This is a little off... if slicks were faster wouldn't all dirt late models, big block modifieds and 410 sprints be running them ? Are we talking about racing on dirt or asphalt here ? Your examples seem unrelated to the topic at hand, I think any time you are racing on a dirt "oval" instead of a dirt circle treaded tires will generate side bite, allowing for a better controlled corner entry at a higher speed, if you have a kart set up to keep the back under your *** and drive it like you are on asphalt then yes, slicks may work out better.... give a good driver some time with treads and free the kart up and let the dirt tires do what they are capable of and I think the advantage would be with the treads
Why not just run treads?
- Thread starter Mcarlson8
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JPMKarting
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Your comparison is 100% irrelevant.
Late models, BB Mods, and 410 sprints are pushing 600-900 horsepower. The power to weight ratio on those cars is anywhere from 1:2-1:4.
The power to weight ratio on your average kart is A LOT different. You will never, ever, EVER, EVER have horsepower exceed grip in a kart (with the exception being UAS in certain situations).
This answer is really quite simple. They are not available for big cars. And nobody slides a kart. If they are, they are losing ground. The short wheelbase and low center of gravity is the key. Not to mention the flex and suspension characteristics of a big car. I run UAS on a 450 weighing about 465# with 80ish horse. Traction is an issue every time I push the throttle. But on a "sealed" packed track with any kind of "groove" to race on, a slick that is properly prepped will almost always be faster. Take a loose, unpacked track surface after a fresh rain and treads will work and be faster. Especially since most kart features don't exceed 20 laps. The track, in that condition, will likely not tighten up and pack in within that amount of laps. And if everyone is on treads, that type of track will not tighten up at all cuz the tread keeps peeling layers off. A big car race will start on a torn up, loose soil surface and cars will be blistering fast. But as 50-100 laps click off, the track transitions from wet, tacky, high bite into a dry, hard, slick. That's when, and why, you see the cars moving all over trying to find grip. 90% of the time you'll see them either up on the cushion hanging the right rear into the berm where there is a pile of loose wet dirt that loads the right rear weight transfer and they can rocket out of the corner with momentum. Or the slide down to the bottom on entry, put the left front on the inside berm, which loads the right rear hard, then they apex off and slide to the wall where the loose material is. Very rarely do you see a car stay in the black groove where there is no loose material to get a hold of and see them going to the front. If you do see this, their car is set up for a longer run with different tires and that car is not nearly as sideways as the others on the track. You might be amazed by how little tread that particular car will have. However, if there was a set of slicks available in those sizes that offered the same characteristics of today's kart slicks, you'd see a whole different ball game in the big cars. Jmo though
XXX#40
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Tree Huggers
Someone ...
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Tread was invented to give water a path to escape so you hydroplane less. But once there isn't standing water you don't need a lot of tread depth. As the track gets harder the tread tends to squirm (which can be lessened by cutting the tire).
Slicks allow more tread surface contact and usually better grip goes with more contact. Preps of course tend to soften the rubber so it can bite better, at the cost of accelerated wear.
Both types of tires utilize their sidewalls to help develop grip, but if your tread is squirming it can be counter-productive.
We’ve sometimes used treaded tires during mud laps after they’ve watered the track or it rained, but (like others have posted) once the track got worked in slicks gripped better. Slicks have a lot less squirm to deal with.
Sprint cars at some tracks used to mount drag racer’s slick tires. When Jan Opperman first did it at Williams Grove he was criticized – until he blew the field away. But we’ve got to be careful basing conclusions on what works for other cars – there’s so much difference between full sized race cars and karts that it’s easy to overlook other significant factors.
Sorry for the long-winded answer. For some it’s enough to copy what they see works for others… some folks delve deeper.
Slicks allow more tread surface contact and usually better grip goes with more contact. Preps of course tend to soften the rubber so it can bite better, at the cost of accelerated wear.
Both types of tires utilize their sidewalls to help develop grip, but if your tread is squirming it can be counter-productive.
We’ve sometimes used treaded tires during mud laps after they’ve watered the track or it rained, but (like others have posted) once the track got worked in slicks gripped better. Slicks have a lot less squirm to deal with.
Sprint cars at some tracks used to mount drag racer’s slick tires. When Jan Opperman first did it at Williams Grove he was criticized – until he blew the field away. But we’ve got to be careful basing conclusions on what works for other cars – there’s so much difference between full sized race cars and karts that it’s easy to overlook other significant factors.
Sorry for the long-winded answer. For some it’s enough to copy what they see works for others… some folks delve deeper.
jack burroughs
member
Opperman prolly did that because he saw how well they worked on the Stock Cars at the Reading dirt oval.