Is Pirelli taking over?

[Super Dave]

http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=24362

Would having a spec tire rule help when this happens?

[Super Dave]

You know that the other tire companies are watching.

Suzuki Cup Finals.  What an example.  Who's gonna win?  A Suzuki.

Similarly, if you have a spec tire rule, you eliminate the competition between tire brands.  So, you don't have to have the extraordinary development in making tires tons better, only marginally better.

Has competition between brands made tires better?

Would a lack of competition make tire development slow down?  As it is now, a 1000 at Daytona is spinning on the banking in sixth.  

We can go further.  Why not limit the machinery to bikes that are four model years old?  That would eliminate the ability of manufactures from immediate and extraordinary development.  

I raced the MZ series as it was limited, very limited, for a couple years.  You could change tires, fork oil, chain and sprockets, and the brake pads.  My bike made a whopping 42HP.  Racing was tight.  I was supported by Dunlop at that time, and I decided to use Dunlop K591's.  If there was a spec tire rule, I woudn't have been able to race the series because of my school program obligations.

NASCAR has close racing.  Is that because of spec tires or because of other issues.

I don't see where a spec tire rule makes racing close necessarily.  Some riders are better.  Some teams have a better set up.  Bostrom is a good rider, but he's not in the hunt because their set up isn't as good as it could be.  He's a good rider, right?  He has the same tires as everyone else, right?  Why hasn't he been up front more often then if spec tires evens everything out.

[motobenco]

Here is an interesting article,

http://www.speedtv.com/commentary/20067/

Spec tire rule, now do the teams have to pay a fee upfront? If so this may limit the spending ability of some of the teams. Is the program pay as you go, whereas under funded teams can acquire tires at the rate they use them? Is there a certain number of tires that can be used for each race weekend?

[Super Dave]

Yeah, that is interesting.

Finally broke a lap record from two seasons before.

Is that the tire, or have bikes progressed to in chassis geometry and power?  (RC51 vs CBR1000, R1 vs R1, new GSXR1000, 998's vs 999's).

How a payment program would be established would be up to the organizer and the "tire sponsor".  Ultimately, the group that is running WSB and WSS is making money from Pirelli to be named as the official tire.  

[TommyG]

Pirelli breaks a lap record on control tires? Wonder if they finally started supplying qualifiers for superpole like michelin did? I actually use michelin so I`m definitely not trying to be pro Pirelli. I`d just love to see Super Dave in Superstock on the EXACT same tires as Aaron Super freeeeekin Yates!

[Super Dave]

Give me a bike.  

 ;D

RRW had a good article about Ben Bostrom and the team he was riding for.  Yes, they have qualifying tires.  

[fourandsix]

You also forget to mention that the supplying tire company in these spec series pays a huge boatload of money to the racing org. I remeber a couple of years ago some AMA Pirelli guys wanted to do WSB at Laguna . The Tire bill was $5000 for the weekend if they wanted to race , none did the race. In canada it is a very small series so easy to supply. I talked to several of the teams at the last WSB round held at Laguna. Most of the engineers complained that the tire soft to hard seemed like the same brick , riders complaining about things also. If you watched the race sure they were kinda close , but also barely faster then out FX 600's were. Will it make racing better i doubt it here. What happens if you use tire "A" at the local events where you get some help , then go to Road America and are forced to run tire "B" ? I'm sure your sponsore would be ecstatic!

[TommyG]

So wouldn`t one of the big three want to pay ccs to be the spec tire? If dunlop was the spec wouldn`t it benefit their sales? EVERY CCS racer buying Dunlops?

I`d like to point out I`m not on a mission to get a spec tire(name your brand)  I just brought up the topic after the canadian series signed on. Now there is TWO. CCS racing is a business. Everyone knows AMA thinks about money FIRST. Could it happen?!

[fourandsix]

Actually , don't count out Bridgestone , they are renewing their efforts in Club racing since they pulled out of AMA. The problem is your tires would probably cost more if it was a spec tire series. What idf as an experinced rider such as yourself were forced to run on a certain brand and you just couldn't adapt to them . Do you quit the sport. Lots of things to consider. It might make sense for a pro series but not for club racing.

[TommyG]

Good points all. Sure makes for some interesting `what ifs` though!

[Super Dave]

I know that when I brought up the facts that pump gas was illegal under the rules that CCS had in road racing a few years ago, there was talk about having a spec fuel.  Again, that was all a nice idea, but if you can do well with pump gas, and some kind of fraction of the cost of a racing fuel, why would you want to race for that kind of expense?  For club racing, you're gonna have riders that use pump gas.