> > They really are quite abrupt when they let go.
> >I can clearly see the benefit of requiring street
> >tires in the novice class and I'm glad I didn't start
> >running R's early on.
I guess my experience has been different. I went from 195/50/15 street
tires (Kumho 712s, which seem to have three distinct tiers on the
grip-o-meter... grip, very slight slide, and "oh #$^!") to 195/55/14 and
205/55/14 Kumho V700s. To me, the V700s are unquestionably easier to
control at their limits and break away progressively.
I think the benefits of street tires for novices are two fold... one, street
tires give audible warning as they approach (and surpass) their limits of
adhesion. Second, their limits are lower and thus a new and enthusiastic
driver is less likely to get themselves in big trouble. If I had race tires
at my second autocross ever, I might've rolled my car. I spun at 70mph and
did 630 degrees of rotation before coming to a stop. =8-O
I believe street tires can also 'train' a driver to get the most out of a
set of tires, which will benefit them later on when they move to R tires.
Bryan Heitkotter
87 MR2 - http://move.to/theMR2
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