There are several tracks scattered across the country that utilize treaded tires.
Here are just a few of the myths debunked:
Treads don't tear the track up.
Wrong. Ask some of the racers who run at tracks that allow both treads and slicks to be run. The treaded tires pick up the race track surface (ie rooster tails), throw it in the air, and it falls back in the racing groove (not exactly conducive to the guys running slicks.
Now, if the track were already pounded down hard and slick, then it makes the treads ineffective - thus the reason slicks got popular to begin with.
Three wide racing is now possible with threads.
Wrong. Three wide racing is possible when the track is configured as such that all three grooves are equally fast. This has a lot more to do with track preparation than tires. Most karts are so badly underpowered (stock classes) that momentum is the name of the game -- (ie high in the straights, low in the corners = making a circle out of an oval.) Being equal in power makes it a freight train scenario where taking a chance on an outside line is simply not a wise decision most nights. Even starting on the outside is a deficit for most features at kart tracks today because the clean racing groove is so narrow and on the bottom of the corners. For this reason alone, many big races/series/etc. have gone to single file starts or made other rules to address the advantage that the inside line has.
At least the UAS (big HP) class should be on treads.
Wrong. These guys run faster lap times on slicks than treads as well. It is a personal preference at most tracks that run "opens or run-whatcha-brungs," and most UAS-style races continue to be won on slicks.
Sprint cars and late models running treads turn tracks to glassphalt.
These tracks slick off because the moisture is sealed over and/or wicked away by the larger tires and aero that they create. These cars typically chase the cushion upward toward the wall all night long, and on a properly prepared track will run where the moisture remains rather than in the glassphalt part of the track surface.
Treaded tires are somewhat excluded from cutting and prepping.
Wrong. We cut and prep treaded tires on a weekly basis through our shop. Cut treads are TONS faster in stock and underpowered classes (up to about 25 CHP or so.) Cutting and prepping still goes on, but now is considerably more time intensive and thus expensive. The tires themselves are considerably more expensive, so now you've got a set of tires that are at least $100/set more than the current prepared slick tires (which would still be faster.)
While I appreciate the many attempts to make karting inexpensive, going to treaded tires themselves is not the answer.
If a group of guys at a particular track want to run treads, I have no problem with that. Make a gentlemen's agreement to run treads of a particular brand, compound, no cutting, no prepping, etc. and just go have fun. Mandating this to the general karting public is not the answer (in my opinion.)
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?Thanks and God bless,
Brian Carlson
Carlson Racing Engines
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30 years of service to the karting industry
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bcarlson@CarlsonMotorsports.com