Track Tyres

Track tyres are designed to deliver maximum grip, precision handling, and performance on the race circuit.

When pushing a car to its limits on a race track, tyres are one of the most important performance factors. Track tyres are engineered to provide exceptional grip, stability, and heat resistance, allowing drivers to brake harder, corner faster, and get the most out of their vehicle.

Track tyres at Kwik Fit

Kwik Fit stocks a range of track tyres to provide performance on your track day, including from premium brands like Bridgestone, Michelin and Pirelli.

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What are track tyres?

Unlike standard road tyres, track tyres are made using specialised rubber compounds and a much stiffer construction. This helps them generate significantly more traction, allowing drivers to brake later, accelerate harder, and carry more speed through corners.

You’ll often see track tyres used at track days, motorsport events, and high-performance driving experiences. Some are built purely for racing and aren’t road legal, while others are road-approved “track-focused” tyres that let drivers travel to and from the circuit on the same set. 

Because they’re designed for performance rather than comfort or long life, track tyres usually wear faster than normal tyres. They also tend to work best once they’ve warmed up and reached their ideal operating temperature.

How do they work?

Track tyres work by maximising the amount of rubber that stays in contact with the track surface while using compounds that become stickier as they heat up.

When a car is driven hard on track, friction between the tyre and the tarmac gradually warms the rubber. As the tyre heats up, the compound softens slightly and begins to conform more closely to the tiny textures in the track surface. This creates more mechanical grip and helps the tyre maintain traction under heavy loads.

Track tyres also feature reinforced sidewalls and a stiffer internal structure. This reduces how much the tyre flexes during cornering, giving the driver sharper steering response and better stability at higher speeds.

Many track tyres use minimal tread patterns or semi-slick designs. With fewer grooves than a standard road tyre, more rubber stays in direct contact with the surface, which improves grip in dry conditions.

The downside is that with less tread to channel water away, track tyres are usually less effective in heavy rain or standing water.

What to consider when looking for a track tyre

Choosing the right track tyre depends on several factors, including how you drive, the type of car you have, the track conditions, and whether the tyres will also be used on the road.

Durability under high stress

Track driving puts tyres under far more stress than everyday road use. Heavy braking, high cornering forces, and rapid acceleration all increase tyre temperatures and wear. Quality track tyres are designed to handle repeated heat cycles and maintain consistent performance during a session. That said, even the most durable track tyres will usually wear faster than standard road tyres. 

If you regularly attend track days, it’s worth looking for tyres that balance strong grip with enough durability to last multiple sessions.

Road legality and everyday use

Some track tyres are not road legal and can only be used on closed circuits. These tyres focus entirely on performance and often feature very soft compounds with minimal tread.

However, at Kwik Fit we stock road-legal track tyres only. These are approved for public roads but are engineered to perform much better than standard tyres on track.

While you can use road-legal track tyres for everyday driving, they often come with a few compromises, such as:

• More road noise
• Faster wear
• Reduced performance in colder or wet conditions

For drivers who use the same car on the road and on track, these tyres usually provide the best balance between practicality and performance.

Wet weather performance

While track tyres are often designed with dry performance in mind, it’s still important to consider how well they handle water on the track, especially in the UK.

Tyres rely on their tread pattern to disperse water away from the contact patch – the area where the tyre meets the road. If water can’t be cleared quickly enough, a layer can form between the tyre and the track surface, which can lead to aquaplaning and a significant loss of grip. Many high-performance, track-focused tyres feature minimal tread patterns or semi-slick designs to maximise dry grip. While this improves performance in dry conditions, it can reduce the tyre’s ability to move water away in heavy rain.

If you expect to drive in mixed or unpredictable weather, choosing a tyre with slightly more tread depth or a more defined groove pattern can help improve water dispersal and wet-weather stability.

For drivers who regularly attend track days in the UK, where weather conditions can change quickly, having a tyre that balances dry grip with reasonable wet performance can make a big difference to both confidence and safety on track.

Our most popular track tyres

Look out for the symbol above on our website for the tyres suitable for track days. Our most popular options include the Bridgestone Potenza Race, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 and Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R, each offering an excellent balance of track-focused performance and the practicality needed to drive to and from the circuit.

Maximise your track tyre performance

Treating your tyres correctly before, during and after a track day can not only help to improve you lap times, but the life cycle of the tyre and enable multiple uses for road-approved tyres. Here's what you should do to maximise your tyres performance:

Before you start

• Follow manufacturer recommendations: always maintain the recommended tyre pressure. 
• Safety first: consider the conditions before tacking to the track. Wet condition require extra caution.

On the track

• Perfect tyre pressure: Use the manufacturer recommended tyre inflation. 
• Warm-up laps are crucial: complete 3-4 gentle to moderate laps to put a heat cycle through the tyres and bring them up towards maximum performance. The number of laps may vary depending on the conditions. Wet weather will lead to a colder track and need more warm up laps. 
• Final checks: return to the pit lane after your warm up to check tyre pressures and adjust settings before heading back out on track.

Post-track day care

• Tread check: a thorough check is needed of tyre condition, especially if you are taking these out on the road. Ensure the tread depth is legal, inflate your tyres to manufacturer recommendations, check for damage or bald spots. 
• Let your tyres cool: before adjusting you tyre pressure, make sure to let you tyres cool and the pressure to adjust before inflating or deflating your tyres.

BTCC vs track tyres at Kwik Fit

Road-based track tyres and professional racing tyres are designed for very different purposes.

Road-approved track tyres are aimed at enthusiasts and track day drivers. They provide improved grip and handling compared with standard road tyres, but they still have to meet road safety regulations. That means they include tread patterns, durability standards, and construction suitable for both road and circuit use.

Tyres used in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) are a different story altogether. These are purpose-built racing tyres designed exclusively for competitive motorsport, where performance and consistency are the top priorities.

Some of the key differences include:

• Tyre Construction: BTCC tyres are built specifically for racing conditions. They use reinforced structures designed to cope with extreme loads, rapid temperature changes, and sustained high speeds.
• Controlled Tyre Supply: Most professional racing series use a single tyre supplier to keep competition fair. In the BTCC, every team runs the same tyre specification.
• Performance Focus: BTCC tyres are engineered for peak grip and predictable performance during races. They are fully slick, operate best within a specific temperature range and can wear quickly if pushed beyond their limits.
• Road Legality: Unlike road-based track tyres, BTCC tyres are not road legal and cannot be used on public roads.

In simple terms, road-legal track tyres aim to balance performance with practicality, while professional racing tyres are designed purely to deliver maximum performance on the circuit.

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