I have the Toyo R888 and have done 5 1/2 track days. The first 2 1/2 days I was going pretty easy and the tires maintained a lot of their tread. The last two days I really improved and wore down a lot of tread. Seems to be pretty soft to wear down that fast. I did drive a total of 1500 miles on the streets between the track days.


What are your recommendations for slicks that have a good balance between lasting long, being sticky, and affordable?

 

I use Michelin Sport Cups for track but don't use them on the streets. I take them off after each track day and put on some PS2s. R-compound tires are inherently soft by nature. That's why they work well on the track.

My suggestion is to change out your tires after each track day. This will make your track tires last a lot longer.

 

Thanks for the advice!

Would it wear down the tires if I drove on the street 15 miles to my house from the track? I'm trying to avoid getting a trailer.

 

hmm...depends on what type of driving you do and driving style. Since you're close to the track, just have you local shop swap out the tires a day or two before your track day.

 

Ok thanks so much!

 

Please PM me exactly what I need done for suspension and prices, but remember I am a beginner, I just want a little longer tire legevity.

So after I upgrade the suspension then the slicks should last longer then Toyos?

 

if you are running "r" compounds or slicks your track perormance will be limited by heat cycles before they wear out...your 15 miles to the track won't heat cycle the tires so that shouldn't be an issue but driving them 1500 miles on the street won't help them at all, especially if it is a hot day...as suggested by Josh...there are suspension upgrades to do before going to racing tires that give you a false sense of security and can slow development of driving skills

 

The 15 mile drive won't cause any appreciable wear on the R-compounds.

You might consider a very good street tire. Your lap times will increase a bit but they'll show you your mistakes. You'll learn more and they will last longer.

 

Keep in mind the N rated cups are not true R cmpd tires, they are a harder cmpd than old school, non N rated cups. The N's will last about 7-10k miles on the street without a problem (incld rain), plus they are designed for your car and chassis. Real, non N cups will last no more than 2k miles on the street, and are terrible in the rain. Slicks with a relatively stock chassis is a waste imo as Josh suggested.

 

The Toyo 888's are a good track tire, I got 42 heat cycles out of my last set. Driving them to the track is not a problem. They are sensitive to too high camber settings and will wear the insides of the tires if set wrong. Also, if your track has way more right hand turns than left, swap your front tires side to side after every track day to get the longest life from them.