A case against running slicks?
 

I just ran a trackday with a Porsche club. The weather was 50 degrees and the track was damp from the previous nights rain. I think 4 groups had run on the track. It was the instructors group and one of them took his race car with slicks (not DOT R comps) out on track. He was on his second lap when suddenly without any warning the car broke loose. He said that he was probably only doing about 75 mph when it happened. The damage was severe enough to need to be flatbedded off the track.

The general consensus was that it was too cold for slicks to get up to temp and that the track was too wet.

I understand the need to run an particular tire in a racing class but I think at HPDE with varying weather conditions it's best to put the race slicks in the trailer and run something with minimal grooving or tread.

My first session on NT01, I felt a slight wiggle a few times as grip seemed to be on the low side.

Opinions?

That's how slicks work. They break loose without warning. The general "consensus" sounds like a shitty excuse to make a guy feel better about ruining hi s expensive car. Why would you run full race slicks on a wet track, that's just asking to crash.

If track is just damp but no standing water and conditions are cold I would still have no issue running slicks. Sounds like driver error not an equipment shortcoming.

like any performance tire they need to run at a optimum temperature. if it's cold care needs to be taken, if it's wet the same thing. normally if the track looks wet but no puddles you can run slicks without too much concern. The fact that it was cold too should be a red flag. a small amount of standing water can cool a tire in a hurry. you'll see the pros aim for them once in a while, when the track is starting to dry out.


that being said slicks are annoying. yes the grip is great, but they heat cycle out.

I think more of a hybrid DOT R comp is a better choice, something like a Maxxis RC1 or Toyo RR, both of which from what I read aren't prone to heat cycling out quickly.

After the crash, the cars with slicks didn't go back out till afternoon when the track was dry and the sun was shining.

Some instructor.
Goes out and wrecks his car on lap two by over driving for the conditions.
Sounds like he needed someone in the right seat telling him cold track, cold tires.

100% driver error. Grooved treads are designed to evacuate standing water. If there is no standing water, there is no need for a grooved tread.

These are the kind of conditions that warrant a grooved tire:

Wow that is a significant speed differential between the RA1's and Hoosier Wets.

Also hory shet @ 3:20 haha.

These are the situations that warrant a wet tire... for auto-x losers

talk about wet auto cross. i think this is from 5 years ago, when i was heavy into autocross. car is almost 100% changed by now.

Sounds like an instructor doesn't know the term "break away characteristics" and doesn't have enough practice/comfort in sliding a car instead of fighting it. Granted I can't say I've driven a rear-engine car on slicks at the limit, but I've had plenty of experience with various setups on Miatas and responding to how fucking twitchy they can be in various conditions. I saw this a lot at auto-x...where people crank the fuck out of the wheel/grossly overcorrect, to correct a small amount of oversteer.

sucky fucky stick a swordfish in th putty