As the spring season gets underway and customers begin to shop for race tires, I have taken a few calls concerning the differences between BFGoodrich's Dry Racetrack & Autocross Only offerings, the g-Force R1 and g-Force R1 S.
The BFGoodrich g-Force R1 is the tire most suited for extended road course use. It features a more durable compound designed for longer life and consistency. Like all competition products, life will be considerably shorter than any street tire. However, several weekends of fun in competition events are possible if the tire is properly driven!
In contrast, BFGoodrich's g-Force R1 S is designed for light bursts, most commonly associated with autocross. The "S" designation implies the tire is intended for sprint use. Featuring a softer compound, this tire comes up to temperature quickly, but exchanges life to do so. It's best suited for autocross use or for individuals looking to set competitive qualifying laps.
Both tires are not appropriate for highway use. They aren't recommended for driving in wet conditions where standing water is present and there's the risk of hydroplaning; drivers should drive cautiously at reduced speeds if they encounter these conditions. It's also essential these tires be stored indoors at temperatures maintained above 32 degrees F.
The relationship between these two tires is very similar to that of the Hoosier R6 and A6, which are also meant for track and autocross use.
Get your racing season off to a good start by shopping by vehicle and finding the tire best suited for your driving style!
Do you own a new Camaro or Challenger with 18" wheels? We've just received our first batch of 245/55R18 BFGoodrich Radial T/A Spec tires with the famous red stripe! This size is standard on LS and most LT Chevrolet Camaros and will also work on the Dodge Challenger equipped with factory 18" wheels. The 1/4" wide stripe recalls the muscle car days of the late sixties when similar tires were a factory option. The tire is being used by Hurst on their limited Redline Edition Camaro.
With a 102T service description, the Radial T/A Spec is designed to provide a comfortable and quiet ride for cruising around town, while the 245/55R18 sidewall height provides plenty of cushion. While not a high performance tire intended for the track, it does provide plenty of wet and dry grip for the occasional enthusiastic drive. Take a look at what our customers are saying about their experience with the BFGoodrich Radial T/A Spec:
"This is the most comfortable tire I have run in an 18". It has a level of comfort and still lets you feel like you're in a sports car without cringing every time you hit a bump. The tire holds the car out of the hole and exceeded my expectations in the corners. You get a lot more than you pay for!" -- Tire Rack Consumer Review, 2012 Chevrolet Camaro LS
"These tires well exceeded my expectations. This is an excellent tire and I will definitely buy it again." -- Tire Rack Consumer Review, 2011 Chevrolet Camaro LT
"This is a phenomenal tire. I can't believe they can make a tire this good for such a great price. Probably the best tire I have owned." -- Tire Rack Consumer Review, 2011 Chevrolet Camaro LS
Our customer's feedback is a great tool to use when shopping as it'll help you with input from other drivers and their long term experience with each tire.
While we won't see the red line option in other sizes soon, availability of the 245/55R18 size is limited. If you have a new Camaro or Challenger with 18" wheels, consider the BFGoodrich Radial T/A Spec.
Depending on where you live, race season will soon be upon us or is now in full swing for many SCCA racers and other racing organizations. We carry a variety of street legal race tires from Hoosier, BFGoodrich, Michelin, Kumho, Hankook and Toyo. If you know Hoosier is the brand for you, take a look at "Hoosier A6 and R6 Race Tires."
While Tire Rack offers an easy-to-use shop by vehicle feature, many racers use wider, non-standard sizes in order to maximize track performance. Since racecars often have more flexibility in sizes that can be used, it's often helpful to see a list of sizes that a given tire is available in. Therefore, shopping by size is a more efficient way to find the race tire you're looking for.
However, if you already know which specific race tire you want and would simply like to know what sizes are available and how that tire compares to its competitors, follow these steps:
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Visit our Tire Survey Results
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Select the tire that interests you
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Click on the 'Sizes" tab
Now that you've found your tires, it may be a good idea to have them heat cycled. Heat cycling actually makes Track & Competition DOT tread compounds more consistent in strength and more resistant to losing their strength the next time they're used. For more information, read "Competition Tire Heat Cycling Service."
2013 is a great year for enthusiasts of high performance cars looking for street tires that are trackable. This year we are excited to offer three new Extreme Performance Summer tires. These tires primary focus is going to be on extreme dry grip for spirited or competitive driving such as autocrossing. We can't wait to get a chance to test them at our facility this spring!
While we haven't had a chance to test the BFGoodrich g-Force Rival on our track, we did have the chance to drive on it at NOLA Motorsports Park near New Orleans and the feedback was very positive. The tire was very easy to drive on, had excellent responsiveness and is designed to wear very well over the course of a competitive event. It has the 200 UTQG treadwear rating that is required by many sanctioning bodies.
The next new tire for 2013 is the Dunlop Direzza ZII. This tire is replacing the Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec. Compared to its predecessor, it's designed to have better responsiveness, as well as an improvement in wet and dry grip. Also offered with the 200 UTQG treadwear rating, the Direzza ZII is available in a variety of hard-to-find smaller sizes. Last fall, we tested a production-spec set of Direzza ZII tires against the Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec and found that Dunlop hit the mark with this new offering as it was faster and more predictable in the dry and wet. For a complete recap of our test, read "Dunlop Direzza ZII Introductory Track Drive."
Bridgestone's Potenza RE-11A is replacing the previous model, the Potenza RE-11 in 10 sizes. This newer tire has an updated rubber compound designed to improve wet and dry traction. While sharing the same tread design, the Potenza RE-11A adds an exclusive tread compound that combines silica with a new long-link carbon black that increases road contact and abrasion resistance while promoting tread rubber flexibility across a range of cool to hot temperatures. The internal construction includes a custom asymmetric shape that helps distribute footprint pressure more evenly.
Are you a serious driving enthusiast looking for dry road response, traction, handling and high speed capabilities? If so, take a look at our Extreme Performance Summer tires and find the one that's right for your vehicle.
1970 Chevrolet Corvette
2003 Jeep Liberty Limited 4wd
Do you own a new Camaro or Challenger with 18" wheels? We've just received our first batch of 
