damn! thought this thread was finally dead.
looked at the following location on pca national site
http://www.pca.org/drivers_ed/rules.html - Lists CVR (Connecticut Valley Region - mine and Jason's old stomping grounds) DE rules as an example. They clearly indicate a couple things:
11. Street tires must have a minimum tread depth of 2/32 completely around at least 2 grooves (excluding wear bars). R-rated tires and slicks must have visible tread indicators around the full circumference.
12. R-rated track tires are not recommended for novice drivers.
Maybe we can ammend our tech form if the powers to be (not me thats for sure) decide it is wise.