So at what speed do you finally get traction?

[smurfslayer]

it does, but you said (generally) that concrete is stickier than asphalt and that’s not always the case. It can have more adhesion, but it can also not have more adhesion and on the street, where there’s no significant rubber laid down, I’d put my money on recently laid, relatively abrasive asphalt over concrete. Doubly so in the wet. if the concrete isn’t grooved, the water will be more of a traction issue.

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[8LAKK8UNSHINE]

When my car was NA and on Conti DW allseasons, the car would chirp 2nd (MT 3.73 gears), but now that it's boosted I have it on Nitto NT555R2 and the car will usually hook from 40 on a good surface if the tires are warm. IF you want streetable drag radials that hook, I recommend the Nittos. They are not as good as the MT, from all I hear - but they don't sway with the PSI under 25 and I can drive the car confidently around corners and changge lanes at speed.

 

[robvas]

it does, but you said (generally) that concrete is stickier than asphalt and that’s not always the case. It can have more adhesion, but it can also not have more adhesion and on the street, where there’s no significant rubber laid down, I’d put my money on recently laid, relatively abrasive asphalt over concrete.

Again, drive on both and you can easily tell asphalt is worse. And nobody is talking about wet traction here.

Nobody wants to drag race on asphalt.

NASCAR should have never even been brought into this conversation.

 

[LouG]

Damn. I was hoping I would get at least another track day out of them . . .

You will, it'll just be more sideways. Make sure the side windows are clean, to see where you're going.

 

[Starship Enterprise]

Yes dragstrips are concrete, also they are coated with rubber for traction. But you know that since you mentioned no-prep racing. So you seem knowledgeable, so I’m not going to debate further. Seems the only edge asphalt has is in wet conditions.

That said, Dale Jr. doesn’t seem to like concrete. I thought NASCAR was an interesting comparison. If I’m wrong I’m wrong…it’s all good.

 

[Junkyard Dog]

Floor it from 40-45, let the downshift’s happen normally. if you spin... they’re going or gone. Like I said, I was able to spin at 60; I410 around San Antonio passing a semi.

I tried flooring it from 40 mph in Normal mode, Track Mode, and Drag Mode . . . spun out and totaled my Dark Horse . . .

 

[Junkyard Dog]

Just kidding.

It grabbed in each and every mode and even hooked when switching up to the next gear in Drag Mode (and Drag Mode shifts violently, it bounced my head off the head rest, lol).

So maybe my tires are not "shagged" yet.

This was on dry asphalt, afternoon temps in the 90s, tires warmed up from driving for 15 minutes or so (nothing else).

 

[Paul's stable]

Yes dragstrips are concrete, also they are coated with rubber for traction. But you know that since you mentioned no-prep racing. So you seem knowledgeable, so I’m not going to debate further. Seems the only edge asphalt has is in wet conditions.

That said, Dale Jr. doesn’t seem to like concrete. I thought NASCAR was an interesting comparison. If I’m wrong I’m wrong…it’s all good.

I think most drag strips have a concrete launch pad because asphalt would not hold up to repeated launches.

 

[d4rkg04t]

Florida.

Summer. (89-100 degrees)

Nitto drag radials. Stock size.

I hook at a light at 3500rpms and can go WOT at 0.5 seconds after moving.

All 800+ ponies get busy.

Spring/Fall? Ehhh... I have to feather the throttle a little and launch a little less hard.

Winter/Q1? Uhhh... no traction. At all.

 

[Junkyard Dog]

Just kidding.

It grabbed in each and every mode and even hooked when switching up to the next gear in Drag Mode (and Drag Mode shifts violently, it bounced my head off the head rest, lol).

So maybe my tires are not "shagged" yet.

This was on dry asphalt, afternoon temps in the 90s, tires warmed up from driving for 15 minutes or so (nothing else).

Just an update. Now that it is October, it is very difficult to get my tires to hook up at all. 10 minutes of driving barely budges the tire pressure.

Switch to Drag Mode. Roll into the throttle being careful not to spin, keep pushing the accelerator down, down, but because the pedal was not floored it went into second early . . . no problem, keep squeezing it, somewhere up near 60 mph with the pedal floored or close to it, the rear end kicked out to the left, and I had to back off and steer into the skid.



I guess the Trofeo RS really needs some temperature to make it work.

I have noticed when cold it is very difficult even to turn right and start driving (like turning right from a stop sign or my driveway) because the wheels are "skipping," like slip, grab, slip, even in the evening when leaving work until the get a little heat in them.

 

[Junkyard Dog]

LOL, it has been cold in Georgia, in the 50s, and damp.

I bought my car in June, and have been amazed at how well these Trofeo RS tires perform (as long as it does not rain), but, well, it's Georgia, and June through September is hot. When it is 52° outside and damp air, and you throw on your flannel shirt to be comfortable, well, these tires suck!



I love cooler weather, but these tires definitely do not.

I remember my instructor telling me, "If you try to come out of the pits that hot up turn 1 on cold tires, you are going to leave the track."

I looked at him a little confused. I was not sure if he was admonishing me, because the car felt nowhere near its limits and was sticking very well on that long, sweeping, uphill turn. He elaborated, "It's 90 degrees out. Don't do that if you come out on a 55 degree day."

Ok. LOL. It's June. I made a mental note of it and started trying to remember to look out for turn 3, which I kept forgetting was there.

Now I see what he is talking about.

I wonder how long it would take to get these tires warm on a racetrack in these temperatures, because even 10-15 minutes of driving on the public roadway makes no difference. The gravel does not even stick to them.

 

[smurfslayer]

Now I see what he is talking about.

I wonder how long it would take to get these tires warm on a racetrack in these temperatures, because even 10-15 minutes of driving on the public roadway makes no difference. The gravel does not even stick to them.

I used to ride a bike year round, unless it was snowing. I've had a few but the best handling bike was my Ducati 1198s, shod with Pirelli dragon super-corsa or Rosso corsas, basically a DOT legal tire with some token siping put in. One day I rode to work it was under 20F. I knew they would take a while to warm up, but actually, they never warmed up! I spun everywhere in the first 3 gears without clutching judiciously. Those same tires stick like glue in spring, summer & fall temps but yikes.

I thought the Trofeos were adequate to somewhere around 45-50F but I have to admit I was taking it easy then because I already had 1800 miles on them by the time it got that cold in the mornings and at 1800 miles the 'stick' was dropping off. I swapped them out at 3100 miles and at that point, it was winter ( well, south Texas winter, which is basically autumn extended ) and they weren't sticking in any temp from high 40's to high 80's.

 

[Junkyard Dog]

I used to ride a bike year round, unless it was snowing. I've had a few but the best handling bike was my Ducati 1198s, shod with Pirelli dragon super-corsa or Rosso corsas, basically a DOT legal tire with some token siping put in. One day I rode to work it was under 20F. I knew they would take a while to warm up, but actually, they never warmed up! I spun everywhere in the first 3 gears without clutching judiciously. Those same tires stick like glue in spring, summer & fall temps but yikes.

I thought the Trofeos were adequate to somewhere around 45-50F but I have to admit I was taking it easy then because I already had 1800 miles on them by the time it got that cold in the mornings and at 1800 miles the 'stick' was dropping off. I swapped them out at 3100 miles and at that point, it was winter ( well, south Texas winter, which is basically autumn extended ) and they weren't sticking in any temp from high 40's to high 80's.

Now you have me wondering whether your experience was just temperature, rather than the tires being all done. Ah, never mind, I see you said they were not sticking at high 80's.

Odd, because I am over 6000 miles, and mine still stick in warmer weather. All sticky.

But at 52° - forget it. These tires are very slippery.

I guess they engineered them to be sticky when exposed to hot conditions on a race track, and that resulted in no performance at all under some temperature around 60° Fahrenheit.

I am guessing you can get them hot on track, but I wonder how long it takes.

They did still seem to brake well (I sped up and stomped down on the brakes to test), but turning they are slippery, and the throttle is downright scary even when not being intently aggressive.

 

[RLE55]

Street surfaces never yield the same available traction as a road course or drag track.

 

[smurfslayer]

Now you have me wondering whether your experience was just temperature, rather than the tires being all done. Ah, never mind, I see you said they were not sticking at high 80's.

Yeah, a lot of folks on here warned me to immediately begin saving for tires. When I say 'spun in the high 80's', let me clarify: I went to pass a truck on I410 outside San Antonio at 60mph. I floored it, she downshifted and spun her *** off. It was this that put a foot up my behind to swap them out. The outside temps were 88-89 and surface temp was probably mid 90's.

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