Date: Thu, 14 Oct 2010 09:24:51 -0700
Reply-To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: dumb tire question..Studless snows..
In-Reply-To: <20101014110836.4WRL6.1945231.imail@eastrmwml38>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
The 200mph figure is in reference to these kinds of Open Highway events.
http://www.sscc.us/
http://www.openroadracing.com/
In these events, tire tech is very important and quite well-monitored.
It's still risky, running on a regular highway at 200mph...After a couple
of years doing these events, with my SO as my navigator quite often, I
converted my street vehicle to a full time track only racecar. During our
time running these events, I did see 200mph a few times on my GPS and we
have a radar certificate of 187mph from one Gamblers Run (at ~7000ft
elevation) near Elko, Nv. I quit these events after a couple of close
friends and competitors were involved in very high speed crashes...probably
tire related. I certainly wasn't just popping in to the nearest Tire
Factory and dropping off my race wheels and saying "Here, dude, mount up
these tires and I'll be back in 20 mins" I had one particular guy I used
and I stood right there...and brought him cases of his favorite adult bevy
to get his best efforts, every time.
But at any racetrack during a race weekend there will be a couple of tire
services there, selling tires and doing all the needed work for hundreds of
racers. We don't all come to the tracks with multiple semis full of workers
and tools. I found it more convenient to do my own tire work than to have
to 'cue up' at the trackside tire services...and I always got the right
tires on the right wheels with the right side in or out..without leaks and
balanced properly...when I did the work myself.
What does this have to do with Vanagon tires? Nothing, really...Just
agreeing with Scott...tire shops can do some shoddy work...I don't much
trust em unless I stand right there and double check what they do.
Don Hanson
On Thu, Oct 14, 2010 at 8:08 AM, <mcneely4@cox.net> wrote:
> Don Hanson wrote:
>
> >When running at near 200mph, depending on some possibly bored or
> > inattentive tire store worker for your tire safety is not as appealing as
> > doing it exactly right, yourownself.
>
> I assume the above references racing. Would any race car driver be using a
> tire store to do mechanical work of any kind? Sounds strange to me. I
> would think that only folks who drive on streets only would be using such
> personnel. 200 mph sounds a tad fast for street driving, or highway driving
> for that matter.
>
> DMc
>
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