TRACK DAY TYRES
Many tyre manufactures now offer road-legal tyres aimed for use on track days. These tend to feature a higher rubber content than traditional road tyres, and tread pattern designs with minimal grooves to ensure the largest possible contact patch with the road. The result is far superior grip, especially when up to operating temperatures. The best performing track tyre is likely to be a slick design using incredibly soft rubbers, but as these are simply no good in wet and slippery conditions they are not road legal. Tyres such as Nankang’s AR-1 and Toyo’s R888R, however, are 100% road legal and give the perfect compromise of excellent performance when on track but without affecting the car’s legality when driving on the road. The downsides to road-legal track day tyres are increased wear rates, and reduced wet weather performance when compared with traditional road tyres.