American Racer Tires

D

dellenwood

Well-known member
What is the status of the development and testing of these tires? Allowances have been made for us to run these tires with wider rims, but I have not heard any reports on whether they are actually available or not.

Can someone share the latest? Thanks!
 
I was one of the testers but time ran out in the season before I got my car up and running. Tires are mounted sitting in the basement next to a set of Hoosiers ready for testing. But here in Massachusetts its a little to cold for that. It will be a while before I can report back. You may want to call them and ask if they have done any production runs on them.
Chris
 
I talked to Troy Boubin of Boubin Tire and Automotive, an American Racer dealer in the midwest last week. He and I talked only about the 20x8/13 new road racer tire.

Troy said he had 70 tires in stock, just shipped from the factory.

FYI

John Hewell
#29 HP/GTL Spridget
 
I am out the loop and trying to start racing this year. what do i need (tire and wheel size) to run American Racers on a hp/fp midget.

Thank you,
Mike
 
I was at a Motorsports show in Philadelphia last week. The PA distributer said he can get them. Had one unmounted there on display. Was the softest side wall tire I ever saw. Reminds me of the old wrinckle wall slicks back in the day. Like dirt car tires.

I'm on the fence to try them

Dave Y
 
I have some additional information for everyone . . .

I talked with Troy Boubin yesterday and he took the time to fill me in. American Racer is serious about getting into the road racing market. As has already been mentioned, they have started to produce the 20x8/13 slick to see where things go. They have done some testing at Heartland Park. Initially they tested the asphalt circle track tire on a 13"x7" wheel and it was relatively durable (went 60-70 laps) but the sidewalls were (as expected) too soft. They beefed up the sidewalls and tested again with 13"x7" wheels and the tire performed much better. Still durable, and the times were within 1-1.5 seconds of the Hoosiers. However, this non-cantilever tire still seems to need a wider wheel. Hence the new rules allowing the 13"x8" wheels for use with the American Racer tires. They ran out of warm days last year and have not been able to test the tires with the wider 13"x8" wheels, which should improve the stability, contact patch and wear of the tire to bring the times even closer to the Hoosiers. They want to get the tire construction right, then they are going to start tinkering with compounds. They feel like it could be a bit too hard right now . . .

A couple details of note:

-The tires weigh 10.5 pounds each.
-They have a former Goodyear person who is familiar with Goodyear's former road racing program working on this project.

They desperately need folks to use the tires, collect data, and provide feedback so that they can continue to develop the tire. If anyone in the southern states, where folks are already racing, would like to help out they should get in touch with the American Tire dealer closest to them (check out the website). Or, you can call Troy Boubin and he would be happy to chat with you and send you in the right direction. Troy's number is here: 800-722-3847.

Here is the kicker . . . The normal price per tire is $134.21 (Huzzah!!). But, to get things rolling and get tires out and circulating Troy is selling them for $107.75 per tire. I was a bit stunned by that price point.

They are honest about where things are at and want to collaborate and work to make this a truly viable option for us. Please get in touch with these folks and support the effort if you can.
 
Maybe too early to tell, but how quickly do they come up to traction? Probably not very fast if the compound is a little hard.
I wanted to try them in a hillclimb. I have a set of old 8" steelies that I used Hoosier Autocrossers because they stuck in the first turn. The hills I run are short, 2 miles or less, 10 to 16 turns.
Also, do they think they have to be heat cycled first?

Dave Y
 
Right now there is one specific American Tire approved. Presumably any changed construction or new tire developed by them in the future would have to be run without the special rim allowance or go through another request and approval process, right?

Very cool that a second manufacturer is developing tires for us.
 
If the tire is labeled and sold as the same. Then it would still be the approved tire. Let the tire wars begin!

James -r
 
Tire wars are good I agree but shouldn't everybody be playing on the same field?

I worried openly about a special rule for a specific tire despite the need for a second and an more economical source. Now seeing the post above suggesting a tire potentially with the same name is being actively developed around an 8" wheel my concerns seem justified. Why should Hoosier, or anyone else for that matter, be prohibited from developing a non-cantilever tire or a tire for a specific price point around the 8" wheel? Why is only one tire manufacturer allowed to do this?

Granted I am still more than a little lost as to why something as easy and open as the "box rule" was so quickly dismissed several times over the last few years and yet this special rule pushed through so quickly.
 
If I were Hoosier, Goodyear, etc, I would sue SCCA for restricting trade. It is total BS that one specific tire company gets to market a much cheaper to build tire and does not have to do the development of the stupid cantilever design. If this is the first step towards a "box" rule and we get anything that fits, great. Otherwise this is not right. Nothing personal to the tire company, but a straight wall slick that is properly developed will be much faster.
 
Why Steve? Goodyear stopped making slicks for club racing, and so Hoosier and Avon are the only game in town. All SCCA is doing is allowing a "spec" tire as an alternative to the Hoosier, Avon, product.

Ask Goodyear why they stopped making 13 and 15 inch slicks.
 
No arguement there Tim, just think if a straight wall tire is allowed by this company, then others should be too. Goodyear made a business decision that the market for oddball cantilever tires was not worth the losses to gain market share. I bet they would have a straight wall they make for other applications that would work. So would others if given the option. Keep in mind that this tire will get "developed" with the same label and could get a very unfair advantage.
 
I voiced my concerns to the CRB (same Rubber Stamp), I hope anyone else that thinks this sucks should do so as well. I just consider it BS to make an allowance for 1 tire manufacturer when they can make the sidewall say anything they want or need for it to say to stay within the rule.

I know that there are some that think that Hoosier is sticking it to SCCA racers due to being 1 of only a couple games in town but I strongly disagree and I am not on a Hoosier deal here. I have used their product since the day I started racing (1992) and it was due to the customer service that I receive from my local distributor (Appalachian Race Tire) as well as Hoosier corporate, along with the best performing tire on the market in my opinion.
 
Guys, I think as a rule, the scca has never been terribly bright about tire rules. After all, how did we end up with a cantilever tire in the first place. Surely you don't think the Goodyear engineers were sitting around one day, when all of a sudden, after smoking large amounts of dope, someone said, sure would be great if we made this tire with this crazy looking sidewall. Nope, it was the BOD/CRB brainiacs that said lets limit tire size by making a 7" wide wheel rule. DUH. So now we have this freakish looking tire that has to cost a crapload more to make than a straight sidewall tire. So in an effort to right the tire ship, so to speak, we are moving in a direction that allows a normal tire on an appropriate size rim. Lets just see how it all shakes out. Don't grab your pitchforks just yet. As the CRB has already said, "if its an unfair advantage, it will get an adjustment".
Chris(who hides his car in an enclosed trailer because he's embarrased by cantilever(freakshow) tires)
 
zChris":fle8dc09 said:
Guys, I think as a rule, the scca has never been terribly bright about tire rules. After all, how did we end up with a cantilever tire in the first place. Surely you don't think the Goodyear engineers were sitting around one day, when all of a sudden, after smoking large amounts of dope, someone said, sure would be great if we made this tire with this crazy looking sidewall. Nope, it was the BOD/CRB brainiacs that said lets limit tire size by making a 7" wide wheel rule. DUH. So now we have this freakish looking tire that has to cost a crapload more to make than a straight sidewall tire. So in an effort to right the tire ship, so to speak, we are moving in a direction that allows a normal tire on an appropriate size rim. Lets just see how it all shakes out. Don't grab your pitchforks just yet. As the CRB has already said, "if its an unfair advantage, it will get an adjustment".
Chris(who hides his car in an enclosed trailer because he's embarrased by cantilever(freakshow) tires)
Click to expand...

My problem is allowing a wheel rule for ONE manufacturer, its just beyond belief.
 
Then why not just say this is a spec tire PERIOD. Like SRF? That way there will be no tire war, and everybody will be on the same page.

I realize that this won't ever happen because of the politics of both the club and the tire manufactures, but one can "dream" of a decent wearing tire, that gives good grip, moderately priced, and will run 30-40 heat cycles before cording.
 
racer_tim":2lv2mzob said:
Then why not just say this is a spec tire PERIOD. Like SRF? That way there will be no tire war, and everybody will be on the same page.

I realize that this won't ever happen because of the politics of both the club and the tire manufactures, but one can "dream" of a decent wearing tire, that gives good grip, moderately priced, and will run 30-40 heat cycles before cording.
Click to expand...


Racing=Fun,Cheap,and Rewarding.

I am not trying to be an Ass but this rule is just NOT right and to me opens our CLUB open to litigation.
 
Les, it's only a "rule" if you choose to run that rim width, which forces you to run the AR spec tire. If you don't like, run the standard rim width and choose anybody else's tire that fits on that rim.
 
It's not a rule. It's an agreement between two parties for the economic benefit of one or more parties to the agreement.

Just saying....

James -r
 
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