Best Tires by Surface and Driving Style

Tire selection is one of the highest-leverage decisions you’ll make for track performance. The wrong compound on the wrong surface costs you seconds per lap. Here’s how to choose correctly.

Surface Types

RCP (Racing Course Parts) — The blue foam tile system. High grip, consistent. Medium-soft compounds work best. Too soft and you’ll overheat and ball up; too hard and you’ll slide off corners.

Carpet — Variable. Depends on pile height and fiber type. Medium compounds are a safe starting point. Test softer if you’re getting loose; harder if tires are too sticky.

Hardwood/Linoleum — Lower grip surface. Softer compounds help, but durometer matters less than tread pattern and contact patch width.

Compound Numbers

Tire compounds are rated by durometer (hardness). Lower numbers are softer:

• 20-30 — Very soft, high grip, wears fast
• 30-40 — Soft-medium, good for RCP
• 40-50 — Medium, versatile
• 50+ — Hard, low-grip surfaces or practice tires

Width and Offset

Wider tires increase the contact patch and lateral grip. But too wide and you’ll rub the body, or the car will understeer on tighter tracks. Offset positions the tire inward or outward on the wheel.

Start with stock-width tires at stock offset and adjust from there based on how the car handles.