Do normal road tyres have to have legal tread on them to be used on a track day?

Danny.

No. In fact the less tread on them the better for handling unless it's wet. You will need 1.6mm to drive home on though.

As Rooney says above and-             Always best to have 2 sets of wheels & tyres, 1 for the road and 1 for the track.

Road tyres do take a beating aswell on trackdays especially on edges of treads

No. In fact the less tread on them the better for handling unless it's wet. You will need 1.6mm to drive home on though.

 

 

Thats not true in the slightest with road tyres.  Its actually the opposite.

Thats not true in the slightest with road tyres. Its actually the opposite.

With my many years experience of doing track days with road tyres and track tyres a reduced tread depth gives less movement within the tyre tread thus giving better handling.

I had some almost new Uniroyal rain sports and drove Oulton park on them in the dry and they were crap! Destroyed the tread bock on the fronts. Those 9 mm deep tread blocks were screaming for mercy very quickly.

Race teams that have to use road tyres (vw fun cup) shave new tyres to aid handling. Demon tweeks also offer this tyre shaving service to Joe public although I couldn't for the love of me shave a new set of tyres to 3mm or whatever.

If a new tyre is best why do people shave them for serious track use?

Edited 26 July, 201312 yr by mr rooney

Less tread on a road tyre is definitely best for above reason,.  I can vouch how nasty moving tread blocks are on a fairly new tyre. :(

 

The only time I would imagine the opposite is true is when it is a very wet day, as a sub 3mm tyre will have the SIPPS worn through and they are fairly critical to water dispersion.

Have a read of this if you think deep tread on a new tyre is best.

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tirerack.com%2Ftires%2Ftiretech%2Ftechpage.jsp%3Ftechid%3D67&ei=9vHyUfnEIM2UhQeenoDgAg&usg=AFQjCNF1Nit8p3h5tsJgeyOLfdW4bBjnCQ

Have a read of this if you think deep tread on a new tyre is best.

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tirerack.com%2Ftires%2Ftiretech%2Ftechpage.jsp%3Ftechid%3D67&ei=9vHyUfnEIM2UhQeenoDgAg&usg=AFQjCNF1Nit8p3h5tsJgeyOLfdW4bBjnCQ

 

What are you using as track tyres now?  I (finally) need to replace two of the tyres off your old rims and I am stuck for choices.  The 595RS-R is looking a good candidate at the moment.

I'm just using continental contact 5's as I'm not doing enough track days to justify the spare wheels and track tyres that your now enjoying. Plus I got fed up changing the wheels and storing them lol .

Those 595rs should be good. I'm sure rent4ring use them on some of their cars.

I think the kumho v70 hard sell for around £140 in your size from camskill and might last longer than the cheaper 595rs?

I'll be hoping for wet weather on the 8th October with my A rated wet road tyre lol .

Thanks for the replies chaps. My cars knocked out the inside of both fronts and just wanted to know if I could get some fun out of them.

You could swap the the front to the back and vice versa  and they would last longer on the track.

What are you using as track tyres now? I (finally) need to replace two of the tyres off your old rims and I am stuck for choices. The 595RS-R is looking a good candidate at the moment.

ive got the federal's on mine, use it as a daily as well. Was really impressed with them at knockhill, didn't even look like they had been on a track when I had finished. Surprisingly good in wet conditions too