Hoosiers for drag racing?

[Paul Fischer]

335/30/18 is merely the tire size regardless of the application it was designed for. The "A" designation on a Hoosier indicates the tire was built for autocrossing, the "R" for roadracing. Neither is optimal for drag racing due to the stiff sidewalls built into the tire. While soft rubber is one component of a good drag tire a flexible sidewall is another, this is what allows you to get the torque to the ground. Get a good drag tire (M/T Qualifiers are DOT approved as I recall)if you are going to the strip and remember towatch those half shafts.

 

[Tom Welch]

Arizona,

The BFG drag Radial(315x17) is the clsoest thing that you will find that fits your stock rims(should you have 17"). The only drag tire available is the M/T E.T. Street(11.5x16) and is DOT approved. I don't recommend them for wet weather driving or ANY CORNERING OTHER THAN LOW SPEEDS!!!!. They must be mounted on 16" aftermarket rims available from John Purner(see info in performance parts listing of this site)

To try something different is basicly a waste of time and money.

Tom
Http://btrviper.com

 

[Supercharged Vipermad]

What Tom says is exactly right. However, be aware that 16" wheels will NOT fit on your 2001 car without modification to the rear brake caliper. I am currently in the process of attempting to install Purner's 16" rears on my '01 RT, and will let the list know what modifications are necessary once the project is complete.

 

[Tom Welch]

Arizona,

You'd be pleasantly suprized about the 16" rims and e.t streets as getting street races goes.

Most of the camaro and other brand junkies run the e.t streets or Nittos or something similiar and those tires don't scare them away. Lots of kids don't know enough about the viper to avoid becoming a Victim! Purner wheels look alot like ACR wheels and at midnight at the street drags who's looking? Run what ya brung is the rule of the night.

BTW, the BFG drag radial will get better traction on the street than the slick, simply because the slick needs a warm rubber surface for max traction(the dragstrip). On the highway you are just sacraficing about 6 total inches of rubber on the road! TRUST ME ON THIS....enough said.

Finally, I have had several street races just because the other guy 1). Like the Great Clint Eastwood(Dirty Harry) was once told "I just gots to Knows" and 2).The other racers were plain suprized to see a viper and had to give it a try!

Good Luck,

Tom
Http://btrviper.com