Track day tyres - any available anywhere?

[jmspear]

I desperately need a set of tyres for my 993 for castle combe on the 12th, my current toyo 888's are completely bald on the back, so I phone up the tyre support guys prosport and ask can you bring along a set of 888's on the 12th - No mate, none available in the UK don't know when but at least 1.5 months, Ok says I, bring along a set of cups please, no probs will do says prosport, then they phone me back, no cups available don't know when they will be available but will be weeks and weeks maybe months, we can only do you Khumo of Yoko's.

What is going on? Why no quality R compound tyres available?

My sizes are 285 30 rears and 225 40 fronts, any views on the Khumo and yoko's??? I had heard that both were pretty budget and not great, I love cups, have enjoyed 888's but really don't want anything with less grip than 888's and mainly dry driving (tend not to drive hard in the wet and have bridgestones for the road on different wheels for when its wet)

Thanks in advance, no tyres = no track day :-( as I don't want to pay ~£1000+ and be saddled with "budget" tyres on the car for the next couple of months!

cheers

John

 

[John Maddox]

Can't help you on track Tyres but I know how frustrating it is as I failed some time ago to source Conti Tyres for my 993. On back order for months. Crazy situation. Have you tried Micheldever Tyres (google it) as they have huge stocks.

 

[tscaptain]

Have you tried Camskill - got my last set of 888's from there. From their website it appears they may have stock.

 

[jmspear]

Have emailed camskill, fingers crossed. Thanks John

 

[jmspear]

Hi Giles, yes sorry it was protyre I was talking about in my initial post, they are the guys who cant's get 888's in my size for 1.5 months and haven't a clue on cups, which is especially annoying as they are the sole agent in the UK for cups (apparently) I think i will have to go with yoko's or kumho's anyone any experience of yoko's or kumho track day tyres?

Cheers

john

 

[Jon Kent]

Hi John,
There's some on German ebay for 300e a piece (Toyo R888s).
May be worth giving them a call to see if they'll send to the UK.
I 'could' get them sent to a mate in Germany & then forward them on, if not.
Here's the link
http://cgi.ebay.de/TOYO-R888-R-888-285-30-18-Semi-Slick-GG-toyo-r888-com-/280466178646?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Teile_ohne_Strassenzulassung&hash=item414d164256
Best Rs,
Jon
P.S. genuine offer....trustworthy & known by lots of PCGB people (and a P car addict !).

 

[jmspear]

Thanks Jon, have emailed them and will see what they say

 

[tscaptain]

Did you get a reply from Camskill out of interest, John?

 

[jmspear]

Ha its now a farce, camskill no 888's just called pro tyre the official tyre support for Porsche track days and:

No 888's on back order
No Cups on back order
No Toyo's on back order
No Pirelli's on back order

he is checking kumho's so not much tyre support...... anyone got any experience of Kumho's as sounds like this may be my only choice if they are available, looks like I will be on Barum remolds at this rate, waiting for them to call me back.......

thought there was a recession, is there a run on R compound tyres - panic buying or something?

 

[jmspear]

if it helps others - spoke to Protyre motorsport who support the porsche racing series, and are supporting the PCGB track day i am on next thursday - their recommendations (for a 993RS and early (before 997) GT3's etc) is as follows (all for experienced track day driver / hard driver):

Michelin Cup sports best in dry by far, stand up to serious use well, not so great in the wet
888's beat the cups straight out as softer and grip faster from the start but go off after a few laps, don't have the legs of the cups, better than cups in the wet
Pirelli next best after cups all round
Yoko's good in hot conditions but harder compound so need to get v hot to get anywhere near 888's and cups but have long legs on sessions, but very noisy
Kumho unknown quantity pretty much on the porsche, very few porkie customers, but good on other cars i.e. BMW's.

Great advice and has given me my shopping list, hope its helpful to others, however, as at this morning though - No cups, no 888's, no pirelli's, no yoko's and may be able to get Kumho's (all in my size 285 rear and 225 front, basically 993RS and earlier GT3). They are seeing what they can get for me for fitment at the track next thursday they have promised something !! - this is from the guys who have the largest trackday and race slick stock in the country - Fook me, must be panic buying :-0

 

[John Maddox]

I thought Kumho Tyres did a Porsche Series a few years back. We must have some info somewhere in the club.

 

[tscaptain]

Comparisons here - for what they are worth

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/autobild-trackday-tyre-review.htm

 

[jmspear]

good article, where the kumho wins, i guess my concerm is how they will be on a 911, 993 in particular, the kumho's are the control tyre for a BMW racing series (according to prtyre) and are well regarded by the Beemer boys BUT protyre have admitted they don't sell any to porsche owners.........maybe that tells me something??

Anyway, as it stands at the moment looks like I will be doing awrite up friday on how the kumho's perform on a 911!!

 

[jmspear]

Protyre have come up trumps and managed to source a set of pirelli corsa's for me so sorted, thanks for all the advice, will be my first set of corsa's so will post my experience, but a lot of porsche track day drivers seem to like them, and the forecast for thursday is dry too - lets hope it stays that way

 

[szklarek]

Good to hear that you got it sorted. Just for the record - I'll be the guy with the Conti Sports that you'll be overtaking!

Regards
Anton

 

[jmspear]

Hi anton, you give my driving too much credibility ;-) come up and say hi, midnight blue RS clone, my friend will be there with me in his midnight blue genuine RS we look like twin cars

 

[szklarek]

OK will do - we'll be in an Arena Red C4 (with of course Conti Sports!) - the one shown in my 'avatar'.

See you tomorrow.

Kind regards
Anton

 

[szklarek]

Sorry I didn't get over to talk to you at Castle Combe as we had a steering rack problem and had to leave before the afternoon session. I hope your tyres worked out OK.

It looked and sounded like both of the cars (yours and the RS) had non standard exhausts and/or cats - could I ask what they were and how close you got to the 105dB limit on the noise test?

Kind regards
Anton

 

[Neil Haughey]

What about Dunlops? They do your rears, fronts would be 235 and you can buy them direct from Dunlop motorsport up in Brum. I have no idea how well they go on 911's but I have them for my 944 S2 race car as EMC Motorsport rave about the Dunlops.

 

[jmspear]

Hi Anton,

Yes sorry we didn't get a chance to come over in the morning. I changed to pirelli corsa's at lunchtime and I am very pleased with them, excellent tyres very controllable and great grip and surprisingly they gripped pretty much from the off, first three laps took it easy then built up speed and by 5th lap they hooked up very well!.

In terms of exhaust, andy's rs was running cargraphic sports system with 100 cell cats usually measures about 102 - 103, mine is running cat bypass pipe and std boxes and usually measures 103 - 105, not sure what we were on the day as they didn't tell us but we were both under the 105 db limit.

Hope you got your steering rack sorted.

John