At 12:02 AM 7/27/99 EDT, TeamZ3@aol.com wrote:
> jamies@mrj.com writes:
>
><< > But they weren't the first -- the A001R came first, I believe.
>
> Now that you mention it, you're right.
> >>
>
>Guess you both forgot about the Pheonix Stahlflex
>
The Phoenix was a "real" street type tire and compound and was not as good
as the Michelin XWX which preceeded it. How do I know you ask? I ran the
XWX's on my 260Z but had to switch to the Phoenix's for my Lotus since no
13 inch XWXs. The Phoenix just happened to be the best available high
performance tire for many of the cars running showroom stock racing and
autocrossing. The A001R came out in the 1983 time frame, give or take a
year or so. I know I drove my Lotus to Kansas from San Francisco on a set
in 1984.
There was a Dunlop "Rally Tire" which probably wasn't DOT since it wasn't
allowed in SCCA stock that was faster in 13's as proven by Ken Dalke on a
Lotus Europa. He got slower when he changed to A001R's. There were some
Pirelli CN36 "red dots" or something that were rumored, at least, to be
very special. There was another Pirelli that I ran a set of, maybe in 82 or
83 that was "extremely" soft and came in very low profiles. I believe Tommy
Saunders surprised AS by making one size "fit" and "work" on the 4.5 inch
rims on his Lotus Elan. There were the Hoosier Street TD's, which as I
recall, were banned in stock and street prepared even when they got DOT
even though by then the A001R's were being used by "everyone" in Stock.
However, the Hoosier Autocrossers, when "legalized" for Street Prepared
(not Stock until years later if my memory is correct) really "brought my
Europa alive" in 1984 or 85. These were on the car in 1986 and probably on
other class winners at the Nationals and the Pro Finale.
Life was complicated in those days when it came to tire choice. Kind of
like what the guys running street tires in ST go thru now . . .
Dick Rasmussen
CM 85
85 Van Diemen RF-85 Formula Ford
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