With these new breed of tyres becoming more readily available, we have noticed an increase in customer questions regarding using track day tyres on their vehicle.
Questions include:
- Should i put track day tyres on my car?
- What are they like on the road?
- How long will they last?
- What are they like in the rain?
These are all excellent questions to ask before you decide to buy any track day tyres. Below we aim to answer all these questions and more, to help you decide whether track day tyres are right for you.
Like road tyres all track day tyres have their differences, so for this review we are going to use Yokohamas AD08Rs as a guide.
What Are Track Day Tyres Like On The Road?
Firstly we will look at what track tyres are like on the road in the dry, as that's where most people will use them most. With performance the main feature of the tyres, noise levels have been slightly affected when compared with everyday road tyres, making them slightly nosier, but not so much that you would notice constantly. They also take slightly longer to warm up, i.e to get to their maximum performance, which is due to the compound that is used, but unless you want to thrash it around from the off you won't notice much difference. They also have the added benefit of giving you increased feedback from the road.
In the wet, track tyres have come a long way. They used to be a real pain to warm up and find any grip at all. They have however improved hugely since, with the AD08Rs being especially good for wet driving. Drivers do still need to be aware that they are performance tyres, so in a heavy rain downpour and deep lying water, care needs to be taken to avoid aquaplaning.
But what are they like for day to day driving i hear you ask. Well as shown above they are extremely capable of being used everyday, you just need to bear in mind that you understand their limitations in heavy and deep standing water. Apart from that they are an excellent tyre to use everyday.
Never Mind The Road What Are Like On The Track?
This is what Track Tyres were made for, pure performance on the track. Dry grip is superb, handling hits the max and braking is astounding. Using track day tyres compared to everyday road tyres, makes the difference between a quick and slow lap time. With standard tyres you will feel the car moving around, harder to control, braking a finer art and the sweat dripping of you as you battle for control. With the Track Day Tyres your lap time will increase, grip is huge, you'll get feedback from every corner, you'll feel like being in a go kart and most importantly of you'll have more fun.
They also allow you to work on your skills as a driver, give your car increased stability and fill you with confidence of how far your car can perform.
How Long Will Track Day Tyres Last?
Like all tyres it is impossible to give a specific time period for how long they will last. As things such as how you drive, weather conditions and how often you drive can all affect how long your tyres will last. On estimations a likely milage of between 10,000 and 20,000 miles gives a good idea of durability, which is mainly in thanks to the latest tread compound used.
Are Track Tyres Right For Me?
In short, Yes. If you are thinking of blasting round at track days and want a tyre that you can just rock up and go straight from road to the track you can't go wrong with track day tyres. We rate track day tyres so much that we have them on our own cars.
If you need any more information or have any other questions regarding any of our products don't hesitate to get in touch with one of our experts. You can contact us via email on info@ears.co.uk, phone on 01625 433773 or via our website at www.ears.co.uk .
Check out some independent reviews for track day tyres below:
