McLovin and DGatzby and All,
This is a great thread and I can't wait to hear your verdict, DGatzby, on your Red Eye Wide Body suspension mods, those great-looking 12" wheels (staggered tire widths to boot!), and Pilot Sport Cup 2's. I'm new to the HPDE scene so appreciate the expertise of posters. Keeping your stock Devil's Rims with the Toyo tires will be useful for any extended periods of street driving between tracking your car, and for cooler weather.
I have an acquaintance here in Northern Kentucky with a lot of racing experience, mostly Corvettes and Camaros, and who still runs his cars in HPDE events, and I asked him about wheels/tires. He said, "Wheels, tires, alignment are the most important aspects of making your car controllable and fast on a road course. Added width is generally helpful. As for tire compounds the Michelin Cup 2 tires are very sticky when warm but really treacherous when cold. I've run several sets of them but be super careful until they are warm. They will slide with little warning and keep going if they are cold. The Pilot Sport 4 is a much safer tire and will last longer. Just a bit less quick when hot. Wide tires need wide wheels for sure."
I was happy to hear his advice for me as a Novice Class driver was the safer avenue with Pilot Sport 4's - answering McLovin's question about having just one set of wheels and tires for mostly street, occasional track events, and echoing DGatzby's endorsement. I will be driving a couple of hours each way to local tracks on the tires I'll use in HPDE so Pilot 4's will be ideal.
I also thought I'd pass along the caution about Pilot Sport 2's needing to be warmed up!
Best,
Finface
