One semi-slick. Two compounds. Both road legal.
Just The Tip SS is the drift and time-attack tyre that doesn't ask you to trailer the car. Patent-designed Y-channel directional tread, dual-zone tread compound, race-grade construction — and DOT approval so it's road legal under ADR 23/03. The dual-zone construction means a single product line covers the use case that takes two products to address elsewhere.
DOT Approved
A build tuned for the job.
A 6-layer race-spec build that stays road-legal. The construction is where Just The Tip SS departs hardest from a typical road tyre.
Carcass
Two-ply polyester casing, race-tuned bias angle.
Belt package
Two-ply high-tensile steel belt for thermal stability and lateral grip at sustained slip angles.
Cap ply
Two-ply aramid spiral cap (vs the single nylon cap in a road tyre). Aramid holds shape under sustained centrifugal load — the cornerstone of a semi-slick that survives heat cycling.
Bead bundle
Race-spec bead with reinforced apex for sustained drift loads.
SS-200 dual-zone
The standard compound is a dual-zone tread design. Shoulder and centre run different polymer/silica ratios.
- Shoulder zone — Softer SS-180 polymer blend for peak grip under sustained slip and cornering load.
- Centre zone — Firmer SS-220 blend for braking response and longitudinal grip.
- The dual-zone geometry means the tyre runs in the 180–220 TW window depending on how it's driven — aggressive on the shoulders (drift), firmer through the centre (time attack braking zone).
- Soft variant — SS-140 (in development for hard-compound drift use, Q4 release): a single-compound 140TW grade for maximum shoulder grip at the expense of life.
Directional Y-channel with hexagonal shoulder blocks.
Patent-designed directional Y-channel layout with hexagonal shoulder blocks.
Y-channels
Point inward toward the centre groove — sustained off-throttle bite under transition.
Hexagonal shoulder blocks
Six-sided block geometry resists deformation under lateral load better than the typical leaf-block. The hex's longer edges align with primary force vectors during cornering.
Centre groove
Single deep circumferential channel for water dispersal (DOT requirement) without compromising contact patch.
Void ratio
~22% (vs ~28% on a road tyre, ~15% on a true slick). The minimum void ratio that keeps the tyre road-legal.
Reinforced sidewall geometry — race-tuned for sustained lateral load. The aramid cap ply, combined with a reinforced bead apex, keeps the shoulder profile stable through sustained drift angles where a road-tyre sidewall would deform.
Good for. Not for.
Good for
- Performance drifting (competition & practice)
- Time attack
- Track days with road transit (drive to the event)
- Sustained track use under DOT compliance
Not for
- Daily driving (compound wears too quickly for road use)
- Snow / ice / heavy rain on the road
- Pure circuit competition where road compliance isn't required — see Bare Back S
Initial release.
| Size | Load index | Speed rating | Compound |
|---|---|---|---|
| 235/40R18 | 95XL | W | SS-200 |
| 245/40R18 | 97XL | W | SS-200 |
| 255/35R18 | 94XL | W | SS-200 |
| 265/35R18 | 97XL | W | SS-200 |
| 275/35R18 | 99XL | W | SS-200 |
| 285/30R18 | 97XL | W | SS-200 |
SS-140 soft variant — same size matrix — releasing Q4.
- DOT — Self-certified to FMVSS 139
- ADR — Compliant under Australian Design Rule 23/03
- ECE — E-mark equivalent under ECE R30
- Quality regime — Manufactured under IATF 16949 and ISO 9001
Against two semi-slick SKUs.
The competitive baseline is two separate semi-slick SKUs — a road-friendly variant and an aggressive variant. Our advantages:
- One SKU covers both use cases via the dual-zone tread design — simpler inventory for wholesalers
- Aramid cap ply spec'd as standard (rare at this price point)
- Hexagonal shoulder block geometry — better resistance to deformation under sustained lateral load than typical leaf-block patterns
- Six sizes from launch vs the typical two
- Full UTQG breakdown declared — 200/A/A
Stockists and trade enquiries.
Surau Motorsport supplies tyre wholesalers, performance retailers, and competition partners across Australia and New Zealand. Contact us for trade enquiries or to become a distributor.