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Car: 1985 Toyota Supra
Weight: 2540 without driver
Wheel size: 17x9 and 15x9
Tire size 255/40-17 245/40/15
HP/TQ: 160/175
Camber F: -3.0 R: -2.0
Comments: This car has completed 15 races and 15,000 race miles. I started on 16" wheels with cheap tires, but moved to 17" to get more rubber as the car got faster. I have used Dunlop Star Spec II and Bridgestone RE-71r tires in 255/40-17. The Star Specs were great, but the RE-71 were magic. The first race on the RE-71 was a 24 hour at Autobahn in Illinois, and we ended on the 4 tires we started with (90 minutes off track for a diff swap). I never tried anything else after that. Handling, braking, and wear were perfect for this car.
Last year I was looking for a gearing change and the only method available was moving to 15" wheels with 245/40-15 Hankook RS-4. There are only a few choices in this tire size and RS-4 seems to be the best for endurance racing. They take a fair amount of heat to work well, but once they warm up the grip level was similar to the RE-71. The car turned faster lap times at Road Atlanta than the previous year on the 17s. One problem that came up was front brake lock-up under hard braking. It was never an issue with the RE-71, but happened several times during the RA race. Maybe it was the lighter rotating mass or the smaller footprint, but it was an issue. The good news is that the RS-4 wears exceptionally well.
I'll add more data as I get to more races this year. I'm adding 40HP and losing 100 lb of mass with an engine swap.
Peter St Pierre
Hong North Racing
Car: 1985 Toyota Supra
Weight: 2540 without driver
Wheel size: 17x9 and 15x9
Tire size 255/40-17 245/40/15
HP/TQ: 160/175
Camber F: -3.0 R: -2.0
Comments: This car has completed 15 races and 15,000 race miles. I started on 16" wheels with cheap tires, but moved to 17" to get more rubber as the car got faster. I have used Dunlop Star Spec II and Bridgestone RE-71r tires in 255/40-17. The Star Specs were great, but the RE-71 were magic. The first race on the RE-71 was a 24 hour at Autobahn in Illinois, and we ended on the 4 tires we started with (90 minutes off track for a diff swap). I never tried anything else after that. Handling, braking, and wear were perfect for this car.
Last year I was looking for a gearing change and the only method available was moving to 15" wheels with 245/40-15 Hankook RS-4. There are only a few choices in this tire size and RS-4 seems to be the best for endurance racing. They take a fair amount of heat to work well, but once they warm up the grip level was similar to the RE-71. The car turned faster lap times at Road Atlanta than the previous year on the 17s. One problem that came up was front brake lock-up under hard braking. It was never an issue with the RE-71, but happened several times during the RA race. Maybe it was the lighter rotating mass or the smaller footprint, but it was an issue. The good news is that the RS-4 wears exceptionally well.
I'll add more data as I get to more races this year. I'm adding 40HP and losing 100 lb of mass with an engine swap.
Peter St Pierre
Hong North Racing
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