Can racing become Greener, Cheaper, Safer?

What do you think about setting a restriction on the number of tires each racer or team can run in a weekend? I was thinking that the fact that it would be “Greener” and lower cost racing might be a good thing for the sport.

First “Green” these days it seems to be an important thing considering that according to some people we are killing the world. Most people outside of racing think we are not at considerate of the environment but if we put a restriction on the number of tires that can be run in a race weekend that might help to change that stereo type. If we reduce the number from let’s say 3 sets to 1 that would require us to run harder tires and in turn would push the tire manufacture to develop higher endurance tires. The technology develop here could also help develop higher endurance street tires and well which will also help the “Green” thing. Also of this would reduce the total number of tires that are produced and end up in landfills or are further processed into another product.

Then there is what we as racers really care about the COST. If a racer or team is only allowed to run one set instead of three that would reduce the cost of racing by a considerable amount. Take an example AMA XR1200 race weekend most teams will run three sets costing roughly $1080 making the total race weekend cost not counting travel or lodging to roughly $1400. Reduce that to one set per weekend and the cost is now $680 less than half the cost. This same math works for WERA and CCS racing but at those race weekends it would be difficult to monitor the racers and make sure they are using a limited number of tires.

On a side note there is a safety impact to racing on harder tires that have less traction then a soft qualifier. The soft qualifier tires have lots of traction which can be dangerous when they begin to slide because the transition from having traction to sliding can be very abrupt. All tire companies perform a slip Mu test which helps to characterize the tire and determine the predictability of the tire and what the traction difference is between having traction and slipping. Harder higher endurance tires typically perform better on this test and are more predictable for the rider. In short safer.

What do you think? Is “Greener, more cost effective and safer worth putting a limit on the number of tires we can run on a race weekend?

 

no

 

I dont see how reducing the number of tires is helping racing become more green

 

Green sucks....

 

Certainly not me. 1 front, 1 rear, with a new rear going on before sundays races. The front lasts ATLEAST two weekends, and I'm able to sell my take off tires for $50 each. Sounds pretty green to me.

 

Wow.

 

green racing? Plant a tree in the pits at a local race track for shade or a vegatable garden so racers dont have to buy food! Also use prison labor for pit bitches!

 

"What do you think?" I think you must live a boring life if this is what concerns you.

 

I'm dumping some VP in my mower and snow blower when I get home and letting them run until the gas runs out to counter this

 

I'm dumping my drain oil into the trout stream out back that is fed by crystal clear mountain run off..

 

ha

 

WTF about Green? Nothing is Green...its just a marketing ploy.

 

Tires get recycled most of the time. Tires in landfills are an insignificant issue. The amount of methane released into the atmosphere by racers farting in the paddock probably puts more impact on the environment than waste tires.

 

Move it to the dungeon!

I got your green right here.

 

1 set per weekend? Last year I used 1 rear and 2 front tires (total) and ran just about every round WERA had in the SE plus a bunch of trackdays. I also run Bioweapon fuel. I'm green without even trying.

 

1 rear all season? Wtf I use more tires for my bicycle

 

this last weekend, i used 30gal of gas total for 1 trackday. fun for one person for one day took 30gal... nothing green about that.

i did run tires i purchased used, so thats my contribution to 'recycling'.

 

30 Gallons????? Did you do your trackday in a V10 Ford F350 with the hubs locked in?

Running 5 practices, 2 hour endurance and 7 sprints on a race weekend I never used 30 gallons.

 

i was including my pickup too, 2.4L 2wd driving 3:45 each way over a good hill. that and another 9gal for the bike. i kno in comparison to those guys pulling huge trailers, i prob use very little fuel when including the rig, but i still think its a lot just for just me.