As artificial surface tracks gain popularity, tire strategy is becoming a lost art. I began racing on indoor clay tracks, where having race-ready tires was an absolute must.
If you’re on office carpet or CRC carpet, your tire strategy could set you apart from the competition. It’s free, so give it a try!
The top racers around the world start their setup around their tires. It’s that important.
First, take a look at the surface and layout. Some tires perform better on corner entry, while others excel at corner exit. Certain tires offer stronger forward drive, and others provide more rotation. For example, I went to RC Plus planning to run Nessi rear tires. After my first run, I felt the car was a bit edgy on the rear with limited rotation. I switched to Fuzz Bite rears, which gave more rotation and made the car easier to drive. The Fuzz Bite also felt stable on landings.
On carpet or turf tracks, new tires can often be faster, but speed can sometimes make the car harder to control. In my opinion, drivability matters more than setting a quick lap.
At Superior RC, I prefer tires that are broken in, usually putting 3-4 runs on them before racing. They seem easier to drive as they wear in. When they get too worn, though, they can lose some high-speed stability. Fresher tires are better if you make a mistake and need to protect your line, but worn ones don’t really drop off for me as long as I’m running my race.
Setup is all about give and take, and tires are no exception. Next time you’re club racing, come up with a strategy and stick to it. Worst case, a friend gets to brag for a week or so!