Shaved and Heat Cycled R-Tires

[dale863 at bellsouth.net]

I have been around SCCA racer types for a number of years now and almost all of them recommend skipping the heat cycling offered by tire companies.  The consensus is that the drums or whatever is used cannot produce the heat and scuffing necessary to heat the entire carcass of the tire like actually running the tire can.  I have always been told that running in a figure 8 for 10 minutes with absolutely no sliding at street tire pressure is the proper way to heat cycle a tire.  Ideally, one would run a few mild laps on a track with no sliding, but that is not always possible.  Letting the tire cool for 48 hours before running them again is recommended too.  Chris Albin (quite possibly the fastest VW driver in the nation) lowers tire pressures very low and simply drives up and down the street he lives on a couple times to heat cycle his tires.

Dale H
91 Classic