200 Wear Rating AX Tires: RE-71 R vs Rivals 1.5
“What’s the first thing I should do to make my car faster?” This is one of the most asked questions I get from novice or newish autocross drivers. I know what they are thinking…sway bar, shocks, exhaust etc. …the car part, so I love to say, is the “nut holding the steering wheel,” then elaborate on “seat-time” (topics I’ll address in later additions of this column). But, I tell them, depending on their learning curve, tire selection is the biggest payoff.
For me, I took the two most popular tires at the time used in AX street tire class to see which was really the best. For this test, cost was not a factor…what I wanted was empirical data on the two most popular tires (if we ever get racing again, I’ll add the new Yokahoma Advan AO52)… I’m talking about a back to back test, same car (2006 Evo 9), same driver (me), same course (Lincoln Air Park & timed to the thousandth), same day, same wheels (Enkei RPF1 17×9.5”), each set mounted with 255/40/17 tires – BFG Rival S 1.5 and Bridgestone RE-71R, both previously scrubbed-in with one heat cycle.
I ran the course four runs with a set of older 255mm BFG tires to get used to the course first and then mounted the RE-71s. I ran each tire six runs with five minutes between each run, noting times and subjective observations between runs. The course was a shortened, National style, 48ish second course. I started about 10 am. and it stayed around 75 degrees and was cloudy.
MY DATA:
The winner was the Bridgestone RE-71R.
MY TAKE AWAY:
Bridgestone RE71Rs are 1 lb. lighter and ½” wider tread which is likely a plus. In my test, halfway thru the course on the very first run, the stones warmed up and started biting, allowing my car to feel balanced and trustworthy from then on. Successive runs told me these tires really hang on, covering small mistakes if I stepped over their limit. My car felt secure with power-on exits allowing me to roll on the gas sooner. In the slaloms, they were very stable (my driving style is to attack slaloms fast because at the Natl’s that can make all the difference). In the sweepers, I could push them hard without fear because I could tell when they were going to let go.
And Bridgestone “pays;” so you win tire(s) in a payout schedule 1st, 2nd, 3rd if a minimum number of drivers are in your class at Tours and the Nationals, but not at a Pro-Solo, which is too bad.
The B.F. Goodrich Rival S 1.5s have 1mm less tread depth, so you may feel less initial “squirm” on them that lends to a crisp feel to them out of the box. However, the first run was quite a bit slower than the stones. These tires need more heat at lower ambient temperatures, but, if you are a two-driver car that solves that issue. If you are a single driver and its 85 or 90+ degrees you’ll be O.K. on them, I bet. But in the early spring and late fall events, you may have trouble getting them to stick to their potential. In the slaloms, these tires are nimble and gave me a quick turn-in on corners. In the sweepers they felt twitchy at their limit, and I had to be cautious how hard I pushed so as to not break loose suddenly. In throttle-on exits, my car felt loose and I was forced to be patient before I could get on the gas, which cost me time. Once warmed up and despite feeling generally crisp and fast through each run, the B.F.G’s times proved to be about 2/10 a second slower than the stones.
B.F.G.s “pays,” but only for 1st place=2 tires at Pro-Solos, Tours 1st-2 tires, 2nd=1 tire and at the Natl’s. In a Pro-Solo with its back to back four run format, getting heat in them is not a problem, so that’s a plus.
At the 2019 Nationals I took a quick count of 1st place finishes, there were 11 on B.F.G.s including 52 others winning trophies, eight on Stones including 53 winning trophies and eight on the new Yokahoma Advan A052 (which don’t “pay”) including 52 winning trophies. Temps were 82 to 93 degrees. Where all other classes had mixed tire use, nearly everyone runs B.F.G.’s in the 3 CAM classes. An interesting and puzzling fact was the top 12 drivers in STR and STS were all on the Yoks. Hmmmm.
So, both tires are very fast and you could be right either way. Don’t forget to compare tire prices in your size. In my experience, the Stones seem to last a little longer and at full tread, in the wet, they are definitely faster. Both the data & my subjective notes tell me the RE-71-R’s are the best all-around tire.
The B.F.G.s “pay” at Pro-solos, and the stones don’t. So, you could win tires at a Pro-Solo and a Championship at the Pro-Solo Finale (I won 8 B.F.G. tires one year) which is great. Both pay at the Nationals, but if you good enough to place that high, you have to decide, which tire could get you a SCCA champion jacket?
COMING UP: TIRE TEST IN THE RAIN! RE71R vs Michelin 4S (unofficial best street class “rain” tire.
See you out there!
Mark Hill,
3-time SCCA Champion, 500+ class AX wins.