Just like the title states I wanted to know what you guys would recommend as far as performance goes when looking for a tire that will do exceptional on the drag strip as well as the open track/auto cross. I bought a set of stock 17" bullitts that I am going to mount the new tires on, and just install them when I am going to the track. Thanks!

MATT

 

Good luck with this....I think your better getting a set of "street" tires that can double as an Auto-x tire. and then get yourself a set of drag radials.

The very nature of the two tires are so different you would be compromising too much to find something you could use for both.

For instance a drag “slick” you want a soft sidewall tires something that has a little give to it. In an Auto cross tire you want the stiffest sidewall you can find.

I use Kumho MX’s on the street and auto-X and then put on a set of M&H racemasters for the drags.

 

Yeah I agree with what your saying I am just trying to save the 900$ I spent on my BFG KDW2s

 

use those for your street/ autoX tires and go buy a set of 400 street radials for the drags.

 

I also agree that they are apples and oranges, and I personally would advise against it. But if you insist on using the same tire for two purposes, I would think an auto-X tire would work better on a drag strip, than a drag tire would work on the twisties. Maybe something like the Nitto NT01??? The soft compound and low tread void may compensate for the stiff sidewall on a drag strip. Especially if the car isn't making a gob of power. But hey... I'm just thinking out loud here. I've never used the NT01s.

 

The KDW will give you all-around decent performance, but really the demands on the tires for autocross and drag are just so radically different, and I mean virtually NOTHING in common, that any one tire you select will be a compromise and hurt your performance in the long run.

For track tires, look to something like a Nitto NT-01 or BFG g-force T/A R-1, both excellent performers, in the 275/40-18 size.

For the strip, either a good drag radial (Nitto NT555R, et al), or a real slick would be indicated, depending on the power levels you're planning on.

As was alluded to by FordRacing, the sidewall construction is the key here.

TRACK: You want as stiff a sidewall as possible, so that when you start applying lateral G forces, it won't roll over on itself and unsettle the car. One easy way to get a stiffer sidewall is to run a lower profile tire, like the 40-series.

STREET: You want a moderately stiff sidewall, for the same reason as above, but with more compliance, as the sidewall is actually part of the overall spring-rate of the vehicle, and helps to absorb the wonderful roads that most of us have to drive on, replete with potholes, cracks, uneven seams, speed bumps, debris, etc. 40-55 series is a good balance.

STRIP: You want as soft a sidwall as possible, so that it effectively becomes a torsional spring on launch. With a true slick, with a nice TALL and SOFT sidewall, when you launch, it will "wrinkle" while allowing the rim a slight amount of rotation before it catapults the car off the line. Towards the big end, when the tire RPM is climbing, it will actually narrow in width a bit, as well as grow in circumference, effectively changing your gear ratio for the better...

A competition tire of any sort is essentially useless on the street, as the design compromises will yield a poor response on the street. Imagine running a Nitto 555-RII track tire, with STEEL in the sidewalls across a bunch of bumps and potholes. It will probably shake the fillings out of your teeth, and may be harsh enough to damage the car. OR, imagine running a DOT cheater slick on the street, and feeling the car sway, roll, and get "funky" every time you turn a corner above idle speed, or make a moderately aggressive lane change.

In the end, assuming you are sticking to a one-tire format, your best bet is to just run your street tires. The sidewalls aren't stiff enough for best results at the track, and they're too stiff for the strip, but they'll do okay on both.

 

IMO, I'd stay away from Nitto DRs for the strip. They may be OK on the street, but there are much better DRs for the drag strip.



Gotta love that wrinkle!



I drive everyday on the street on M&H drag radials. Granted, they aren't made for the twisties and they probably won't be too good in the rain, but they work pretty well for me. The trick I have found so far to help minimize the "funkiness" is to keep the air pressure at at least 25psi. If it drops too far below that, you can definitely feel the sidewall flex during cornering or lane changes.

 

I have Bridgestone RE050A's Pole Positions, which are a Max performance "handling" tire. I run 275/40/18 all around and they have no trouble putting 450whp to the ground. They are also amazing in the rain!

 

For street/autox, look at Yokohama Advan Neova AD07, Bridgestone Potenza RE-01R, or Falken Azenis RT-615. Every street tire class winner I've seen the past year has been running one of these three tires.

 

I looked at the RE-01R, but the sizing was limited for Mustangs.