what are the hp limitations of a good tire prep? example say you have 40 on up hp at what hp level/class will the prepped tires lose their grip advantage?

I'd say none if the tire's are done right. I've seen jr. classes lose grip because of tires done wrong. But I've never been on a kart with more than 28 or so HP's. I personally think some of these high hp motors are over kill at some places anyways. You can get it done with alot less.

Handling over horsepower any day, or night.

Prep seems to help dirt late models and sprint cars that are pushing over 850 horses currently....not to say that it locks them down -- but it certainly is an advantage!

I'll take straight line handling any day -- let me worry about "hooking it up."


Thanks,
Brian Carlson
Carlson Racing Engines
Vector Chassis
Vector Cuts / Hoosier Tires
http://www.CarlsonMotorsports.com
765-339-4407
bcarlson@CarlsonMotorsports.com

The stock car prepping is a different animal in my opinion. We have been doing stock car tires for about 5 years now. You have to prep more to the driver and hp they have. It's not all together different in some ways in that what preps we use, but what is different is how aggressive you get with one guys tires than another guys at the same track. Everybody is different in stock cars. Way to many variables that you have to take into account, and that's probably why they look to kart guys to figure it out. We just have been doing it way longer, and like I'm sure you all know, if you don't nail the tires in karts you won't make it.

Prep won't lose it's advantage. A tire with more grip still has more grip, no matter how much horsepower is being put to that tire. Ask any Unlimited All-Star Driver in the Southeast. Heck, ask Randy Ransom. About every Unlimitied driver in the South uses Track Tac. They aren't using it just because Randy gives them cool looking stickers. :-)

__________________
Eric Rendleman - (336) 964-0530
venomjuice.net
ericrendlemanperformance.com

GSR...
The very first tire prep formula I got, was from back in the early 80's from a winning Nascar driver. At least in my experience -- the "stock" car guys have been doing it a lot longer.....LOL

Eric's right -- I hopefully made that point clear as well. Look at Robby in UAS or anyone else up front -- they're all on prep -- "There just may be some advantage to it."

thanks for some good reading and information i'll try some good tire prep. for 2010 uas michigan (edon ohio)

Let me rephrase that for you then. Most of the dirt track guys that I work with have no clue where to begin. Have they been using WD40 or diesel fuel over the years, from time to time? Yes. Have they all figured out how to internally prep the correct way? How do choice a prep in a certain situation? How do apply that prep? No. Not that I've seen. Now I'm not saying that Moyer, Bloomquist, Babb, ect. haven't, but the local level racers, to the bigger drivers that just don't want to do it themselves, they are the ones that really don't know much about it or just don't want to have to deal with doing it themselves. Have stock car guys been prepping for a long time? Of course. I won't argue with that.