Track Days Tires Guide

Three things before you leave home. First, tread depth — Michelin recommends a minimum of 2/32 inch remaining before track use, with closer attention to shoulder wear since hard cornering loads the outer edges heavily. Second, tire condition — look for any cuts, bulges, or damage that might worsen under track heat and stress. Third, inflation — start with the pressure recommended by your vehicle manufacturer for road use. Pressure management during the session is a separate process handled on the circuit.

Start with the car manufacturer's recommended cold pressure at the beginning of each session and after any break longer than an hour. As tires heat up on track, internal pressure rises — this is normal and expected. On a dry track, adjust hot pressure back toward the manufacturer's recommendation after a few laps. On a wet track, leave pressure alone — it may be running above the road recommendation, and that's acceptable. Never reduce inflation below the manufacturer's road-use recommendation, even on warm tires.

Treat the first couple of laps as a controlled warm-up. Use gentle throttle, braking, and steering inputs to build tire temperature gradually rather than pushing hard immediately on cold rubber. Cold tires have significantly less grip than warm ones, and loading them hard before they've reached operating temperature increases the risk of losing traction. Once the tires have had a few laps to warm through, you can progressively increase pace.

Many track days are run on road-legal tires, and Michelin designs certain performance tire lines for combined road and track use. The key questions are whether the tire's speed and load ratings suit your vehicle, whether tread depth is sufficient, and whether the tire construction is appropriate for the demands of a circuit session. High-performance summer tires in the Pilot Sport family are commonly used at track days. However, a track session places significantly more heat and stress on tires than normal road use — inspect them carefully before and after.

After the session, reset inflation to the manufacturer's cold road pressure. Inspect each tire carefully for shoulder wear, heat blistering, cuts from debris, or any damage picked up during the session. If shoulder wear is pronounced or uneven, check whether the vehicle's alignment settings are still within the manufacturer's specification. Tires that have seen heavy track use should be inspected more frequently in the following weeks of road driving.

Vehicle settings, including camber, must remain within the car manufacturer's specifications. Exceeding those specifications can accelerate shoulder wear unevenly and affect the tire's structural integrity. If you're driving a stock vehicle on a track day, the factory alignment settings are the appropriate starting point. Significant changes to suspension geometry should only be made with the guidance of a professional and with clear knowledge of how they affect tire load and wear.