custom tires for german teams only?

[Mustangfan]

hey guys!
i've been mailing with a guy from a german team and he told me that they've been given custom-made tires from a german manufacturer who did a short productoin run of just some tens! he claimed these tires should give a cof of more than 2.2 because they're more or less super-soft kart rubber just as 13in. i don't know which teams have these things but he said that most of the germans have them and that one team allready used them in australia. that should be brunswik or how they are spelled, is that true? i really think that these tires are cheeky if only some would get them! what do you guys think?

George

[vinHonda]

If you can find high performance grippier tires, the more power to you. That's my opinion.

This is racing, we're trying to find advantages everywhere. If their team fielded an approach to get these tyres, then that's good for them.

It's true, I've tried to acquire these tyres as well for some MTS flat trac testing....but they refused, and opted to only supply german teams.

I say, good for them. We went out and got ourselves a tyre partner as well.

Cheers

Vinh

[Matt Gignac]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by vinHonda:
This is racing, we're trying to find advantages everywhere. If their team fielded an approach to get these tyres, then that's good for them.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That's very true, but then again, it's not F1 either.

I see it primarily as a learning experience, and the concept of not having access to a certain tyre compound based on geography (as the case may seem to be, but I don't know all the details), is kinda stupid to me.

Matt G

[vinHonda]

Take a look at it in this light:

All the southern teams get to test very early while I'm sitt'n here waiting for some warm weather to test. That is an advantage based on geography as well.....

You win some, you lose some. I still think our tyre may be better then the German Continental/Uniroyal.

We'll see in Fstudent.

Cheers

Vinh

[Andreas]

I know that brunswick has used them, but I am not sure if there have been an other german team using them as well. We talked to uniroyal at FS 2003 and they were to help an other team with some sets of tires. Due to our FSAE-A trip we got a couple of sets even if we are not german. We got the tires to late so we couldn´t test them before we left. We had to set the car up for the new radials during the week prior the event (thanks again Monash!), before that we had just run on avon cross ply. The change of tire was a budget problem. We probably wouldn´t get to australia if we had to buy new tires.. The ply was so stiff that we only had 0.5 Bar of pressure to be able to use all the tread. The low pressure caused quite a lot of side deflection though. We haven´t done any scientific studies of the tires but we feel that the uniroyals worked at least as good as our avons. I´ve heard that they pulled out of the FSAE tire development after FS 2003

Andreas, Chalmers -02,-03

[Tim Heinemann]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Andreas:
I know that brunswick has used them, but I am not sure if there have been an other german team using them as well. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

We at Aachen have them as well and I'm pretty sure that Stralsund and Munich also got them. I actually don't know whether they're really as good as supposed because we're still fettling around with our car and it will be a lot fo work to get our gearbox running so we won't be able to really test them before Detroit. It'll be up to Stralsund to show their potential as they'll most likely have a really good car with allmost a year of testing behind them. If the tires work they might become a match for you, Vinh! ;-)

I'm really looking forward to see how this thing develops.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>I´ve heard that they pulled out of the FSAE tire development after FS 2003 <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Actually I doubt that they really did "FSAE tire development". As you have them you might have noticed how they were build and that both tires sizes show identical numbers. We've been talking to Conti and Uniroyal three years ago on this issue as they have a plant here at Aachen and they -allthough being involved with the uni in quite some ways- told us that that would be to much work etc. Some weeks ago I met a Conti engineer who studied in Aachen on a party and by coincidence he shared the bureau of the guy who did the tires for Brunswick so we talked a little on this issue. To me appearently these tires where not developed using vast amounts of manpower and knowledge as might have been possible but he also couldn't tell me what Brunswick's input was. I'm very curious how Stralsund will compete using them. We're grateful we got them because buying new Avons would have killed our budget but I personally have doubts that if they offer an advantage we'd be able to show it.



Tim

[Tim Heinemann]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>
I see it primarily as a learning experience, and the concept of not having access to a certain tyre compound based on geography (as the case may seem to be, but I don't know all the details), is kinda stupid to me.

Matt G <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


I tend to agree but I suspect that the reason they don't want to sell these tyres to other teams is that they appearently really only produced some dozens. We got four sets, one of them allready broken in, and to my knowledge this is more or less the same for all current German teams except for Hamburg who appearently got a donation from Michelin earlier. With Brunswick, Munich, Stralsund and us and - as Andreas just told - Chalmers, too, this would mean they've produced maybe around 100-200 tyres. They at least told us that at the moment they could only supply 20 tyres because they simply didn't build enough and they don't have actual plans for doing so.



Tim

[vinHonda]

Stralsund's old car on 'special'Continentals vs. Toronto's new car on 'special'Avons....

Only time will tell! http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif From what I can recall...they'll have to find about... 3 seconds a lap on a 50second lap to catch our old car http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

Tim, I hope Jerry was able to help you out.

Looking forward to seeing you guys in Detroit! Bring that German beer!

Cheers!

Vinh

[Jim400]

I Had a thought about this when reading, a rule in the rules states:

3.2.2 'Within each tire set, the tire compound or size, or wheel type shall not be changed after static judging has begun.'

This made me think, if the tires are that soft to produce a cof of 2.2 they will never last till the end of the endurance and you can't use them for just the other events. Just wondering if anyone had put alot of miles on them yet or how they were wairing?

[vinHonda]

Talking to the engineer that poured the "German Special" Continental tyre, I learned that compound life is approximately two endurance stints..... ie 44kms. That is enough to last the competition.

Cheers,

Vinh

[Frank]

i hope our new car will be able to keep up on crappy hoosiers

[Charlie]

I hope everyone moves on from these crappy Hoosiers and tries something new this year. http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

[Denny Trimble]

We're using some nokian studless snows... the Hoosiers are just obsolete http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif