What kind of tires are normally run on paved oval? capped or foam?

We built an oval track here in Wyoming, (before I moved here) but never had any oval racers. So I'm trying to figure out what to promote to get an oval program going.

Thanks,
Paul

Paul,

FOAM TIRES are the easiest to get new racers on.

Most tracks can adapt well to 3 PINK and a PURPLE Right Front, or something similar.

CAPS race well, and can last a long time...but they are usually a hard sell, and can be a pain.

The biggest issue with foams is if guys run them too tall, they can chunk easy.

T/M Tires
BSR
RC4Less
Windtunnel/Murdock

all have very good tires, but their COLOR ratings don't cross 100% on the hardness of their tires.

Depending on the classes you can get interest in, there are also "Spec" foam tires. These are generally blue and green foam compounds (faster wearing) but less expensive. Depending on how enthusiastic your racers are going to be.

Oval Touring
LEGENDS
1/18th scale (Mini Sliders)

are sometimes great classes to get things going on a new oval too.

(Another advantage to FOAM is generally they can also be used in the same compounds on CARPET tracks...)

Thanks for the info.

Yeah. Our oval is to large for 1/18th slyders. Tried it last year. They never even have to let off the throttle while racing, unless they put a really hot motor in them.

The other options, 1/10th Touring car is one possiblity that we'll probably do. I do know they offered that when I first arrived here, but only 3 or 4 guys ever really got into it.

Thanks for the input.

Paul

Run caps, they will cost less in the long run. You may only use 1 set of caps a year at $80 a set verses $40 for a set of foams that you may burn up in 1 day.

Got any info or pics of the track? Might be interested in making a trip out.

What is the deal with "caps are hard to run?" I just do not get it.

Granted foams are probably "easier" but no way are they "better" on an oval.

If you get the car set up, a cap car will flat out blow the doors off a foam car. You can rip the throttle just as hard with a properly setup cap car as you can any foam car.

Another huge drawback to foams on an oval with any sort of bite will be wear. That RF and RR will have a hard time lasting, let alone keep the proper size, for an entire race.

I guess what I am really trying to say is this. If you are trying to get Oval started and you tell all your racers "x" is bad or "too hard to run" that is the thought you leave them with. Yes caps are more expensive up front, but I doubt you will find a set of foams you are going to get 1000+ laps on. And yes, I can get that many laps out of a set of caps. And that is running Nitro and a 48oz car, with a 500lap main.

Scott,

I don't see anyplace where I or anyone else said caps were hard to run. I said "They are a HARD SELL" to newbies.

For a NEWBIE in a location where there is NO OVAL RACING and NO OVAL SUPPORT it's very hard to sell guys on capped tires. Then if you DO sell them on CAPS, and they try going to a carpet track, or a asphalt track that runs foams, they get really frustrated...so IMHO Foams are better to get guys ON the TRACK with. (The foams have their own issues...but doesn't everything)

Personally, I like cap racing and yes it IS FAST (something else that can be dangerous when trying to bring NEWBIES into oval racing)

Over the years, we've only had ONE banked concrete track that could run capped tires,(Other than VELO which is totally different, and those CAPPED tires last for many many years) and the majority of racers in CA won't support it cause of the tire compound and other issues...so it is now closed. At one time that track had a slurry coat put on it so FOAMS could be run, and the racing got better, the crowds came out...and it was actually more fun (even with the tire wear issue) But the slurry coat peeled up and the track went back to caps, and it died off again.

I don't know how "CLOSE" the racing is on the other banked, short cap tire tracks in the country are...but ours was a single file "Get out of the groove and crash" type of track. Where when it was a foam track you could come off the corners 2-3 cars wide.

At Triclone's outdoor track, we only run caps. Very good racing!!! We can run side by side, not a problem. My son and I would not race if were only foams. Racing on caps is alot better in the long run.

SWT -- I did not mean in this thread. But I have seen it be said that "caps are too hard to run" when talking about some other tracks.

I have seen and been a part of several 3 wide racing on caps, so yes it can be done.

If the Newbie is somewhere no oval racing or support is, isn't this a moot point? ;)

To me the argument of "compounds" as far as caps goes does not hold water, look at all the compounds in foam, talk about confusing.

caps much better, period. more realistic feel and hellofa bargain. even when i was new i loved'em more than foam b/c you could feel what the car needed so much easier. True'em, Use GM top Engine Cleaner, wipe it off let it set a couple minutes, heat'em up with a heat gun and RIP IT! You'll Love'em! Combined with lipo and brushless beginners and the locals will love the price too!:thumbsup: Then combine it with nitro pan cars and you've got a gold mine with attraction.

Jesse -- you going to run NP with us?

Sorry I haven't been back in a while.

Here is a photo gallery of the track.

http://www.wyomingmodelerspark.com/PhotoGallery/OnRoad2006/index.html

Cya,
Paul

With the track being as flat as it is, you should try all BSR pink caps.

From looking at your pics I,d say we have a similar track here in Jacksonville Florida 360 foot runline 3-5 degree banking asphalt. Caps would/will work on our track BUTT nobody wants to run them and the racing is very good with foams. Almost everyone runs 3 pinks and a purple right front with RC4Less and BSR tires being the most popular. The track is prepped with cheap grape soda and water mixture on race day.
Heres a link with a couple pics scroll down for a decent pic of the track:
http://www.racewayathobbyworld.tk/
Are any other tracks in the area? what type tires are they running? Racers are a cheap group and buying tires to run at just one track might keep them away.
I,m sure caps would work great on your track also my only concern would be sand/dust on the track from looking at the background.

It's Wyoming. Nobody is close to anywhere else! Heh. But to answer your question. Nobody else runs Oval except for a carpet track down in Fort Collins, about a 4 hour drive from here.

We have the only on road track at the moment. There are a couple of dirt oval tracks though.

Dust is an issue, so we blow off the track, then dump soda on the track. Wyoming is basically a desert, so it's impossible to keep the dirt off the track all the time, and seeding the entire park with grass, while a long term goal, would be extremely difficult and expensive given the ground conditions.

Thanks for the advice on tires. I think I'll start off with foams and try and get some sort of class going for it next year.

Will probably start with the following Classes:

Touring Car chassis with Nastruck bodies. 6 cell 10.5 motors. Since these cars aren't direct drive, they won't be to fast.

1/10th Pan Car Nascar bodies. Lipo 21.5

For the most part we tend to design the road course so that only 2 to 3 pipes need to be moved to switch from road course to an oval layout. These are normally, low impact potential barriers, so it's just fire hose.

When running 1/12th Road course, pink rears and purple fronts seem to work best. So I think that oval would be similar.

Thanks,
Paul