[Jim Richards]

We need better smileys, like these:





8)

[Parenn911]

Originally Posted by 1973914

Lets hope so If i see a green car come through tech with slicks he will not get a signature on his form from me... as a matter of fact, not sure ANY car is supposed to be passed with slicks.

From the tech form itself:
TIRES – Good condition. No cord showing. No cracks or plugs. Speed rated appropriate for model, Z-rated
recommended. Tire pairs (i.e., both fronts, both rears) should be same size and type. Minimum tread depth of
3/32” on contact patch area of street tires. Discernable tread on DOT-approved competition tires.

Kumho Victoracers are DOT-approved !

Originally Posted by Jim Richards

Remember, this is not as serious a place as the PCA Potomac web site. It's just a gear-head hangout, OK?

Let's keep the PCA stuff on www.pcapotomac.org . It's an excellent site for proper DE training. We all listen and we all believe. You can count on it. But here, tongue-in-cheek rules.

Looks like things have changed around here Jim , yawn..........

[Chopper Dropper]

Sorry folks, but I thought there were no rules here. As an instuctor who has spent time in hospital and a wheelchair, a small thing like a smiley (great ones Jim) would make a big difference. Lots of people also lurk on this board and if a question is posed without an emoticon it is assumed seriuos.
Dirk

[Jim Richards]

Dirk, I think there's one rule, and that is that there is no hierarchy here. I was sensing a PCA instructor vs. irrationally exhuberent Green run group dummies direction to this topic. Maybe I'm wrong, but if not, I wanted to try to head this off before any of the folks became intimidated. I hope I wasn't getting too carried away myself. Sorry!

[BobNovas]

Amazingly, in the course of just a couple years, all youse guys in green and blue will progress to white and then black or red. And you'll be immune to the old hands telling you not to do this, or to do that. But until then, I suspect if you say you're gonna drive your second DE on slicks, you're gonna take some heat!

[BillJ]

Not trying to "impose" any hierarchy what so ever! Is there an unspoken hierarchy for Technical advice? If so it starts with Matt De Maria and certainly i am lurking near the bottom. In the same vein that Matt provides dead on accurate technical advice, was hoping that the facts around tire choices for DE were crystal clear after a comment talking about slicks (without being obvious that it was in jest) was made. I was curious what the exact wording was myself!

Point is that there is nothing wrong with imparting your experience to others, and we should not be censoring or babysitting a thread just because people are passionate about helping others out and making some regs clear.

[Jim Richards]

Originally Posted by 1973914

Is there an unspoken hierarchy for Technical advice?

No, I don't believe so. Experience / knowledge and a willingness to help is what's important. Anyway, that's my opinion. Not to be confused with what's right. 8)

[Mackpipes]

Please join us next week for another riviting episode of "As the lug nut turns" when RL ponders the question, "Should I supercharge or turbo the sc, for my next green group DE?" :o 8) :P

[Don Wohlfarth]

Originally Posted by 1973914

Lets hope so If i see a green car come through tech with slicks he will not get a signature on his form from me... as a matter of fact, not sure ANY car is supposed to be passed with slicks.

Understand your intentions with the first part but I don't think that's a tech inspection call. On the second part about slicks, don't think that's a tech inspection call either as long as the slick has adequate depth at the wear holes and is not damaged (cuts, bulges, corded etc). Slicks are not DOT rated. Don't think a tire must be DOT rated for de.

Originally Posted by 1973914

From the tech form itself:
TIRES – Good condition. No cord showing. No cracks or plugs. Speed rated appropriate for model, Z-rated
recommended. Tire pairs (i.e., both fronts, both rears) should be same size and type. Minimum tread depth of
3/32” on contact patch area of street tires. Discernable tread on DOT-approved competition tires.

I think the discernable tread comes from either SCCA or PCA Racing and dates back 10-12 years ago during the tire wars between BFG and Hoosier. Goodyear wanted to get into the R tire business and came out with the GSCS R type tire. To have a DOT rating a tire was required to have a discernable tread. Goodyears answer to that requirement was to mold the tire with 2 raised ridges around the circumference of the tire approximately 1/64 in high. You would need a set of sticker tires to start the race as you would wear this phantom tread off on the warm up lap.
At the time this tire was close to a true slick but had a DOT rating. Tires were maybe 25% more expensive than other DOT tires and were not noticeably faster.

[BillJ]

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.