Maxxis’ VR2: A New Option for PB Hunters
Big news for the PB HUNTERS: Maxxis' new VR2 offers the consistency its predecessor was known for and adds a new level of peak grip that earns it a place among the best track day-summer tires on sale today.
Those with their ears to the ground have heard about Maxxis’ new Victra Sport VR2, an ultra high-performance summer tire for DE dudes, weekend warriors, canyon carvers, and long-time racers like Justin Ross of Magic Developed.
Built upon the VR1, a famously consistent tire, the VR2 inherits all of its predecessor’s strengths, and takes a step forward in one crucial area: peak grip. This combination of durability and sharp-end grip potentially puts it among the fastest of the current crop of Super-200 tires.
At last weekend’s Gridlife Super Touring Cup race held at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca, Justin Ross set his fastest lap on his VR2’s seventh heat cycle: a 1:37.8 in a 2,770-pound (with driver) E36 M3 making 212 at the tires. “We put eight heat cycles in the tires that weekend and we saw little to no dropoff,” he began, “and I know they have another dozen left in them.”
The VR2 has that cross-session consistency and repeatability, and it switches on immediately. Peak grip is available from the second hot lap, and grip does not diminish much at all over the course of a session, making it a versatile tire for logging laps as well as setting the quick one.
“The first hot lap is fast, the second hot lap is the fastest. After that, the drop off is very marginal compared to other tires. If it’s 60 to 90 degrees, you can put about four to five laps, super fast, and drop off is marginal — like tenths of a second,” said Elie Mansour, E46 expert.
“The tires have between twelve to fifteen heat cycles. Like I said, before it ran a 1:20 [at Streets of Willow]. We went two weeks ago, 90 degrees in the same configuration, after five track days — it was the sixth track day, I believe, it ran a 1:21 in the scorching heat!”
Justin and his E36 was the standout this past Gridlife event.
“Our cars are famous for going into ice mode [under braking], so I noticed [the VR2] kinda minimizes it. Even if you have to swing it or adjust it, it’s very predictable and it gives you feedback under braking,” Elie added.
The design uses a wide outer shoulder, a reinforced bead area, a super-high turnup sidewall ply improves lateral stiffness over the VR1, giving the car great grip and predictability from turn-in through the mid-corner phase.
“At the exit, if i’m completely transparent, the lateral grip on that tire stands above every Super 200 tire that I’ve driven before,” he adds. “Once you punch it, it does get loose a little bit,but I’ve noticed it’s more of a powerslide than a drift; it keeps pushing the car forward,” he explained.
All of Ross' Magic Designed cars relied on the VR2 that weekend.
Engineers at Maxxis developed a new reinforced Carbon Black compound that reaches operating temperatures quickly. “The RE-71RS is good for about four laps, then it falls off. In our BMWs, the VR2 is as good at the end of the session as it is at the beginning,” Justin added.
“They communicate, too. They’re not noisy, but you do get a lot of feedback through the wheel. They tell you what they’re doing,” he added.
“It’s super easy to control. So even if it slides a little bit, it gives you warning at the edge, and you can control it and keep going. So it comes in handy for, either like a beginner driver –it’s forgiving, or an experienced driver who knows how to modulate it to go faster,” he continued.
The compounds retain silica fillers to maintain solid performance in wet weather, but if that peak grip comes at a price, it might be wet weather-ability. “The VR1 had the tread blocks to move standing water. The VR2 is fine in damp and drying conditions, but it is too focused to be as capable in a downpour. You won’t be caught out if it starts to rain, but there are better options for heavy rain. Put it this way — we went out in a storm and we kept it on track,” Justin said, adding a little laughter at the end.
The same set Justin used at Gridlife Laguna will be used again at November’s Gridlife event at Thunderhill Raceway Park. As he’s seen no diminishment in performance yet, and since he’s tested the sister car on another set which performed over twenty cycles, he’s confident they’ll be able to carry him over another race weekend. That bodes well for any track junkie looking for a stable tire to give them the chance to log laps and set the one they can brag about.
