Under Pressure
According to most pit crews, tire techs, and drivers we've talked to, tire pressure is important. The amount of pressure used in a tire can have a great effect on how fast a tire can break loose while a car is initiating and going forth with its drift. Some run higher tire pressures to break loose sooner than later and can have it varied from side to side depending on course configuration. Naturally, other variables to look at include material (concrete/blacktop) and weather. How did our pros set up at the Irwindale event? Take a look:

Driver Car Tire Size/Air Pressure
Chris Forsberg '00 Nissan S15 Silvia Falken ST-115 F: 235/40R17 at 29psi, R: 255/40R17 at 40psi
Tanner Foust '92 Nissan 240SX Dunlop 901 F: 235/40R18 at 30psi; R: 265/35R18 at various pressures
      dependent on track conditions and wing angle
JR Gittin '05 Ford Mustang Falken RT-615 F: 255/40R18 at 28psi; R: 275/35R18 at 26psi
Conrad Grunewald Nissan 240SX Falken RT-615 F: 235/40R18 at 30psi; R: 255/40R18 at 60psi
Ken Gushi '05 Ford Mustang Toyo T1R F: 245/40R18 at 29psi; R: 275/35R18 at 36psi
Samuel Hubinette '05 Viper SRT-10 Yokohama AVS Sport F: 265/30R18 at low 30's psi; R: 295/35R18 at low 30's psi
Tyler McQuarrie '92 Toyota Supra MKIV Turbo Yokohama AVS Sport F: 235/40R18 at 36psi; R: 265-295/35 or 295/30R18 at 32psi
Rhys Millen '04 Pontiac GTO Yokohama ES100 F: 235/40R18 at 26psi; R: 275/35R18 at 21psi
Robbie Nishida '93 Nissan 180SX Falken ST-115 F: 235/40R17 at 30psi; R: 255/40R17 at 70psi
Yukinobu Okubo '91 Nissan 180SX BFGoodrich Competition T/A KDW F: 225/40R17 at 2.2kilo; R: 245/40R18 at 3kilo
      (we have no idea what the conversion is)
Mike "Bubba Drift" Peters '86 GM Cabellero Cooper Zeon 2XS F: 245/40R17 at 41psi; R: 245/40R17 at 38psi
Alex Pfeiffer '04 Honda S2000 Yokohama AVS Sport F: 235/45R17 at 30psi; R: 245/40R18 at 36psi
      (driver side)/38psi (passenger side)
Derrick Rogers Pontiac Firebird Cooper Zeon 2XS R: 265/35R18 (psi unknown)
Ben Schwartz '95 Nissan 240SX Falken ST-115 F: 235/40R17 at 30psi; R: 265/35R18 at 32psi
Seigo Yamamoto '95 Mazda RX-7 Falken ST-115 F: 235/40R17 at 30psi; R: 255/40R17 at 40psi
Daijiro Yoshihara '93 Nissan S13 Silvia Nitto NT555 F: 225/40R17 at 24psi; R: 265/35R18 at 30psi
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