I want to do a few beginner track days this summer with my r50 mini with 15" holies. I was wondering if anyone has used them on track and if they could suggest a proper tire/size.

The wheels are currently wrapped in 185/60/15 Hankook optimo all-seasons.

I'm on a budget with the car since I've got other hobbies and projects, so I don't want to get a dedicated set of track wheels if I don't need to.

Just want a good high performance tire I could throw on for track/few months of summer.

 

hankook rs4 is my current hpde favorite, they can handle the heat without getting torn up, and start with pretty deep tread blocks, and cheap

 

Hankook Ventus R-S4 are Extreme Summer tires good for limited track and driving school or autocross but will wear fast for daily driving and street use. Extreme Summer tires are not suitable for any cold weather, many aren't good in the wet, they are firm riding and noisy for street use.

R-S4 aren't the best tire for 15" holies on a MINI. They come in-
195/50-15 fits rims 5.5-7" wide, tire diam. 22.5" or almost 2" smaller than OEM.
225/45-15 or 245/40-15

For best track performance and wear you want Extreme Summer tires-
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/types...at.jsp?perf=EP
15" sizes available like 205/50-15 which can fit an OEM 15" MINI wheel OK

Alternatively you can also use Max Summer tires-
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/types...at.jsp?perf=MP
15" sizes not very available

None of the All season tires are very good for any track duty, you won't get the same grip levels and you will wear them out in a hurry.

So what you use for daily street driving is almost the opposite of what you want for track duty. You can use the same tire for both but won't get good wear or they won't be comfortable and smooth riding for street use. Thats why owners have separate track wheels and tires.

I have used track tires for daily driving but only if you have good roads and low miles to drive per day. It can be firm riding, noisy, and jarring depending on your suspension. Not so bad with OEM suspension. With race suspension, not fun.

Your Hankook All Season tires are fine for daily use. They aren't suited for any performance driving.

So now you have a decision what direction you want to go- if you need the all seasons then the best of those are Ultra High Performance All Seasons which are OK but a compromise for both ultimate grip for track use and liveability for street use. While there are some UHPAS tires that fill both roles adequately they are usually expensive or don't come in 15" MINI wheel sizes.

 

Thanks for the detailed reply! The Hankook all-seasons on my mini now are in great shape, less than a year old, so they would be on the car most of the year. I was thinking something for track/street would only be on the car 2-3 months in the summer. I also don't drive a whole lot, I bike to work and also have a camper van I use for longer trips on the weekends. The mini is mostly for fun and running errands around town.

I guess I am curious what size tire would fit good with my 15" holies and be good for track (they don't have to be the best) but also suitable and not too harsh for daily. My mini is a 2002, already has some interior rattling going on, and is on OEM suspension. It's not the smoothest ride as-is haha.

So, 205/50/15's would be a good size that would fit the holies? Any reason I shouldn't be looking at 195/55/15s as well?

Here's some I found on Tire Rack.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...Potenza+RE-71R

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...N+Neova+AD08+R

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...ce+Rival+S+1.5

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...del=Proxes+R1R

Again, thanks for the reply and sorry if I sound very newbish!

 

re71r and rival s 1.5 are the top "street" autocross tires for dry weather, the rs4 is a little slower but lasts much longer

I've never ran the ad08 or r1r

 

Also the rs4 is a top pick for 24 hour racers they really hold up well to track abuse

 

OK, OEM MINI 15" wheels are 15x5.5" so they aren't very wide but they are very light.

You can fit tires up to about 205mm wide but some sizes give a small tire diameter which is OK up to a point, you don't need to be at stock tire diameter for track use.

yes, you can put on new tires for track duty and take off the all season tires for a few months. Need to find a good tire shop to do this without charging you too much. It's possible that costco could do it if you dismounted your wheels and gave it to them just to do the labor. Once you drive in they want you to use OEM tire sizes which is OK for putting on the all season tires but not the race tires, just ask them.

195/55-15 and 195/60-15 are usable tire sizes but tire selection is not always as good as 205/50-15. However Toyo Proxes R1R comes in 195/55-15 for $315 a set of four- great close out price on old 2012 made tires but will work for you. It's an old design and popular with Miatas way back. The new stuff is much better but this is cheap and will work.

Do you have any past track driving experience or are you totally new to track? Have you done any driving school events? How to drive on the track is not like street driving, in fact it can be totally different. If you drive too aggressively you can easily wear out good track tires in a "day".

Because you have stock suspension and alignment it's very likely you will wear your track tires fast since alignment allows you to use more of the full width of the tire treads. With stock alignment you can drive on the street ok but on the track you will wear out the front outer treads very fast. That area is doing all the work, which means the tire you choose for track should have very large wide tread blocks on the outer edge, the bigger the better to give you more rubber.

While it is true the RE71R and Rival S 1.5 are good autocross tires we still don't know enough about the new Dunlop Direzza ZIII yet. Comes in 195/55-15 for $132 each, maybe not quite as durable but a solid dry or wet performer.

R-S4 is possible, good on durability, not as soft a rubber so give up some grip, not as good in wet. limited sizes, 195/50-15 for $112 each.
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests...y.jsp?ttid=226

The other durable track tire is Falken Azenis RT615K+
205/50-15 for $107 each, not as grippy but wears better. Being used for spec Miata racing series now.

As soon as you can get into a driving school you should do it. If the track event allows instruction then sign up for it. Don't try to be fast, be smooth and stay off the brake unless it's required. Anytime you are too aggressive on the throttle you will find you have to jam on the brakes, be more gradual on the throttle in those sections and save your brakes. One thing to remember is your MINI can slow down much quicker than it can speed up so keep speed up when you can, it's called momentum driving.

 

Lots of very helpful info, I really appreciate it. I've got no track experience of my own, but I've been to Thunderhill and Sonoma raceway several times with my friends who track their M3's and have ridden in several others. I know that doesn't mean much besides the fact that I've ridden in cars on track and seen more or less how it goes from a passengers perspective. For the beginner class through SF speed they require an instructor in the vehicle which I know will be very helpful. I don't drive aggressive and definitley know the mini will be a momentum car. I really just enjoy a nice cruise on the back roads (we have some really nice ones out here in Northern CA) but have always wanted to do a track day.

I got an alignment a few days after purchasing my mini, though it's not to performance specs by any means, it's something to keep in mind if I get new tires. I also had Mini dealer do an inspection on the vehicle and plan to address some maintenance in the coming months before/if I do any track events.

Good to know there's some options out there for tires, and the 15" size is fairly affordable.

 

Ziii is about the same as the rs4 for grip/wear,. Nasa uses toyo rr for spec Miata, scca uses Hoosier sm7 I run the sm7 take offs and the sm7 205 is the same width as my 225 rs4

 

Yes, 15" wheels work for the MINI. I use 15x8" rims and 225 or 245mm wide tires with race suspension and lots of negative camber on stock fenders.

Watch your instructors carefully and take that driving line, be sure to drink enough fluids to keep hydrated before during and after your events. Get lots of sleep from the day before your event. Track driving can be physically and mentally hard so being fresh is important.

 

When using street tires for track you give up some grip. This article is old from 2012 but some things still apply. Most tire models have been improved on but some still remain as a reference point-

https://www.caranddriver.com/compari...omparison-test

Michelin Pilot Super Sport now replaced by Pilot Sport 4S. It's costly. Otherwise Hankook Ventus R-S4

 

Ended up ordering some BFG G-force sport comp-2's in 195/55/15 for my holies. At $240 for a set of 4, shipped, hard to beat. I ran these tires on my bmw e46 325i with no qualms. A little harsh but were a solid DD tire that won't be the best on track but will certainly perform. I'll report back on the ride feel on my mini once they are all wrapped up on the holies.