What is Going on with Tire Wear in SLMs?

[Giterdunn]

OK, so what is going on with tire wear in Super Late Models? I can’t be the only one watching these 50-100 lap features and noticing how a couple of teams have seemingly bulletproof tires. How is it that a couple drivers can pound the berm for 75 laps out of 100 and not get a flat? This is the same berm that others can ride for 35 laps and fall out with flats… Not just flats, but shredded flats.

I remember Bloomer & Moyer always talking about having to “save their tires” until the last 25 laps and then charging for the win. If you did that today, you would be so far back you wouldn’t be able to make up the difference. You would have to hope for a caution to have any chance. Now days if you were to get a caution someone a couple spots behind you probably pitted on lap +/-60 due to “having 2 flat rear tires” and will blow past you and your old tires..

Is there a legitimate reason for this ability of a couple teams to not have tire wear like the rest of the field? I know the easy answer is “they are cheaters”, but if that is your answer, tell me how they are cheating…

BTW, spare us all your fanboy fandom comments like “my guy knows how to use a throttle”.. Your guy has a bigger motor, more HP, more torque and can pull out to 4-6 second leads within 5 laps.. His throttle control is stop when the pedal hits the back of the engine block…

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

OK, so what is going on with tire wear in Super Late Models? I can’t be the only one watching these 50-100 lap features and noticing how a couple of teams have seemingly bulletproof tires. How is it that a couple drivers can pound the berm for 75 laps out of 100 and not get a flat? This is the same berm that others can ride for 35 laps and fall out with flats… Not just flats, but shredded flats.

I remember Bloomer & Moyer always talking about having to “save their tires” until the last 25 laps and then charging for the win. If you did that today, you would be so far back you wouldn’t be able to make up the difference. You would have to hope for a caution to have any chance. Now days if you were to get a caution someone a couple spots behind you probably pitted on lap +/-60 due to “having 2 flat rear tires” and will blow past you and your old tires..

Is there a legitimate reason for this ability of a couple teams to not have tire wear like the rest of the field? I know the easy answer is “they are cheaters”, but if that is your answer, tell me how they are cheating…

BTW, spare us all your fanboy fandom comments like “my guy knows how to use a throttle”.. Your guy has a bigger motor, more HP, more torque and can pull out to 4-6 second leads within 5 laps.. His throttle control is stop when the pedal hits the back of the engine block…

It's not wear. They can be barely worn and fly apart. It's heat. How you drive and how you cut them make a lot of difference. The base problem is they are junk.

I wouldn't be surprised if there aren't some better date codes than others, and a few have that figured out.

[84wedge]

I don't remember the last time I saw JD blow a tire so it's gotta be on the driver.

[crownman25]

Its synthetic rubber now....no natural rubber....

[jog49]

Just plain lousy product!

[FlatTire]

I can say today's Hoosier is not the same as yesterdays. A NLMT 4 durometers harder than an old LM-40.

The shocks are better than ever, creating more traction that generates more heat and stress on a tire.

Also, the horsepower numbers keep creeping up there.

[Flathead]

I totally agree with what everyone is saying the cars these days are faster and asking a lot more out of a tire
but good ole Hoosier is in the business to sell tires not make better quality tires. IMO they are one of the biggest villains in racing.

[Morgs153]

It's sad but tire failures are the only thing keeping some of these shows interesting and non-predictable nowadays.

[chathamracefan]

I can say today's Hoosier is not the same as yesterdays. A NLMT 4 durometers harder than an old LM-40.

The shocks are better than ever, creating more traction that generates more heat and stress on a tire.

Also, the horsepower numbers keep creeping up there.

Not just the shocks, the absurd aero is creating more downforce than ever before on the bigger tracks. There is no pacing yourself in these long races any more.

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

Not just the shocks, the absurd aero is creating more downforce than ever before on the bigger tracks. There is no pacing yourself in these long races any more.

Actually, it has little to do with shocks. Shock technology reached the current plateau 15 years ago. There's different ideas on how to valve them, to go along with the aero mess, but the shocks themselves aren't any better. You can win any race anywhere with a correctly valved gen 1 ohlins.

[zyoung25]

I listen to the drivers project podcast weekly. Every sprint car racer they have had on the show that's been around for a few years, talks about how good the tires were back a few years ago compared to today's tires. They all say they are basically junk.

[84wedge]

I don't remember the last time I saw JD blow a tire so it's gotta be on the driver.

And he blew one last night.

[Henry Every]

I've "NEVER" seen a company bought out by another and the product get better. Just sayin', big corporations have a different mind set to a family owned deal. When its your creation and your passion you do what you have to, to make it the best you can. When its just another product line, you make it as cheap as possible as long as people will continue to believe your marketing. Once the consumer gets tired of the crap and stop buying they'll make an excuse to blame racers for not supporting them. Seen it time and time again in several different areas of business, their main goal isn't to make a better product and these days they'd rather just make you believe its better when its obviously not. True with vaccines, food, cars, etc, etc.

[84wedge]

I've "NEVER" seen a company bought out by another and the product get better. .

MBAs ruin everything

[dirty-white-boy]

mbas ruin everything

yes!!!!!!!!!!