Great feedback from Charles (CJ421) here. Too often enthusiasts new or relatively new to the HPDE world jump into a dedicated r-compound or race slick early in their driver development. Yes they are superior in terms of grip, but if the car and more importantly the driver is not up to par, they will mask errors and ultimately limit/hinder the drivers progression.
Michelin PSS's are fantastic tires for the street or for spirited driving, however we would recommend running Extreme Summer tires for track days (one step up from MPSS Performance Street tires). Extreme Summer tires like Hankook RS-3 (now RS-4), Dunlop Direzza ZII Star Spec, Yokohama AD08, BFG Rival and more can be great double duty tires for both street and track use. They will provide you with more grip then a MPSS, and more importantly will not drop off after a lap or two like the MPSS will. You can certainly get out on track for the first few time with MPSS if you already have them, however if you want to progress as a driver you need tires that will be up to the task of repetitive lapping without facing massive shoulder degradation.
Extreme summer tires will still be vocal, letting the driver know when they are approaching their limits. Furthermore, extreme summer tires paired with the appropriate amount of negative camber can result in very quick lap times and will promote even/consistent tire wear. Once a driver has progressed and plateaued so-to-speak, then moving to an r-compound makes sense.
A square set of APEX 18x8.5" or 18x9" wheels paired with 255 tires is a very effective setup
- Ryan