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…a similar announcement by NASA for Spec E30. :woohoo:
http://www.scca.com/newsarticle.aspx?hub=1&news=3661
SCCA Spec Miata is back on RA-1s for 2010. NASA usually tries to encourage cross-over, so I anticipate RA-1 will be the spec tire for NASA, too.
Steve D.
I think it is almost a certainty we will be on RA-1’s again.
Whether it is the same long-wearing compound or the R888 compound squished into to the RA-1 mold… 
That’s the more important question.
Steve D.
I thought the compounds were the same with the sidewall stiffness being the primary difference in construction??? Did I dream that?
(my apologies if I’m opening a can of worms!)
shifter11 wrote:
That was the original internet story. I don’t think many people still believe it, since the wear characteristics are so drastically different.
laz wrote:
[quote]shifter11 wrote:
That was the original internet story. I don’t think many people still believe it, since the wear characteristics are so drastically different.[/quote]
Just to delve a little further into the internet rumor mill…
The word on the street was that the compound changed from the good-old RA1 (early 2008 & prior) in the several months prior to the widespread use of the R888. People were complaining that the RA1’s in late 2008 weren’t wearing as well any more, prompting them to speculate that Toyo changed the compound.
So when we talk about RA-1’s, we need to be specific about mold dates. That’s why I buy in bulk and try to group the dates so each set is made within a few weeks of each other. :blink: :huh: 
Steve D.
PS - There is a great “tire manifesto” on specmiataclassifieds dot com written by a brake engineer/miata racing guy I know. He’s an entertaining read, and points out how unlikely it is to get consistent tires manufactured over any long period of time.