Three piece HRE 504 aluminum wheels from Phoenix Wheel Co, Vista, CA. $345 each, custom built, plus S&H. Ouch!   The race tires are about $500 per set (discounted), but need replacing at least once a year.

Addendum 10/19/03:
A "friend" took my car for a "fun run" after autocross competition, vacuuming up a few pylons, then jumped a curb on a parking lot island and bent the RF outer rim inward nearly an inch. !@#$%^&*

Addendum 10/20/03:
One phone call, and thanks to HRE Performance Wheels in Vista, California, this wheel will have a new outer rim installed within the week. It ain't cheap, but thank goodness these expensive wheels are repairable.

One day after many hot laps and much consideration, the Attitude got particularly serious about wanting to win at the game of autocross. It had become painfully obvious that the skinny street tires just weren't cutting it, so it was time for a little upgrade. Enter "The Yoko's".  The tire of choice was Yokohama A008RS, 195-60HR15. Low stance, wide footprint, shallow tread, really soft rubber, road racing tires.  Not for street use, lousy in the rain, and guaranteed to wear out in about 5000 miles. In fact, the life expectancy is about three hours on the track at best, so toss them in the trailer for long distance travel.

SCCA rules for Stock class allow any DOT approved tire (having tread), but the wheels must remain stock size within 1/4 inch on width and offset and 1/2 inch on diameter. This required squeezing the 7-1/2 inch tires onto 4 inch wide wheels (Yikes!). Wider tires were out of the question, and this was the smallest size racing tire available for 15 inch wheels, and made in only one factory in the world. When these tires are out of stock, they're really out of stock!

After several autocross dates, one of the stock steel wheels developed a stress crack. Well, a 37 year old wheel may be entitled to a crack. But then two more wheels cracked within a half season, so as a matter of self preservation stronger wheels were in order. Since there is no such thing as a four inch wide racing wheel, they had to be special ordered and assembled from off the shelf parts. The wheel centers are forged aluminum, strong enough to handle NASCAR service. The two piece rims are spun aluminum, very light and not especially rigid, so not suitable for street use, easily bent in a pothole. The three piece assembly is held together with 20 carbide alloy screws around the perimeter. And there was a lead time of a few weeks for delivery. Two days before the new wheels arrived, the Attitude broke three steel wheels in one day, the last one being ripped completely off the car in a hard turn. No other damage done, put the street tires on and drove home.