First of all, I'd like to apologize for the lack of updates in the past month or so. Beginning school again in the fall always makes for a dramatic change in schedule. Unfortunately, my hobbies are usually the first to get put aside. However, I'm back in a solid routine now and we'll start with a recap of this past weekend in Cincinnati.

The Cincinnati Region always hosts an excellent event at River Downs. With the perfect temperatures this time of year, an experienced group running the program, and great courses designed by talent such as Danny Popp, it's hard to go wrong with a fall Cincinnati race. This past Sunday, September 21st, was no exception.

After taking about a month off of racing my Integra, I decided to get out of my rut and experiment with the hot new street tire from Kumho - the XS. Tire Rack received their first shipment in early September, and after much research between Kumho and Tire Rack, I decided to go with the 215/45-16 size to replace my dissapointing 215/45-16 Falken Azenis. Benefits I hoped to see included: almost an inch of additional tread per tire, weight savings of 2-3 lbs per tire, better heat tolerance, and additional grip in the wet and dry. How did these hopes pan out? Let's have a look.

First of all, the tires physically measure about 5-7mm wider than the Azenis in the "same" size. It also appears that the XS has more usable tread width, but that is a little more difficult to accurately compare. The weight savings is a noticeable 3 lbs per tire, which was verified against a nearly full tread Azenis. I have not been able to drive them in the rain or extreme heat, but I found some very pleasing results from their dry traction.

The XS handle differently. In a different and much improved way. But they are different, nonetheless. Turn in has been greatly improved and gives the impression that you increased your toe out significantly. I can tell that I have more bite in the front through corners. And more importantly, especially for street tires, they give the impression that they won't let go - a type of confidence I have not gotten used to with the Azenis. I know that I left plenty of time out on the course with early braking and conservative driving as a whole, but I am still pleased with my first event on this very promising tire from Kumho. Also keep in mind that the tires had roughly 80 miles on them before my first autocross run. On a somewhat ironic note, UPS actually misplaced two of the four tires I ordered. For this particular event, I ran with the Azenis in the rear at the same setup that I have refined over the year. I feel very comfortable with the amount of rotation in the rear, so at this point, I don't plan on mounting the XS in the rear. And honestly, I don't think I have room unless I roll the rear fenders.

This weekend, for Central Kentucky's final points event, I will be letting local prodigy Tom O'Gorman co-drive my car to see what these XS are truly capable of. I'm eager to see the results and I hope to have a more conclusive opinion on the XS as compared to the RE01R's and Z1 Star Specs. If you see us at a future event - stop by and introduce yourself! We probably have food or swag to give away..