Originally Posted by short track scott:
Does limiting the numbers of tires hurt the manufacturer? Not if it adjusts the price. Then the 'tire deal' becomes a bigger deal. At the same time, opening competition splits the pie, with the biggest piece GENERALLY going to the best builder.
Q: Does any open supplier, two (or three) tire rule with mandated durometer values make sense?
I've read the MSA tire rule liturgy. It covers almost every angle I could throw at it. Does it work in real life?
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I ran my sprint car with MSA during the 2004 season, before they stopped allowing sprints. The tire rule does work for the most part. The biggest problem with it is there is extra work on the part of the officials to stencil tires and check to make sure everyone has the correct tires on the car.
It used to be an issue when someone would show up in the middle of the year with no stenciled tires. That's why there are provisions to be able to run a tire in hot laps to get it stenciled as "used".
Also, you could get around the rule by faking stencils, because you are required to carry over one previously used tire to each race (the LF is never stenciled). I don't know that it has happened, but racers being racers, it would not surprise me.
MSA does not care what tires you run in hot laps. The only time they check is qualifying, heats, and the feature. New tires are stenciled as you are in line to go out for qualifying.