Running NT-01s. The overnight temp at the track is going to be around 40F. The tires will have been heat cycled several times before nightfall.

Should I take the tires into the tent with me to try and keep their temps warmer over night? I keep reading about how the colder temps for this and softer compounds can actually damage the material. Or is 40F ok, and just waiting for the ambient temps to rise in the morning before running them enough (also have R1R which tend to like it cooler anyhow).

Thanks.

 

You don't want them to freeze so 40 shouldn't be a problem. Just add a few pounds of air to them on the cold track and low ambient air temps to help heat the road surface of the tire up faster.

 

I wouldn't worry about it. I've scraped frost off my car in the morning while on Hoosiers. Just keep in mind the track will be cold and slow in the morning.

 

Don't worry about it. I think my last track day in the Miata when I left in the morning it was ~25° F on my 3 year old 20ish heat cycle R888s.

Just took them an extra lap to get grippy in the morning sessions until it warmed up a bit.

 

So, a) don't worry and b) don't be an idiot about getting the tires up to temp.

Thanks all for some real-world feedback.

 

On this subject. Reading all the stuff on Tire Rack, I bought a second set of wheels so that I would not drive on Direzza ZII's in the winter (SC, not in snow, maybe 30 deg F and up). Now I'm wondering if that was even necessary.

Was going to use Hankook Ventus V2 H457, or Nitto NT450 in the winter.

Should I just leave the Dunlops on all the time? EDIT: They could see 0*F with tires on the the ground and on the car (no garage), but I would not drive them that way).

 

I've had my car sit out at the track in 30 degree temps overnight with NT01's and didn't notice anything different about them the next day.

 

NT01's don't heat cycle. They warn not to drive them below 15degrees as they will crack, same with RA1's.

Hoosiers are supposedly much more fragile and it's not recommended that they freeze. They also heat cycle out.

 

DZIIs are what I have on the daily driver BRZ and I'm not particularly worried about. I'll probably try to find some stock wheels/tires just because the Extreme Performance Summer tires are like billiard ***** when cold and the car is tail happy enough as it is.

 

well, they seemed to feel about the same both days. I think it hit 38 Sat. night. Then again I was driving much better by the second day.