[RS25.com]

There is legislation pending that could either make DOT approved racing tires illegal, or just make them so expensive that they will be unaffordable to most or the manufacturers will simply stop making them.

Check out:

http://www.hoosiertire.com/fmvsshlp.HTM

If you do any autocrossing, keep in mind this might affect you as well.

 

[10th Warrior]

that is such BS. it would completely destroy auto-x, though i doubt the government wouldn't be too terriably upset by that anyway, here's what i put and i encourage all of you, even if you don't auto-x to please make a comment (Hoosier already has a pre-fabed one)

in the pending tire reforms, please exclude tires used for sanctioned racing events. as it stands, this legislation would have a severe and detrimental effect on amateur racing throughout the country. Those who employ the use of specialty tires are well aware of any risks related to the activity being pursued as well as how to properly inflate a tire and thus do not require the government to regulate further the construction methods and engineering of these specialty tires.

Maintain the existing FMVSS 109 for tires with annual production per size and design that does not exceed 15,000. And, modification to the proposed FMVSS 119 to maintain the
existing FMVSS 119 testing standard for tires with annual production per size and design that does not exceed 15,000 for use on light trucks with GVWR of 10,000 lbs or less.

 

[rosss]

We may not have to worry as much as Hoosier makes it out.

I think they're worried because their tires won't pass the
new standards. I really doubt the other manufacturer's tires
have any risk of not meeting the new standards. Hoosier's are
barely legal now, and personally, I'd never buy any anyway, simply
based on cost and watching folks at the Atwater Pro spin
once or twice and lose $1000 worth of Hoosiers in an instant.

If the other manufacturers start worrying about this, I'll also
be more concerned -- if it's just Hoosier, I've got to take
this with a grain of salt or two.

Just my personal, cynical, opinion.

Of course, the NHTSA shouldn't be worrying about tougher tire standards,
and instead should be worrying about training all the idiot
drivers on the road (and training the dumbasses to actually
pay attention to their tire pressures!) -- then we wouldn't
have this situation anyway. But don't get me started on that

Sean
www.subrew.com

 

[Porter]

This is also somewhat a silly argument... if no DOT legal R compound tires are available, the SCCA will simply change the rules to allow non-DOT certified tires. They would probably just specify that the tire must have a measurable tread depth and be certified to run in the rain.

 

[bvondran]

Per today's Wall Street Journal, the new rules have been put on hold indefinitely. Reasoning, well, I think they said they tested 27 different tire models and 34& of them failed the new tests. Now I don'w know specifically, but I'm sure they weren't testing any R-compound tires.

And there's more....it appears that it's going to cost the manufacturers approx. $282 million annually and possibly save 27 lives and 667 injuries per year, again, complements of Wall Street. That works out to about $10.5 million per person saved.

I'm certainly not one to put a price on a person's life, but might we be better served if we spend that money teaching people to drive? Really, isn't driver's ed today a joke?

 

[Storm]

Here, here!

Well said! I have no doubts that Hoosier jumped on this to keep their little corner of the market share. After all, the BULK of their business comes from NON-DOT race tires. It might actually force "them" to redesign their tires to be more on an even playing field with the other R-compound DOT tires.

That said...I'll be rollin on Hoosiers come Sept in Topeka!!!