Don Terrill’s Speed-Talk

Anyone have a test on DOT Drag Tires from the different companies? Any opinions on the best?

I have a friend that races in the stock class. He tells me that the tire to run is the BF Goodrich Drag Radial T/A. It has like 6 treads.

speedtalk wrote:Anyone have a test on DOT Drag Tires from the different companies? Any opinions on the best?

At the track all the fast guys in the DOT class use Mickey ET Streets.
The only guys that use Nitto's or BFG's drag radials is in that class.

Also setup your chassis for those kind of tires for max 60ft's
A good chassis guy should do it for you.

tk wrote:

speedtalk wrote:Also setup your chassis for those kind of tires for max 60ft. A good chassis guy should do it for you.

What chassis differences do these tires need? Softer hit?

\What chassis differences do these tires need? Softer hit?[/quote]


I would guess so.
But I'm far from being a chassis specialist.
You need to talk to a guy in that class or to their chassis shop.

Some of my buddies are into street racing, and real street class racing and driving around they use either nittos or BF Goodrich drag radials if they know they racing they're bolting on the ET Streets. Hope this helps.

E.T. Steets a slick with grooves(so it can be DOT) They are by far the best for traction. They work just as good as a true slick, but I would not run them regularly on the street, they will not last. BFG drab radials are a far cry better then a "true radials", But I have never seen or heard of them working nearly as well as E.T streets! Hope this helps!

ET Streets are the best DOT "slick" I've seen. Nitto and BFG are the two big drag radial tires.

Nitto makes the 555R and 555R2. The 555R is a standard drag radial, the 555R2 is a road racing/autcross radial made with the same compound as the 555R but with much stiffer sidewalls.

The BFG drag radials will give you better performance on a prepped track, the Nitto drag radials are a better choice for the street. It seems like the two companies actually took different approaches. Kind of refreshing.

A word of warning. BFG drag radials will be eaten alive by street driving. The compound appears to be too soft and you'll get very little life out of the tires.

Use the M.T.'s if your rules allow it. Do you still have the stock suspension under the back? If you do, talk to Calvert about what you need. We have be high 1.20 low 1.30 60's with his spring/bar combo w/the ET streets.He can point you in the right direction.
Shawn

SW wrote:Do you still have the stock suspension under the back?

I've added Cal-Tracs and Rancho shocks - seems to have worked, the car no longer picks up when you put weight in the trunk. John Calvert has been a huge help.