The Competitive Advantage of Tire Prep Notes

Why Documentation Wins Races

In racing, we log shock settings, gear ratios, lap times, and fuel data — but many teams still rely on memory when it comes to tire prep.

That’s a mistake.

Tires are the single largest performance variable on the car. If you are not tracking what they’re doing, you’re guessing.

A structured tire-prep notebook — whether digital or analog — turns tire work from an art into a repeatable, measurable process.

Why Tire Prep Notes Matter

Two identical tires can behave very differently depending on:

• Heat cycles
• Storage conditions
• Surface prep
• Track temperature
• Air pressure management
• Driving style

When you document these variables, you stop chasing setup changes and start identifying patterns.

Over time, your notes become a competitive advantage.

Build a Proper Tire Prep Station

Your prep station should include:

• Probe-style pyrometer
• Accurate air pressure gauge
• Tire durometer (if permitted)
• Tire Siper/Groover depth gauge
• Dedicated tire log (notebook or digital system)

Consistency in measurement tools leads to consistency in results.

The Importance of a Tire Siper/Groover Depth Gauge

One of the most overlooked tools in tire prep is a groove depth gauge.

A Tire Siper/Groover Depth Gauge — similar to those offered by manufacturers like Keyser — allows you to:

• Measure groove depth before and after cutting
• Keep siping depth consistent across a set
• Track wear progression precisely
• Duplicate a successful prep exactly

Even small variations (0.010–0.020") can noticeably affect feel and grip.

The design of these gauges is simple, which makes them easy to:

• 3D print
• Customize
• Keep permanently at your tire prep station

The goal is repeatability — not guesswork.

What You Should Be Tracking

1. Heat Cycles

Every time a tire goes through a full heat cycle, the rubber changes.

You should track:

• Total number of heat cycles
• When the tire felt at its peak
• When grip began to drop off
• Whether falloff was gradual or sudden

Some tires peak early. Others improve after the first cycle. Many lose forward bite after a certain number of runs.

If you notice grip reduction after a specific number of heat cycles, that becomes strategic information. You can:

• Rotate that tire to a less critical corner
• Use it for practice
• Adjust stagger expectations

Without documentation, that knowledge disappears at the end of the weekend.

2. Pyrometer Data (Cold & Hot Temps)

A probe-style pyrometer provides critical information about:

• Inside temperature
• Center temperature
• Outside temperature

Record both:

• Cold temps before the session
• Hot temps immediately after coming off track

Temperature spreads tell you:

• Camber effectiveness
• Air pressure accuracy
• Load distribution
• Whether the tire is overworked

When documented over multiple events, trends appear. You’ll begin to predict handling changes instead of reacting to them.

3. Air Pressure & Pressure Growth

Air pressure is dynamic, not static.

Modern digital gauges like RaceSense and Longacre models can:

• Store session data
• Track pressure growth
• Sync to phone or PC apps

This allows you to monitor:

• Cold starting pressure
• Hot pit pressure
• Total growth during a run
• Long-term growth changes across heat cycles

If a tire starts showing reduced pressure growth over time, that can indicate compound aging or carcass fatigue.

That’s valuable information before performance drops off noticeably.

4. Groove Depth & Wear Patterns

Before and after each event, measure:

• Groove depth
• Shoulder wear
• Feathering
• Graining
• Surface glazing

Always measure at the same reference point for consistency.

If you liked how the car handled at a particular event, your notes should include:

• Final groove depth
• Final stagger
• Heat cycle count
• Pressure data
• Driver feedback

That becomes your blueprint for recreating performance.

What a Complete Tire Log Entry Should Include

For each tire, record:

• Tire position (LF, RF, LR, RR)
• Brand / compound
• Initial groove depth
• Sipe depth (if applicable)
• Heat cycle count
• Cold pressure
• Hot pressure
• Cold temps (if tracked)
• Hot temps (I/C/O)
• Driver feedback
• Wear description
• Subjective grip rating (1–10)

Over time, patterns emerge:

• Which tires tolerate more cycles
• When grip consistently falls off
• What groove depth delivers best forward bite
• How much pressure growth you should expect

That information turns tire prep into controlled experimentation.

The Hidden Competitive Edge

The teams that win consistently are rarely guessing.

They know:

• How many cycles a tire can take before it fades
• How much pressure growth to expect on a long run
• What groove depth works best at their track
• What temperature spread delivers optimal balance

That knowledge compounds over time.

Final Thoughts

Tire prep is not just cutting, sanding, and cleaning.

It is data collection.

A simple groove depth gauge — even a 3D-printed one — can standardize your prep.

A digital air pressure gauge can preserve long-term data.

A dedicated tire log protects thousands of dollars in tire investment.

If you want consistent performance, start documenting your tires.

Because tires change every time they hit the track.

Your notes make sure you don’t forget what they taught you.