Track Slicks

[Viperbite]

Hi guys, new here, sorry if I'm posting this on the wrong thread or if it has previously been discussed. For you Gen V people tracking (circuit not drag) your cars what wheel/tire combo do you run? I can't find any true racing slicks that match the 355 diameter of the rear wheels.

I've been tracking my 13' GTS for a couple years now, mostly at Watkins Glen, and have gotten to the point where I can't get anything more out of the P Zero's. Do I just get a second set of wheels that have a smaller rear diameter? Is this weird to do/ What would you get?

Thanks!

[str5010]

What groups do you run with at Watkins Glen? A number of us run there regularly and would be great to meet another Viper owner.

355 refers to width of the tire rather than the diameter so were you looking for a slick of similar width to the 355 Pirelli street tire or actually trying to match the diameter which is listed at 27.4 inches?

There are a number of threads here referencing Gen V track wheel/tire combos if you search around. There are slicks of varying sizes that can be run on the factory 18/19 inch wheels which are dramatically quicker than Pirelli street tires, but it is not at all uncommon to have different sets of wheels to run on the track. Using 18" wheels on the rear for example greatly expands the selection of available slicks, but requires the emergency brake calipers to be moved or removed.

[str5010]

For quick reference here is a little chart I had made awhile back of tires I've run on my car. I used it primarily to look at diameter when swapping tires so I can reset ride height
Screenshot_20210520-073452.jpg.

[13COBRA]

^^ Great information.

I'm not sure which P Zeros you're referencing.... But there are several tire options available before you jump into slicks.

[Arizona Vipers]

There are many many threads on here regarding slicks, I've posted at least 10 with sizes etc.
You are going to need 18" wheels for starters. If you arent willing to do that, then go with Hoosier A7's, they are just as fast, even faster at the first half of a session, but they don't last long.

[Racingswh]

With the Gen V you won't have to move the rear e-brake caliper. Gen IV yes.

Which organization do you typically drive with at WG? We will be there middle of the summer with Riesentoter PCA. Fun group. Lots of Vipers usually.

[JonB ~ PartsRack]

PartsRack has the ultra-light 18" OZ Wheels in stock again, On Sale at Partsrack.com

Recent pix posted here, see post #8 :

https://driveviper.com/forums/thread...ghlight=wheels

We hope to have the Conti C-Fore track tires mountable in about 6 weeks.... Small Deposits being accepted to ensure earliest shipment dates.


Love The Glen....... my favorite

[dadgoneracing]

Viperbite, I have a set of track wheels (OEM GENV) with R7 Slicks available. PM or have a look here: https://driveviper.com/classifieds/w...for-acr-e.html

[dadgoneracing]

For further detail answering your question. The Hoosier R7's and A7's come in a 345 rear that works great, and I've run 295's and 315's on the front. The R7's last me two track days. The A7's are simply stunning (cold grip is shocking and I took two seconds off my Laguna Seca time) but as mentioned, don't last as long. Tirerack and trackdaytire.

[MO_Better]

For further detail answering your question. The Hoosier R7's and A7's come in a 345 rear that works great, and I've run 295's and 315's on the front. The R7's last me two track days. The A7's are simply stunning (cold grip is shocking and I took two seconds off my Laguna Seca time) but as mentioned, don't last as long. Tirerack and trackdaytire.

Just to clarify - R7's only last 2 track days (i.e. one track weekend)?

Mark

[Arizona Vipers]

Just to clarify - R7's only last 2 track days (i.e. one track weekend)?

Mark

R7's lasted me much longer, it's been a long time since I ran them, but for me, they seemed to last forever.

[CarbonDan]

I have 2 hard days on my R7s, with sub-optimal alignment, about 13x 20 min sessions. Tread looks fantastic still, grip felt great. They've been very consistent from sessions to session, and intra-session. I plan to push them until I feel they're 'cycled out' and I will report back what number that ends up being.

[MO_Better]

I have 2 hard days on my R7s, with sub-optimal alignment, about 13x 20 min sessions. Tread looks fantastic still, grip felt great. They've been very consistent from sessions to session, and intra-session. I plan to push them until I feel they're 'cycled out' and I will report back what number that ends up being.

Thanks for the additional datapoints - I have run a set of R7's on my much lighter and lower power M3 and I got 3 long track weekends out of them - which was 1 more track weekend than I got out of R6's. The R7's heat cycled out before they went to cord by that point and had lost grip toward the end of the 3rd weekend.

I just got some R7s for the viper and haven't tracked them yet so was curious on other's experiences and was a bit alarmed to hear they might only last two days. Glad to hear that may not be the case.

Mark

[Arizona Vipers]

I have 2 hard days on my R7s, with sub-optimal alignment, about 13x 20 min sessions. Tread looks fantastic still, grip felt great. They've been very consistent from sessions to session, and intra-session. I plan to push them until I feel they're 'cycled out' and I will report back what number that ends up being.

13 20 minute sessions in one weekend is nuts! My mind and body would have given up before the car did LOL

[dadgoneracing]

For me, the R7's were pretty cooked after 2 days - 9 or 10 sessions. Even though I run max negative camber (I think), the outside corners of the fronts were the first to go. I maybe could squeeze more out of them, but it was close enough to call it good and throw on a new pair for the next weekend. I was a bit gun shy after I had a front left Khumo unwind on me at Laguna Seca after about 20 laps. After reading a bunch, the switch to R7's made a lot of sense, and I've been really happy with them ever since. And then I mounted some A7's to run Virginia City Hillclimb last year, but it was cancelled for COVID. I ran the A7's at Laguna Seca. F___________wk. It's so weird to come out cold and have all that grip... and then they get better when they get heat in them. I ran a 1:34 which was my best by two seconds.

[dadgoneracing]

I just asked John, a buddy who runs his ACR hard at the track. His reply: 15-20 heat cycles, Translate to 3-4 HPDE days. My rears typically show cord on the inside by the end of the 4th day.

[CarbonDan]

I have 2 hard days on my R7s, with sub-optimal alignment, about 13x 20 min sessions. Tread looks fantastic still, grip felt great. They've been very consistent from sessions to session, and intra-session. I plan to push them until I feel they're 'cycled out' and I will report back what number that ends up being.

Reporting back - I did 3 full days of 7x 20 min sessions (21 x20min sessions total) and the grip still felt there, but I corded the fronts real bad due to fender liner interference.
Speed was down by the end but not in a bad way - they weren't breaking loose or sliding whatsoever, just noticed that my laptimes were dropping a bit, though I'm at a stage with this car that as a driver I'm becoming more familiar with it and improving my times naturally, so a pro driver who has little development to be made would likely notice a bigger time drop off on the order of maybe a handful of seconds?

My alignment and ride height/fender interference wasn't perfect so I was wearing the insides too much (too much neg camber -3.0 front and rubbing the fender liner on a hard compression zone).
I flipped tires inside-out, one each wheel, after the second day.

I just put on a fresh set of brand new R7s and will be taking them out for 2 days next weekend. Will follow back up when I roast this set.
First set was not heatcycled and just ran hard from the get go.
This set I had heat cycled by Tire Rack, which is supposed to give them better longevity.
I'm hoping for 4 solid days or 28x20min sessions.

I also want to try these 19" Hankook v200 slicks too, there's $150 cheaper than the R7s shipped to me...
https://hankookmotorsports.com/produ...37642751148199
My goal is longevity, not necessarily the fastest possible laptimes.

Any experiences?

[CarbonDan]

Second set of R7s, I'm at 16 hard 20 min sessions with tons of meat left.
What I noticed on this set was an almost magical amount of grip for the first 2 sessions, then a marked drop off from there, a good 1.5-2 seconds off their original pace.
Still tons of grip and lots of confidence, just not that magical glue sensation.
I intend to run these R7s for another 2 days if possible. I will report back when I see the next drop off in speeds/feel based on number of heat cycles.
I want to try those V200 hankooks next. Partly because I intend to run them on the GT3 cup car I'm planning on buying shortly.

[JonB ~ PartsRack]

Second set of R7s, I'm at 16 hard 20 min sessions with tons of meat left.
What I noticed on this set was an almost magical amount of grip for the first 2 sessions, then a marked drop off from there, a good 1.5-2 seconds off their original pace.
Still tons of grip and lots of confidence, just not that magical glue sensation.
I intend to run these R7s for another 2 days if possible. I will report back when I see the next drop off in speeds/feel based on number of heat cycles.
I want to try those V200 hankooks next. Partly because I intend to run them on the GT3 cup car I'm planning on buying shortly.

How about a set of the Toyo RR tires? I may have ONE SET, can advise after TransAm weekend this week

[JonB ~ PartsRack]

How about a set of the Toyo RR 18-19 tires? I have ONE SET,

did not come in time for TransAm . ready to ship