A Sticky Situation

There’s more to tire technology than just slapping on a new set of rubber and dumping the clutch or transbrake, but the specific dynamics of race slicks, DOT-approved street slicks, and drag radials are often overlooked by amateur drag racers. Mating the proper tire with your motor and chassis can mean the difference between a textbook pass and a traction-limited run. Although sticky tires can produce impressive bang-for-the-buck gains in the quarter-mile, bolting on a set doesn’t necessarily mean your 13-second ride will be dipping into the 11s anytime soon.

If you have little experience with racing tires, it’s best to check out some local events to see what others are running on combinations similar to yours. Unless you’re running in a class with stringent tire rules, you’ll have free reign on what tires you can use. Our best advice is to go with the smallest rubber you can get away with. Big tires may look cool, but big tires on a 12-second car may look ridiculous and can actually slow you down. So follow along as we debunk the myths, bring you the facts, and give you the skinny on straight-line–oriented performance tires.

ET Street vs. ET Drag

Here’s something we’ve all wondered about. What is the real difference between Mickey Thompson’s (M/T) ET Drag and the company’s DOT-approved ET Street’s? Here’s the Scoop: Each tire is molded from the same M5 compound (M/T offers several compounds for street-car, motorcycle, and dragster applications), but the ET Street has a slightly stiffer sidewall construction and grooves to expel a minimal amount of water. Although ET Streets have passed DOT requirements and can be driven on the road, M/T emphasizes that these tires were specifically designed for competition use and should only be used on dry pavement.

The other main difference is in sizing. ET Streets are measured by section width (see chart A) whereas ET Drags are measured by tread width. For example, to match up an ET Street to the 28x10.5-15 ET Drag, you’d have to use a 28x12.50-15 ET Street. Be sure to verify the right dimensions before ordering so you know for certain what you’re getting.

What’s a Drag Radial?

For those of you who want the benefit of straight-line performance without having to run a slick or street slick on your street machine, a set of BFGoodrich Drag Radials can be a very viable option. These trick sneakers feature double steel-belted serious bite at the track. The stiff sidewalls provide ample stability for the top end construction with a special rubber tread compound that allows for and for driving around town, and they’re very predictable—we’ve seen them crossing the first 60-foot mark in as little as 1.37 seconds while hanging the hoops!

As for burnout techniques, BFGoodrich recommends minor hazing of the tires just to rid the tread of dirt, and to not drop tire pressure under 13 pounds. Big burnouts only kill the life of the tires and can actually produce worse 60-foots when overheated.

Burnout Techniques

The biggest crowd pleaser in drag racing may also be the least necessary. Unless your car really needs a big burnout, in most cases you can spare your tires the wear and tear. With BFGoodrich’s drag radials, for example, an excessive burnout can produce small rubber balls that react like greasy ball bearings and can cause poor 60-foot times from the loss of traction. We’ve seen everything from racers who do John Force–style burnouts to others who barely spin the tires. You’ll just have to experiment and see what works for you. With ET Streets and ET Drags, most racers tend to only haze the tires since they heat up relatively quickly. The only time M/T recommends a fairly stout burnout is during the first or second pass of a session to bring the sticky chemical compounds to the surface of the tire. Then, depending on how cold the tires get between rounds, a light burnout should suffice for the remainder of the day.

Storing Your ETs

Not everyone will kill a set of ET Streets or ET Drags in one season. And it’s certainly not unusual to hear of people running with the same set of tires for two seasons or more. The key is how you store them. First remove the tires from the car and store them where they won’t be subjected to extremely high or low temperatures. Drop the air pressure to 5 pounds, clean off the tires with a mild detergent and water, cover them, and be sure to keep them away from direct sunlight. Following those simple steps will keep your tires safe for the winter and ready for another season of high mph and low e.t. action.