BFG R-1 G-Force User Report

Just got off the red-eye aluminum tube, and safely back to reality after 3.5 days on the West Coast, and the coffee has just hit - 2 weeks ago BFG released the new G-Force compound R-1 tires - had a set on the Volvo last weekend for an SCCA race at Nelson Ledges - the verdict ? HOLY WEASEL SQUEEZERS DO THESE THINGS STICK !!!!!!!!!!!! Background - I'll buy any race tire, as long as they're cheap - but I sucked it up and bought a set of the G-Forces because I wanted to find out if they're THAT much better than the plain old R-1's or Kumho's or Hoosiers or Toyo's that I usually race on. I was only going to scuff'em in in Sat. AM practice, and then run on an "experienced" set of R-1's, to let'em cure for next weekend's EMRA race at Summit Point. Started out a little higher pressure than my usual R-1 baseline, but it is Nelson Ledges and you spend sooo much time airborne that the centers don't get as hot as other tracks. Set the car up loose (Nelson = left foot braking), but found that no matter how far out of shape I got the car, I couldn't spin the damn thing (and, trust me, I tried) They felt so good I kept'em on all weekend, and podium'ed in both Saturday and Sunday sprint races. I have NEVER felt so much back end feel and bite at the same time. Passed the same SSB Neon both Saturday and Sunday on the last lap, IN THE LAST CORNER, 'cause my tires got such a good bite and let ME pick the line (unlike the FWD guys in turn 13 at Nelson). Conclusion: new tires are stickier than old tires. Further conclusion: R-1 G-Forces lots more stickier, and better feedback than old R-1's. These things stick like Goodyear GS-CS race rubber, and they're cheaper too !!!! Next Question: Do they last longer than the Goodyear GS-CS ? Reports to follow.... John Trained Seals Racing Standard Disclaimer: I don't work for BFG or any other tire manufacturer - I don't have a race tire deal with anybody - Nobody pays contingency money in SCCA Improved Touring classes anyway - I don't have any relatives (blood or otherwise) in the rubber business - I once had an employee named "Goodrich", but that wasn't her maiden name, and she was divorcing the scumbag anyway

Have you ever used a rubber? (malette that is?) How the hell do you spell malette? I really don't know.

Ok....you sold me...now does TireRack sell them...or can only racing folk get them from some guy named Vinnie at the track paddock area?

Howz the alternator doing? The right rear brake caliper?

Steve S.
97 2.8QM

P.S. Thank you o'wise one....

I called the Tire Rack this morning after reading John's message (thanks for the review John!).

I asked about 225/50x16 and 205/50x16. The 205's are not in (or sold out) and would sell for $150/each.

The 225/50x16 are in and cost $155/each.

Tire Rack will heat cycle these for $15/tire.

Of course, you and many others will want to inquire about 17" and 18" tires. I didn't bother to ask. I have two sets of oem Audi 5-spoke wheels and one set will become track wheels.

Question for John: The season is just about over here in Northern Virginia. Should I wait until next season to buy these tires, or should I buy them and let them sit in my garage over the winter?

John, I notice your little blurb about the FWD guys at Turn 13 at Nelson Sledges. Well, I TOO have come to the oppinion that FWD is great in the rain, but RWD (and AWD) are far supperior to FWD on a track anyday (in the dry). I have been watching the cars in the local AutoX when I am on the course working - and the RWD cars always have a less burdensome time in taking the turns. So soon, . . . . . .

What is "heat cycle", and why would I want to pay someone $15/tire to do this?

Sharon (just a newbie) Levy

Heat cycling is sort of a "break-in" procedure for new R-compound race tires. Heat cycling is supposed to extend the life of the tire. It's a one time controlled procedure to somehow heat up the tires and prepare them for use.

There's more info on this that I recommend for a better explanation from the Tire Rack web page at

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete...tcycletech.htm

Go to this link. It makes more sense than my ramblings above.

• Competition Tire Heat Cycling Service

I'd buy them in the spring, when they're freshly grown.

Tires "age". Heat, cold, ozone and spotted owl poo all affect rubber compounds in tires. I store tires all the time, but I gotta keep'em somewhere.

If you have to buy race rubber and store it, keep'em someplace cool where the temperaturre is fairly constant, and away from electric motors and other ozone generators. It's ozone that dries the synthetic compounds out and leaves fine little cracks in old tires (or so the mythology goes - I'm not a Chem E. so I don't know this for sure).

Depending on your track schedule, it's usually worth it to have tires heat cycled. It's a whole lot simpler than putting them on the car, running one session to scuff'em and heat'em up, and then taking them off and sending them to the South Pole for a week (remember that big hole in the Ozone layer that we've recently discovered but that may have been there for the last 2-3 million years ?).

John
Trained Seals Racing

Alternator survived the weekend - didn't find a permanent solution for the rear brake problem, but Nelson Ledges isn't a heavy braking track so I knew I could run with crappy brakes. Gotta get that fixed by next weekend for Summit Point. NOTHING FELL OF THE CAR ALL WEEKEND ! I just had to change my exhaust 'cause Sound Control caught me at 105 dB on the front straight.

Tire Rack normally carries all the BFG race tires, but when I checked with them 3 weeks ago, they didn't have any G-Force tires in yet. Keep checking.

It's usually only slicks that have to be purchased from guys named Vinnie or "Stubby" (actually, I buy race fuel from two brothers named "Stubby" and "Spit" - and nobody knows their real names...)

Thomas Edison, Adjunct Professor
Trained Seals Racing