Using Street Tires or R-compound on the track?

For the new track guy, just keep the car bone stock as there is a real good chance the only improvement needed is the variable behind the wheel.

 

+1

Stay with OEM setup or something very similar.

If changing tires due to OEM need replaced, consensus seems to be the MPSS.
The age of the tire is just as important as tread depth. Look at the DOT stamp.
Full tread depth is not as good as partial tread depth as the blocks will tend to chunk and deform quickly.

Run cold pressures as recommended by Ferrari if OEM tires. The Michelins (MPSS) seem to like higher pressures, about 38 Psi when HOT in my opinion.

For newbies on the track, the best thing you can do is work with an experienced instructor. It's also best to start out in something other than your street Ferrari. Go to a driving school, then go to a racing school, then join up at a track day and learn from fellow amateur DE people.

It's possible to completely destroy a new set of tires in one 20 minute track session and also possible to get 16-18 sessions out of a set. The variable is the driver.

Good luck and best wishes on the track!

 

Great info above. I only disagree with leaving stock street tires at stock pressures.

On the track, you will generate a fair amount of heat. The pressures will increase. If you bump the starting pressure, you will limit the pressure/heat growth. The tire doing the most work should get the largest cold pressure bump (typically LF on clockwise tracks, RF on CC tracks for a front engine car, like a 550)). You do NOT really want to exceed the manufacturers specs when hot.

On a clockwise track, with no other info, on a front engine car with over 50% of the weight in front, I typically start by adding 4 psi to LF, 2 psi to RL and LF and leave the RR alone (it is not doing all that much work). When you come in to the hot pits, get a quick reading (even better if you have a pyrometer). Then you can adjust the tires based on pressure and feel of the car after the tires have cooled down and come to a resting pressure.

Different for rear or mid rear engine cars, but the concept is the same.

Regards,
Jerry

 

Any type of serious tracking, you need another set of wheels and something like hossier slicks.

Street tires are too snappy and too bendy.
R compounds last 1 serious day.

 

Went with mich pilot supper sports and they got too squirrelly 2/3 of the way through a hard session once they were really hot. It was very noticable. The car would start to slide and get very loose. IMO they are too soft when they are upto hot track specs. My instructor agreed and on each session I would have to take a slower lap to let the tires cool off. Im going with pirelli trofero's for my next outing.

 

Your experience sounds typical of someone running too much pressure. I have experienced this on many street and track (r-comp) tires. You simply need to reduce the pressure until you find the sweet spot. Often times, this will lead to cold pressures far lower than expected. I have found most Michelins prefer lower pressures, as opposed to Bridgestones that prefer higher pressures. Generally, track/r-comp tires prefer lower pressures, while high performance OE tires prefer higher pressures. However, 1-2 psi too much can cause that "greasy" feeling. The last set of Michelin and Bridgestone performance street tires i drove on at the track like 36psi and 38psi HOT respectively. My Nitto NT-01s like 30psi HOT. Any more, and they will have very little grip half-way into the session.