PCA SDR

Anyone have any experience / thoughts on the NT01's for a track tire? I loved my RA1's, but they are discontinued in my size

Thanks for any info.

Phil

Phil,
I have run RA1's and now Nitto NT01's on my Turbo. They are very similar in most aspects. The Nitto's are a great replacement for the RA1's. Their more solid outside block design helps the "heavier" car turn in and stick even a little better. They should be great on your car.

They are a good replacement for RA-1's. While the tread blocks are larger the sidewalls ae softer.

I agree with Chuck and Steve. While NT-01's feel just a bit different than RA-1's, they don't seem to be much - if any - slower.
My experience is that they heat cycle out faster than RA-1's, quitting while there is still some tread left like 888's do. But that's just my experience.........and I have a very heavy car.

LUCKY DAVE wrote:I agree with Chuck and Steve. While NT-01's feel just a bit different than RA-1's, they don't seem to be much - if any - slower.
My experience is that they heat cycle out faster than RA-1's, quitting while there is still some tread left like 888's do. But that's just my experience.........and I have a very heavy car.

I agree with Dave on heat cycling. We use a tire durometer and the NT-01's are done at about 80% unlike the RA1's at cord.

anybody here try the Nitto 555R2?

+1 on both Steve and Dave.
However, the "New" RA1's, which we run on the 944 Spec, do not seem to last down to the cords like the "old" RA1's. The new ones behave much better than the R888's, and I would say more like the Nittos. But I am drawing conclusions on two very different cars.

ChuckS wrote:+1 on both Steve and Dave.
However, the "New" RA1's, which we run on the 944 Spec, do not seem to last down to the cords like the "old" RA1's. The new ones behave much better than the R888's, and I would say more like the R888's. But I am drawing conclusions on two very different cars.

My last set of "New" RA1's have not seemed to last as long or as well as the old RA1's either. Not nearly as bad as the R888's, but the grip is gone way before they have in the past.

I got to try both R888 and NT01 back to back this past weekend. I found they have similar amount of grip, but the R888 moves around more during the turns, making for a less confident drive. My lap times for R888 are about 1 sec slower compared to NT01, but then the tires are not the same size (225 for R888 vs 235 for NT01) so it may not be a true comparison. But based on this experience + the cheaper price of NT01, I'll probably stick with NT01.

I don't have any experience with RA1. Just sharing my experience with NT01 as a data point.

Cheers.

I've been running NT01's this year and have been pleased with the grip and tread life.

I have been buying them from http://www.onlinetires.com in LA and having them shipped to me.

We get both RA1 and Nitto NT-01 from Brian Shackelford. Cheap prices, cheap shipping and no sales tax!

Don't forget our advertiser C2 Motorsports carries RA1 (and maybe NITTO). At least comparison shop before.
And they are very careful with nice rims-Steve is the co-owner and only one who does them. He charges me $10 to mount and balance a 15" when I bring in the tire/rim off the car.

Didn't mean to short C2. Steve's prices are good and he IS one of the best for mounting and balancing. Not sure about the Nitto's, but he can get most all of the good track tires. I get a lot of stuff from him.

Steve can get Nitto's - he is quoting me a set now. His current mount and balance charge is $16.00 / wheel - and nobody is as meticulous as him. He truly acts as if each tire he mounts is going to be used for a world championship event.