Lone Star_Racer
New Member
As an amateur racer, I like to soak my tires with Xylene solvent that I can purchase from any local hardware store. Just paint it on the outside of the tire and then wrap the tire with plastic wrap. The benzene ring molecules at very effective at softening the rubber in the racing tires we use. Be careful though because Xylene solvent is HIGHLY FLAMMABLE and has been known to cause cancer in California. The softened tires work well in the heat race, when there is the need for a soft sticky tire at the start of a short race. As the Xylene evaporates out of the tire, during the race, the tire begins to harden to match the hardness of the track that’s being raced on. I rarely use soaked tires in a feature event because it’s so hard to predict how hard the tires will become, potentially shredding, and it tends to disrupt the effectiveness of my Davis unit. I guess I’d be worried if a track official was walking around in the line-up chute with a lighter in one hand and a fire extinguisher in the other. Cheating is a risk. I say, “Take a sample of everyone’s race tires or take none.” As a cheater, I almost feel like I need to create a Union to protect the competitive edge “rights” of all the cheater racers. I feel better having shared my competitive edge. Share your story.
