Best performance tires for 2019
Thread Starter
Evolving Member
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 196
Likes: 4
From: Upper Midwest
Best performance tires for 2019
I had star specs and was happy with them. I need new tires in a few weeks for the upcoming racing season. I've read the RE-71R's are great for 1-2 hot laps, but the performance degrades as they heat up.
I'm doing track days/HPDE for the fun, seat time. I'm leaning towards either Falken Azenis RT615K+ or Dunlop Direzza Z3. Do you guys have a preference?
A local performance shop owner told me he's tried a lot of tires, and recommends the Falken Azenis. I've looked at Tire Rack's extreme performance tires and dont see anything else worth considering, but I might be missing something. I'm looking for track performance
I'm doing track days/HPDE for the fun, seat time. I'm leaning towards either Falken Azenis RT615K+ or Dunlop Direzza Z3. Do you guys have a preference?
A local performance shop owner told me he's tried a lot of tires, and recommends the Falken Azenis. I've looked at Tire Rack's extreme performance tires and dont see anything else worth considering, but I might be missing something. I'm looking for track performance
Evolving Member
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 469
Likes: 38
From: HWY 9
TireRack reviews are usually pretty good, but you'll need to actually try them out to see if they hit all your personal metrics.
This is a good starting point:
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testSearch.jsp
This is a good starting point:
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testSearch.jsp
Tire opinions are going to be everywhere and varied as can be. There's a lot of nuance in preference, driving style, driving skill, and overall perception. If you read up on lap time tests, you'll see one driver being faster on one tire than other drivers on competing tires.
That said, I've personally driven the RE and Direzza lines on my cars and have been researching/shopping for this Summer's shoes. So, on to my $0.02!
The RE-71R and Direzza ZIII, Bridgestone Rival S 1.5 and the Azenis RT615K are all great street/track day tires. The Rival S 1.5 has a nice stiff sidewall which I like on the X for turn-in feel. I've read the same as you about the RE-71R losing some grip when hot. The ZIII is a sticky tire but it has less steering feedback. I know a lot of guys really like the Falkens because they're super predictable on the track as far as breakaway goes.
I think if I were doing twisty roads and occasional HPDEs I would go with the Rival but if it's more track time than not, the Azenis would probably be the best tire to keep learning to drive fast on.
That said, I've personally driven the RE and Direzza lines on my cars and have been researching/shopping for this Summer's shoes. So, on to my $0.02!
The RE-71R and Direzza ZIII, Bridgestone Rival S 1.5 and the Azenis RT615K are all great street/track day tires. The Rival S 1.5 has a nice stiff sidewall which I like on the X for turn-in feel. I've read the same as you about the RE-71R losing some grip when hot. The ZIII is a sticky tire but it has less steering feedback. I know a lot of guys really like the Falkens because they're super predictable on the track as far as breakaway goes.
I think if I were doing twisty roads and occasional HPDEs I would go with the Rival but if it's more track time than not, the Azenis would probably be the best tire to keep learning to drive fast on.
Thread Starter
Evolving Member
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 196
Likes: 4
From: Upper Midwest
Tire opinions are going to be everywhere and varied as can be. There's a lot of nuance in preference, driving style, driving skill, and overall perception. If you read up on lap time tests, you'll see one driver being faster on one tire than other drivers on competing tires.
That said, I've personally driven the RE and Direzza lines on my cars and have been researching/shopping for this Summer's shoes. So, on to my $0.02!
The RE-71R and Direzza ZIII, Bridgestone Rival S 1.5 and the Azenis RT615K are all great street/track day tires. The Rival S 1.5 has a nice stiff sidewall which I like on the X for turn-in feel. I've read the same as you about the RE-71R losing some grip when hot. The ZIII is a sticky tire but it has less steering feedback. I know a lot of guys really like the Falkens because they're super predictable on the track as far as breakaway goes.
I think if I were doing twisty roads and occasional HPDEs I would go with the Rival but if it's more track time than not, the Azenis would probably be the best tire to keep learning to drive fast on.
That said, I've personally driven the RE and Direzza lines on my cars and have been researching/shopping for this Summer's shoes. So, on to my $0.02!
The RE-71R and Direzza ZIII, Bridgestone Rival S 1.5 and the Azenis RT615K are all great street/track day tires. The Rival S 1.5 has a nice stiff sidewall which I like on the X for turn-in feel. I've read the same as you about the RE-71R losing some grip when hot. The ZIII is a sticky tire but it has less steering feedback. I know a lot of guys really like the Falkens because they're super predictable on the track as far as breakaway goes.
I think if I were doing twisty roads and occasional HPDEs I would go with the Rival but if it's more track time than not, the Azenis would probably be the best tire to keep learning to drive fast on.
The Falken Azenis was so highly recommended by my local performance shop that I'm probably going to go with those in the next couple of weeks here. I do prioritize HPDE over all else, given that's my most seat time.
