It's the thrill of sudden momentum and the potential of beating your opponent, which is right beside you at the start line. It's the smell of burning rubber and engine exhaust. It's drag racing, and if you are a driver with a passion for this kind of sport, you are bound to spend a lot of time thinking about tires. The simple fact of the matter is, the kind of racing tires you have your car outfitted with can easily determine if you will hit the finish line as the winner or the loser. Take a look at the features you should be looking for in racing tires for your drag car. 

Look for tires with slick or semi-slick tread. 

It is no big secret that the rubber meets the road where tire traction is concerned in drag racing. The key to getting a good start from the beginning of the race is to ensure your tires have enough traction area to firmly grip the pavement in spite of the fact the tires may already be spinning at an excessive speed. For this reason, racing slicks are considered the best for most drag vehicles. For vehicles with a higher weight ratio, semi-slicks can also work because there is more pressure placed on the tire anyway. 

Look for tires that have been pre-ran before purchase. 

A lot of drag racers pick up a set of high-performance tires and then head straight to the track to break the tires in on their own. However, this is also a good way to offset the balance of the tires before you ever get to the race–especially if your vehicle is not perfectly balanced in weight capacity. Instead, it is a good idea to look for racing tires that have been pre-ran at the factory. This is a process that involves running the tire several rotations to mimic the conditions of rubber to pavement. In this controlled setting, the tires balance out themselves to an adequate level. 

Look for racing tires that have bead locks. 

Bead locks are not standard on all racing tires. However, if you have an incredibly fast car and you want to make sure you don't spin a tire off of the wheel during startup, performance tires with bead locks are the way to go. These tires have a series of beads around the tire that lock into specially made rims so the tire cannot logically break loose from the rim during high heat and high speeds. 

To learn more, contact a company like Frisby Performance Tire. 

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