Top 10 Street Tires for Drag Racing: The Ultimate Review and Ratings Guide for High-Performance in 2023

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Although there are those who choose driving on winding roads, drag racing still maintains a certain level of its own unique excitement. It would seem simple, and in fact it is, to drive your vehicle to its absolute limit while keeping it in a straight line. To be able to post exceptional times, on the other hand, demands not only competence but also years of experience in drag racing. To put it another way, picking it up is a piece of cake, but getting good at it is an entirely different story.

However, acquiring the skills necessary to accelerate in the correct manner is only half of the tale. If you want to be considered the quickest, you need to have a powerful and light car. Tires, on the other hand, are the single most crucial component of drag racing. You can kiss your chances of recording strong results on a drag strip goodbye if you don’t have a solid pair of tires.

Even if you have the most powerful sports car in the world, you will still need a way to put that power down on the road in an effective manner. If the tires aren’t up to the task, you’ll have to deal with wheel spins and waste valuable time in the process. To put it another way, a very powerful sports car with poor tires will be significantly slower than a somewhat quick car that has outstanding tires.

The problem is, however, that the greatest tires for drag racing cannot be used on regular roads. Tires in the world of professional drag racing are purpose-built to provide the highest possible level of traction even under the most extreme conditions of acceleration, which is essential for achieving the fastest possible times. However, these tires don’t have a very good grip in the corners, and they won’t work at all in wet conditions, which is why you can’t use them on the road at all. They also won’t work at all in conditions where there is snow on the ground.

To our good fortune, there are a great many options accessible now in the realm of street drag tires. Because these products aren’t necessarily designed for use just in drag racing, you should anticipate results that are slightly inferior to those produced by professional drag tires. In spite of this, these tires may be used on the road without any problems, even while it is raining. Additionally, they offer the driver an exceptional grip in the corners, which enables them to be used for a variety of driving styles outside racing.

The absolute finest tires for street drag racing should have exceptional traction, which is something you’ll find to be of great use during rapid acceleration. On top of that, these tires should be entirely useable on the street and they should be DOT-approved for use on public roads. When all is said and done, the street drag tires you purchase should be robust and long-lasting, particularly during highly intense acceleration runs.

We have compiled a comprehensive list of the highest quality performance tires now available on the market in order to assist you in finding the ideal set of street tires for drag racing. These tires have a number of characteristics in common, including extraordinary traction, excellent grip, and remarkable high-speed stability.

In addition to that, we will also supply you with a comprehensive shopping guide that covers performance tires as well as drag racing tires. You will be able to learn there about all of the benefits and drawbacks associated with the many different kinds of performance tires, which will allow you to choose the one that works best for you. We recommend reading through that part if you’re new to performance tires, and especially if you’re overwhelmed by all of the alternatives.

The 10 Best Street Tires for Drag Racing Available in 2023

1. Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R

Best Extreme-Performance Tires for Drag Racing

There is a good reason why the Potenza RE-71R is one of the tires that is most sought after by automobile enthusiasts, particularly those that compete in street drag racing.

In the segment of extreme-performance tires known as “straight-line traction,” the Potenza RE-71R will provide you the most reliable support possible. In addition to this, the tire performs exceptionally well in the turns and has an exceptional steering feel. As was to be expected, the steadiness at high speeds is exceptional.

In contrast to other tires in its class, the Potenza performs well even when driven on wet asphalt. In spite of this, the RE-71R is quite pricey; yet, this is something that has been standard for Bridgestone products and something that we have learned to accept. The fact that the Potenza RE-71R is available in a variety of sizes is a definite plus.

2. Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar 3

Best Extreme-Performance Tires for Drag Racing

3. Toyo Proxes R1-R

Best Extreme-Performance Tires for Drag Racing

4. Falken Azenis RT615K+

Best Extreme-Performance Tires for Drag Racing

5. BFGoodrich g-Force Rival S 1.5

Best Extreme-Performance Tires for Drag Racing

6. Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R

Best Streetable Track & Competition Tires for Drag Racing

The Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R is considered by many auto enthusiasts all over the world to be the best track tire currently available.

Although the tire is pricey, it has the potential to significantly alter the way your vehicle performs, even on a drag strip. This tire offers an impressive level of traction in comparison to others on the market.

The Pilot Sport Cup 2 R, as was to be expected, also offers greater high-speed stability and superb grip in the turns.

In spite of this, you shouldn’t use this tire when it’s raining because it won’t perform well, especially over large puddles of water.

7. Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R

Best Streetable Track & Competition Tires for Drag Racing

8. Hoosier D.O.T. Drag Radial 2

Best D.O.T Drag Racing Radials

9. Toyo Proxes TQ

Best D.O.T Drag Racing Radials

10. Michelin Pilot Sport 4S

Best Max-Performance Summer Tires for Drag Racing and Street

Buying Guide for Best Street Tires for Drag Racing in 2023

1. Difference Between Summer and All-Season Tires (Advantages and Disadvantages)

The first thing that you need to select when choosing new performance tires is the weather compound. There are summer tires, all-season tires, and even winter performance tires on the market today. However, in actuality, only summer tires function quite well for drag racing. Let’s go into more detail and look at the reasons why you should always go with summer tires when it comes to performance.

All-Season Tires are Only Good for the Street 

There is nothing inherently flawed with all-season tires; yet, some aficionados have a bias against their use. The majority of individuals will find that these tires provide safe handling, high levels of traction and grip, and extremely good stability while driving on the highway.

In addition, all-season tires can be used in the majority of weather situations, including temperatures as low as freezing and as high as searing hot, as well as driving in light snow and rain. Because of this, it is possible to travel the majority of the world on just a single pair of tires, which results in significant savings.

In a related vein, the lifespan of all-season tires is extraordinarily long. These tires have a tread compound that is comprised of a tough rubber that does not wear very quickly, particularly when driven on the street. As a direct consequence of this, even some all-season ultra-high-performance tires come with a treadwear warranty that ranges from 50,000 to 60,000 miles, which is undoubtedly outstanding.

With that said, the tread compound of all-season tires is pretty hard. This is beneficial for durability but detrimental to performance. A lot. You won’t get enough traction on a drag strip with even the most powerful all-season performance tires, let alone high grip in the corners with those tires. They are suitable for use on the road, but not up to the standards required for competition.

The conclusion is as follows. If you are getting a vehicle ready for drag racing and you were thinking about adding all-season tires on it, you should reconsider that decision. If you drive your vehicle on the street, our strongest recommendation is to choose all-season tires because this is the environment in which these tires perform at their highest level. Anything that involves competition ought to be completely off the table.

Summer Tires Will Give You Far Better Traction 

The tread compound that we discussed earlier in relation to all-season tires is entirely distinct from that of summer tires. Summer tires often use a compound that is developed for performance rather than one that is designed to last a long time. You can refer to it as sticky, and you won’t be too far from the reality of the situation.

The sticky quality of the summer tread compound helps greatly on drag strips. With a set of summer tires, your vehicle will put the power down much easier and without a lot of wheel slip. Your time for the quarter-mile will decrease almost instantly by a number of valuable seconds.

The performance of summer tires on the street is also very good. A set of summer tires is still our go-to recommendation for high-performance automobiles. This is due to the fact that summer tires are noticeably more responsive, provide extraordinary levels of grip and traction, and provide remarkable high-speed stability. Even though there is a widespread misconception to the contrary, summer tires actually perform better in wet circumstances, particularly on roads that are already damp.

Having stated that, tires designed for the summer cannot be used when the temperature is below freezing. In point of fact, if they are used or stored in temperatures that are lower than the freezing point, they run the risk of becoming quickly destroyed. In addition, summer tires wear out much more quickly than all-season tires, which means that in the long run, purchasing summer tires will end up being a much more expensive option. Last but not least, the cost of purchasing summer tires is significantly higher.

To tell you the truth, however, if you want strong acceleration on a drag strip, the only option you have is to use summer tires. Although you will have to put up with their drawbacks as well, you should consider that doing so is a minor price to pay in order to achieve that remarkable quarter-mile time.

2. Different Types of Street Performance Tires

Performance tires are differentiated from standard tires in a number of ways in addition to the weather compound. Some of them are focused on street driving, like high-performance and ultra-high-performance tires. You can use these tires on a drag strip, but you won’t have as much success with them as you would with other performance tires.

Max-performance tires, on the other hand, try to offer excellent street performance with usable track and drag traction. On racing courses, tires with extreme performance take everything up a level and provide significantly improved traction and grip. Streetable competition and track tires have an even greater emphasis on the track.

In addition, there are tires that are designed specifically for racing, autocross, and drag, as well as other specialty racing and autocross tires. These tires are purpose-built for usage on a racetrack or drag strip, and nowhere else. In other words, these tires aren’t DOT-approved, which implies that they aren’t allowed for usage on the roadway.

They do not have a sufficient tread pattern for use in wet conditions, which makes them less useful than even some inexpensive all-season tires. In addition, they do not have enough tread pattern for use in snowy conditions.

But, let’s delve into more detail and examine which type of street performance tires will work best for drag racing.

High-Performance and Ultra-High-Performance Tires 

These tires were developed to provide the driver with an improved sensation through the steering wheel as well as more responsive handling. In addition, in comparison to standard “touring” tires, they offer the driver significantly improved levels of traction and grip, as well as significantly enhanced levels of high-speed stability.

Having said that, despite the fact that these tires are perfectly suitable for use on the track, you shouldn’t select them for use in drag racing. The tread compound and tread pattern of these tires are designed for safe handling on public highways, including driving on dry and wet surfaces.

Max-Performance Tires 

These tires are a favorite among auto enthusiasts who do the most of their driving on the street but are looking for a solid alternative for track days. Tires with maximum performance provide excellent traction even during heavy acceleration, remarkable grip even in the corners, powerful braking, and excellent high-speed stability. Additionally, these tires deliver an exceptional steering feel and are exceptionally responsive to steering inputs.

In spite of this, there are alternatives to maximum-performance tires that are preferable to consider if you want to operate your vehicle primarily on a racetrack or a drag strip. This is especially important to keep in mind if you want your car to run the quarter-mile in the greatest potential time it is capable of.

Extreme-Performance Tires 

These tires are an ideal alternative for drivers that want to attain outstanding quarter-mile times, but also want tires that will be dependable and usable on the street. Extreme-performance tires have an exceptionally high level of traction even under intense acceleration, which makes them an excellent choice for use on a drag strip.

In addition, even when it is raining, extreme-performance tires perform admirably well when they are used on the road. As a result of this, the performance of these tires in both the drag strip and on the street is unparalleled. Because of this, the majority of the items on our list are high-performance tires.

Streetable Track & Competition Tires 

These tires offer the best traction for severe accelerations apart from specialized drag tires. When you step on the gas with a pair of street-legal track tires on your vehicle, you will notice far less wheel spin, which will result in faster times in the quarter-mile.

Having said that, the performance of these tires for driving on the street is only about par. Obviously, they perform exceptionally well when driving on dry pavement, but they are not very helpful when the roads are wet. Because they have such a shallow tread pattern, streetable track tires may not provide adequate protection against hydroplaning. In fact, it is possible that driving one of these tires in extremely heavy rain could be hazardous.

D.O.T. Drag Racing Radials 

Some of the alternatives on the market that are designed specifically for drag racing can still be used on the street by serious drag race fans. These tires have been given the okay by the Department of Transportation, so you can safely use them on public roads.

In addition, drag racing radial tires are going to give you the most possible traction for runs that require a lot of acceleration force. With a set of these tires on the driven wheels, you will experience nearly no wheel spin when you hit the gas.

However, the street performance of these tires is far from exceptional. To begin, they are not intended for bending corners and may only be used for acceleration in a straight line. Therefore, you should be driving carefully on a winding road.

A significant decrease in performance will also take place when drag racing tires are not at their operating temperature, which is something that might happen when driving on the street.

In addition to that, when it rains heavily, these tires are nearly useless. Because there is so little tread on drag racing radials, they do not offer any resistance to hydroplaning, which makes it risky to drive over large puddles of water when using them.

Final Words