USAC Racing Forum

General Chat => Point .25 => Topic started by: audio on October 12, 2008, 11:17:52 PM



Title: SPEC TIRE DOES NOT SAVE MONEY!!!
Post by: audio on October 12, 2008, 11:17:52 PM
Having a spec tire rule only means you are allowed to run a specific brand of tires and specific compounds..how does that save money. Usac talks about keeping cost down...EXPLAIN HOW!

So we have a spec tire...obviously it hoosier due to USAC only allowed to run Hoosier tire brand.

How does it save money..do you have to run the same tire you qualified on in the feature? ok ya that would save a lillte bit...but USAC keeps talking there going to save so much money for you...HOW IS THE QUESTION...they dont even have the rules to tell you what tires and when you can and cannot run them...so as of now they are not cheaper! You dont even know the cost, the cost of the tires will be the same as they always have been so wheres the cost saver..

Also spec tire will just benifit the distributer and nobody else. It wont keep tire costs down. trust me USAC says they will do something and never follow by it.

How do they plan on policing the spec tire....come on people wake up..WHERES THERE RULES AND POLOCIES>>>


Title: Re: SPEC TIRE DOES NOT SAVE MONEY!!!
Post by: Kevin on October 13, 2008, 12:19:25 AM
We are allowing enrolling clubs to review the nearly completed rule book for their input. We thought it would be fair to get the competitors input prior to posting.

Actually we have bids out right now to ALL of the major tire providers for the sport. We will be evaluating many criteria including cost, compounds, durability and support in our selection. We do believe there are many factors in spec tires that will save money.  This is practiced in ALL major forms of Auto Racing today for costs and quality controls. Obviously, with no controls, then the freshest, softest compounds will clearly be the ideal solution for enhancing competitiveness


Title: Re: SPEC TIRE DOES NOT SAVE MONEY!!!
Post by: dgriffin on October 13, 2008, 09:08:21 AM
Ok I went over this on first spec tire post but I can go over it again if you run more than 1 track you have different tire componds for each track that sometimes works better so in order to run the best you can  we have 5 types of new tires in trailer we sell parts and tires and if one tire or the other gets rolling then everyone comes and buys that type the next track may be a different tire so everyone ends up buying more tires just to stay in the hunt . The spec tire program eliminates that every track same tire  hoosiers ,dunlop,firestone,  for the most part lap times dont fall off for quit some time dunlops on pavement in a class like jr.honda I have seen last 25 races and still run the same times as new and the a40a hoosier is the same.So 1 tire less inventory for everyone to buy saves money  just by having 4 less brands that may work ,sure you can still put stickers on when ever you want but the lap time advantage isnt there in most cases. And besides the guys who put stickers on then sell there old tires to lower budget teams and then they save money and still run newer tires also the spec tire program works.


Title: Re: SPEC TIRE DOES NOT SAVE MONEY!!!
Post by: audio on October 13, 2008, 09:50:20 AM
So i runa Hoosier tire at one track because that is spec at that track. Ok i run the trie and that works. But then i go the next weekend to another track and there spec tire is Vega...so I HAVE TO BUY A NEW SET OF VEGAS to run that race. and my hoosiers are wasted and i want to run them again to save money!

So your response isgoing to be well you can run the hoosiers at the next track that is hoosier tire specs. except that race is a month away, and my hoosiers are old and hard now. and everyone at the track is buying a new set.DID I JUST FIND A LOOP HOLE. I DID!. So now i have to buy a new set of Hoosiers to be compettive Spending my money EVEN MORE ! and the hoosier tire that HAS ONLY ONLE RACE ON IT IS NO GOOD ANYMORE and i throw  it away.

You end up spending more MONEY


Title: Re: SPEC TIRE DOES NOT SAVE MONEY!!!
Post by: d4hall on October 13, 2008, 10:09:35 AM
Bigdale,

Do you think the current tire situation in QMA is good?

From,

Dale Hall (A BIG Dale but not "bigdale")
Columbus, Ohio


Title: Re: SPEC TIRE DOES NOT SAVE MONEY!!!
Post by: dgriffin on October 13, 2008, 10:22:17 AM
hello spec tire for all usac tracks 1 tire not spec per track 1 pavement tire 1 dirt tire and if you keep you tires out of the weather they can be a year old and still run the same times just grind them or clean them up with heat gun .bigdale you need to take some anger mangement classes if you dont like anything about usac then why would you care about any of this.Take a pill and give it a little time if it works great if not then you can say I told you so.


Title: Re: SPEC TIRE DOES NOT SAVE MONEY!!!
Post by: audio on October 13, 2008, 10:41:56 AM
hello spec tire for all usac tracks 1 tire not spec per track 1 pavement tire 1 dirt tire and if you keep you tires out of the weather they can be a year old and still run the same times just grind them or clean them up with heat gun .bigdale you need to take some anger mangement classes if you dont like anything about usac then why would you care about any of this.Take a pill and give it a little time if it works great if not then you can say I told you so.

YA RIGHT USE THE SAME TIRE FROM LAST YEAR AND IT WILL BE THE SAME AS A NEW TIRE..ARE YOU A JOKE YOU OBVIOSLY DO NOT KNOW MUCH ABOUT QUARTER MIDGETS. THESE GUYS BOLT ON NEW TIRE CUZ THEY ARE FASTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND SO YOUR TELLING ME IF I DONT HAVE THE MONEY TO PUT ON A NEW SET TO BE COMPETITIVE THEN I RUN LAST YEARS TIRE...SO SAME OLD SAME OLD WITH USAC WHO EVER HAS THE MOST MONEY RUNS UP FRONT.

TOLD YOU SO....


Title: Re: SPEC TIRE DOES NOT SAVE MONEY!!!
Post by: dgriffin on October 13, 2008, 10:46:34 AM
You diffently have issues dude  and whats your back ground in racing the guy with the most money still has to have a good driver or it makes no differents .


Title: Re: SPEC TIRE DOES NOT SAVE MONEY!!!
Post by: dgriffin on October 13, 2008, 10:52:37 AM
Oh and just to let you know I am not in anyway affiliated with usac as of yet and not sure witch way I may go for next year but I am open minded enough to listen.We have been racing qma for 3 years go-karts before that and I owned a busch team in 2004-2005 so I do know a little bit about racing ,quarter midgets are like most racing classes you are always going to have people like you you want to grind there axe for personal benifit.


Title: Re: SPEC TIRE DOES NOT SAVE MONEY!!!
Post by: audio on October 13, 2008, 01:12:00 PM
no grind i just want the facts but nobody seems to know them but omg usac is awesome but they dont even know the facts....come on people. im not saying qma is perfect but to jump on borad with a series so fast with no facts to members.


Title: Re: SPEC TIRE DOES NOT SAVE MONEY!!!
Post by: dgriffin on October 13, 2008, 01:43:43 PM
Well bigdale do you think that your post will help get info out if you are really concerned about info just call usac and ask your questions .Then dont just post neg.stuff just to try to whine and cry about not getting info when I have seen the post where they have asked you to call them for info. After that call if you have some facts about it then post them not just blablabla you do have a phone dont you? ::)


Title: Re: SPEC TIRE DOES NOT SAVE MONEY!!!
Post by: Swartz on October 13, 2008, 02:23:41 PM
It's not his fault. He's used to dealing with the "chain of command".
Pick up a phone and call USAC and ask a question then call QMA and ask a question.
Report back.


Title: Re: SPEC TIRE DOES NOT SAVE MONEY!!!
Post by: philabenroth on October 15, 2008, 07:19:52 PM
Bigdale,
Why would you jump on board with no facts? Hard telling. Probably not a good idea, unless of course one is firmly opposed to QMA or if they simply intend to test the waters by running under dual sanctioning bodies.

My club hasn't addressed USAC to my knowledge, and frankly I don't feel that strongly one way or another. The sanctioning body has almost nothing to do with the experience I have with my children on race day.

The natural question I have for you bigdale, would be why are you speaking so vehemently against USAC, and in the same sentence publicly state you don't have the facts?

Oh, and spec tire DOES save money, when it is one that will repeat well and last several races. No spec tire = a Vega spec tire at most tracks right now, and that virtually equates to a mandatory rule to bolt on a new set every race day, or even every race if you're in higher powered and/or heavy classes.

Phil Abenroth


Title: Re: SPEC TIRE DOES NOT SAVE MONEY!!!
Post by: Levi Crowl on October 21, 2008, 09:20:59 PM
Pardon the interuption-

A spec tire to me means that same tire no matter where you race. Now I would assume they have one for dirt and one for asphalt. It also doesn't mean that you wouldn't be allowed to use different compounds - just same manufacture, and compoung guidlines.
If they get a contract from a tire manufacture - I am sure we would see an instant savings based on volume... not to mention if we all are running the same tire from track to track - I don't need, FA's, DCS's, and Hoosiers... again, saving money!



Title: Re: SPEC TIRE DOES NOT SAVE MONEY!!!
Post by: mollylewisracing on October 22, 2008, 08:45:32 PM
Not to stir the pot ,but I don't feel a spec tire saves enough money to use that as the sole argument for running it. However, I agree with (and endorse) a spec tire, because it will have an effect on leveling the competition somewhat. This is not to say that it will be perfect... just better. The guys with cash will still run the new rubber every week. Guys like me will get cast-offs from time to time, and the weeks I bring fresh rubber the competition will be even (at least from the tire standpoint).

If you look at the cost of spec tires across all forms of racing, they are pretty much what they were before the spec was instituted in the first place. Dunlops (and Bridgestones) have been spec tires in karting for years now, and the specs from one series still cost the same as the non-specs from another. They pretty much cost $52 bucks across the board.

Spec tires don't save you a ton of cash and they don't completely level the playing field. In cases like this, the best argument is that while they aren't the perfect solution.... they are the better solution. Just my opinion.


Title: Re: SPEC TIRE DOES NOT SAVE MONEY!!!
Post by: Plumcrazy on October 23, 2008, 07:40:55 PM
Don't mind that Levi Crowl dude...  Spec tires MIGHT save you money.  We race, primarily, on dirt.  I've used the same tires since the beginning of this year and our lap times have picked up all year.  They certainly haven't dropped off.  If you take care of them, they'll be fine 6 months from now.  We have people that have run the same tires for a couple of seasons.  So, yeah, it COULD save money.  I wouldn't have to buy Dunlops or YFA's (just an example) if Hoosiers were the spec tirem.  But I would have multiple compounds anyway because  the weather and track surface dictate what will go fast.  I have raced Hoosiers and won.  I have also raced them and been horrible.  Throw on my FA's and away we go.

As for asphalt, the bottom line, from what I've seen, is (especially) the heavy or fast classes are going to need tires for the feature to win consistently.  I've run Vega's with 300 laps on them (because I refused to drop money on them) and finished 2nd in Jr Honda.  Could have been my driver, setup or plain luck.  And maybe the tire didn't matter.  My stocker, however, started dropping lap times after a few runs.

Ultimately, it's the golden rule in racing.  He who has the gold wins the races.  Yes, I know there are people that are successful that don't go over the top, but new equipment and a fresh set of tires are, generally, a good thing.  And yes, a set of scuffs might help you out in certain cases.  I'm not smart enough to know when that is.  One of the reasons we don't run a lot of asphalt is I think it takes tires (among a bunch of other things) to be competitive.  I have 3 cars this year.  Without considering left sides, if I want to go to Oaklane and be competitive, it's going to cost me $300.  It's a big club but I don't think everyone there is running stickers every week.  But I know a lot who do.  And I certainly can't afford to do it.

So, will it save money?  Maybe.  Will it level the playing field?  Maybe.  I know I won't be carrying Dunlops, Vegas, Burris, Maxxis AND Hoosiers, in my trailer when I show up to a track if Hoosiers are the spec.  So I'm already ahead $1000 out of the gate.  For dirt, I am going to have multiple compounds of Hoosiers anyway, including asphalt Hoosiers (work pretty good at our track on a hot day).  So I'd just as soon not have to buy the others.  If there is a different spec tire, say Vega or Firestone, for asphalt, I'll pick and choose the races I attend.  Either way it's tough.  Even asphalt tracks have different tires that perform well.  FA's at Wall and indoor Buckeye, Vega's at Carolina and Oaklane, etc.  Even if the dirt spec is Hoosier, some classes are going to give up some speed for a while.  I'd hate to think I couldn't run my FA's on my Mod.  But if everyone else is in the same boat, I'd do it and hope my car and driver can beat their car and driver.  And that's what we're here to teach.


Title: Re: SPEC TIRE DOES NOT SAVE MONEY!!!
Post by: PhilHeil on October 27, 2008, 12:42:25 PM
A good hard tire would save money.  One that lasts more then a couple races (1 race if it's on a World Formula) would be good.

In my opinion Vega tires have ruined QM racing.  It has taken set-up and driver ability out of the equation to some extent.  Some of those cars are out there just stuck to the track.

The racing was much better and less expensive before Vegas came along.  I'll take a hard Dunlop or Firestone, at least then the kids had to learn how to really drive a car.

Phil Heil
Mini-Indy


Title: Re: SPEC TIRE DOES NOT SAVE MONEY!!!
Post by: usache on October 27, 2008, 02:35:20 PM
a big 10-4 on that.....


Title: Re: SPEC TIRE DOES NOT SAVE MONEY!!!
Post by: RBurns17 on November 07, 2008, 03:12:36 AM
It all depends on how you look at it. Making the spec tire a hard compound would mean the times wouldn't fall off as much after a decent amount of wear. It would also mean that the cars are going to slide around a little bit no matter what. This would make those high dollar shocks and brand new tires every week less of an advantage. Inevitably you can never eliminate that advantage, but shrinking the gap would be pretty cool.