Tire Selection Guide from Grassroots Motorsports 2021

VRYALT3R3D

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Found this recent tire buying guide from GRM, figured it was worth sharing here. It covers most of the common tire choices for the track, including the popular 200tw options as well as some other good performers, with some good analysis and even a handy little chart for quick comparisons:

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  • Autocross: Choose A or AA for Warm-up and B or better for Pace.
  • Time trials: Choose by Pace and Wear.
  • Lapping days: Choose by Heat Tolerance and Wear.
  • Street and Track: Choose by Heat Tolerance, Wear and Wet.
More from the article:
The biggest variable in performance? Tires.

But which ones are the perfect match? It depends on the car choice, setup, rules, venue, weather and driving style. Budget and longevity can also influence this decision.

We’re here to help with a synopsis of available options, culled from all our years of tire testing. If you can’t find shoes that fit here, they probably don’t exist.

All the tires listed here are DOT-approved, which means they can legally be driven on the street—even if that’s not a great idea. (We’re looking at you, Hoosier.)

While today’s market concentrates on the 200tw Extreme Performance category that’s so prevalent in autocross, time trials and endurance racing, we branched out to include faster tires that aren’t limited by that UTQG figure. To make this guide easy to follow, we’ve grouped tires by their intended mission. Happy shopping.

Ultimate track tire guide | 200tw, 100tw, street-legal track, R-comp | Articles | Grassroots Motorsports
 

Shifty Powers

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They dont have the Federal RSRR - in which I havnt got yet but will be the tire i run as it is the best(also cheapest) way to get a good auto-x tire without breaking the bank. Otherwise the Falkens and Rivals are great.

Not sure of anyone who runs goodyears lol
 

13COBRA

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I'm considering A7s next year, would kick me down a class and shouldn't drop much pace from my slicks, but the wear is questionable. Probably a set a day.

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PhoenixM3

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They dont have the Federal RSRR - in which I havnt got yet but will be the tire i run as it is the best(also cheapest) way to get a good auto-x tire without breaking the bank. Otherwise the Falkens and Rivals are great.

Not sure of anyone who runs goodyears lol
I’ve heard great things about those for Fiesta STs.
 

VRYALT3R3D

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I'm considering A7s next year, would kick me down a class and shouldn't drop much pace from my slicks, but the wear is questionable. Probably a set a day.

Sent from my Potato
Wouldn't buying a used slick with 1 or 2 heat cycles be much cheaper? I am able to get Conti slicks for $75ea
 

blk02edge

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Wouldn't buying a used slick with 1 or 2 heat cycles be much cheaper? I am able to get Conti slicks for $75ea
I doubt finding used Viper sized slicks is an easy feat, especially sets that are worth mounting
 

13COBRA

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Wouldn't buying a used slick with 1 or 2 heat cycles be much cheaper? I am able to get Conti slicks for $75ea

Yes, I run Michelin scrubs for $650 a set. But if I ran A7s, with 40lbs of ballast I could fit into TT1 instead of TTU. Then, when I win each weekend I get a 4 A7s for free. I'd just have to make sure I could make it through at least a session or two each day on those tires.

I doubt finding used Viper sized slicks is an easy feat, especially sets that are worth mounting

Actually it's surprisingly easy. There's a bunch of Porches that run similar sizes.
 

AustinSN

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Warm up times on some of these are interesting. I feel the RS4 gets to temp almost immediately, like a few turns.

This must be by class of tire as well, we hammer on the RR on the outlap and on the first flying lap they still take a few more turns to get them as good as they will get.
 

xblitzkriegx

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both the PS4S and Conti ECS are great tires but neither of them belong on that chart, thats ridiculous.

of the two, the PS4S is a little faster in the dry and theyre basically equal in the wet, with the ECS having better wet braking and hydroplaning resistance. the PS4S is a little better mid corner. the ECS, while a tad slower, deals with heat well if you can drive your car and will deliver consistent performance. the PS4S is also just as good but will fall off faster due to the compound but the difference is small. the michelin is a more expensive tire but it makes sense given the performance. the ECS is the better street tire for a 3 season or daily driver plus its significantly less expensive.

again, neither of these tires should be in the company of 200tw tires, thats unrealistic. plus, by definition, *any* nearly tire could technically be an "endurance 200" tire lol.
 

11Sec_Lx

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I have been on the Falken RT660's for a month and a half or so and they are fantastic on the street. I plan to attend my first Solo test n tune at the end of the month.

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blk02edge

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both the PS4S and Conti ECS are great tires but neither of them belong on that chart, thats ridiculous.

of the two, the PS4S is a little faster in the dry and theyre basically equal in the wet, with the ECS having better wet braking and hydroplaning resistance. the PS4S is a little better mid corner. the ECS, while a tad slower, deals with heat well if you can drive your car and will deliver consistent performance. the PS4S is also just as good but will fall off faster due to the compound but the difference is small. the michelin is a more expensive tire but it makes sense given the performance. the ECS is the better street tire for a 3 season or daily driver plus its significantly less expensive.

again, neither of these tires should be in the company of 200tw tires, thats unrealistic. plus, by definition, *any* nearly tire could technically be an "endurance 200" tire lol.
We have an entire race class that the ECS is the spec tire... Conti just announced a new 200tw tire and nobody can wait to switch to that.. It's a complete joke running a series on the ECS but it certainly promotes racecraft as managing tire temps reeeally tests you.
 

xblitzkriegx

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We have an entire race class that the ECS is the spec tire... Conti just announced a new 200tw tire and nobody can wait to switch to that.. It's a complete joke running a series on the ECS but it certainly promotes racecraft as managing tire temps reeeally tests you.

ouch. the ECS isnt a bad tire, its just not a track tire, unless its pouring buckets. its a daily driver street tire that you can occasionally run a few laps on.

the ECF is SIGNIFICANTLY faster than the ECS, as it should be as its an actual 200tw tire.

heres a recent comparison between the dws06+, ECS, and the new ECF 200tw tire.
 

blk02edge

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ouch. the ECS isnt a bad tire, its just not a track tire, unless its pouring buckets. its a daily driver street tire that you can occasionally run a few laps on.

the ECF is SIGNIFICANTLY faster than the ECS, as it should be as its an actual 200tw tire.

heres a recent comparison between the dws06+, ECS, and the new ECF 200tw tire.
We put the ECS on my gf's Z3 (I get them dort cheap) and they are a great all around tire but yea, trash on the track.
 

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