Assessing thermophysical properties of racing tires under race conditions

Racing tires, both for cars and for motorbikes, become effective by reaching the sufficient grip at a temperature that ranges between 120 and 180°C. That is the reason why the tires are preheated before the race by enveloping them within an electric blanket. During the race, the vehicle is continuously submitted to two kinds of acceleration: the one that is needed to rise the speed of the vehicle that is given by the engine, or to decrease it when the brakes are activated, and the other that works when turning the vehicle to follow the motor racing track. In both cases, either rectilinear motion and acceleration, or rotatory motion and centripetal acceleration, the tire must guarantee the necessary grip to avoid the slipping. Modeling the behaviour of the tire at the race conditions is interesting both to optimise the grip with the asphalt of the road and to optimise its wear resistance. For doing that, the assessment of the thermophysical properties of the tires is mandatory.