Cheapo newbie tires?

Hi. Im currently running 300treadwear noname brand tires.

What is a good trackday option to replace these?

i only have 2 events under my belt, and do not want full 200tw yet.

also i want cheap.  im fine with bizzare no name brands.

any recommendations?

The Firestone Indy Firehawk is pretty good to learn on if it comes in your size. 

Federal rs-rr. 

Falken 950s 

Federal super steel. 

Been reasonably happy with all of them, and had customers use all of them for track days with no complaints. 

I really like the falken RT615+ for the performance/$, longevity, and newb-friendly dynamics (seems to break away progressively instead of "snap", at least for our lemons car) 

In reply to ross2004 :

I have found the Indy 500 to be a very good street tire and surprisingly good for autocross last weekend. No track experience with them. 
 

Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to ross2004 :

I have found the Indy 500 to be a very good street tire and surprisingly good for autocross last weekend. No track experience with them. 
 

Very consistent, high heat tolerance, wears like iron. Certainly doesn't have the outright grip the 200tw's have, but it'll take a lot of abuse and is very forgiving to drive on. 

TR7 (Forum Supporter) said:

I really like the falken RT615+ for the performance/$, longevity, and newb-friendly dynamics (seems to break away progressively instead of "snap", at least for our lemons car) 

THis is a good one. Also, Hankook RS4's are a perfect fit if you can afford them. They will last a long time so dollar per mile may be on par with some of the cheaper options. Worth considering. 

300TW usually means at least a decent summer tire. What are they? Other cheap tires.. Hmm. MuchoMacho? I'd probably look at 595 RSRR.

Aren't RS4s and  RT615s 200TW tires, or at least close?

I believe Conti ECS have also been mentioned on here in the past as a good compromise tire, although I don't have any personal experience with them.

Firehawk, ESC, 615

Will they are 3 season driving as well, or strictly track use? 

The thing about this segment is if there was a cheapo tire that worked well, everyone would know about it and it would no longer be a no name tire.

Remember when Kumhos were the hot ticket because they were cheap no name tires? 

In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :

There apparently is a Nexen that can fill the bill, but I'm not too familiar with it and haven't driven on them. 

Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to ross2004 :

I have found the Indy 500 to be a very good street tire and surprisingly good for autocross last weekend. No track experience with them. 
 

We have track experience with them -- great tire -- wears well, predictable, and cheap. 

BoxheadTim said:

Aren't RS4s and  RT615s 200TW tires, or at least close?

I believe Conti ECS have also been mentioned on here in the past as a good compromise tire, although I don't have any personal experience with them.

Yes they're 200tws but the budget/endurance versions and probably what the op is looking for. Initial cost might be a bit higher but they'll last forever and drive similarly to "full 200tws" which are presumably in his future eventually. The main thing I don't like about starting with 300tws is that even the best ones still drive pretty differently to 200tws, so when you finally make the switch you get to start over from scratch basically on learning how to setup and drive the car.

BoxheadTim said:

Aren't RS4s and  RT615s 200TW tires, or at least close?

I believe Conti ECS have also been mentioned on here in the past as a good compromise tire, although I don't have any personal experience with them.

Lets be honest with eachother. "200TW" means about didly squat these days. That can span the bredth from Hoosier levels of grip/lifespan to vettes rocking modern day all seasons faster than NT01s.

I took the OP's post as wanting predictable, communicative tires that can handle the heat of track days without chunking while lasting a long time. Tires that would be good for learning while not ending weekends short because they have heat cycled out or chunked unpredictably in the process of driver advancement. 

The RS4 would be perfect for that case if in the budget.  

GT Radial Champiro sx2 is the go to tire for the 86 Cup series. Not a full blown track tire but seems to handle the FRS/86/BRZ weight just fine. Don't know how they act with a wider set of hips but worth looking into.

Personally I'd get the rt615k+ and fire off consistent fairly grippy laps and enjoy the the longevity compared to what a cheap tire will get you.

I have tracked Firestone Firehawk 500's , Falken 615's, and Goodrich RE-71s. I agree that not all 200TW tires are equal and the Falken 615 is not on par with the Falken 660, RE-71, AO-52, etc but is a great compromise for traction, wear, and price. 

In reply to Olemiss540 :

Exactly. A 200tw Yokohama A052 isn't quite the same as a 200tw Hankook RS4. One might win Solo Nats, the other is perfect for endurance racing.

Our latest track tire guide might help narrow the field. 

My immediate thought was hankook rs4.

Last forever in endurance racing and have pretty dang good grip.

There are teams out there that will give you / sell you their used ones cheap.

I had no idea indy500s were 340tw.  I always assumed those are 200tw or something

BoxheadTim said:

I believe Conti ECS have also been mentioned on here in the past as a good compromise tire, although I don't have any personal experience with them.

Keep in mind, the ECS likes some camber... like 1.5deg minimum.  The main benefit it has, is better grip in the wet... it's a pretty good tire to run 'year round' if it doesn't get too cold.