Knowing what treadwear works for the Autosport that you are competing in can make a huge difference. The tyres you use are the cornerstone of any race vehicle. Some of you might say ‘We’re crazy’ or that we’re ‘being biased’. But if you really think about it, the rubber you buy can make or break your next race. Most tyre companies judge the performance of their tyre on its treadwear. Though this can be subjective from company to company, a tyre's treadwear rating will still give you insight into whether the rubber will perform under the conditions you plan to run it in or not.
With this, we hope to pass some knowledge on to you. If you recall from our previous post on treadwear, here's the rule of thumb: the higher the number, the longer the tread life. For example, for drag racing, you would want as much speed as possible but not necessarily tyre life. More surface area means more grip. And this is the opposite for endurance. You want a tyre that will keep up with your car while not wearing too quickly. Slower wear equals fewer pits and overall better times. There are tyres (like the Accelera 651 Sport), that fall right in the middle at a treadwear of 200, striking a balance between grip and tread life.
We know that everyone has a preference, and not all cars are the same. So, this is a general understanding of what treadwear works best for you. Check out the graphic below to see if you can maximize your performance by using a different rated tyre.
