> I find it interesting that BFG warned and then asked the SCCA to ban the
use
> of their "modern" DOT tire at places like Texas World Speedway in club
> racing
> a few years back. Hoosier didn't and doesn't have a problem with this.
My
> guess
> is that the Hoosier would do just fine.
======================================
Interesting indeed. Perhaps Roger (the famous) can enlighten us on exactly
why BFG would do such a thing, if indeed they did.
> Your view that a tire needs steel belts and mult-plys to be a "modern"
tire
> doesn't
> take into consideration that a REAL racing tire - Radial or Bias Ply - has
> neither
> of these elements in it's carcass. Many of the design elements you hold
as
> superior are what make the Hoosier DOT radial a better tire by not using
> them.
> Things like light weight, predictable breakaway etc. Ask anyone that
races
> in IT
> or Touring.....Hoosiers are the best tire at the start and the end of a
> race.
===========================================
I'm not downplaying the many real advantages to such a tire in a racing
environment, rather just saying that the only reason such a constructed tire
is DOT legal in the first place is due to having to conform to very old
standards. Once again, the government feels they have to step in and
legislate safety for, or upon us if you will. As to the "superiority" of
steel belted tires; in the real world of stop & go traffic, with road
hazards everywhere and folks who are unwilling to invest the proper amount
of maintenance time into them, the steel belts are indeed a better product
for the average soccer mom and her SUV.
As to your slicks, they are not DOT approved, would not have to meet the
same standards and would not be affected excepting for any price increase
due to such a manufacturer having to pass along additional testing or
construction costs of their DOT tires to their customers.
> ANY legislation that increases the manufacturing costs for a racing tire
> supplier is
> a bad thing. You may not like the company or it's products but from my
> stand point,
> no other manufacturer has done more for the sport than Hoosier.
Especially
> for
> those of use that race on slicks.
============================================
Agreed and that is at _least_ Hoosier's gripe about the situation. I harbor
in no way any ill feeling towards Hoosier, their products or thier many
contributions to the sport of amateur racing. They are arguably the best
stuff out there for us grassroots folks. I just wish in my DS days on R
tires that I could've afforded them or I'd have run them. But for me the K
tire offered a better deal. Now I'm on real street tires and the debate
doesn't (currently) affect me. But it may again one day and therefore it
needs serious reconsideration.
Until others mentioned it I didn't even consider "old" tires like Red Lines
or vintage rubber for post WW1 era cars. Such legislation is not conducive
to the continued business well being of such companies.
One other thing to consider. If this legislation does go through, and
Hoosier decides to continue production of the tires formerly known as DOT
tires, how is the SCCA going to rewrite the rules to allow them without
allowing full-blown slicks into the Stock classes, which would be VERY bad?
Eric Linnhoff in KC
'98 Dodge Neon R/T (see-dan)
#69 STS
www.geocities.com/eric10mm/KnuckleDragger
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