Best track tire for Gallardo?

try michelin pilot sport cup tires. can drive to track with them

 

I've had similar experiences with P Zeros of similar application to the Gallardo. I also have lots of experience with the R6, but not in G-car size. I'd highly recommend getting a set of R6s and have them heat cycled at Tire Rack. You'll get tons of life out of them and epic grip compared to the P Zeros. They're incredibly consistent, but I think you'll find the limit of adhesion less discernible than with the P Zero.

The A6 is the autocross tire, not perfectly suitable for road course use.

 

I have a lot of experience with the older R3S03 and some R6 as well but not on the Gallardo. I can tell you the tires are amazing when in the sweet spot. Too cold = greasy, too hot = greasy, just right = paradise.

b-mak's right on getting them heat cycled from TR, they'll last much longer and stay in the sweet spot longer during sessions; and on the A6 as well... I don't think you want an autocross tire on your Lambo LOL.

Cheers & C U @ d'Track!!
C

Chuck Hawks,
Pro-Driver, Coach, Instructor & Facilitator
DreamsFulfilled, LLC & rEvolution Performance Driving System ©

 

PS Cups are great track/street tires

 

How new are you to the track? Getting into R compounds too early can certainly mask other issues in your driving. Faster? Yes. But even with street tires that are slower, you can learn a lot about you, the driver.

 

I like the Pzero Corsas that comes with the superleggera.

 

This is not a matter of 2WD vs. AWD, etc. it is more a matter of driving ability to exploit what is there and whether or not you are able to extract the full capability of street tires. Honestly, and certainly no offense intended - with only 10 track days under your belt, unless you are superhuman, it is doubtful that you can extract 100% of what's available from street tires. If what you have is getting greasy to the point of concern in just one day or one event, my guess is it is because they are being overtaxed by driving style, not sheer & proper wear.

My advice is to hold off on the R comps and get something that has a lower threshold, especially when you are driving something like a Gallardo - a car that demands a tremendous amount of respect to drive on track. That car is capable of going so fast, and R comps bring a whole new level of fast, when mistakes are made they are compounded by all that extra speed. I want you to post here about how much fun you are having as opposed to how your wonderful car has been damaged due to what would have been a benign mishap turned really ugly simply because of the speed that is available with such a setup (R comps.) Street tires not only cover less mistakes, they are WAY more forgiving of them. R comps and above stick until the bitter end and then the transition to no grip is so much shorter in duration that if you don't have the experience under your belt to handle it smoothly and calmly AND be ahead of the car with your inputs, it gets ugly really fast. Not much good can come from that situation - especially in car that is so rare and expensive to fix.

In fact, one of my key instruction points to people who are advanced drivers with lots of track days under their belt is to go out and get the crappiest tires that they can fit on their car and learn or practice driving at the limit (at lower/safer speeds due to the limited capability of the tires.) This way, when they add extra grip, they are more familiar with how the car will act at said limit and can drive their way out of more situations without issue. That being said, the limit still feels and occurs differently with extra grip allowed by stickier tires but the experience level is so much higher that surprises are greatly reduced, if not virtually eliminated. There simply is no substitute for experience.

I'd honestly recommend you hold off on the R comps and go with something more like the Michelin PS as others have mentioned. Learn to be smoooooooth AND conserve those for as long as you can and you WILL go very fast and have lots of fun. When you find that you can drive something like the PS well at the limit most (95%) of the time and feel there's more speed to be found - THEN think about stepping into a treadless/virtually treadless tire.

It's not my intent to judge or predispose your ability - take my suggestions for what they are worth - but that is my recommendation based on what little I know of you (virtually nothing) from seeing your posts here... and a long history of training and coaching drivers at all levels in everything from junkers to the most capable exotics and race cars. I've seen a lot in said instruction, and many times moving to tires that are super sticky has proven to be more of a decrease than an increase in students'/drivers' opportunity to learn.

What ever your choice, keep it safe and keep us posted!

Cheers & C U @ d'Track!!
C

Chuck Hawks,
Pro-Driver, Coach, Instructor & Facilitator
DreamsFulfilled, LLC & rEvolution Performance Driving System ©

 

Actually, Chuck, the P Zeros are well known for getting greasy in on track applications. My experience with them tells me that they're probably going off within one session for the OP. This is not uncommon of street tires when driven on track, regardless of the driver's ability. I've experienced this with many different street tires, not just P Zeros.

Perhaps what the OP needs is a shaved set of Michelin PS2s for track work. That said, R6s are a hell of a lot of fun and exceptionally consistent.

 

I'd suggest Toyo R888s. I have raced for years and found that I chewed through R6s pretty quickly, as the car is not aligned for optimal track performance and the R6s wanted more camber than the car has. The R888s do not have as much ultimate grip, but last much longer and at 10 track days you do not need, nor will you fully appreciate, R6s. I still have problems getting R6s to do theri best, as I tend to overdrive them.