Pope
Veteran CEG'er
in the case of the track getting slippery at the starting line if the tires spin and making the traction situation even worse you might find it beneficial to avoid the groove, but I would not count on it helping much.
The problem with street tires and test and tunes is that the rubber used in street tires is of a harder formulation that increases lifespan but reduces stickiness; as this rubber builds up on the starting line, the quality of the track prep is severely impacted. However, due to dust, dirt, and other debris that wind up on the track surface, lining up out of the groove will probably not result in an improvement, because you will be, most likely, lining your vehicle up with at least one tire in this debris.
With street tires (any radial really) you need to be careful with running reduced air pressure, because as tire pressure decreases in a radial tire, the side wall will bulge giving the impression that more of the tire is in contact with the ground, but the center of the tread pad is actually collapsing and reducing the tractive capacity of the tire. Radial tires should always be utilized within their designed pressure range in order to ensure maximum traction.
The problem with street tires and test and tunes is that the rubber used in street tires is of a harder formulation that increases lifespan but reduces stickiness; as this rubber builds up on the starting line, the quality of the track prep is severely impacted. However, due to dust, dirt, and other debris that wind up on the track surface, lining up out of the groove will probably not result in an improvement, because you will be, most likely, lining your vehicle up with at least one tire in this debris.
With street tires (any radial really) you need to be careful with running reduced air pressure, because as tire pressure decreases in a radial tire, the side wall will bulge giving the impression that more of the tire is in contact with the ground, but the center of the tread pad is actually collapsing and reducing the tractive capacity of the tire. Radial tires should always be utilized within their designed pressure range in order to ensure maximum traction.
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