If you are into sports cars and racing, there’s news for you! Whether you are into amateur endurance racing or prefer the more professional type of street autocross classes arranged by the likes of Sports Car Club Of America, you need to know that using tires of 200 treadwear rubber has been mandated. Keeping this in mind, a number of big shot tire manufacturers are focusing on “readjusting” the tread ratings of the existing tires to bank in on all the action that is taking place due to this new regulation.

If you want to qualify for the 24 Hours of LeMons, you would have to get tires with at least 190 treadwear as far as the Uniform Treadwear Quality Grades regulations go. Using tires with lower treadwear than that may be deemed illegal. The lower UTQG ratings tend to wear out much faster, but they are significantly stickier, and that pretty much compensates for the lower treadwear rating. Quite obviously, stickier tires will provide you more grip on the track, which means you will be able to better control your car even when you are driving on the max speed.

If you are found in the violation of the treadwear related rules, you may either be disqualified or be publicly humiliated. The public humiliation aspect applies more to those who are participating in the LeMons race. In the last LeMons race, the violator of this rule was made to carry the “illegal” wheels around the paddock, while apologizing to everyone! Quite embarrassing, isn’t it?

In most cases, the tires inspection and UTQG tests are carried out by the tire manufacturers themselves. As far as Tire Rack suggests “UTQG ratings for Treadwear, Traction and Temperature are based on tests conducted by tire manufacturers and reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). These regulations allow tire manufacturers to under-rate their tires’ capabilities, but prohibit over-rating them.” this, as you may have already guessed, is one of those massive loopholes that the tire manufacturers are taking full advantage of.

Hankook Ventus RS-3, for example, was one of the first tire companies that magically adjusted its tire ratings to meet the needs of the low cost tire buyers. Although it turned up with a 140 treadwear rating, it brought a sticker compound as compared to its previous product RS-2. The tire manufacturer claimed that the tests revealed RS-3 requires a 200 treardwear rating. After that, nothing much changed except for the new UTQG stamp that was plastered over the tire.

Source: All information has been derived from http://blackflag.jalopnik.com/

Are you getting the 100% truth about your treadware rating?