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Re: Streets as rain tires?

To: Craig Blome <cblome@yahoo.com>, autox@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Streets as rain tires?
From: Stan Whitney <whitneys@mindspring.com>
Date: Fri, 05 Mar 1999 15:31:38 -0600
Up until you actually hydroplane in a deep puddle, the stickier compound of
your R-tires will always be better than the streets.  It is so rare that
you run in puddles and downpour(flame suit on), that I would not try to go
there.  

Learn to drive the car well in the damp - and more impportantly, learn to
recognize when the conditions start to improve, so that you can push harder
- before the competition realizes the surface is ready - that has improved
my finishing position more than any other factor.

The treaded rains that are hot are often dirt stockers, which by virtue of
their extremely soft compound - can grip in the wet. There is nothing fancy
or exotic about their tread, other than they have some.

Good luck
Stan Whitney
DP/EP CRX - slicks - means exactly what it sez.

At 12:08 PM 3/5/99 -0800, Craig Blome wrote:
>Hi all,
>
>I decided this morning to replace my awful Falken street tires with
>something with better wet traction.  (skidding in front of a truck
>isn't my favorite way to wake up in the morning)  After looking at
>Tire Rack's customer surveys, I have narrowed the choice to the Dunlop
>SP8000 or Bridgestone RE71.  I'm leaning toward the Dunlops on the
>strength of a friend's recommendation.  (FWIW they're 195/50R15's on a
>Miata M-edition.)
>
>Now, the question.  Supposing I was considering g-Forces to replace my
>R1's.  I've seen the comments about their wet pavement performance
>which has me concerned.  Sooo, does anyone want to speculate how the
>Dunlops or Bridgestones would compare to R-compounds in
>pouring-down-rain conditions?  I can't justify having a separate set
>of rain tires, but if a good set of streets could keep up with (fresh)
>race tires in standing water I wouldn't have to park it if my race
>tires were too worn to use.  
>
>Thanks,
>Craig Blome
>TSSCC, TAMSCC, RTRT, TLS#91
>Austin, TX
>
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