Maxxis Victra 511
Elnora Heidrick
We ran our usual tire setup: 245/40R15 fronts and 205/50R15 rears on 9- and 8-inch-wide 6UL wheels by 949 Racing. Several days before the test, we gave our test tires a first heat cycle, gradually bringing them up to temperature over several laps while building to an 85% effort and avoiding slipping the tread surface. In addition to scrubbing off the slippery mold release agent, this process works the internals to relink compound molecules in a stronger and more durable fashion.
However, our previous testing showed grip levels more on par with the current Super 200tw category than the modern, track-focused 100tw tires. NASA has recognized this fact and slotted the Nankang into a more appropriate grouping.
When we last ran the Maxxis RC-1 through its paces back in 2014, we found a tire that was hyper-responsive to steering inputs with extremely linear characteristics as lateral forces built. Maxxis has updated the tire with a new compound, promising improvements in both grip and longevity.
Would the new compound deliver? Would the feel change for the better? In a word, yes. This new, softer R2 compound added just enough delay in the response to make it feel more normal, and grip has clearly increased.
As the lightest tire in the bunch with the shallowest molded tread depth, the Toyo Proxes RR felt the most lively and lithe. For sure, it was quickest in combined loading, as evidenced in the full-throttle, high-speed esses leading onto the front straight and the climbing off-camber exit of Turn 7 onto the back straight. The Toyo did need a bit more heat than the others, with its quickest times coming on laps three and four, but it was very consistent: Only two-tenths separated every circuit.
We tested a group of 100tw track tires just two years ago, running the Goodyear Supercar 3R, Pirelli Trofeo R and Nankang AR-1. But motivation for this latest test came from a recent NASA rule change for its Time Trial and Super Touring road race categories.
While this specific outcome only applies to this car running on this track, the testing methodology applies to any car. Moreover, it shows that NASA has done its homework in making these new rules more equitable across a wider range of tire choices.
All these tires are fairly interchangeable in both lap time capability and feel. Choice will come down to other factors, such as sizing, price, availability and contingency offerings: Maxxis and Toyo both have support programs for NASA, while the Nankang is the least expensive of the three.
Our testing venue, Harris Hill Raceway, has undergone some changes of late. The repave of several years ago has now aged to a very grippy surface, but bumps have reappeared due to the inevitable Central Texas drought/flood cycles.
A nasty, drivetrain-shocking crest has formed in the acceleration zone exiting Turn 3, and a series of waves entering Turn 7 challenges braking consistency. To avoid those new hazards, we switched to the counterclockwise direction for our testing.
Another complication is that tires can be underrated by the maker, which often occurs to make a tire appear grippier. This is particularly common in the high-performance segment, where the buying public equates low treadwear with a softer, stickier tread compound.
Interesting. You didn't put the lap times for the last test but you're saying the detuned a052 session had the same time as the maxxis with more hp? Also, have you guys ever tested the hoosiers with it's allowed hp vs a052 with it's added hp? I'm starting NASA time trial next year and don't have money for hoosiers, but wondering if I'll be able to win with 200 tw with the extra hp.
in short, we basically got the same result by either picking the slower tire group with more power, or the quicker tire with less power. But the lap times were made in very different ways. So results will vary on more extreme tracks.
As for Hoosiers, I haven't done them back to back same day, but previous Hoosier laps with that car on that track suggest that the purple crack on lower power still holds an advantage. But it's not nearly as big as it once was.
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