Falken Tires wants you on track. Track Night in America Driven by Tire Rack wants you on track. Heck, you want you on track! So get on track! Need tips for making your track adventure safe and fun? Thanks to Falken, we’ve got those tips! Need us to grease the money pot? Hang tight – we’ve got that covered, too!
Discounts and deals are nothing new for the Track Night staff, and knowledge is something the folks at Falken Tires have in abundance. There’s no pressure, but be warned: By the time you get to the bottom of this post, you’ll be fresh out of excuses not to hit the track with us!
Save $25 Right Now!
Falken’s partnership with Track Night means that anyone who completes a newly-created Track Night registration in September using the coupon code ThanksFalken22 at checkout will receive $25 off their Track Night entry fee. That’s $25 off the already low, low price of any available Track Night registration – and we say “available” because Track Nights have entry caps, and it’s not unheard of for us to sell out.
Once again, there’s no pressure, but you need to register now – and save money in the process!
Feeling the Pressure?
Falken makes a slew of tires that are up to the rigors of track driving, although the most notable of the bunch is the AZENIS RT660 – a proven performance tire with a stout sidewall and sticky compound designed to take the pressure of track performance.
Did someone say “pressure?” Tire pressures are super-duper important, so we’re glad you asked.
“There is not one ideal inflation pressure that can be recommended,” Tsuyoshi Johnson, Product Planning Manager for Falken Tires, explains when it comes to setting tire pressures before hitting the track. “ can vary based on a number of variables: vehicle, suspension setups, driving style, weather conditions, track surface conditions, etc. The ideal pressures should be determined by the user by trial and error.”
If you have no baseline to work from, begin with cold tire pressures a little higher than you might for street driving (Tire Rack advises 6-8psi higher), then log everything, including ambient temperature, track temperature, weather conditions, tire pressures both cold and hot (don’t worry, we’ll get to that momentarily), and anything else you can think of that might affect traction.
Whatever you do, though, don’t underinflate your tires. “When a tire does not have adequate inflation pressure, it causes excessive heat buildup, which may lead to tire failure,” Johnson warns. “This is especially dangerous at road courses where higher speeds are reached. It is important to understand your vehicle weight vs. the tire’s load carrying capacity and make gradual adjustments in inflation pressure only when determined to be safe.”
Most tire pressures are set “cold” in the paddock while aiming for an ideal “hot” pressure on track. To find out how much your tire pressures grow, measure the pressures immediately after your track session (and log that). Remember, tire pressures can grow less or more depending on the weather, which is why keeping a log is so important.
While checking your post-session tire pressures, you can also inspect for scuffs on the tire’s sidewall, which sometimes indicates the tire is rolling over during cornering (a little more tire pressure often cures that).
And here’s something people may forget: Always check your tire pressures before each session.
“It would be a good habit to check your inflation pressures each time before heading out for a session to be sure the tire hasn’t lost significant amounts of inflation pressure due to a puncture or any other unforeseen issues,” Johnson notes.
Stop Talking and Sign Me Up!
Need proof that Falken’s tires perform? At this year’s Tire Rack SCCA Time Trials Nationals Powered by Hagerty, 14 Falken-shod vehicles landed on the podium, taking three class wins along the way.
But remember, Track Night is not about being the fastest; it’s about having fun and experiencing the track with no pressure to perform beyond your personal comfort level. Sure, you can dive into the weeds (OK, probably a bad analogy) in the quest for ideal tire pressures for your car, dropping or raising pressures by as little as 1psi per session, or you can find a safe pressure and go have fun! And since fun is what Track Night is all about, we say do that!
Oh, and save $25 on your entry using the Falken Tire coupon code ThanksFalken22 in September during your newly-created Track Night registration. Do that one for sure!
Photo by Joe Wilson
