Tire pressure for track day F430?

The "safe" and easy answer you'll get is to follow the manufacturer's recommendations, as usually found on a doorjamb sticker and/or in the manual. Keep in mind, of course, that the manufacturer will specify a certain pressure to make the car handle in a certain way, and other factors are also considered, such as noise, fuel economy and tire life. And pressures will, of course, change depending on ambient temperatures, load and driving style.

Reality is that today's modern performance tires, especially in low profile supercar trim, don't suffer the same sidewall rollover that 50 series tires of a decade ago did.

General rule of thumb: a modern ultra or max performance tire will work best (most grip) at a ***HOT*** pressure of 40 psi OR LOWER. R compounds or road racing slicks thrive under even lower pressures.

If you start COLD at the manufacturer's recommended levels, you'll quickly overheat the tires (and if they're new, they'll start chunking almost immediately), particularly if it's a hot (90 degree) day.

Start with something like 28 pounds in the rear and 30 pounds in the front, and check it after your first session. I wouldn't be surprised, if you're at 40 lbs or over (unless you're really not driving it over 7/10ths). Then start playing with the pressure from there to better tune the handling to your liking, and keep an eye on tire wear. Too much understeer? Add two pounds to the front. Too much oversteer? Add a little rear tire pressure.

And make sure to add some air at the end of the day for the drive home.

vty,

--Dennis