What about an semi-open tire rule?

Any tire with a UTQG rating between 100 and 140
Must be 205 or 225 in width.
Must be 45 or 50 in aspect ratio.
Must be 15''

You could further enhance it by adding ballast to those who run with a rating of 100 to make it equal to those running a 140 rating.

RacerX wrote:


That was Eric's orginal +7 idea. The NASA PT rules list a series of tires and spec for +7 points similar to that. HoHos are not +7 tires in PT they are given more points.

The RA-1 are 7 point tire. They are giving you a bigger spread of 50 to 130. 50 being a more stickier tire, 130 being less.

No one liked the Hoosier idea so then why would you want to have a more agressive tire than the
RA-1? Which is rated at 100 UTQG.

A. TIRES:
1) The following DOT-approved R-compound tires: Hankook Z214 (C90 & C91 compounds
only), Hoosier A6 +13
2) DOT-approved R-compound tires with a UTQG treadwear rating of 40 or less (examples:
BFG R1, Goodyear Eagle RS, Hankook Z214 (C71, C70, C51, C50), Hoosier R6,
Kumho V710, etc. --note: Grand Am Continental & VRL Hoosiers OK) +10
3) DOT-approved R-compound tires with a UTQG treadwear rating of 50 to 130 (ex. Kumho
V700, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup, Nitto NT01, Pirelli PZero Corsa, Toyo R888, Toyo RA-1,
Yokahama A048, etc) +7
4) DOT-approved (non-R-compound) tires with a UTQG treadwear rating of 120-200
(examples: Toyo R1R, Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec, Bridgestone Potenza RE070,
Kumho Ecsta XS, Yokohama Advan A046 & Neova AD08, Hankook R-S3) +2

The Toyo Ra-1's that I have from 2003 (yes 2003, don't ask ) have a treadware rating of 40. Nothing changed when they re-rated it to 100, it was a purely political move. Treadware ratings are manufacturer set, with no regulation. The +7 tires would be close in reality, by NASA's testing. Biggest practical issue is poor availability in 15" sizes of these types of tires.

We'd like whatever we go to to be available to everyone, especially at Nationals. If the new tire is signficantly slower that also causes parity issues, especially at Nationals if the "best" tire legal is the then unavailable RA-1. This is not as big an issue for those who aren't going, but is a concern to NASA, and those who are going. This might also be dealt with by mandating the new tire, whatever it is, to be used exclusively at Nationals. Too bad Hoosier doesn't make a good street tire, or a harder R-compound!

Edit: I see Hoosier does make a 205/60/15 "vintage" race radial

www.nasaforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=41503

Did this just blow the debate away ? It appears they have lifted the RA-1 requirement with no other rule in place ?

Sterling Doc wrote:






So what your saying is that the Hoosier R6, rated at 40, is equivilant to the Toyo RA-1 rated at 100?