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Tires over a stint, from one fast lap to a full run

David's WRL Sebring 2024 note says the Hoosier tires had insane one lap pace and then lost it. This guide shows a simple stint log that tells the next driver what changed.

A tire that is quick for one lap may not stay quick for a stint. David Hodge Jr noted this about the Hoosier tires at WRL Sebring in 2024.

What the note says

The note comes from David’s race retro for the weekend. One line reads “hoosier tires have insane one lap pace”. The same line says the pace then fell off.

Two other lines from the same note help to read it.

The note also mentions setup changes. This guide does not repeat them, because they belong to the team. The lesson works without them.

A separate sim note from Sebring in 2025 lists a “quick tire warming drill on outlap of one stint”. That is a drill for the first lap out of the pits, when the tires are not yet at working temperature.

Why it matters in a shared car

In a shared car, a stint is a story the next driver must continue. The tires may be new for one driver and worn for the next. If the first driver only remembers how good the car felt on lap one, the second driver learns nothing about how it ended.

Clean air also matters. A driver who runs alone can see the tire change more clearly. A driver in traffic may blame the tire for what is really a loss of airflow, or the reverse.

Tire notes are simple to write and hard to remember later. Write them within a few minutes of leaving the car.

One drill

Use a stint log. Fill it out after every stint and hand it to the next driver. Use words, not numbers.

  1. Write one line about the first three laps. Use words such as “sharp”, “quick to turn” or “settled”.
  2. Write one line about the middle of the stint.
  3. Write one line about the last three laps. Describe how the car felt and what you did to manage it.
  4. Name the first corner where you noticed a change, and say whether it was entry, middle or exit.
  5. Note whether you were in clean air or in traffic for most of the stint.
  6. Add one sentence the next driver can use at the start of their run.

After two or three stints, read the logs together. Look for the same corner and the same type of change each time. That pattern is what you tell the crew.

Keep numbers off the log. The words are what the next driver needs.

Where this fits

Tire management shows up in every long WRL event. Try the out lap warming drill from David’s sim notes in the simulator.

Talk to David.

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