Yellow vega prep/duro/psi questions

Lucky_7

Member
As it says I need advice on yellow vegas. We run a 1/10th mile, hard, dry slick track most nights, some nights it will stay slightly damp. Dirt is fine, reminds me of dry clay when dried on your hand, very slick when watered, starts to tack up as the water drys. Water penetration is normally around 1/4 to 5/8 of and inch using a screwdriver.

I realize this is a lot of info but I am trying to figure this tire stuff out...

Anyway, currently using black bite, tires have been internally rolled per carlson's recommendations with pink panther about 6-7 weeks ago. I have tried a quick wipe of monster bite just before the race. Duro lowered to 35 lefts, 40 rights after rolled, and has came back up a few points. A normal weekly prep is 3-5 wipes of black bite throughout the week. I have never saturated the tire with prep(base), what I mean is, I dont have money for another set of tires and I didnt want to kill them by over prepping. During race nights I'll put 2-3 wipes before each race. Psi has varied from 5.5L,7R to 3.5L,5R.

I do see wear on the tires, but, I am new to this and not completely sure what I'm looking at. Small ridges in the direction of force across the tire, left rear and right front obviously have the most. Right rear looks smoothed rather than worn. I dont have a great tread depth gage so I can't get consistent readings using the holes...

So, am I doing things right, wrong, too much, too little? Do I need to put a base prep in?

Thanks in advance for any advice.
 
You show Psi has varied both in both cases you show 1.5 lb split, Is there a reason for that ? Is the chassis handling good, and just lacking speed ?
If handling is off where and what is it doing ?
 
You show Psi has varied both in both cases you show 1.5 lb split, Is there a reason for that ? Is the chassis handling good, and just lacking speed ?
If handling is off where and what is it doing ?

I dont always run that split, and thats probably the max split I use. I also scaled the kart with that split so I can add cross using pressures. My thinking has me having the LR lower for more grip/side bite. Should I even them up all the way around?

I forgot to mention tire temps are around 80 deg. LR and RF right after a run.

Usually run 4th or 5th on a 10 car field. Heat races are never good for me so I normally start in the back. Leaders are gone by the time I get to that position so it's hard to tell if I'm as fast as them. I feel there's more speed to find, coming out of a corner Id like to find more drive off. Just seems something is missing when trying to get a run. Roll speed is good into and through center.

Edit: Kart stays the same throughout a run. I had a race on a different track where 3 laps in I could feel the tires fade almost instantly.
 
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Closer the split the more overall grip you will have, part of your issue with the heat race is that split track has less grip then close it up to 1/2 lb max for heat, I'd try even up for next race, then depending on how much better you feel the track gets for the feature open it up some, But still don't go over a 1 lb split that's part of your lacking speed.
 
"During race nights I'll put 2-3 wipes before each race. Psi has varied from 5.5L,7R to 3.5L,5R."

That concerns me. Let's take that statement apart and address both issues separately:

It also sounds like you've over-prepped the tires if you're wiping that many coats each week and again a the track..
If you're wiping BB2 once after each time you come off of the track, essentially you're keeping that set of tires where you built them (base of 3 coats or 5 coats, whatever you built into them initially.)
BB2 MUST be completely dry between coats.
Your tires are not getting hot enough to cook out the prep that you've got in them, so adding more coats during the week (and at the track) only makes them "greasy," it won't give you more grip.

Definitely lose the split -- even up air will give you more sidebite, or more specifically get the right side tires "into" the track more.
Vegas on real small track like that can run very low psi.
I would not be afraid to run 3.5# all the way around the car.
You don't make cross adjustments with air pressure (not on the left rear, not anywhere.)

If you get a rain-out or weekend off, let those tires cure/dry out a little and I'll think you'll like them MUCH better.

Hopefully that helps.
If you've got any other questions, please feel free to call the shop.


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Brian Carlson
Carlson Racing Engines
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are you timing class or 2 before you ?
Then you would know if its getting slower or faster.

Never thought about it. But I wouldn't have time to change anything or add prep before going to grid. So If it was losing grip, Whats the solution. More prep, less cross weight?
 
I raced saturday at a different track, about a 1/8" mile. I left the tires alone, didn't add prep through the week. Kart was much better all night, hot laps through feature. I added one wipe after the heat, and I dropped the air pressure 1/2lb (no split) all the way around because they watered the track and I noticed all the other classes where picking up dirt on the tires instead of them blacking off through the corners. I finished third with a still good handling kart. Overall I was a better result. Now, this could be that that track is obviously different. But I've raced there before with these tires and didn't have the grip I had this time.
 
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Found out why I lost turn in ( post #8) and i never replied here. So my psi gauge died and I was on 1 psi or so all the way around....Since I have been great but other karts are better. Finishes are consistently in the top 3-5 in the fast karts. Been running 4.5 psi and havent moved. A dry track is still very slick for me even with a good base of prep. My buddies kart is running vegas and had them soft, around 35 duro or so. They peeled on the edges but they are faster than me. Should I duro mine down some, say 40?
 
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