XRAY - Model racing cars

I'm looking for other tire recommendations...My track is really hard packed with a pretty duasty surface that is generally swept between rounds and is watered down (till it dries after the first heat). Hole Shots are fairly popular, but they really have no life to them. Crimefighters are not hooking up AT ALL!!!! Any other recs that you could make? Thanks!

If you are looking for a tire to last and provide you with performance, I would recommend the Proline Bowtie in M2 compound.

For longer wear the Bowtie XTR is great!

Bowties and the 808 are a perfect match.


BM

Also keep an eye on the new AKA tires, they have the rubber compounds down and seem to last a bit longer. I know The AKA CityBlocks will last an hour main because they have a two step tread design made for that. They also have a "bowtie'ish" style tire called the I-Beam that feels very similar to the Bowtie, but has better longevity. Get the soft AKA compound for best performance, but the medium compound last forever.

Holeshots after a 40 minute main.... LOL. Dont ask....

I actually tried the AKA Cityblock in front and I-Beam in the rear last weekend and loved it. (kinda like an AKA version of bowfighters) I ran the hard compund cuz the track dries out quickly. Medium probably would have been ideal, but I hate buying tires so the hard worked well and will last a bit longer and its only for club level racing so I dont really care. Holeshotes are a good tire on my track so if that works on your track I would say give the AKAs a shot.

I have never tried AKA tires, but in dry dusty conditions the M3 Bowtie is best. If you want more runtime out of the tires go with the M2 compound, but you will sacrifice some traction.

I quite like bowfighters which is running bowties on the rear and crimefighters on the front. I am curently running the M2 compound and find the wear rate very good. I did try a set of JConcepts crosshairs yellow compound and managed to wear those out in two 5 minute heats whereas the bowfighter setup did 3 heats and a 20 minute final and still look great.

I actually ran the hard compund and really liked it. The medium may have been slightly better, but I really couldnt see needing the soft. When it was really dry out there during practice sessions the hard compound was awesome. When the track was watered for the races I would have liked to go to the meduim, but I was in the later qualifying rounds most of the day and by the time I ran it was pretty well dried out again.

Of course I could be talking out of my backside here. I almost never run soft compund on anything. I'm to cheap to run the soft tires and have them wear down so quickly.

It's always weird with the tire situation. I ran the hards on the back of my car and could swear I had more grip, but then again, you have to think the knobby is less likely to fold over so you may get more bite in certain conditions.

Tires are weird, but then again, that's why they make so many in so many compounds. But this is definitely something you want to nail down at tracks because tires are 80% of the setup!!!

Ok, thanks guys, in short with AKA cityblocks, medium compuond. I'm feeling better performance that Proline crimefigther medium compuond in dusty/very dusty tracks and dry, or wet shortly after an irrigation, before the race ?????

Rocco's right,... tires are hard to choose sometimes, when the conditions get strange or I'm at a new track I always look at what the top 5 pros are running. If I see a theme of a smaller pin, brand, or compound, I'll usually follow suit.

On compounds..
I've noticed softer compounds might not always have better forward traction, but almost always feel more consistent in corners. I think this is because on softer compound tires the outside tread (the tread that creates side bite) folds over easer, making the tire less edgy and more predictable. We all no an edgy tire makes for too much guesswork on the track, and causes roll-overs more often. I've also noticed Holeshots are the more consistent tire at most tracks, but they have longevity issues. Just keep an eye out for what others are running, keep a set of Holeshots on hand, and remember to ask around for what racers in your class are running.

I also better add that for this specific car (808), the Bowtie M2 or M3 are a very good combo just about anywhere for long mains. They just seem to work with the balance of traction on the 808,.. its like magic.... LOL. If your looking for AKAs that feel similar to Bowties, the I-beams in soft compound feel similar but with a bit more all around traction.


Currently my tire stock when going to a new track looks like this:

Proline Bowtie (M2 and M3) AKA foam
Losi Eclips (red) with AKA foam
AKA I-beams (soft) AKA foam
Holeshots (M2 and M3) with AKA foam

here in Argentine, most drivers use proline crime fighter m2, but Rocco make me think in Aka choice