Scuffing increases grip, especially at the beginning of a race, when you need it the most. Bob Hampshire, long-time sprint car owner and crew chief, member of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame: I think siping can help a tire heat up and help it cool down. In other words: if you mechanically or chemically prep a tire and something goes wrong with it that results a wreck in a race, any potential legal repercussions are on the person responsible for altering the tire. If youre using this for personal races, then you can skip that step. by -MARK- Wed Oct 25, 2006 5:24 pm, Post I race, build, mod, & discuss go-karts whenever I find the time. When it comes to scuffing, youll only need to process the rear tires. Also take note that you should do this indoors. agree with the post above todays prep is condition specific. That tells me the 15-degree sipes werent biting as much, so I stick with cross-siping all my rear tires.. When you need that additional bite NMP = N-methylpyrolidone, boiling point 400F. Scuffing brings the tire up to the lower end of its operating temperature, but not too hot. Item Name: Tire Treatment #12 Wintergreen - Quart Mateer: Without a doubt, some racers think they can get more out of a tire by mechanically prepping it. In my opinion, like the advertisement says, get'em hot, and the resin will flow to the surface. That movement creates heat, which can be your friend for traction but your enemy for wear., Steve Norris, crewman and tire prep for dirt late model driver Billy Moyer for over 20 years: Siping makes a tire fire quickerget up to temperature faster. You can make your own tire softener at home by combining a number of ingredients. This will give you the right amount of traction on the race track. Works good. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Privacy Policy. The rubbing of all the edges helps a tire heat up, but the cuts also help cool a tire when youre coasting under a yellow, which reduces blistering problems. How to Make RC Tires Sticky May 2023 - RaceNRCs Racers who grind, sipe, groove, or otherwise modify tires should recognize that any tire alteration frees the manufacturer from legal responsibility for the tires safety, performance, or durability. I suggest you try a paint stripper that contains NMP. Learning how to prep go-kart racing tires for your next race includes scuffing your tires and applying tire prep formula several days before the race. If you are using worn tires for your race, you may require less, as they already have good traction on the track. You can also wrap the tires in plastic for a deeper penetration. VP fuels makes a product called TireBite. // -->