[Midget98]

The answer to the tire probelm/shortage/cost issue is actually simple. Allow only one tire per event that is marked after qualifying or heat races (if no qualifying). That same tire must be run for the heat and feature. If it is changed or replaced due to puncture or for any other reason, the competitor starts at the rear of the event and will not receive more than 1/2 of the event points or prize money. I would allow for a different tire if a C-Main or B-main needed to be run to make the show. Other than that, no tire rule whatsoever. You can run whatever tire you want. Soak it, sipe it, groove it, bake it, or do whatever other voodoo you want to it, but it must be only tire for the event.

[ThrowbackRacingTeam]

They F95’s make too much sense so you know that will not happen. So does allowing other manufacturers. They still make the drag tires and that would be interesting to see. Wait….rear drag tires are close to $500 each. So looks like f95 would be the best option.

[sw1911]

Originally Posted by Tim Folks, To answer the question, yes, there are options to allow more races with the same tire(s). Hoosier still makes Silver Crown tires (as far as I know) up to the F85 and 95 tires used for the miles. It would seem to me that if these tires will last 100+ laps on a 1 mile track they should last 2-4 race nights. The trouble with this, however, is that the fewer tires that are needed, the fewer the manufacturer can make and still be profitable enough to keep investors, etc. satisfied. So then, it becomes a balancing act, attempting to run out of inventory at exactly the same time the last tire is needed (this is called just-in-time, or lean, manufacturing). Most, if not all, manufacturers of goods use this method to maximize profit. They just got caught short with the issues of the last few years and are having problems catching up. Tim Simmons

A little competition cures many ills.....

[Pitdad]

So, I first thought this thread was a joke, you know, sarcasm. But I'm starting to believe that you guys really believe the solution is to run rock hard tires that last a season.

We tried that back in the 80s. We were required to run 65 durometer Goodyears. You couldn't modify them in any way. No grooving. No siping. You couldn't "wear one out", but that didn't keep the teams that could afford it, from buying a new tire nearly every week. Even though you couldn't wear one out, it didn't mean you couldn't seal one over. A new tire did perform better than the sealed one, even though the tread wear was negligible. Plenty of pull offs for those of us on a budget. But you couldn't get a hold of the track unless it was during a rainstorm.

You see, whatever scheme you come up with, them that's got are them that gets. And I ain't got nothin yet.

[Charles Nungester]

Originally Posted by Pitdad So, I first thought this thread was a joke, you know, sarcasm. But I'm starting to believe that you guys really believe the solution is to run rock hard tires that last a season. We tried that back in the 80s. We were required to run 65 durometer Goodyears. You couldn't modify them in any way. No grooving. No siping. You couldn't "wear one out", but that didn't keep the teams that could afford it, from buying a new tire nearly every week. Even though you couldn't wear one out, it didn't mean you couldn't seal one over. A new tire did perform better than the sealed one, even though the tread wear was negligible. Plenty of pull offs for those of us on a budget. But you couldn't get a hold of the track unless it was during a rainstorm. You see, whatever scheme you come up with, them that's got are them that gets. And I ain't got nothin yet.

Im not saying the hardest they go. But something that last. I worked a LM team at the track for two years and I can't remember a night we lost a tire due to wear. we ground em, baby powdered and back on the car. But it was rare we mounted a new one. This was at Florence early 90s and that track was always a one groove black slick on the bottom then. Mostly ran top five sometimes podiumed, but yeah, most nights we couldn't beat Racin Mason, Donny Moran and some other heavy hitters at the time. John Gill. etc

[Blackduce]

Bob Hoggle. 1960s Ascot Park.
$19.95 JC.Penny Drag Slick.
Bob put it on them several nights. He stopped all the laughing and pointing.

Lynn

[JDavis#11]

One tire per night is not an option. We are an extremely low budget team, but will use two and sometimes 3 right rear wheels with different offsets to tune the car to track conditions. We also take a tire that has some laps left in it and run hot laps / qualifying, and the heat race. Then mount up a new tire for the feature. The one tire rule would defiantly hurt lower budget teams who can't mount up a new tire every race. We try to get all of the good out of our tires. As someone else stated on here, competition cures a lot of problems. Hoosier has the monopoly in Indiana. They can tell us what ever they want, and can charge what they want, and if you are going to race a sprint car in Indiana right now, you are going to run Hoosier tires. That is the rule. IT sucks, but that's how it is now. Hopefully it will change, but I'm not gonna hold my breath.

[spankytoo]

Problem Statement: Non Wing Sprint Car Tires become unusable too fast and cost too much.

Reasoning:
1) Right Rear tires are blistering more than ever. As soon as a tire block overheats and blisters, the tire becomes unusable. This happens most often at tracks bigger than 1/4 mile. (Hint: Look at Robert Ballou's tire from Missouri xtreme race).
2) While we're still on spec tires, it seems as though they do not last near as long as they used to. Today, a brand new tire ran in a 25-30 lap main event will be deemed too used to flip. Rendering it useless.
3) Tire costs have gone up approximately $50 (22%) per tire in two years. Sprint car teams likely wear out 1-3 tires (LR and RR Included) per race. Bigger tracks will likely wear out more. Therefore just to cover a tire cost on a bad tire night, the team has to bring in $750. To bring home $750 on a local night means you run 2-3rd. In USAC that's roughly 11th place.

Potential Solutions: Limit Tire use, Reduce Tire Prices, Provide better quality tires, induce competition, or reduce horsepower.

If nothing happens: Less teams will afford to race. With what is provided today, my $.02 says all big tracks will struggle with car count this year, just because they can't afford to lose tires like this.

[hoscalecody]

Originally Posted by JDavis#11 One tire per night is not an option. We are an extremely low budget team, but will use two and sometimes 3 right rear wheels with different offsets to tune the car to track conditions. We also take a tire that has some laps left in it and run hot laps / qualifying, and the heat race. Then mount up a new tire for the feature. The one tire rule would defiantly hurt lower budget teams who can't mount up a new tire every race. We try to get all of the good out of our tires. As someone else stated on here, competition cures a lot of problems. Hoosier has the monopoly in Indiana. They can tell us what ever they want, and can charge what they want, and if you are going to race a sprint car in Indiana right now, you are going to run Hoosier tires. That is the rule. IT sucks, but that's how it is now. Hopefully it will change, but I'm not gonna hold my breath.

I don't think a lot of people realize 1 tire a night hurts and almost kills the lower budget teams. A lot of them teams already are using tires that bigger teams say are unusable.

Although i'm just a D2/mini sprint, I have no fight in the sprint car world of rules. The 1 tire a night rule would kill us though. I have specific tires for the heats and specific tires for the A. Once it's wore out it becomes a hot lap/time trial tire. It keeps them more useful and alive longer that way. I do know some sprint car people that do that also.

Compound rules also hurt us, but I kind of know why them rules are a thing. Even though I have about 20-25 wrong compound tires that are not usuable. Some are D10's, some of them are almost new and would probably outlast most of my D15's/Sp2's that i have. That's not including all the American racers I have (which I think is a much better tire.) I've been checking place to get rid of them, due to their taking space and the cheapest I found is 7 dollars a tire. So around 200 to get rid of tires that I can't use, even though there's quite a few that's almost new.

[Pitdad]

Originally Posted by Blackduce Bob Hoggle. 1960s Ascot Park. $19.95 JC.Penny Drag Slick. Bob put it on them several nights. He stopped all the laughing and pointing. Lynn

I'll keep my eyes peeled at the swap meets and salvage yards for JC Penney drag slicks and Atlas Bucrons...