If you race an outlaw or dirt oval kart, the number stamped on your Hoosier sidewall isn't the whole story. Two tires that look the same size can put a different amount of rubber on the ground and roll out to a different circumference — and that changes how your kart drives off the corner and down the straight. Here's how we break down Hoosier kart tire sizes at the shop so you stop guessing and start picking on purpose.
How to read a Hoosier kart tire size
A Hoosier size like 11.0 x 6.0 - 6 reads in three parts: overall diameter (11.0"), tread/section width (6.0"), and wheel diameter (6"). The first number is roughly how tall the tire stands, the middle number is how wide the contact patch is, and the last number is the wheel it mounts on. On a dirt oval kart, the right rear is usually your biggest, widest tire to get drive and side bite, while the fronts and left side are often narrower to free the kart up.
What "rollout" actually means — and why it matters more than the size
Rollout is the distance the tire travels in one full revolution. Roll the kart one tire-turn, measure the line on the ground, and that's your rollout. It matters because rollout works exactly like gearing: a taller tire (bigger rollout) acts like taller gear — more top-end, lazier off the corner. A shorter tire (smaller rollout) acts like more gear — harder drive off the bottom, less top speed. Stagger (the rollout difference between your right rear and left rear) is what helps the kart turn left on a dirt oval.
Here are rollouts on common Hoosier sizes we stock, measured off the actual product specs:
- Hoosier 10.5 x 5.0 - 6 A40T — about 33.25" rollout, the narrower/shorter option for a tighter, slicker track.
- Hoosier 11.0 x 6.0 - 6 A40T — about 32.5" rollout, a great all-around left-side or front tire.
- Hoosier 11.0 x 9.0 - 6 A40T — about 34" rollout and a wide 9" face, a go-to right rear for drive and side bite.
- Hoosier 11.5 / 8.0 - 6 — about 36" rollout, the tallest of the group when you want top-end on a big, fast track.
A40T vs A50T vs D30: matching the compound to the track
Size gets you on the ground; compound gets you grip. Hoosier's letter-number codes tell you the rubber:
A40T and A50T
The A-series treaded tires are the workhorses for winged and flat outlaw karts. The number is roughly the durometer feel — the A40T is the softer, higher-grip option for slicker or lower-grip conditions, while the A50T (our Toigo-exclusive 11.0 x 9.0) is a touch harder for tracks that have more bite or when you need the tire to last. We dug into this matchup in our Hoosier A40T vs A50T guide if you want the deep dive.
D30 dirt oval
The Hoosier D30 dirt oval series is purpose-built for dirt oval grip. We stock it in 11.0/5.5, 11.0/6.0, and 11.0/6.5 widths so you can build stagger across the axle — run a narrower D30 on the left and a wider one on the right rear to help the kart rotate.
Our recommended setups
Flat karts: run a full A40 set
A lot of tire choice comes down to compound, but it also comes down to size and the stagger you're after. For a flat kart on Hoosier treaded tires, our go-to is a full A40 set:
- Left front: 5.0 A40
- Right front: 6.0 A40
- Left rear: 6.0 A40
- Right rear: 9.0 — run the A40 or the A50 here depending on how hard a tire you want.
The big advantage of the A-series: it's the lowest-profile treaded tire on the market — lower than the D-series Hoosier and lower than the Maxxis treaded tire. That low profile is exactly what a flat kart wants. This setup gives you roughly 1" to 1.5" of stagger in the rear and 1" to 1.25" up front, which is right about where most flat karts want to be.
That's based on the wheels you run. A pretty standard wheel package is a 6.5" left front, 8.5" right front, 8.5" left rear, and 10" right rear. You can always change wheel size to grow or shrink a tire and adjust stagger — everybody knows that — but this is a solid baseline to start from.
Outlaw karts: when you can run any Hoosier, go A40
For outlaw karts it comes down to your track: some require D-series tires, and some let you run whatever Hoosier tire you want. If you can run any Hoosier, we'll always go with the A40 — it's a far superior tire to the D-series, and getting stagger is much easier with it.
The set we'd put together:
- Right front: 6.0 A40 on an 8.5" rim.
- Left rear: 6.0 A40 on an 8.5" rim.
- Right rear: an 11.5" A50 or A40, depending on what the track allows for hardness — some require the A50.
If you're going for about an inch to an inch and a half of rear stagger, this works well. The left front is a little up for grabs:
- Want more front stagger? Run the 10.5 A40 on the left front.
- Want less — or even zero — front stagger? Use the 5.5" D-series on the left front. That makes getting zero or very low stagger much easier.
D-series: a standard dirt oval set
If your track requires D-series tires, there are a few standard sets racers like to run. A common one:
- Left front: 5.5 D-series on a 6.5" rim.
- Right front: 6.0 or 6.5 on an 8.5" rim.
- Left rear: 6.0 or 6.5 — same as the right front.
- Right rear: the D50A, an 11.5" tire. There are three to choose from for the right rear and the D50A is one of them — many tracks require this tire or the A50T on the right rear.
Building a set: don't forget stagger
The fast way to think about a four-corner setup: pick your right rear first (widest, the rollout you want for the track), then step down rollout/width as you move to the left rear and fronts to dial in how free the kart is. If you'd rather start with a matched baseline and tune from there, the Hoosier Tire Set is an easy way to get a complete package on the kart.
Always check your series rule book before you buy — most outlaw and dirt oval classes spec Hoosier on all four corners and ban tire dope, so the smart money is in picking the right size, rollout, and compound, not in chemistry.
Still not sure what to order?
Tell us your track, class, and how the kart's been driving (tight, loose, no drive off the corner) and we'll point you to the size and compound that fixes it. That's the difference between buying tires and buying lap time. Browse all our Hoosier kart tires or reach out and we'll set you up.