In search of a set of track tires for next season and may try Toyo RA1 since many have good experience with them. Found couple tire dealer that still sell them but the problem is that what's left are the one made in 2007 so they been sitting around at Toyo warehouse for two years. One race shop told me they will not be as fast as the one that are freshly made and Toyo "will" be making more RA1 next month ....

I contacted Toyo and the person I spoke with refute the idea that a two years old tire will be slower than the one came off the oven yesterday and Toyo is not phasing out RA1 either ... I did not get a confirmation as far as if they are going to make more RA1 next month.

So, is a two years old "new" tire any good? Is Toyo going to make more RA1 next month?

 

Toyo is making more RA-1's. They have been making them for the last few months, but they won't be released until January (SCCA switched back from the new R888 to the RA-1, based on customer backlash - the R888 was not well loved by the racers).

I would think a 2-yr old RA-1 would be fine, as long as it was properly stored (not subjected to sun or temperature extremes with nothing stacked on top of them).

A brand new one might be slightly faster, but the difference should be minimal.

 

Thanks Grant! It was good to know they been coming off the oven for couple months already. Thanks god for SCCA so the well liked RA1 get a second lease on life. I heard Toyo will not be making R888 in some of the larger dimension due to complaints etc. Now the tricky part is how do I make sure I get the newly made RA1 next month instead of the two years old "seasoned" tire ....

 

Just demand that the tires have date codes from 2009/2010 (every tire has date codes on them).

 

That is what I am going to do until my tire show up and it's dated 1107 or made on the 11th week of 2007 lol

I will work with my tire guy to see if I can get hold of a set of the pipping hot RA1 in couple weeks

 

hey mike, you're not going to get new RA1s in our sizes. at least not anytime soon.

from AIM...

TOYO announces a CONTINUATION of the ORIGINAL RA-1 product line in SPECIFIED SIZES.
These sizes are:
205/55-14: Avail now
205/50-15: Avail in January
235/40-17: Avail now
225/45-15: Avail now

>>>>PRODUCTION TO BEGIN JANUARY 2010<<<
205/60-13,
225/50-15, Avail in mid-January
225/50-16 (NO KNOWN production date)
245/45-16,
255/50-16,
235/40-17, 255/40-17, 275/40-17,
275/35-18.

These sizes are geared to cover the entire line of Spec Classes in NASA and the SCCA where TOYO is the required tire.

 

Sorry, my car uses 15" RA-1's - didn't realize the GT3 sizes might not be made...

 

I just spoke with Toyo USA rep and they said they have no plan in cutting back the size selection of RA1 ... that said, they have no idea when RA1 will be produced again. I think your info is more accurate than Toyo USA