We've raced the Nitto NT01 tires - impressions

Hi All -

Ralph drove on the new (came out in December) Nitto NT01 for the club races at PIR and Buttonwillow and they worked out really well.

http://www.nittotire.com/tires_nt01.asp


Fast off of the shelf with no shaving or prior heat cycling. 6/32nds tread depth new. But not having to shave them is a huge benefit for us. We've had our share of tire shavers butcher a tire for us now and again (money down the drain).

And durable - we did the 3 days at PIR and the next event at Buttonwillow on the same set. We find them similar to the RA-1 in compound.

And they are fast - Ralph broke the old HP record at PIR by 2 seconds!

Our overall impression - similar in compound to the RA-1, but with a better tread pattern and sidewall.

Wear as well as RA-1's?

Originally Posted by vaio76109

Wear as well as RA-1's?

Yep - we have a fairly heavy car for a race car and we don't shave them or heat cycle them.

We start a race weekend end with them sticker off the shelf.

What sizes are you running, weight of the car, and how long do they/expect them to last?

Originally Posted by vaio76109

What sizes are you running, weight of the car, and how long do they/expect them to last?

We have to be at least 3278 with the driver.

We use the 275/35x18 all around. We can get at least 2 full race weekends on a set (without shaving or heat cycling). Note: we do wear them pretty evenly.

Originally Posted by scottn2retro

Yep - we have a fairly heavy car for a race car and we don't shave them or heat cycle them.

We start a race weekend end with them sticker off the shelf.

Greg, I was there when Scott used the NT-01s. I am backing up what he said. Off the shelves, NIB condition. The NT-01s are my next acquisition. I have seen the race car running on them and the lap times Ralph scored. Also sat in another car with NT-01s around the track. Unbelievable.

I have one more set of RA1s and I am done.

Great tires The tread pattern looks hot and I am definitely surprised about the way they perform and last on the track.

I'm sure they perform well, I'm just not sure of the longevity compared to RA-1's.

Originally Posted by vaio76109

I'm sure they perform well, I'm just not sure of the longevity compared to RA-1's.

(Hint: think RA-1 compound - with better tread pattern and improved sidewall)

Originally Posted by scottn2retro

(Hint: think RA-1 compound - with better tread pattern and improved sidewall)

I've heard they're the same compound but I haven't heard that from the manufacturer so I'm reluctant to accept that a different tread pattern and sidewall made them THAT much quicker.

Originally Posted by vaio76109

I've heard they're the same compound but I haven't heard that from the manufacturer so I'm reluctant to accept that a different tread pattern and sidewall made them THAT much quicker.

In post #8, you were worried about the longevity. Now you seem worried they are quicker enough. The point is, for the same money (we're aren't talking about having to spend more, like for Hoosiers), they are faster, not slower. And give the same durability value.

I mean, they're not going to cut your lap time by 25% or anything like that. But for us, even getting a second or two on a 2 minute lap is huge.

Originally Posted by scottn2retro

In post #8, you were worried about the longevity. Now you seem worried they are quicker enough. The point is, for the same money (we're aren't talking about having to spend more, like for Hoosiers), they are faster, not slower. And give the same durability value.

I mean, they're not going to cut your lap time by 25% or anything like that. But for us, even getting a second or two on a 2 minute lap is huge.

Longevity is my #1 priority, with speed #2. I just don't see how the new tire can be soo much quicker using the same compound which leads me to beleive it's not the same compound, but a softer compound which in turns leads to less longevity. Now do you get what I'm saying?

Originally Posted by vaio76109

Longevity is my #1 priority, with speed #2. I just don't see how the new tire can be soo much quicker using the same compound which leads me to beleive it's not the same compound, but a softer compound which in turns leads to less longevity. Now do you get what I'm saying?

For the weight of our cars, tread wear can definitely be an issue, so you are right to look for value (good speed with long life). A Hoosier may be faster than both in cooler temps or the first few laps of a race, but at a much higher cost (if you factor in faster set replacements).

As great a tire as the RA-1 is (we know it well and if we had not found the NTO1s, that's what we'd be running), it's not perfect. Our longevity comes at a price. Both the RA-1 and the NT01 are heavy tires - so that's a wash. People do note the soft sidewalls on the RA-1 and how it affects turn in. And the tread block pattern actually makes for a good rain tire at full tread. Believe me, the new RA-1 when it comes out will look nothing like that (it will probably look more like the Hoosier).

Do any of you know if it is an issue to run RA1s "backwards" (against the rotation arrows) in the dry, or even a damp (no running water) track.

I've done it once and several people told me no problems, and I felt / saw no issues, but just want to check to see what you guys know. I was going to email Toyo today to see what they say as well...........

Given that Road Atlanta is primarily a right turn track, with 1 and 12 being very high speed right handers, you get very uneven tire wear on the left side outside shoulders. I've been through 3 rotations, and my next one for next weekend would be a backwards rotation again......

And yes, the tires will get flipped on the rims before they are used after next weekend.

Sorry, double posting issues. Seems the site has been hanging since last night...........

Originally Posted by TwoE46s

Do any of you know if it is an issue to run RA1s "backwards" (against the rotation arrows) in the dry, or even a damp (no running water) track.

RA-1's can run either direction in the dry. For water you should run them directionally but if there's no tread visible It wouldnt matter anyways.

I finally got to run my Nitto NT-01s at a track day a couple of weeks ago. I'm very happy with them. This is the first track tire I've ever run, and amazing grip aside, they were very predictable at the limit and had relatively little wear. A C5 Corvette Z06 with Toyo RA-1s could not keep up with me through the twisties.

My setup:
Nitto NT-01 - 275/35/18 all around
SSR Type C-RS - 18x9.5 all around
GC S/A Street/Track Coils - 525 lb front springs, 545 lb rear springs, sways, camber plates, poly bushings

Originally Posted by vaio76109

I've heard they're the same compound but I haven't heard that from the manufacturer so I'm reluctant to accept that a different tread pattern and sidewall made them THAT much quicker.

Stiffer sidewalls --> better transitional response, better turn-in, more driver confidence
New tread pattern --> better wear because the very broad tread blocks don't flex as much and will then be cooler (compared to full tread depth), nor do they need to be shaved so rubber doesn't end up on the cutting room floor.

So you can have both better wear and more speed.

Anyway, I tried these tires last weekend. Most impressive. Good grip and very little, if any, wear. This was my first time at Putnam in the dry, and I was passing most of the instructors that were driving in my run group. The edges of the sipes were still pretty sharp by the end of the weekend, and there was no chunking anywhere. Weather was in the mid 80's, with direct sunshine.

I did heat cycle these tires a couple weeks before the DE, and rotated the tires (LF to RR, RF to LR) halfway through the event (5 sessions, 30 minutes each). I did not shave them.

These tires are the real deal.

Originally Posted by elbert

New tread pattern --> better wear because the very broad tread blocks don't flex as much and will then be cooler (compared to full tread depth), nor do they need to be shaved so rubber doesn't end up on the cutting room floor.

Well noone seriously compete's with full tread(or even blocks showing) depth RA-1's. So really there isn't much tread squirm as it's almost one continuous contact patch.

We raced them again at Willow Springs this past weekend. Temperature was only 105

We started the weekend on new tires, unshaved, just heat cycled with street driving.

Even in those conditions, we were able to set a new HP track record by about a second a lap. And tire wear was great. We had another racer try a set and somehow he magically was running closer to the cars that usually finish way ahead of him