3 laps @Sebring with Chin Track Days on 7/18/26

[JCG]

Video was too large to post directly, so here’s the link to the video on YouTube:

I dropped from the 19” stock rims and tires to 18” Rays ZE40 M-Spec rims wrapped in 275/35R18 Michelin Sport Cup 2 Connect (240TW) rubber. Picture attached. Made quite a difference. Shout out to Felipe at Velocity Factor in Coral Springs for the wheels and tires. https://www.threads.com/@velocityfa...n3IwKr96EcNy45OeZPYaBoPUJxyw31XfWFy3xc&slof=1
https://www.instagram.com/velocityfactor?igsh=MTN0eHRxYXNyYzVzZQ==&utm_source=qr

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[nikw91]

What camera are you using?!

 

[JCG]

What camera are you using?!

Used a GoPro Hero 13 mounted on the windshield.

 

[JCG]

Used a GoPro Hero 13 mounted on the windshield.

The camera is paired with the RaceChrono Pro app, a RaceBox Mini S GPS receiver ( you can see it in the video in the middle of the dash with the red R logo on top) for high accuracy GPS-based location tracking, and an OBDLink MX+ to pull RPM and other engine telemetry through the OBDII port.

 

[Blue Teggy]

Video was too large to post directly, so here’s the link to the video on YouTube:

I dropped from the 19” stock rims and tires to 18” Rays ZE40 M-Spec rims wrapped in 275/35R18 Michelin Sport Cup 2 Connect (240TW) rubber. Picture attached. Made quite a difference. Shout out to Felipe at Velocity Factor in Coral Springs for the wheels and tires. https://www.threads.com/@velocityfa...n3IwKr96EcNy45OeZPYaBoPUJxyw31XfWFy3xc&slof=1
https://www.instagram.com/velocityfactor?igsh=MTN0eHRxYXNyYzVzZQ==&utm_source=qr

Just curious - what makes the 18" rims preferable to the 19" stock rims

 

[JCG]

Lower unsprung weight and rotational mass. Each of the ZE40 rims is about 8lbs lighter than the 19" stock rims. The tires themselves are each about 1lb lighter than the OEM tires. This reduction in weight helps the brakes and the suspension to be more efficient. It also helps with acceleration. These forged rims are also supposed to be stiffer/stronger than the flow-formed OEM wheels, which helps with wheel integrity when going over bumps, rumble strips, etc... Here's a good explanation of the difference between forged rims and flow-formed rims:

 

[Ronnie M.]

Man I'm tempted to go this route. I'm almost completely stock, I made a thread a few months ago (here) about tracking this car occasionally, like 2 weekends per year. All I have are Paragon P3 pads all around (or will by next track day), Motul 600 racing brake fluid, and the Cobb RMM.

The guys in that thread advised me to maintain what I got now while my skills level up, and heavily scrutinize the next mod... I'm so tempted to go to this 18" Cup 2 route. I could just have this dedicated set of lighter 18" wheels and tires and keep my stock wheels and tires for daily driving. This would be the ultimate mod on the track I think, and I do heed the warnings of cascading effects some of you have told me about, like one mod necessitating another if I go overboard... but I think this one will be fine when I'm ready to spend the money for it. The prospect of better (but not too much better) tires and less rotational weight is becoming hard to resist. But I am also a n00b when it comes to alignment and camber.

I don't want to do any suspension mods, or even engine bolt ons (yet?)

 

[Victorofhavoc]

Lower unsprung weight and rotational mass. Each of the ZE40 rims is about 8lbs lighter than the 19" stock rims. The tires themselves are each about 1lb lighter than the OEM tires. This reduction in weight helps the brakes and the suspension to be more efficient. It also helps with acceleration. These forged rims are also supposed to be stiffer/stronger than the flow-formed OEM wheels, which helps with wheel integrity when going over bumps, rumble strips, etc... Here's a good explanation of the difference between forged rims and flow-formed rims:

With a high quality flow formed wheel there's really not as big of a strength difference, honestly. The oem wheels are high quality enkei MAT wheels.

I believe the bigger difference is the availability/cost of tires that you can run and the fact a sidewall acts like a spring, so a taller sidewall has more variability you can get out of tire pressure tuning.

Either way, 18s are the way to go for track use.

 

[JCG]

Man I'm tempted to go this route. I'm almost completely stock, I made a thread a few months ago (here) about tracking this car occasionally, like 2 weekends per year. All I have are Paragon P3 pads all around (or will by next track day), Motul 600 racing brake fluid, and the Cobb RMM.

The guys in that thread advised me to maintain what I got now while my skills level up, and heavily scrutinize the next mod... I'm so tempted to go to this 18" Cup 2 route. I could just have this dedicated set of lighter 18" wheels and tires and keep my stock wheels and tires for daily driving. This would be the ultimate mod on the track I think, and I do heed the warnings of cascading effects some of you have told me about, like one mod necessitating another if I go overboard... but I think this one will be fine when I'm ready to spend the money for it. The prospect of better (but not too much better) tires and less rotational weight is becoming hard to resist. But I am also a n00b when it comes to alignment and camber.

I don't want to do any suspension mods, or even engine bolt ons (yet?)

That sounds right. I bought my 18”s so I could have a track-dedicated set. Since I won’t hit Sebring again until 2 weeks from now, my stock rims and tires are on for daily driving. I’ll drive in those to the track (about 2 1/2 hour drive), and swap them there the night before. I’m not considering any other mods until I have a few more track days and my skills have improved to the point of another mod actually making a performance difference. And more likely than not, those “mods” will likely just be adjustments to the negative camber and changes to the consumables (more race-oriented pads, maybe a different type of tire).

 

[Victorofhavoc]

That sounds right. I bought my 18”s so I could have a track-dedicated set. Since I won’t hit Sebring again until 2 weeks from now, my stock rims and tires are on for daily driving. I’ll drive in those to the track (about 2 1/2 hour drive), and swap them there the night before. I’m not considering any other mods until I have a few more track days and my skills have improved to the point of another mod actually making a performance difference. And more likely than not, those “mods” will likely just be adjustments to the negative camber and changes to the consumables (more race-oriented pads, maybe a different type of tire).

Very smart! This is the way!

I do recommend pulling the louvre drip tray if you haven't. Sebring gets hot and that tray limits airflow and aero .

 

[JCG]

@Victorofhavoc the louvre drip tray = the tray under the hood vent that channels water? Or are you referring to something else?

 

[Victorofhavoc]

@Victorofhavoc the louvre drip tray = the tray under the hood vent that channels water? Or are you referring to something else?

That's the one! That louvre is in a very effective position overall

 

[Ronnie M.]

Haha yeah, the rain drip tray is the other "mod" I'm also looking forward to trying next time.

So just that we're all clear, 275 > 265 right? It clearly looks cooler and grips more in theory, most of you guys seem to go straight to 275 and not stay at 265.

 

[Victorofhavoc]

Haha yeah, the rain drip tray is the other "mod" I'm also looking forward to trying next time.

So just that we're all clear, 275 > 265 right? It clearly looks cooler and grips more in theory, most of you guys seem to go straight to 275 and not stay at 265.

Like everything else, it depends. Wider does not necessarily mean more grip. Grip is a function of weight and compound. Theoretically a wider tire is worse unless you can transfer the weight to it to put heat into it. Wider also makes a tire less consistent at the limit, but ultimately allows more heat so there are tradeoffs. If you have the brake pad and skill level to put the heat into it and keep it closer at the limit it will be faster. If you're just starting out, stick to stock sizing and change only one variable at a time.

I went 275 because that's what was available in the tire I wanted to run, fit into my time trial category, and I run a true race pad (carbotech xp12) so I have the weight transfer to put real heat into the tire. There are two regular attendee ctr in my region and they run the stock ps4s and do great! I rode with one last time since he was in my DE2 class I teach, and the biggest takeaway I had for him was to unwind the wheel more so he can get on more power sooner which would also keep his tire shoulder cooler and the tire happier. More width would actually hurt him there until he can carry more entry speed. Small driver tweaks dramatically change how the tire performs!

 

[JCG]

Video was too large to post directly, so here’s the link to the video on YouTube:

I dropped from the 19” stock rims and tires to 18” Rays ZE40 M-Spec rims wrapped in 275/35R18 Michelin Sport Cup 2 Connect (240TW) rubber. Picture attached. Made quite a difference. Shout out to Felipe at Velocity Factor in Coral Springs for the wheels and tires. https://www.threads.com/@velocityfa...n3IwKr96EcNy45OeZPYaBoPUJxyw31XfWFy3xc&slof=1
https://www.instagram.com/velocityfactor?igsh=MTN0eHRxYXNyYzVzZQ==&utm_source=qr

Thought I’d add another video of this track day

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