One of the biggest performance gains most drivers overlook.

Tires are the only thing touching the track, yet a lot of drivers show up with great parts and completely mismatched pressures. Getting your tire pressures and temps right can be worth meaningful time, better consistency, and noticeably longer tire life—especially for newer track drivers or anyone not tracking pressures by session.

This process starts before you leave the paddock and continues throughout the day. The goal isn’t to guess a “magic number.” It’s to land in the correct hot-pressure window for your specific tire and conditions. Track-day tuning is often about managing the cold-to-hot rise, not chasing a single pressure number.

Safety note: If you’re unsure, ask a coach or tire supplier at the track—wrong pressures can affect grip and stability.

For more track-day setup guides and engineering notes, visit RevoZport.

Track Day Tire Pressure Setup: Start with cold pressures

Step 1: Start with cold pressures (before driving)

Always begin with cold tire pressures, measured before the car has moved (and before the tires see any heat from driving or sun exposure).

  • Look up the tire manufacturer’s recommended cold starting range (use this as your anchor)

  • Track starting pressures are often lower than street driving

Rule of thumb (varies by tire, car weight, and driving style):

  • Street tires: ~28–32 psi cold

  • Track-focused tires: ~24–30 psi cold

  • Slicks: often lower (consult supplier/team guidance)

Important: Cold pressure is just your starting point. Your real target is hot pressure, and the job is managing how much pressure rises from cold to hot.

Write down your baseline:

  • Ambient temperature

  • Track temperature (if available)

  • Starting cold pressures at all four corners (FL/FR/RL/RR)

This becomes your reference for the rest of the day.

Revozport race car

Step 2: Go drive—then check immediately

After 3–5 flying laps (or a short push session):

  • Come straight into the pits

  • Come in safely, but avoid a long cooldown lap that significantly drops tire temps if you’re logging hot pressures

  • Don’t park and talk—measure immediately before the tires cool (ideally within ~60 seconds)

Hot pressure = the pressure measured immediately after a push session, before the tire cools.

Record hot pressures by corner (FL/FR/RL/RR). Patterns matter more than a single number. Corners won’t behave the same: front tires often build pressure faster due to braking load, and driven corners can respond differently depending on traction and power delivery.

Most performance tires want to live in a hot-pressure window, often around:

  • ~34–38 psi hot (varies by tire and setup)

Adjust based on what you see:

  • If pressures are too high: bleed air out in small steps, re-check after each adjustment

  • If pressures are too low: add air, go back out and re-test

Guideline: Adjust in small increments (1–2 psi max) and re-check after the next short session. Use the tire maker’s guidance as the anchor, then refine based on your logged hot pressures and temps.

car racing

Step 3: Use a tire pyrometer (not just pressure)

Pressure alone doesn’t tell the whole story. A tire pyrometer (probe-style) lets you measure temperature across the tread so you can understand whether pressure and alignment are working together.

Measure:

  • Inside tread temperature

  • Middle tread temperature

  • Outside tread temperature

How to take readings:

  • Take temps immediately after coming off track (same session, same conditions)

  • Measure across the tread (inside/middle/outside), roughly 10–15 mm from each shoulder

  • Record by corner (FL/FR/RL/RR)

What the temps tell you (diagnostic guide, not a rigid rule):

  • Even temps across the tread → pressure and alignment are close

  • Hot center → pressure likely too high

  • Cold center → pressure likely too low

  • Outside much hotter than inside → likely not enough negative camber (or the tire is rolling onto the shoulder)

  • Inside much hotter than outside → can be normal on track-camber setups, but a large spread may suggest too much camber, excessive toe, or pressure that isn’t supporting the tread properly

This is how you confirm whether your alignment is actually doing what you think it’s doing.

Step 4: Adjust pressures and alignment together (one change at a time)

Tire pressure and alignment are linked, but don’t change everything at once.

A practical order of operations:

  1. First get hot pressures into the target window

  2. Then use temperature spread and wear patterns to decide if alignment changes are needed

If you keep chasing pressure but the temps stay uneven, the issue may be camber or toe, not pressure.

Once pressures and temps are close:

  • Lap times stabilize

  • Steering feel improves

  • Tire wear becomes predictable

Common mistakes that waste track time (and tires)

  • Using a cheap/inconsistent gauge (or switching gauges mid-day)

  • Waiting too long to measure hot pressures/temps after coming into the pits

  • Setting one “target pressure” and applying it blindly to all four corners

  • Ignoring temperature changes during the day (morning vs midday can require different cold starts)

  • Not recording data by corner (FL/FR/RL/RR) and by session

  • Changing tires or moving to a dedicated racing wheel setup and not treating it like a new baseline

Key takeaways

  • Always start with cold pressures and record a baseline

  • Tune toward a stable hot-pressure window, not guesses

  • Measure hot pressure immediately after a push session

  • Use a tire pyrometer to read alignment feedback (inside/middle/outside)

  • Make small changes (1–2 psi) and re-test

  • Track-day tuning is about managing the cold-to-hot rise

  • Tires tell you the truth—listen to them

FAQ

What is a good tire pressure for a track day?
There isn’t one number. Start with the tire manufacturer’s cold range, then tune to a stable hot-pressure window after a short push session.

How fast should I check hot tire pressure after a session?
As soon as possible—ideally within about 60 seconds—before the tires cool and pressures drop.

What hot PSI should performance tires run?
Many land somewhere around ~34–38 psi hot, but the correct window depends on the tire model, car weight, and conditions. Use the manufacturer as your anchor.

Do I need a tire pyrometer for track days?
Not mandatory, but it’s one of the fastest ways to confirm whether pressure and alignment are working together and to avoid chasing the wrong adjustment.

Why are my front pressures higher than the rear?
Front tires often build pressure faster due to braking load and higher work on turn-in. Record by corner and adjust based on your hot readings, not a single target number.