toyo RA-1's in 4/32's AND full tread an then Hooiser Rains.

That's interesting - I would have thought with no $$$ limit a shaved Hoosier wet would be the pick for an intermediate. Is it that they're still too soft, even when shaved, to take out on a track that might dry out during the race?

As for the full tread RA1s, I've had mixed results in my (very) limited experience with them; I used only full tread RA1s for my driver's school at Roebling in '06, and as anyone who has ever attended the spring school at Roebling can attest there will be rain at least one of the three days. The tires did fine in the wet there, in fact I think I had the 2nd or 3rd fastest time of our group (which included big bore) in one of the wet sessions. On the other hand, I had a wet race at Summit Point that same year, and the tires slid around like I was on slicks. I had them shaved for dry use not long after that, and have not used another wet race tire since.

[BruceG]

That's interesting - I would have thought with no $$$ limit a shaved Hoosier wet would be the pick for an intermediate. Is it that they're still too soft, even when shaved, to take out on a track that might dry out during the race?

As for the full tread RA1s, I've had mixed results in my (very) limited experience with them; I used only full tread RA1s for my driver's school at Roebling in '06, and as anyone who has ever attended the spring school at Roebling can attest there will be rain at least one of the three days. The tires did fine in the wet there, in fact I think I had the 2nd or 3rd fastest time of our group (which included big bore) in one of the wet sessions. On the other hand, I had a wet race at Summit Point that same year, and the tires slid around like I was on slicks. I had them shaved for dry use not long after that, and have not used another wet race tire since.

My first race at LRP last summer was in the wet and my RA1's with about 3/4 tread left worked fine in the rain(I didn't have any rains so they needed to work fine....LOL). Had no clutch after the first lap and went off between 2&3(no spin but couldn't see the track) and stalled for 2 laps so I can't tell you about RA1's for speed but worked well in the rain. The track never dried out.

[lateapex911]

Following Andy's unlimited budget thinking.....last years NARRC Offs were a semi rain race. Started wet but I thought it would dry. But, it was COLD..and that happens often when it rains, as it's typical for it to rain in the cooler months.
My tire choices: Dirt Stockers (It was wet enough at the start)
or-- Hoosier R6 slicks.
Or hankooks "A" compound slicks

I chose the Hankooks. It was cold, remember?

For the first few laps, it was hairier than hairy. I went backwards. Around lap 6 or so, it was "equalized. By lap 9 I liked my call. But the dry line was inches wide in places. And if I was off line at the committed 'kinda dry' speed on slicks, it was going to be uuuugly.

At the end, I was way faster than they guy ahead of me, but, he had 30hp on me, so I couldn't pass him on the straights. And I sure couldn't (I tried) pass him off line in the corners, because it was still wet. It was like being on oiled ice. I was stuck behind him. We had some contact even as he'd slip coming out of corners when I had good drive.

So, My "cost no object" quiver would be Hoosier Rs, Hoosier As, but hand cut, and Dirt Stockers. (of course, now that I think of it, hand cutting wouldn't be kosher! Hmmm, maybe the Hoosier wets are as soft a compound? )

Andy and Shane had a hell of a race that day and Andy was on RA1s, IIRC.

[shwah]

A friend of mine tested the Hoosier W on a track that started wet with no rain falling and went totally dry. They continued to work and finished in one peice - all used up, but OK to get to the end if need be. My decision tree would be - dry Hoosier R, damp Hoosier R, wet/drying Hoosier W, wet Hoosier W, build an ark, Hoosier DS.

[mossaidis]

^^ I would like to follow a similar model, but stocks of Hoosier DS are drying up literally - I have a set, never used and probably 5 years old. dry/damp - Hoosier R, wet/drying - Toyo RA1, wet/building an ark - Hoosier W.

[Andy Bettencourt]

Following Andy's unlimited budget thinking.....last years NARRC Offs were a semi rain race. Started wet but I thought it would dry. But, it was COLD..and that happens often when it rains, as it's typical for it to rain in the cooler months.
My tire choices: Dirt Stockers (It was wet enough at the start)
or-- Hoosier R6 slicks.
Or hankooks "A" compound slicks

I chose the Hankooks. It was cold, remember?

For the first few laps, it was hairier than hairy. I went backwards. Around lap 6 or so, it was "equalized. By lap 9 I liked my call. But the dry line was inches wide in places. And if I was off line at the committed 'kinda dry' speed on slicks, it was going to be uuuugly.

At the end, I was way faster than they guy ahead of me, but, he had 30hp on me, so I couldn't pass him on the straights. And I sure couldn't (I tried) pass him off line in the corners, because it was still wet. It was like being on oiled ice. I was stuck behind him. We had some contact even as he'd slip coming out of corners when I had good drive.

So, My "cost no object" quiver would be Hoosier Rs, Hoosier As, but hand cut, and Dirt Stockers. (of course, now that I think of it, hand cutting wouldn't be kosher! Hmmm, maybe the Hoosier wets are as soft a compound? )

Andy and Shane had a hell of a race that day and Andy was on RA1s, IIRC.

Started DAMP and ended up dry. I was on R888's from one of our rental SM's and Shane was on A6's. My plan was to get a lead from pole and try to hold him off. No dice. He was on my bumper from the first turn and beat me in traffic on the last lap. He was faster but I was protecting my spot. He drove a helluva race. We lapped the entire field.

[mossaidis]

We lapped the entire field.

Twice!!! maybe more... FYI, I was on 3 yr old Hoosier Ws that day and it sucked!!! finished 6th I think... I still have nightmares...

[JLawton]

Twice!!! maybe more... FYI, I was on 3 yr old Hoosier Ws that day and it sucked!!! finished 6th I think... I still have nightmares...

Yeah, that was a damn scary race. I was on R6s and pissed myself several times in the beginning. And they only lapped me once......... But I also had a few off course excursions that slowed me down a little!!!

[wepsbee]

Yeah, that was a damn scary race. I was on R6s and pissed myself several times in the beginning. And they only lapped me once......... But I also had a few off course excursions that slowed me down a little!!!

You need to pick your spots better like I did. When you spin off keep it going and you eventually spin run back on.