Compounds, sizes, tread depth, and spring rates-these are just a
few of the variables racers face each week when it comes to
dealing with the tires on their vehicles. Tires, in fact, have
become one of the greatest determining factors on how you finish
in your series. This is especially true in entry-level racing
divisions, such as Quarter Midgets, Karts, and Legends Cars.
With the exception of Legends, which put out roughly 125 hp,
most of the cars in entry-level divisions have less than 30 hp.
The tires on these underpowered vehicles must be watched closely
and sometimes altered to make them better than the tires of the
competition. I raced karts for approximately nine years and I
recall having to prep, cut, and balance the tires to even have a
chance at winning a race. When we got a new tire mounted, we
would immediately put it on the tire cutting machine, cut half
of the rubber off, fill it with 6 ounces of our favorite prep,
and leave it in its own personal rotisserie all night to soften
the tire. The b