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Question for you track rats…

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Have a track day scheduled for this weekend but the high temp is only supposed to be 31 degrees. With UHP summer tires should I consider it cancelled?

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My car has no traction under 50 degrees so I'd cancel. Will it be sunny? If no sun definitely cancel.
 

ArizonaBOSS

Because racecar.
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NFSBOSS said:
My car has no traction under 50 degrees so I'd cancel. Will it be sunny? If no sun definitely cancel.

+1...the stock Pirellis did not like low temperatures at all; unless you like ice skating?
 
I just watched the weather. Yeah, question retracted. Track day in an ice storm probably isn't a good idea.


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If it snows, I would be out and try for a refund. The cold alone should not hinder you. I recently went to a BMW event at VIR 11/23-24, where the early temps on Sunday were in the high 20s. I was surprised to see many still running R comps, although this is not advised because that type of rubber is prone to chunk. The track warms up rapidly, to a reasonable temp, but never to the desired optimal temp. I ran street tires (BFG Rivals), and did fine, although I was a few seconds off my times, and definitely felt squirly. Just remember, car rotation is amplified and braking distances are stretched a bit.
 
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I was under the impression that our P Zero tires weren"t supposed to be driven in temps under 40 degrees...I thought I read somewhere that they aren't even supposed to be stored for prolonged periods of time under 40 degrees. I will be moving this weekend and they are talking about highs in the 20's here in Iowa. Should I wait to drive my '13 the 20 miles to the new house or trailer it? Am I being too anal? The GT500 guys were experiencing some tire failures with the Goodyears and they were speculating that the tires were chunking/cracking due to usage in cold weather. Sorry if I am a little off topic.
 

PeteInCT

#LS-378 - So many Porsche's, so little time....
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jlwdvm said:
I was under the impression that our P Zero tires weren"t supposed to be driven in temps under 40 degrees...I thought I read somewhere that they aren't even supposed to be stored for prolonged periods of time under 40 degrees. I will be moving this weekend and they are talking about highs in the 20's here in Iowa. Should I wait to drive my '13 the 20 miles to the new house or trailer it? Am I being too anal? The GT500 guys were experiencing some tire failures with the Goodyears and they were speculating that the tires were chunking/cracking due to usage in cold weather. Sorry if I am a little off topic.

You can drive under 40 degrees (I have) just don't expect any substantial traction. As for storage (long term) its best not to. The Pirellis are not as temp sensitive as a set of Hoosier slicks, but they can be adversely impacted by cold.
 
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Just thought I would ask the people in the know. Don't think I'll be hammering on it going from one garage to another!)
 

PeteInCT

#LS-378 - So many Porsche's, so little time....
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jlwdvm said:
Just thought I wofsirk the people in the know. Don't think I'll be hammering on it going from one garage to another!)

If you just take it easy you should be fine. Keep in mind if its wet out the tires will be fairly hard so traction will not be very good at all.
 

steveespo

Lord knows I'm a Voodoo Child
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Think about why you have a below 40 degree disclaimer with performance street tires; when driving on road you build very little heat in the carcass of the tire and therefore the tread temps stay close to ambient. I have driven on both P zeros and Pirelli slicks where ambient temps were in the 30s and the tires did heat up and get sticky. It just takes some progressively faster laps to get up to speed. You will be slow and have less than optimal grip but it's not suicide.
Steve
 
I have to ask, what is the purpose of driving on a track if you have to take it easy? Why not just wait until the weather is more conducive to what the car and track are capable of?
 
I didn't like it how it handled in cold and this was how I approached questions and answers that I had -- http://www.boss302forum.com/topic/16359-winter-tires-wheels-tsw-track-and-other-solution/
 

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