What happened to this tire?

I was at Pocono North course on Labor Day with EMRA and I took a look last night at my Miata for the first time since having it up there. I noticed this on the driver's side front tire and I was wondering what it is. The course is a clockwise oriented course, so most of the turning was to the right - this tire took a beating.

Is it just excess rubber that I picked up that was sitting on the track? Did I overheat my tire and turn the wheel while sitting still? I'm just curious.

Edited because I'm stoopid.

Looks like you ran over some gum.

but I am no tire expert, you probably want to listen to someone else.

while that tire may have taken a beating, it is either gum or "marble pickup" any extremely hot tire can pick up a rubber marble, and i would assume that Pocono has alot of rubber marbles floating around.

I say you got a track booger on your tire. I get them all the time running pace.

That's what I thought. Thanks guys!

Was anyone on this board up at Pocono North that weekend?

I was there Friday with CART. Wish my video camera did berkley up, or I would have had some great video of the Porsche Turbo that jammed on the brakes on the short chute coming off the main straight. Or actually, of the spin I went into to avoid hitting the Porsche Turbo. That actually might be part of my tire

I was just there this weekend with NASA. It must be a typo in your post, but clockwise oriented courses and Pocono North have most turns oriented to the right.

car39 wrote: . . .That actually might be part of my tire

What's your address? Ill mail it to you. :-)

therex wrote: I say you got a track booger on your tire. I get them all the time running pace.

+2 on the booger... Think of it as adding a few miles to the treadwear rating.....

Actually that tire doesn't look too bad after a track event.

That's very common. Someone is heating up their tires and "shedding" rubber, your tire is hot and rolls over the "squishy" stuff and picks it right up. I usually spend 10 or 15 minutes pulling off a pound of "extra" rubber from my Hoosiers after each event.

Tire poo; like your shoes, you have to scrape it off.

this was the second hpde ok these tires. Even with a couple auto-x events on them I think they look pretty good. Maybe I'll get some sticky rubber next year.