Wrapping tires

[Rev272]

A few weeks ago we were at the track and noticed someone had there tires wrapped. Is there a purpose to doing this?

[9car]

i know it was common in kart racing when someone had treated tires

[RW57]

Saw the same thing at Rome last race they were wrapped in shrink wrap had never saw that before. It would have been interesting if they would have to put one on quick we use that stuff at work and once you wrap it over its self u can not hardly unwrap the stuff.

[BRC7]

Just helps keep the tires from getting "stale" thats all. Very commonly used on storing unused new tires during the off season.

[Egoracing]

One of the things that kills rubber is it "gasses off" as it ages. This causes the rubber to get harder and crack. Wrapping them keeps them in better condition, We would wash them and wrap them before storing them.

[Mod66x]

Also wrapping the tires with plastic wrap keeps the heat in the tires after ones been soaking them....This is what i'm told or heard!!!!!

[dirty white boy]

well when ya put them soft'in cemicals on them tires,..ya wrapp'um with seran wrap to keep the treatment from drying before it soaks down in to da rubber,..knew one ol boy use to wait right up to race time to un wrapp his,..he won most the time too...

[9kchas24]

Do any of the sanctioning bodies prohibit the "plastic wrapping" of tires??? Is there an advantage to wrapping them if you are not treating them?? ( stay "fresher--softer"? ) Just curious...

[gatorade]

a tire has oils in it and will dry up if you dont wrap it after washing and grinding... A good test is to wash two old tires and grind them in your shop as if you were going to use them, wrap one and not the other and let them ride in your trailer to a couple of races. Visually compare the tires at the end of couple weeks, no question the tire that is wrapped will be in better condition... Wrapping doesnt mean cheating, it just means someone is on top of their tire program
JR

[zeke23z]

If you really wanna keep them guessing show up one night with them wrapped in aluminium foil!

[Bubstr]

It is my understanding, that tires, being made of hydrocarbon,(oil), have a tendency to dry out due to evaporation. This process is accelerated when close to any Ozone gas, generated by anything electrical or even by sun light. It has been common practice since the 70s to spray with silicon and plastic wrap tires for storage in a cool dark place away from welders and electric motors, until the soaking rules came in. This kept them fresh and more compliant.

If you think about it, oil will turn to sludge and gas will turn to gummy substance. It does make sense. Something else to think about, is, should all racing tires have a born on date? I'm sure everyone has bought new tires and some smell strong of rubber and some smell of warehouse.

This may sound like over kill, but how many times have you seen qualifying separating the top 10 by only hundredths of a second? It could mean starting on the poll or starting in the hole. Who really knows?

[hpmaster]

If you really wanna keep them guessing show up one night with them wrapped in aluminium foil!

And wear a hazmatt suit and resperator while putting them on the car.

[JustAddDirt]

^^^^^^that would be funny too see what people's reaction would be to that.

[autoshop]

yep, we did it too. it kept the officals from figguring out what we testing out in other areas of the car.