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 • AR Tyres Pt2

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 • AR Tyres Pt2

Posted by grantos at 21-08-2006 09:41
Well after a weekend of great racing for Round 3 in SA several serious issues have become apparent with the AR tyres:
1. They don’t hold any pressure (some losing 10psi in 12 hours)
This makes setting of race pressures difficult
2. Excessive wear rate
After 2 rounds (one of which was wet for 2 races) the high load tyres (LHS at Mallala) are now 'slicks' and unusable
3. Chemically going off
Feedback from drivers was that even when the tyres had tread there was considerably less grip at the second round. This was shown in the lap times for the weekend.

All the technicalities with these issues were noted at the weekend and will be fed back to FVAA but I don’t understand why there has not been more discussion on this issue. I am sure these issues have not been isolated to SA......

If the above characteristics are 'by design' or in the spec that FVAA asked for then this is a sure-fire way to reduce grid sizes as $1000 in tyres to do 2 meetings will be out of the budget for many racers including myself. Alternatively if this is a case of a ‘bad batch’ then what is being done to compensate the purchasers of this batch?
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Posts: 3

 • Re: AR Tyres Pt2

Posted by Al3x at 21-08-2006 17:35
dam man thats lame.. i would think AR should give you new ones or a refund.. $1000 got 2 meetings is pretty lame..
i might be going to sandown to get to know a formula vee's and help around the pit.. ill keep an eye on the tyres and report back.

hope you get some new ones or something..

Alex
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Posts: 7

 • Re: AR Tyres Pt2

Posted by RacinJason at 22-08-2006 15:27
Grant,

You are well and truely not alone.

The NSW guys are getting realistically only one round out of a set. Lots of teams have gone back to Dunlops to afford to race. In fact the grid for our recent round was down from an average of 40 to 29, several drivers have told me they just can't afford to run with these costs, Im sure some of the 11 were due to tyre costs, not just the travel to WPk..

I share your view that more discussion needs to take place. Our mgt are arguing about manifolds and pistons that affect only the serious front runners, whilst the majority of the membership (ie every competitor from last to first) are being greatly affected by the tyre issue, and it seems (yes its a perception) no action is taking place. Perhaps in the short term we need to ask for some more transparency, and also get the tyres at cost at the very least until we can get a contract for decent tyres...?

The rumour mill here is that AR are getting a harder compound in, although it is something I find hard to understand, considering that with a treaded tyre, the greatest influence on wear is the pattern...? :zz:
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 • Re: AR Tyres Pt2

Posted by Al3x at 24-08-2006 14:10
i think using dunlo
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Posts: 7

 • Re: AR Tyres Pt2

Posted by Tuckerracing at 09-11-2006 17:52
Just purchased a 1200cc F Vee and want to race next year. I cannot afford to go racing if I need to replace tyres after every test and race meeting. I raced karts for years and we had a control tyre that was badly effected by heat cycles, with no grip available after a days use. This problem badly effected the numbers on the grid. Numbers are slowly increasing but many people have left the sport or are now competing in different classes. Perhaps the clubman class will never recover? I hope it is not a case of history repeating its self.
I am considering purchasing Dunlops to race on, but I do not know where to source any? Any idea of the difference in lap time between the dunlops compared to the AR tyres?
thanks for your input gentlemen.
Demon.
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Posts: 5

 • Re: AR Tyres Pt2

Posted by AnthonyD at 09-11-2006 19:58
I understand the Dunlops can still be purchased in Aust. These tyre places should help: http://www.dunlopmotorsport.com.au/html/s02_article/article_view.asp?id=157
(I know Dunlop was still selling them at the track at VSRSC Rnd 4 at Sandown).

You regularly see American Racer and Dunlop shod cars fighting on the track evenly, so I'd say they are probably an even match (I personally haven't driven on ARs yet). Tyre life and rapid deflation seem to be the main issues, though I believe those issues can be offset slightly by strict scrubbing of the tyres when new.

For testing I'd avoid using any good tyres unless you are specifically testing the tyre setup.

Best of luck in your new car.

Thanks,
Anthony
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Posts: 10

 • Re: AR Tyres Pt2

Posted by Tuckerracing at 12-11-2006 12:46
Thank you very much Anthony, that's super.
Hope to meet up at the track and thank you personally.

Best of luck mate,

Darrin Tucker.
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Posts: 5

 • Re: AR Tyres Pt2

Posted by korpharm at 04-12-2006 17:16
Darrin, I'm a bit late on this but to give you an idea of how cost effective Vees can be Peter P who won this years Vic 1200 title has used the SAME SET of Dunlops for 2 years and I think has spent nothing on the motor in 3 years of racing. He obviously drives and prepares it well but it is certainly no money pit. I guess in Victoria the 2 tracks we've been racing on the last few years are not that tyre sensitive and wear issues in the colder weather (most of this year) have not been as bad as the NSW and QLD guys have been experiencing.

Davin Field
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Posts: 5

 • Re: AR Tyres Pt2

Posted by Tuckerracing at 23-12-2006 16:21
Thanks David,
Appreciated.
I have purchased Dunlops three weeks ago (crossplys?) with limited stock available.
I shall be testing in NSW (live in Sydney) about mid Jan. Any ideas of test tracks as I have not yet got a CAMS licence. I have raced at Wakefield in a Kart and there seems to be alot of run off area if I find myself in trouble.
Are there any web sites that could tell me of track schedules or any other place I could find the information.
Thanks in advance,

Darrin Tucker.

PS: Merry Xmas to all, see ya out there in the new year.
Tchau.:banghead:
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Posts: 5

 • Re: AR Tyres Pt2

Posted by chequer57 at 25-12-2006 01:30
First thing........ run on old tyres (you'll waste a new set learning to drive the car.

If you have your CAMS Circuit Licence and have done your CAMS Lecture but not your OLT you can use any Eastern Creek, Oran Park & Wakefield.

If you have a L2 I think you can practice now days but they may throw you in with all the other L2's (read road cars etc)

If you have no CAMS Licence you're stuck at Wakefield using one of their licences ........ you need to cough up a few extra $$ for that.

All the NSW circuits have decent enough websites with "event calendars", it always pays to ring the circuit first anyway

So see http://www.fvee.org.au/tracks/ for the relevant contact details.

Regards,

Ian
Member
Posts: 26

 • Re: AR Tyres Pt2

Posted by chequer57 at 25-12-2006 01:31
First thing........ run on old tyres (you'll waste a new set learning to drive the car.

If you have your CAMS Circuit Licence and have done your CAMS Lecture but not your OLT you can use any Eastern Creek, Oran Park & Wakefield.

If you have a L2 I think you can practice now days but they may throw you in with all the other L2's (read road cars etc)

If you have no CAMS Licence you're stuck at Wakefield using one of their licences ........ you need to cough up a few extra $$ for that.

All the NSW circuits have decent enough websites with "event calendars", it always pays to ring the circuit first anyway

So see http://www.fvee.org.au/tracks/ for the relevant contact details.

Regards,

Ian
Member
Posts: 26

 • Re: AR Tyres Pt2

Posted by Tuckerracing at 07-01-2007 13:19
Ian,
Thanks for the invaluable information mate. The event calendars were quite helpful.

Appreciate your time gents,
Cheers,

Darrin T
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Posts: 5

 • Re: AR Tyres Pt2

Posted by allanr at 09-03-2007 14:50
Where are we up to with the American Racing Tyres. Are we still changing over to AR at the end of June, or has the change over time from Dunlops been extended????.
Are the AR tyres being developed further, if so what has been the latest developments and are they being tested in Australia.:zz:
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Posts: 6

 • Re: AR Tyres Pt2

Posted by AnthonyD at 09-03-2007 19:19
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