Track day wheels and tyres query.

Chaps, excuse my ignorance but do those of you who take part in track days, who have a second set of track rims (fitted with say Yoko AO48s), fit them before leaving home, hence driving to and from the track with them fitted or somehow get them to the circuit and fit them there, refitting the standard rims and tyres for the run home?

I guess you will get the full range of replies. In my case I have run the car to the circuit on its standard road wheels & tyres and have someone follow me with the spare set of wheels and tyres in the back of my Disco. I then swop them myself using a trolley jack at the circuit.

The arrangement would be easier & less labour intensive to do if I had a trailer and could drive myself, but presently I dont.

I have done it this way because I have run slicks (which I couldn’t drive to the circuit or back on) and also because I have driven at Elvington airfield where I have been through 6 tyres in a day.

There is another option offered if you use Bookatrack (and perhaps it is offered by other trackday companies also?). They will store your spare wheels and tyres and deliver (and probably fit) them to you at the track. They have excellent mechanical support offered by Blink (Richard) in their huge motorsport artic with full tyre fitting facilities.

I only use A048’s on my car, so have driven the car there, ragged it round all day and driven it home, all on the same tyres. Hwever I normally trailer my car to and from the circuit. That way it just takes all of the stres out of the day, as if anything goes wrong you can still get home without having to wait around for the AA guy. lol.

Sean…

I’ve not got a trailer, so I drive to/from the circuit on the tyres I’ll use on track.

As Steve says, Elvington is a tyre killer (in the dry), so beware if you’re going there. I’ve Elvington in the wet (great fun) & the dry, but to be honest, have no real desire to drive it again. That’s down to a purely personal thing - I prefer undulating circuits such as Oulton, Donington, Cadwell & Brands, & I have no desire to drive at Silverstone or Bedford. Accordingly Spa, Zandvoort, & a couple of lesser known tracks in France, are of course on my “wish list”

Croft is my nearest, 40 miles away, i’m currently running on Yoko AO39s, and my plans were to swap rims and tyres to AO48s, drive to the circuit, have my fun then bearing in mind im a track day novice and wont be pushing the tyres/car to its limits, then drive home again.
Yes ive heard Elvington is a tyre salesman’s dream, does anyone know anything about Teesside Autodrome, that not far from me either?

you should be fine at Croft doing what you say, just make sure you keep an eye on the clock in terms of only staying out for 15-20 mins at a time. It may be anecdotal but I think most tyre wear seems to occur at the end of a session when the tyres are warmest, concentration slipping causing you to miss braking points and confidence highest if you are in the groove.

does anyone know anything about Teesside Autodrome, that not far from me either?

I think Tarmac Terrorist is yer man to answer that one From what I hear though, it’s quite a narrow track at present, as it was used for karting.

Ok thanks lads, so heres the plan…

Buy a set of original new Rimstocks from Plans Motorsport fitted with Yoko AO48s, transpose them from my road AO39s, drive to and from the circuit with the 48s then refit the original 39s on my return home!

Im also planning to fit a Motorsport Engine Cover as I believe it keeps the engine cooler, just a bit worried about how to stop the water from getting in!

Buy a set of original new Rimstocks from Plans Motorsport fitted with Yoko AO48s

Have you uprated the rear toelinks?

You could always go nuts and get air jacks fitted and time yourself in wheel changes F1 style

Buy a set of original new Rimstocks from Plans Motorsport fitted with Yoko AO48s

Have you uprated the rear toelinks?

No not personally, dont think the previous owner did it although im led to believe that the standard ones should be ok with AO48s, but should be uprated if running on slicks???

Remember I wont be tracking it all of the time, the previous owner ran on 48s for the track without problems…I hope!

You could always go nuts and get air jacks fitted and time yourself in wheel changes F1 style

LOL!!!

I work on the BTCC events and these air jacks always amaze me, surely they must add loads of weight to the car!

I’ve not got a trailer, so I drive to/from the circuit on the tyres I’ll use on track.

Me too!

Nice party trick for the Tesco car park too

would it also count as an anti-theft device - maybe a reduction in the insurance premium would help fund it & convince the other half that it was a necessity

Croft is my nearest, 40 miles away, i’m currently running on Yoko AO39s, and my plans were to swap rims and tyres to AO48s, drive to the circuit, have my fun then bearing in mind im a track day novice and wont be pushing the tyres/car to its limits, then drive home again.
Yes ive heard Elvington is a tyre salesman’s dream, does anyone know anything about Teesside Autodrome, that not far from me either?

Nothing wrong with using the '39’s on track.
Just drive there on those tyres you have and when time comes change to 48’s and again drive to, on and from the track.

Nothing wrong with using the '39’s on track.

Certainly not. It was the original tyre for the car, road and track. I’ve just got a load cheap, so am going to be running 39s for a year or so.

Ian

I’ve just got a load cheap, so am going to be running 39s for a year or so.

Ian

Can you define cheap?

I’ve just got a load cheap, so am going to be running 39s for a year or so.

Ian

Can you define cheap?

Ian bought all the 39’s off me. 3 1/2 sets if I remember correctly. Basically I have been slowly aquiring wheels and every wheel I bought had a 39 on it. So to recoup some of the cost of the wheels I flogged the tyres. I class Ian as a mate, so did them as cheap as we both thought acceptable. I can’t remember how much now, but it worked for both of us.

Sean…

Nice one - I just thought he made have found a commercial dealer knocking them out cheaply.