Nankang CR-S 245/40ZR18 97(XL) Y

Finally available for the free market in Europe, the Nankang CR-S tire.

“We have been developing this tyre for the last 3 years with extensive testing with a clear goal to make this tyre a step up from the already success AR-1 tyre. The CR-S is designed to be a faster tyre than AR-1 but also a more consistent tyre as well. Furthermore, it is also designed to be even more road use friendly with better driving comfort, lower noise & better in wet condition than the AR-1. It’s a big challenge to make the car faster on track and at same time also better in overall for road use but after lots of trial and error, we are finally ready to launch it in 2024 in Europe.”
Shane Yang – Nankang Motorsport

The Nankang CR-S is an Extreme Performance summer tire with treadwear 200, designed specifically for drivers who demand maximum performance from a race tire. Don’t be confused by treadwear 200, as the tire warms up easily. The asymmetric tread design of CR-S is specifically designed to increase stiffness to provide extreme grip while providing instant steering response. The aramid-reinforced sidewall ensures precise and responsive handling and consistent performance. Nankang Motorsport has developed this tire over the past three years with extensive testing with the clear goal of taking this tire a step beyond the already successful AR-1 tire. The CR-S is designed to be a faster tire than the AR-1, but also a more consistent tire. Moreover, it is also designed to be even more user-friendly with better ride comfort, less noise and better in wet conditions than the AR-1. It is a big challenge to make it faster on the track while also making it better in general road use, yet Nankang Motorsport is finally ready to launch it in Europe in 2024.

For Racebanden.nl, however, the CR-S was known before then. Racebanden.nl, as an official service partner of Nankang Motorsport, provides tire service for multiple organizations and championships throughout Europe. These include:

Lotus Cup Europe
Porsche Club Racing
Autosport Competition North Netherlands
In all the organizations mentioned above, Nankang CR-S tires have already been driven in season 2023. Thanks to the tire service we offer our customers, we have been able to collect a lot of data on different cars and circuits in the meantime.

Scrubbing the tires:
For most purposes, racing tires will benefit from an appropriate “inscrub” procedure. This provides the best combination of performance and longevity under racing conditions.

There are several problems that arise when racing tires are not scrubbed before use. The most common is “Cold Graining,” where the layer of tread compound in contact with the track fails by shearing with the layer below. The result is a highly visible wavy effect with low frequency and high amplitude. This is more common with new tires, especially when used in wet, damp or greasy conditions.

Nankang Motorsport recommends using a standard scrub procedure whenever possible (if conditions and regulations permit). This consists of subjecting the tires to a gentle heat cycle, gradually warming them up without causing the car to drift. Set the cold air pressure to enough psi/bar to handle the weight of the car. On the track, gradually increase speed for a minimum of three to four laps, with the first lap at 50%-60% of normal operation, gradually increasing but not exceeding 85% capacity with a cool-down lap at the end of the session. This will result in greatly improved tire life and track performance for future sessions.

If possible, scrub in at least one new set of tires during free practice and set them aside for the race. This way you know they are properly balanced and have no slow punctures, etc. Doing this early enough is important because the qualifying session could get wet or get a red flag, which could force the use of new tires in a race.

It should be noted that there will always be a slight performance spike from new tires, but this can only be taken advantage of if the car is balanced on its tires. A properly scrubbed set of tires will always provide more consistent performance throughout its life than a set that has been used hard from new.

Pressure:
Would you like information on a tire pressure recommendation? If so, please contact us so we can think with you.

Temperature:
Ideal working temperature: 70°C – 100°C Tread temperature.
Make sure that the temperature distribution on the tread is not too large. (max 15-20 degrees)
It is also important to use a good gauge (pricker).
An infrared gauge does not give a realistic picture of the tire’s actual temperature.

Should you have any questions about the Nankang CR-S tire, we are happy to answer them.