Island Insight
By Greg Berkowitz
Legends Car Tire Wars - BF
Goodrich vs. Federal
Prior to the start of this season, INEX, the governing
sanctioning body of Legends car racing across the world,
switched tire manufacturers from BF Goodrich to Federal. The two
tires are very different, which has provided a challenge to many
Legends car drivers.
The biggest
difference between the two is the Federal tires’ one-ply
sidewall, which makes the sidewall more likely to flex under
load. In addition, they have a different, stickier compound and
are about 4 lbs. lighter. On the track, drivers say all this
tends to tighten up their cars, meaning the cars’ noses want to
push up the track, especially in the center of the corner. To
provide time for teams to figure out the new Federals, INEX has
allowed both the old BF Goodrich tires and Federals for 2010
competition, as long as teams run all four tires of the same
manufacturer. In 2011, the Federal tires will be the only legal
tire.
Right now teams are
taking different strategies with the introduction of the
Federals. Tony Naglieri, driver of the No. 94 and two-time and
defending Riverhead Raceway Legends car champion, estimates that
Riverhead is evenly split between running the BF Goodrich tires
and the Federals. Currently, Naglieri uses the old BF Goodrich
tires. Like many others, Naglieri complains of a tight condition
with the Federals but also says that one of the biggest
challenges posed by the change was the lack of preparation time
with the new tires. The Federals were not available in time for
Riverhead Raceway’s preseason practice sessions in April. Since
it takes at least two to three races to break in a pair of
tires, for many teams it was easier to run the older tires, if
they have them.
Chris Young, driver
of the No. 49, currently uses the Federal tires. Like Naglieri,
Young prefers the old Goodrich tires but does not have any
remaining sets, thus he is forced to use the Federals. However,
Young is using this to his advantage, as he’ll be better
prepared for when the Federals become the sole tire in 2011.
Chris Turbush, who
steers the No. 81, is another driver using Federal tires.
Turbush believes the Federals are better, saying the problem is
not the tire but the setups that teams are using. Because of the
softer sidewall, the Federal tire requires significant changes
to the setup from what you would have used with the BF Goodrich
tires. Turbush suggests that the tight condition that many
drivers have noticed while using the Federals is because teams
are not adequately changing their setups for the new tire.
In the meantime, the
drivers using the BF Goodrich tires seem to have a slight
advantage over those using the Federals because of their
familiarity with the tires’ behavior. However, when the BF
Goodrich tires are no longer allowed in 2011, drivers like the
Young and Turbush may have an advantage, having a full season of
experience on the Federals, and the knowledge that comes with it
of how to alter the setups to compensate for the new tire’s
properties.
Source:
Greg Berkowitz/LongIslandJam.com
Posted: May
30, 2010
