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CONCESSION CORNER

THE SEARCH FOR THE RIGHT TIRE
By Gerald R. Tolson

We all know how much the concession karting industry has changed over the past few years. Karts have become much more sophisticated, flashier, heavier, faster and inherently more complicated. During all of this rapid change, there is one area that the manufacturers have overlooked. Though we feel that manufacturers are trying to bring the best possible products to the industry, we feel that a basic concern to every operator, a concern that affects 60% to 75% of a typical kart maintenance budget, has not been properly addressed: TIRES.

There were no tires on the market that have been designed exclusively for the concession karting industry. Rather, they were adaptations of industrial tires. Most manufacturers have designed attractive karts for safe running at faster speeds in order to accommodate the demands of operators. Then, whatever tire is available is used on the karts.

I am seeing more and more problems from tires of all types, simply because they are being pushed beyond the limits for which they were designed. The result? Tire failure. Please understand that I am not just blaming the manufacturers. They are simply responding to the needs and demands of the operators. The operators are at least equally to blame, if not more so, as the manufacturers for this problem. Many operators push their karts to the limit and beyond, not to mention the tires.

Essentially, the concession kart industry is getting beyond the limits that available tires can handle. But United Tire has changed that with the Cherokee Tire.

A few years ago, United Tire, based in Sevierville, Tennessee began developing and testing not only recap compounds, but engineering and testing of a complete new line of tires designed specifically for the concession industry. We have taken some of the good points of existing brands of tires and improved them, but more importantly, we have taken the weak points of existing brands of tires and eliminated them. Here are a few examples:

One of the problems we have seen with the heavier, faster karts is that tires break down around the bead and /or sidewall. We have reinforced the sidewall, and we use a stronger individual strand wire and more strands of wire in the bead.

Additionally, we developed a smaller “double” strand that sits slightly above the primary strand, greatly strengthening a vulnerable area that tends to break down on most tires. (And no, it does not make the tire more difficult to mount or dismount.) The result is a tire with much less “roll-over” effect.

Secondly, we developed a “low profile” type design, mimicking popular automotive-type tires, which improves handling and performance. Most tires, when dissected, have an arched inner cavity. This creates a “crown” or rounded tread surface. This crown is all that actually contacts the track. Our design is a more squared inner cavity, which reduces the crowning effect and creates a flatter footprint, or more tread surface actually in contact with the track. This not only gives more even wear, it gives better handling, a better ride and better stability.

One of the most significant developments is that these tires are available with different compounds to accommodate different types of track needs, including the hardest compound available on any new tire—up to a 74 durometer rating.

Gerald Tolson, is the president of United Tire Company, Sevierville, Tennessee. United Tire has developed tires for concession, indoor and racing and will be exhibiting at the 2005 Kart Expo, February 26-27 in St. Charles, Illinois.

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