DOT Radials vs. Racing Slicks

I'm looking into race cars, and one consideration regarding class is the tires I'll have to use. I'd rather be on DOTs, because of the supposedly lower cost and longer life. But then I found a good deal on a F Production CRX. A cursory investigation has shown the purchase price between Hoosier R6 and Hoosier Road Racing Slicks for 15x7" wheels isn't that big... which leaves tire life.

What's the difference in life in these things? I've figured that I could probably just run DOTs anyway, as it looks like the Production classes are pretty undersubscribed, so if I'm the only car in class, I could do whatever I wanted anyway.

street tires .....

What kind of racing are you doing? What's the surface?

What's the point in racing if you will be the only one in the class?

I've actually changed the direction of my Miata TT reboot because no one competes in either NASA region close to me in TTC.........TTD, much more competition.

I'd rather lose to a better driver/car, than win because I was the only participant.

I like attendance trophies.

One time, I was the only one in my class, and I almost lost to myself.

Well, you're still "racing against the other cars on track. Bt maybe the battles for position are a little more cordial because it doesn't matter as much. My initial inclination was spec Miata, for the competition, but the stories about sheet metal bending in that cass have scared me off. The other nice thing about low class numbers is easier runoffs qualification, which I'd like to do in 2015 and 2016.

In racing, tire life is measured in heat cycles. When I raced Spec Miata, the fast (spenders) wouldn't race on a tire with more than 3-4 heat cycles, and the first heat cycle was just scrubbing in. So that's two or three races on a tire before it is relegated to practice.

At the other end of the spectrum where I spend, I found that somewhere near 21 heat cycles DOT competition tires turn to the dark side and try to kill you.

So somewhere between two and maybe 18 heat cycles, depending on where your spending falls on the range.

Caveat: I only raced DOT R comp tires, never slicks.

Again, racing costs money. How fast do you want to spend?

David

Hmmm... I guess that hives with what I was thinking. Maybe two race weekends, four races (use for the race and qual only). That'd be six cycles, then use for PDX/practice until they really fall off?

Where are all the Grassroots cheap skates??

Buy takeoffs otherwise known as used tires. On the GT-Racecar Forums Peter Zekert just offer up sets for free. John Berget also sells used tires usually about 50-60 bucks a pop. I buy used Hoosier TD's for my vintage race car.............they usually have about 2-3 heat cycles in them and are only about 3 tenths slower than new. I get two races and 3 track days out of them minimum before they painfully slow. My experience with cars that run slicks vs DOT's is that used DOTs tend to be nearer the end when you get them but slicks seem to get a few more weekends.

My .02 of course

      Tom.........well known cheapskate.

I bought used bias ply slicks off ebay, and soaked them in a 50/50 mix of Xylene and Toluene to get another season out of them.

I already have my two kids, so I'm not worried about genetic mutation anymore.