NUTS & BOLTS
WHO’S RACING:
Tudor United SportsCar Challenge (P, PC, GTD & GTLM) – January 24-25, 2015
Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge – January 23, 2015
TRACK:
Daytona International Speedway - 3.56-mile, 12-turn stadium road course
LENGTH:
Tudor Championship - 24 hour endurance race
(First leg of the Tequila Patron North American Endurance Championship)
Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Series – 2.5 hour time limit
TIRE SETS:

Tudor Championship -P teams will be allowed 34 sets of tires for the 24 Hour race (including dry
and wet tires); PC teams, 26 sets; and GTD teams will receive 28 sets.

There is no set limit for the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge.
WHICH TIRE ARE THEY USING:
**Continental Tire has designated, Golds, as the dry tire to be raced at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2015. If
teams move to wet tires, the P and PC classes will move to, Blacks, while the GTD class will stay on, Golds.
P
Delta Wing
PC
GTD
CTSCC
Golds – the same tire compound used at Daytona and Watkins Glen.
Blacks – because it’s the only car on this configuration, it will race on, Blacks, year round.
Golds – the same tire compound used at Daytona and Watkins Glen.
Golds – the same tire compound used at Daytona and Watkins Glen.
This tire compound will be used at all other tracks this year.
PIT WINDOW:
A fuel stint for the P class is approximately 22 laps. Look for teams to double stint on a set of tires during
the 24-hour event (day and/or night) depending on pit strategy, track position, and other variables. In 2014,
Ryan Dalziel quadruple stinted a set of tires Sunday morning in the No. 1 ESM machine. These are just
approximations and does not account for fuel mileage, weather or caution flag laps.
TRACK CHARACTERISTICS:
Since it’s repaving in late 2010, Daytona International Speedway has a smooth surface. This produces
relatively little wear and because of the low wear, produces relatively high tread temperatures. There are also
relatively “high loads” the tires must endure due to the high banked corners and vehicle speeds that are
unique to this track.
FYI

People Helping People - Continental Tire will bring 85 people to the Rolex 24 at Daytona to help
process tires. During an average race weekend Continental’s staff is approximately 20-25.

By The Numbers - It takes 17 trailers to transport the roughly 10,000 tires to the Rolex 24 at
Daytona. This is about four times the number of tires for any other race weekend. With rain in the
forecast, Continental is ready with an extra trailer of rain tires should they need them.

How Many? - Continental will use three processing lines to mount and dismount tires throughout the
week. From start to finish, the Continental Tire trackside services crew can dismount, mount, and
balance a tire in approximately two minutes. The team expects to process over 5,000 tires over the
course of the race week activities.

Speeding Ticket - At peak demand, the Continental Tire trackside service crew will process 200+
tires per hour.

Track vs. Street – Race tires are not designed for high mileage however, they are designed to be
subjected to greater forces than that of street tires. In fact, a set of race tires will last approximately
300 miles while an average set of street tires should last approximately 50,000 - 60,000 miles. Race
tires are also designed to run under a very specific set of circumstances while street tires are
designed to run in a wide range of environmental conditions (dry, wet, snow, heat, cold). It’s also
worth noting, one TUSC team will use more sets of tires in one race weekend than the average
person will purchase in a lifetime.

Around The World - Over the last four years, P, PC and GTD cars have completed 125,500 laps on
Continental tires at the Rolex 24 at Daytona. That’s 446,780 total race miles which amounts to 17.94
times around the Earth’s equator.

From New York to LA - In contrast, the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge has completed
19,005 over the last four Daytona races for a total of 67,658 race miles on Continental tires. That’s
2.71 times around the Earth’s equator.

Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Head – With impending rain, teams may move to a wet tire versus
a slick. Aside from the visible grooves, a wet tire is designed for maximum grip in wet conditions and
has a completely different tread and carcass than the slick. It’s a softer compound that is designed to
reach a temperature of 150 degrees Fahrenheit while a slick tire can reach a temperature of 250
degrees Fahrenheit. The wear of a wet tire is significantly accelerated in dry conditions, which is why
you see drivers intentionally drive through puddles during that awkward, it’s not raining and it’s not
dry, time. The puddles help drivers cool the tires off and work their maximum capabilities while trying
to get within their pit window.