ATTN: Sportsman, ProTruck, Super Stock and Street Stock Competitors

[scottgarrity07]

Top Secret Covert Tire Testing

So late Saturday Night at New Smyrna Speedway it was decided that the long awaited, much anticipated Hoosier Tire Test was going to be done Tuesday October 7th from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.. Unfortunately, (due to being a dumbass and forgetting my cellphone in South Daytona Sunday) I didn't get word until Monday night. I decided not to jinx the whole affair (like my previous testing announcements), kept it to myself and made the long 3hr drive to NSS with one of my crew guys and my super-custom Tire Test Data Log and every tire measuring device in the 07 Sportsman trailer. When I pulled onto Pit Road I found the 25 Sportsman of Patrick Thomas and the 23 Super Stock of Shannon Kelly up on jackstands, without wheels, hungrily awaiting new sticker tires of a different type. Perfect. I couldn't think of two better drivers/cars to test some new Hoosier tires with. Patrick and Shannon are not only two of the fastest drivers in their respected classes but also two of the smoothest. Present in the pits were the NSS tech team and Kim Brown. Somehow NSS was able to procure sets of Hoosier 800's and Hoosier 700's (The much vaunted "super-duper, incredibly long-lasting yet ultra-sticky New Hoosier Mystery Tire" never materialized. Shocker.). Both cars tested the 800's, the Hoosier 700's and both also ran laps on the Phil Jacques provided 100 lap, 1 year old 800's. Every detailed bit of information that could be obtained from the running of these tires was recorded. I would love to spill the beans on what went down, but I was required by Kim Brown to swear on a stack of Bibles and Clyde Hart's grave that I would not divulge the top secret information obtained in the Twilight Tire Tests (although I swear I saw Bill Belicheck secretly videotaping from behind the turn three wall). I CAN say this, the tire test went very well and there were even some amazing surprises that we didn't anticipate. Although the actual test was "Top Secret", the information obtained in these tests will not be for long. The NSS brass have all of the information, are reviewing it and will be making an announcement soon as to what changes will or will not be made in regards to tires for the classes that currently run 8" ribbed Hoosiers for 2015. Once the announcement is made, I was assured that all the data we obtained will be made public to assure 100% transparency on this matter. After the tests were concluded and after much deliberation over, of course, SUDS, a conference call was made with head tech Honcho, Ricky Brooks and he was briefed on the proceedings. I want to thank Kim Brooks and everyone at NSS for looking at this thread and asking themselves "Are we in the tire selling business or in the racing business?". Well, let me tell you, the folks at NSS are indeed in the racing business and want what's best for the racer and fan alike. Regardless of what decision is made from this point, we have conducted a thorough scientific review of these tires and compared that to what we currently run. That is all I was looking for. Just an honest and unbiased, fact-based comparison. I would also like to thank Patrick Thomas and Shannon Kelly for taking their personal time and spending their personal money to bring these cars to the track and run a ton of laps putting wear and tear on their very fast and capable machines. They didn't have to do this. I also want to thank Shannon for providing everyone with SUDS at the conclusion of the test. You sir, are a man after my own heart, lol. As the sun set over the grandstands of legendary New Smyrna Speedway, I couldn't help but think that all of us together had done our sport a tremendous service in helping to promote it's longevity and rebirth and that a new day was on the horizon where we could at least try to create an environment that would foster a return to big car counts, competitive racing and a whole helluva lot of fun for everyone. Again, thanks to everyone involved and stay tuned......

[Phil Jacques]

I am dying for the results!!!

[Matt Albee]

So late Saturday Night at New Smyrna Speedway it was decided that the long awaited, much anticipated Hoosier Tire Test was going to be done Tuesday October 7th from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.. Unfortunately, (due to being a dumbass and forgetting my cellphone in South Daytona Sunday) I didn't get word until Monday night. I decided not to jinx the whole affair (like my previous testing announcements), kept it to myself and made the long 3hr drive to NSS with one of my crew guys and my super-custom Tire Test Data Log and every tire measuring device in the 07 Sportsman trailer. When I pulled onto Pit Road I found the 25 Sportsman of Patrick Thomas and the 23 Super Stock of Shannon Kelly up on jackstands, without wheels, hungrily awaiting new sticker tires of a different type. Perfect. I couldn't think of two better drivers/cars to test some new Hoosier tires with. Patrick and Shannon are not only two of the fastest drivers in their respected classes but also two of the smoothest. Present in the pits were the NSS tech team and Kim Brown. Somehow NSS was able to procure sets of Hoosier 800's and Hoosier 700's (The much vaunted "super-duper, incredibly long-lasting yet ultra-sticky New Hoosier Mystery Tire" never materialized. Shocker.). Both cars tested the 800's, the Hoosier 700's and both also ran laps on the Phil Jacques provided 100 lap, 1 year old 800's. Every detailed bit of information that could be obtained from the running of these tires was recorded. I would love to spill the beans on what went down, but I was required by Kim Brown to swear on a stack of Bibles and Clyde Hart's grave that I would not divulge the top secret information obtained in the Twilight Tire Tests (although I swear I saw Bill Belicheck secretly videotaping from behind the turn three wall). I CAN say this, the tire test went very well and there were even some amazing surprises that we didn't anticipate. Although the actual test was "Top Secret", the information obtained in these tests will not be for long. The NSS brass have all of the information, are reviewing it and will be making an announcement soon as to what changes will or will not be made in regards to tires for the classes that currently run 8" ribbed Hoosiers for 2015. Once the announcement is made, I was assured that all the data we obtained will be made public to assure 100% transparency on this matter. After the tests were concluded and after much deliberation over, of course, SUDS, a conference call was made with head tech Honcho, Ricky Brooks and he was briefed on the proceedings. I want to thank Kim Brooks and everyone at NSS for looking at this thread and asking themselves "Are we in the tire selling business or in the racing business?". Well, let me tell you, the folks at NSS are indeed in the racing business and want what's best for the racer and fan alike. Regardless of what decision is made from this point, we have conducted a thorough scientific review of these tires and compared that to what we currently run. That is all I was looking for. Just an honest and unbiased, fact-based comparison. I would also like to thank Patrick Thomas and Shannon Kelly for taking their personal time and spending their personal money to bring these cars to the track and run a ton of laps putting wear and tear on their very fast and capable machines. They didn't have to do this. I also want to thank Shannon for providing everyone with SUDS at the conclusion of the test. You sir, are a man after my own heart, lol. As the sun set over the grandstands of legendary New Smyrna Speedway, I couldn't help but think that all of us together had done our sport a tremendous service in helping to promote it's longevity and rebirth and that a new day was on the horizon where we could at least try to create an environment that would foster a return to big car counts, competitive racing and a whole helluva lot of fun for everyone. Again, thanks to everyone involved and stay tuned......

Just little full of yourself aren't you? You seem to think that your obsession with this Hoosier tire is going to " foster a return......blah, blah " But you know for a fact the the choice of tires, or their price, is not the reason for low car counts. And you also know for a fact that changing the tire used, or it's price, isn't going to bring cars out of the woodwork. That's like the NASCAR theory that low fan counts at DIS are because the grandstands weren't fancy enough and there were no vertical transporters at the injectors. The remodel isn't going to solve the problem.
Was the " much vaunted, super duper, incredibly long lasting, yet ultra sticky New Hoosier Mystery tire" requested for this test? And what was the reason given by Hoosier for the tire not being there? I'm sure you asked.
But thanks to New Smyrna for the test. I've read good things about Kim and the NSS rebirth.

[BTyler99]

Just little full of yourself aren't you? You seem to think that your obsession with this Hoosier tire is going to " foster a return......blah, blah " But you know for a fact the the choice of tires, or their price, is not the reason for low car counts. And you also know for a fact that changing the tire used, or it's price, isn't going to bring cars out of the woodwork. That's like the NASCAR theory that low fan counts at DIS are because the grandstands weren't fancy enough and there were no vertical transporters at the injectors. The remodel isn't going to solve the problem.
Was the " much vaunted, super duper, incredibly long lasting, yet ultra sticky New Hoosier Mystery tire" requested for this test? And what was the reason given by Hoosier for the tire not being there? I'm sure you asked.
But thanks to New Smyrna for the test. I've read good things about Kim and the NSS rebirth.

While changing the tire may not be the complete answer for getting cars back to the track, it is a big step in the right direction. Cutting the tire bill down will allow more cars to show up on a more consistent basis. This actually is a huge step forward on getting cars back to the track on a weekly basis.

By doing this tire test it continues to show that the New Smyrna staff do care about their racers. I haven't always seen eye to eye with the staff there, but I will honestly say they are doing a great job of running the show up there. If they saw something they liked last night in the tire test ,and do change I'm sure the savings will bring more cars back. Tires are by far the biggest weekly expensive for most racers, so I know I would love to save some money there. I would also like to thank New Smyrna for listening to the racers and Scott for pushing for this.

[Don Nerone]

Well I know they tested the 800 at NSS.
So tell us how it went.
How many laps did they test them and how many times.
How fast slow were they
id we find out anytheing about how long they will last
do they repeat
How did they do on long runs ..Like 25 or 35 laps
What were the temps\
What happened?????
don62

[Patrick Thomas 25]

The results will be out as soon as Ricky Brooks analyzes the data, and they decide what will be the best for the racers. Stay tuned.

Patrick Thomas 25

[Boneman]

I took a sneak peak at the tire test results. Expect to hear the same thing from Ricky Brooks soon.

When warm, these tires give off a lovely scent like pumpkin spice and cinnamon.

They also make colored smoke, so they are ideal for "drifting" shows at Speedworld.

Pre-approved for the N.O.A.A. artificial reef program.

The exposed steel belts dig into the pavement better than rubber.

They don't exactly fit the wheels, so everyone will have to run bead-locks like dirt cars to keep the tires attached.

Come on, give 'em a break. What do you expect from child labor and slaves?

[Don Nerone]

The results will be out as soon as Ricky Brooks analyzes the data, and they decide what will be the best for the racers. Stay tuned.

Patrick Thomas 25

So Ricky was there ? cool I heard that there wasent any one there that know how to test tires.
I did test that tire under a different # right after the track was paved on a mod and it didn't take heat well but the track is older now and might work out on low horse cars.

don62

[Lurkin]

What dummies, they could've just asked you!

[Don Nerone]

What dummies, they could've just asked you!

Well they could have had someone that knows how to do a tire test there.
If it works out for them then its great and the tire people will get to sell everyone some new tires .
If the tire dosent work when its hot on july 4th weekend the tire guys get to sell more tires.
You think that the tire co wants soft tires so they can sell more and that is far from the truth. They want more cars buying tires with is what most people on here are posting they want.
Why would you not listen to the experts and try to teach them how to do it.
Now if the tire doesent work the track gets the bad rap and it was no skin of ur back.
I do hope it works out but I wont bet agenst the tire builder with my money.
We will see soon either way.


don62


don62

[Patrick Thomas 25]

I apologize for not asking you to be there Don, I forgot you are the only one that knows anything about tires. What was I thinking. I'm sure that Hoosier tire south knew about this test, since they supplied the tires for the test. They have no interest in doing anything that is going to make the tires that we run last longer.

The test was done as best as our feeble brains could come up with. Yes we did short runs, yes we did long runs. We tried new tires, old tires, different compound tires. We tracked tread wear, temperature's, and used a durometer to check tire softness. We even wrote all the results found down.

I have no idea what the outcome will be, but I do know one thing. Next time I will ask Don Nerone for the results and not put time on my equipment, because Don knows all.

Patrick Thomas 25

[Matt Albee]

You wanna talk about your drama, here it is in spades. A super secret tire test in the middle of the night, only a handful of race tire experts on hand, the fate of sportsman racing hanging in the balance. Wow!
And to add to the mystery, all participants were apparently required to sign a confidentiality agreement that no details could be released until exhaustive examination of the results by an expert. I know i'm breathlessly awaiting the big announcement. The date of the press conference announcing the findings will be published ahead of time i hope.
In the meantime, all participants in this "test" should remember that leaking any information to the public is punishable by a $10,000 fine and/or 5 years in jail.

[Don Nerone]

I apologize for not asking you to be there Don, I forgot you are the only one that knows anything about tires. What was I thinking. I'm sure that Hoosier tire south knew about this test, since they supplied the tires for the test. They have no interest in doing anything that is going to make the tires that we run last longer.

The test was done as best as our feeble brains could come up with. Yes we did short runs, yes we did long runs. We tried new tires, old tires, different compound tires. We tracked tread wear, temperature's, and used a durometer to check tire softness. We even wrote all the results found down.

I have no idea what the outcome will be, but I do know one thing. Next time I will ask Don Nerone for the results and not put time on my equipment, because Don knows all.

Patrick Thomas 25

I just asked what the outcome was and all I get is a smart answer from the guy that did the test.
Whats the big deal. what is so hush hush.
Are you trying to hide something or did I hit one of your nerves?
I just asked who did the test and what was the outcome.
I have done many test in the last 30 years for tracks that I ran and have been payed to do many other test all over the country and if you had asked me I could not have done it.
I could have given you some info on how to do it.
After your smart coments im sure I would not now.
Thease things are not a joke and people have lost there life when they are not done right.
I should never have tryed to help and hope it works out for the good guys .
You need to beleave that the tire mfg. have your best intrest in heart.
Good luck

don62


good luck

[Phil Jacques]

We use the 800 tire through many divisions up here, one in particular is the Late Models @ Stafford Speedway which run about a 465hp built spec motor that they share with the SK Modified division. These cars are 3000lbs with 55% left weight. We also run this tire on the Limited Late Models which are a 602 Crate with 4bbl carb (Sounds an awful lot like your sportsman cars) except our LLM is 3100lbs and 53% left weight... In comparison, the FL sportsman is 3000lbs and 56% left weight...

These tires have worked absolutely fantastic over the years for us here not only at Stafford but also at Monadnock. Now, no... It doesn't hit 90º on a regular basis up here, but there are generally 3-4 races each year where we are as hot if not hotter than you guys in FL in mid July to early August... Even on a hot track, there have been no issues whatsoever with this tire. There were guys running this tire 4 races and still running up front and winning this season.

Is the 800 the magical solution to racing in FL? No, probably not. But at least people are trying to find a way to help make the weekly racing cheaper for the little guys.

This is the big problem with racing across the country. Everyone hides behind a keyboard and says they know how to fix it but they don't make any effort to do so. What happens to you guys in FL doesn't matter to me one bit, but I love FL and love racing and suggested this tire to Scott to help, went out of my way to find a good solid low lap set of used tires for the test, spent my time and money to ship them down cause I want to see you guys grow as a community and get the parked cars out of their shops.

Short Track racing is in trouble right now. Escalating costs are killing the little guys and young fans who are the future of this sport and all the track owners and promoters seem to be in denial and not understand how expensive it really has gotten. I am seeing Bomber division cars for sale right now for $7500... That's LUDACRIS! The sad part is people pay that, and after time it becomes seen as acceptable. A Bomber car should cost no more than $3500-4000 NEW... Instead of everyone sitting here arguing all the damn time pointing fingers, take a minute and try to help find solutions to problems.

[scottgarrity07]

I just asked what the outcome was and all I get is a smart answer from the guy that did the test.
Whats the big deal. what is so hush hush.
Are you trying to hide something or did I hit one of your nerves?
I just asked who did the test and what was the outcome.
I have done many test in the last 30 years for tracks that I ran and have been payed to do many other test all over the country and if you had asked me I could not have done it.
I could have given you some info on how to do it.
After your smart coments im sure I would not now.
Thease things are not a joke and people have lost there life when they are not done right.
I should never have tryed to help and hope it works out for the good guys .
You need to beleave that the tire mfg. have your best intrest in heart.
Good luck

don62


good luck

Don, maybe Patrick (and the rest of us there, for that matter) took offense to your ASSUMPTION that none of us there knew how to do a tire test. You didn' t just ask who did the test and what the outcome was. Read your own words again. If you read my post about the test I said exactly who was there. I will say AGAIN that the testing was incredibly thorough and we examined these tires in every possible way. This thread has been up since July, NOT ONCE HAVE YOU OFFERED TO HELP WITH ADVICE FOR THE ACTUAL TIRE TEST. I wish you had, maybe you could have offered some insight. Maybe not, since your assumption that you have tested this tire before "under a different number" is false. This tire has not been around that long, if it had a different number then you did not test it, you tested whatever that tire is. Where do you get the idea that we are "not listening to the experts and trying to tell them how to do it"? Don't buy into the baseless accusations of the trolls on this board. Hoosier provided the tires we tested (along with the near 100 lap, year old tires that me and Phil provided). They could have been here for the test, they were not. Apparently they had faith in New Smyrna to conduct the test. They also have faith in their 800 and 700 tires. Go back to the beginning of this thread and click the link I provided that shows WHAT HOOSIER HAS TO SAY ABOUT THIS 800 TIRE. I don't think Hoosier wants us on a softer tire to sell more tires, if the they did they wouldn't even produce the 800. Hoosier is a great company that provides an incredibly wide selection of tires that will suit every track and divisions needs. However, I'm pretty convinced that the Hoosier Tire South rep Jeff would like to sell as many tires as possible. He has resisted this tire test from the beginning. If you are a distributor in the car count starved South, a 1 race tire looks way sexier to your bottom line than a 4-5 race tire. That's business and I don't fault him for that (I do question his ethics, though). My suggestions that the Test was "Top Secret" was tounge-in-cheek, I figured everyone would get that. The decision to do it came down quickly simply because of the logistics of the date that worked for all involved. The only reason we are tight lipped is because we were asked to be by NSS. The reason is so that Ricky Brooks can thoroughly review the lengthy and detailed data that we compiled, so that NSS can make an informed decision. What's wrong with that? Once the decision is made, all of the data will be made public on www.newsmyrnaspeedway.org . I did have NSS's blessing to post on here and provide the information announcing that the test had indeed been conducted. Like I said before, stay tuned....