Selecting the ideal tire for track use seems straightforward. Just pick the widest possible size and the softest compound permitted by regulations. That is the common view shared online.

Reality proves more complex. Recent experience showed that unconventional testing is sometimes required to identify the top choice, which prompted this specific evaluation.

Long-term testing has demonstrated that although dimensions play a role, the rubber compound remains the decisive factor. Placing a tire in its optimal temperature range and sustaining that condition throughout the session proves most critical.

Not every tire line offers every dimension. Size may need to be traded for the preferred compound, particularly when using 15-inch wheels.

This situation arose while sourcing fresh tires for the One Lap CRX during 2024. A tire was required that performed when cold in dry conditions and maintained capability in wet weather. The Yokohama Advan A052 offered suitable heat cycling and wet traction, yet the widest 15-inch size available measured 225 millimeters.

[Wheel width considerations: Does wider always improve results?]

The second CRX, a multiple champion in SCCA Time Trial events, also demanded strong low-temperature grip for its Track Sprint format. Similar to autocross, no warm-up laps are provided. The 225 Yokohama was therefore selected again for its temperature flexibility.

By 2025 Track Sprint events were removed from SCCA TT Nationals. This change allowed consideration of other compounds that require some warm-up yet appear in wider sizes, including the Nankang Sportnex CR-S, Vitour Tempesta P1 and BFGoodrich Rival S. Once at temperature these tires can equal the Yokohama in single-lap performance. Wider 15-inch options exist for each, and each increase in width delivered measurable gains during testing.

[Evaluating new Nankang tires: Can very wide rubber improve lap times? | Tire Test]

The Vitour Tempesta P1 ranks among the quickest 200-treadwear tires, yet no 23-inch-tall 15-inch sizes are currently offered. A very short 285/30R15 measuring 21.7 inches tall and a wider 305/30R15 at 22.2 inches tall both prove too low for either Honda without major alterations.

However a 23.7-inch-tall 17-inch Vitour size does exist: the 285/30R17. This matches the overall diameter of the current 225/50R15 Yokohamas while providing substantially more width. Could this 17-inch option prove competitive?

The wide BFGoodrich Rival S presents another possibility. Recent testing produced very strong lap times, surpassing the Vitour even, and the tire is offered in a 245/40R15 size. Is the BFG genuinely that rapid, or did conditions affect the Vitour on that particular hot day? A new set was ordered, though delivery delays prevented inclusion in the initial test session.

[Has BFGoodrich introduced a new Super 200 benchmark? | Tire Test]

From left to right: 285/30-17 Vitour P1, 275/35-15 Nankang CR-S, 245/40-15 Nankang CR-S, 245/40-15 BFGoodrich Rival S, 225/50-15 Yokohama A052

Tire Specifications

Fitting this larger rubber required careful planning, some grinding and appropriate wheels. Good-Win Racing supplies several non-standard motorsport-oriented sizes from Konig that suit Miatas and other 4x100 vehicles such as the CRX.

The first action involved ordering the complete set of wheels for the evaluation.

The next step focused on achieving proper clearance.

On classic Hondas the steering knuckle defines the inner clearance limit for any wheel and tire combination. In a tight fitment such as the 285/30R15 Vitours on 10-inch wheels the tire contacts the knuckle. With a correctly stretched setup the rim itself may touch. Spacers become necessary in either case to achieve clearance. A full day was spent addressing these fitment details.

The added wheel width also raises the possibility of outer fender contact. Rather than altering the vehicle bodywork, previously modified fenders that had accommodated 275-millimeter Hoosiers were installed. Although imperfect in appearance and aerodynamics, they suited the short test session. Proper flares could be added later once the best combination was confirmed.

Because maximum mechanical grip was the goal, a modest aero package was chosen: no front splitter and only a small rear wing sufficient to provide stability during high-speed corner entries.

Only the front tires were changed for this test. With 65 percent of vehicle weight over the front axle and front-wheel drive, the front tires perform nearly all the work. The rear tires require only enough grip to handle the modest weight transfer that occurs in corners.

A front-drive car lifting an inside rear wheel in a turn indicates adequate rear grip. The 225-millimeter Yokohama Advan A052s achieve this balance effectively.

The two sets of Nankangs had already been tested extensively and remained in good condition. Both the Vitour and BFGoodrich tires were new and therefore received the standard break-in procedure of six progressively harder laps followed by 24 hours off the vehicle.

Round 1

Test conditions were warm and sunny with temperatures between the mid-80s and mid-90s. To limit session length only four laps were run on each set. Changing only the fronts also reduced heat buildup. Several laps on worn tires prepared the surface and allowed drivers to regain feel.

Nankang Sportnex CR-S 245/40R15

Wheel: Konig Dekagram 15x10 ET25 with 6 mm spacer (35 lb total)
Fastest lap: 1:24.20

The combination felt strong with only mild understeer in long sweepers. It remained stable over bumps on the back straight. Interestingly each lap improved, with the final lap quickest. Data review later revealed that the warm-up laps on worn tires had not fully prepared the track surface. The first session therefore reflected evolving track conditions.

Nankang Sportnex CR-S 275/35R15

Wheel: Konig Dekagram 15x11 ET20 with 20 mm spacer (38 lb total)
Fastest Lap: 1:22.88

This setup delivered strong pace. The added width permitted later braking and earlier throttle application. Balance improved as well. Excessive tramlining occurred on the back straight, however, as the tire followed every surface imperfection.

Vitour Tempesta P1 285/30R17

Wheel: Konig Hypergram 17x10 ET43 with 25 mm spacer (46 lb total)
Fastest lap: 1:23.17

While the 275 mm Nankangs produced three consistent laps the Vitour lost some performance by the middle of lap two before stabilizing. Single-lap pace remained slightly behind the wider Nankangs. The narrower 10-inch wheel versus 11 inches may have contributed.

Data showed the time difference occurred primarily under acceleration. The heavier wheel-and-tire package combined with taller overall diameter reduced mechanical advantage. The tire did perform well under combined cornering loads and recovered some time during trail braking.

Nankang Sportnex CR-S 245/40R15 retest

Fastest lap: 1:23.60

Repeating the 245 mm Nankangs later in the day produced quicker times earlier in the session. This result better represented the tire true capability and matched the gap previously observed between 245 mm and 275 mm Nankangs on another vehicle.

Round 2

Review of the initial results highlighted two issues: the incomplete bracketing caused by limited warm-up time and the tramlining of the 275 mm Nankang. Further testing was planned to isolate these factors.

A longer clean-up session was used, followed by runs of two 245 mm sets, one with the original spacer and one with a larger spacer to approximate the track width of the 275 mm setup. Any change in feel from the larger spacer was also noted.

Results closely matched the first test. The larger spacer produced no measurable difference in pace or handling feel. The 275 mm Nankang Sportnex CR-S on the 11-inch wheel simply behaved like a wide cylinder rolling on its sidewall.

Comparison against the previous setup of shaved 225 mm Yokohama Advan A052s on 9-inch wheels showed nearly a full second improvement. The gain was welcome.

Round 3

After the BFGoodrich tires arrived and received their heat cycle, a final test compared the Rival S directly with an equal-sized competitor. The Rival S proved slightly slower than the Nankang Sportnex CR-S. The Yokohama Advan A052s were also rerun and produced the same times as before. All wider combinations were quicker than the narrower Yokohamas.

Conclusions

The common advice to select the widest and softest tire available does not always hold. Following that guidance and choosing the large Vitour Tempesta P1s would have overlooked the eventual best performer, the 275/35R15 Nankang Sportnex CR-S on a 15x11-inch wheel. Weight and rotational inertia effects outweighed any potential grip benefit.

Results might differ if the Vitour were mounted on 11-inch wheels. At present no 17x11-inch wheels exist in a 4x100 pattern except costly custom options.

Vitour has announced a 275/35R15 size planned for release. In the meantime the 275 mm Nankangs will be used in competition, and further testing will continue as new options become available.