The ECB SuperUtes Series is looking to introduce more appropriate motorsport tyre for the 2019 season.
Currently the field runs on a readily available treaded road tyre, but is looking to switch to an R-Spec tyre for next season.
Sieders Racing Team owner Luke Sieders, whose squad fields a total of five SuperUtes between itself and customer Western Sydney Motorsport, forecasts that the change would cause a leap in lap speed.
“The Advan Yokohama that we’re using at the moment, albeit it’s a very good tyre, it’s a standard road tyre, it’s not an R-Spec by any means,” Sieders told Speedcafe.com.
“It is hurting the pace of these cars considerably.
“From the tyre that we had on the V8 Utes to the tyre that we have now there’ll be a good four seconds (per lap).”
There is currently no R-Spec tyre available to fit the SuperUtes’ 20-inch wheels, though at least one tyre manufacturer understood to be developing one for the class, which is not expected this season.
“With the tyre we’ve got at the moment really is a first year tyre in terms of something that we can get that’s readily available to fit the cars,” category manager Kurt Sakzewski told Speedcafe.com.
“Moving forward we are continually looking to develop the entire package.
“I’d suggest it’s more than likely to be a Year 2 introduction,” Sakzewski added.
“Changing the tyre, and considerably from a treaded road tyre to say an R-Spec tyre is a significant jump in terms of how you set-up the car.
“It’s not likely to be something that will be done mid-season, it is definitely something that we aim for for Year 2.”
For the moment Sakzewski says the category is focused on ensuring parity, and providing drivers seat time as it beds in the new cars.
“A lot of drivers haven’t had a great deal of track time so there’s certainly some gains just in made in driver laps,” he reasoned.
“There’s gains to be made probably in teams just getting a little bit more comfortable with the set-up of the car, but if we go into Year 2 and we’re able to add in an R-spec type tyre that will definitely see a big jump, especially on a circuit like Adelaide.
“Obviously the cars can carry a bit more speed through the corners, they’ll be able to race a little bit more and just improve the show again.
“I think it’s only a great thing to see that we’ve got a pretty good package now but we know that there’s some options that we can take moving forward that are going to improve the package even more.”
The majority of the field is set to take to Winton for a two-day test on April 12-13 before Round 2 of the series at the rural Victorian circuit on May 18-20.
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