From racing to the street

Wth the Daytona 500 taking place I figured a post about how things learned about tires during races translates to tires we drive on the street.

On The Track

At 200 mph, the surface area of one racing tire touching the track is about half of an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper, making optimized grip essential for performance.

On The Road

Lessons learned at the track help develop consumer tires that can keep a tight grip on varying road surfaces. On an average agree tire, the surface area of one tire touching the surface is about the size of 1/4 of an 8.5"x 11" piece of paper. 

On The Track

During a race, NASCAR drivers and tires experience 2-3Gs in the turns. (Astronauts feel 3gs on launches.) 

On The Road

Developing race tires that can withstand high forces helps develop consumer tires that provide responsive handling in quick maneuvers.

On The Track

For superior traction, NASCAR tires use slick treads to maximize surface area contact with the track.

On The Road

Tread patterns for consumer tires help maximize traction and performance in various conditions and road surfaces.

On The Track

When cornering, the right front tire supports approximately 4,000 pounds of load - which is about 4x more than what's experienced on the left side.

On The Road

Srengthened sidewall construction is used to help cornering control and stability on the road.

Congradulations to Joey Logano, winner of the 2015 Daytona 500! 

Thanks to Good Year for the race to track info.