Tires Question (LO206)

So out of curiosity, I’m quite aware of how tires play a significant role in race performance in the 2 stroke series, but what about LO206? I heard that tires can last you 3-4 races, but let’s say if you competing for wins, would that work?? Does putting on a one race old set of tires put you at a disadvantge vs new set of tires in LO206?

From the couple times I’ve driven a 206 it seems used tires are the way to go. On new tires it felt like I wasn’t able to carry my momentum as much through corners and causes some engine bogging on corner exit as well.

It’s going to depend on the track surface and tire compound.

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100% depends on the track and tire.

Reviving this question a little bit, but how many races you guys usually use your LO206 tires before you switch to a new pair?

I am guessing that’s gonna depend widely on compound. The spec series I will do this year specifies two sets of Hoosiers for the entire season.

Depends on the track, BUT I will say on some tracks I’ve heard people going several seasons on the same set (1-2 season for some folks) MG Reds are very popular where I’m at for 206. MG Yellows for the 4 stroke heavily modified Subaru class.

I’ve heard at the higher (team) levels, alot of them run a fresh set each race.

I know one guy who was starting out, and he said he raided the dumpster at his local track after high end races, just to stock up on tires from teams who only run them once and toss them.

The tracks that I’ll be at use MG Reds, I’ll only be karting at the local level, do you guys think I can make 4 races on that set of tires without performance drops or am I pushing it too far?

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Reds will be fine for four races, especially when starting out.

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I run my tires till the kart don’t turn good no more. :joy:

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Well that’s another way to figure out when they don’t work anymore, just drive em till they explode :joy:

There’s just a noticable laptime drop when they’re done. I normally will run 4 weekends on YPC or YLC 206 tires flipping them on the wheel each weekend. I’ll run a qual/prefinal/final on shifter tires and then demote them to practice tires.

MG FZ Yellows and Vega Reds were both good for two races with a test and tune day in between, and uncompetitive afterwards. I think the SM Yellow would go three races as long as they’re in back-to-back weeks. If I were racing 206 I would buy take-off Yellows from the big-budget TaG racers.

If you’re running MG Reds against drivers on MG Yellows and wondering why you’re losing - the difference is night and day, a clear second at East Lansing in lateral grip alone plus being able to grip hard enough for the chassis to “work”

Wouldn’t these tires be dead after one race in TaG though?

Whats the main difference between the reds and the yellows and which tire is more preferred for the day and for the night?

Also at the tracks that I looked at they say that all racers have to use the MG Reds. Do the reds really last only two races?? Two races seems quite a bit short, especially with all the boasting made that LO206 tires last quite some time compared to other classes

Most tracks spec a tire compound in 206 classes, so choosing a tire is normally out of the question.

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MG Reds should be good for at least four weekends in 206.

Vega Reds that Charles mentioned on the other hand, I don’t have a lot of experience with.

Oh ok makes me feel a little better about my money spending budget :joy:

The Yellows would have one good race left in them, which is all I’d be buying them for.

If MG Reds were the spec tire for the class, I’ve seen someone go no slower after six races than when they were new. They’re a nice hard tire.

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Oh and it just got better :rofl: :smiley:

I would get the following Saturday practice day out of my race day Le Cont whites in x30.