Learners questions...

[SaltandPepper]

Well this is my second season of racing and I continue to impress myself with an exceedingly expanding lack of knowledge. I have learned that if you want to play you gotta pay so I have spent all winter doing upgrades....including a NOS system that I am still debugging but will save those problems for another thread. I do have questions about tires and exhaust pipes though. Wideopen custom made me a set of zoomies that I love. However, after my first run on nitrous I noted that they blue up pretty good about 1/3 of the way up. Is this pretty normal when running spray? I remember back from my days of working on motorcycles blue pipes meant a fuel mixture that was too lean. I pulled the plugs and they look pretty good, not white like a lean mixture. Second, how many runs should I get out of a set of slicks? The ones I have on now have got about 6 runs on them and I do not smoke the tires excessively on burnout. Someone told me that once you begin to see vertical lines on the tires they are done. Is this true? Seems to me that I should get 15-20 runs out of a set before needing replaced. Does anyone recommend a better brand than Hoosier? Please see pics. Again thanks in advance for any input...John

[dreracecar]

If you run often should at least get 2 seasons on the tires, Biggest killer is sunlight-and not getting them off the ground for long periods of time full of air (off season). Tires on our level of racing usually rot before we wear them out. Ive run as much as 3 seasons on my Goodyears and watch the circumference crack where the sidewall and slick come together. Now I run "index" type racing, and don't worry about the last little bit of ET, as I can compensate.  Straight "Heads up " racing where the ET is crucial, Fresh tires can make a difference on ET, but it is very costly


  Cant help with the NO2, not legal in our race formats

[wideopen231]

 Bluing could be nothing more than A/F mixture still burning some when exiting motor. Plugs are always best indicator of what happening in chamber. As for slicks 120 to 150 runs is normal on a set. Hoosier is good tire,lots complain about shake with them.M/T is excellent tire also,but some FED guys have stated they have a hard time getting wheel speed with them because they bite too good. Good Year seems very popular with FED guys especially 2525( I think) and pretty sure that Jon is your best chance at getting a set. Not to mention he has ton of knowledge on tire combo's on feds. Give him a call at Hayden wheels.

Personally I am betting on M/T's well have bet 650 bucks anyway.LOL

[jeff/21]

I like Hoosiers especially on outlaw tracks that are not as well prepped  but mine don't look like yours my tires get a grainy like sand paper and I do some thing that I'm told is wrong is to rotate them after ten runs 10.5 x 33w get two seasons

[dreracecar]

Goodyears are directional, you need to run them a couple times to take a set, and after that, can swap them side to side

[SaltandPepper]

Just what I was hoping to hear....I will use the slicks I have for this season and may try a set of M/Ts. WO, I was thinking the same thing about the exhaust.

[Supercat]

Color in the pipes is not a major issue as long as they are all the same.

[THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER]

My experience with Hoosiers is they hook great even with a minimum of burnout - UNLESS its cold out, i.e. temps in the 40s and 50s. Then, they will never hook good, regardless of how hard a burnout I do.

[the shadow]

NOS to stay competitive in a FED? 

[dreracecar]

Check first with the track you are planning to race at for legality. NHRA "Heritage" does not allow Nitrous

[JrFuel Hayden]

I agree Hoosiers are track temp related, even with my JF Goodyears I will not make a Qualifying pass if the track temp is in the mid to low 50's , it just will spin not even smoke on the buern-out , just spinning.
If you are running NE-1 [ 7.60] NE-2 [8.60] you can run some nitro and some not all teams run nitro. if you are running under 50% no compression ratio change is needed.
Jon