What setup helps middle phase grip with used slicks in Spec Miata?

[Zachary_W]

I’ve been running a set of used slicks I got for my Spec Miata, and I’m starting to wonder if I’m actually losing time in the crucial middle phase of a race. The tires feel okay for a lap or two after they come in, but then the lap times just seem to drift off more than I expected compared to others.

[Kenneth.L]

Yeah that tracks. Used slicks usually feel fine for the first lap or two after they come in, and then they just fall off. I’ve seen it in several races—the middle stints where the lap times start drifting as the compound starts to glaze and heat soak. It isn’t dramatic at first, but you notice the consistency slipping.

[PenelopeNW]

I tried keeping an eye on temps and pressures after a stint. The temps settled in, but the pressure crept up a bit and the car would start to feel a touch loose in the mid corner. Not a huge gap, but enough to hurt the middle laps.

[LoganEL]

Could it be the real problem isn’t the tire at all? Maybe grip on the track, or brake balance, or fuel load shifts through a stint are masking what you feel.

[Savannah78]

I’ve wandered around this in the paddock before, chasing tire talk and coffee chatter. Sometimes the middle of the stint felt slow and I wasn’t sure if it was the tires or something else; I guess I just learned to watch the data and still feel unsure.