Ok so I am out at the local street races and I see a guy in a harley davidson f150 doing a MASSIVE burnout before a race, I mean like billowing clouds of smoke that covers nearby fields. He races, wins, and when he gets back he starts saying that he didnt have any traction off of the line. I tell him that the reason he didn't have any traction is because he went way overboard with the burnout. He comes back trying to tell me that it makes the tires sticky, to which I reply that only works on racing compound tires, not street tires, it actually makes street tires more "greasy". So I guess my question is who is right in this situation? Should you do big massive burnouts on street tires or not?

 

Of course not.

 

You're right but let him think he's doing it right. I'd gladly race anyone with street tires who insist on doing big smoky burnouts. If he managed to win it was strictly by luck or he calculated an ET with tire spin factored in. If for some reason he hooked up, he would probably break out.

Doing those big burnouts with street tires is just a pshycological thing. You see lots of smoke and think the tires are hot and sticky. Since street tires are designed not to heat up, you're just wearing the rubber off and making them slippery.

 

most people with any tires LIKE to do the burnout, it's fun... Anyone who knows how to race 1) probably wouldn't do it on street tires 2) if they do, they're just messing around 3) drives around the burnout box on street tires.

 

Guys, until I got the tires I have now, I was in 100% agreement. However, I've tried a few times at the track now and a burn-out (granted, not a 30 second long one ) HAS HELPED my 60' times. The best 60' time I've gotten this year has been 1.92! The best I cut with my BFG DR's is only 1.96!! Oh, and that 13.02 in my sig was also on the street tires!!!

The tires I currently have are Hankook Ventus HR 405's (or something like that? )................they're Hankook's anyways.

Until I've seen how these tires work, I too was a believer that smoking your street tires was actually counter-productive...............BUT, I now think that maybe in some cases that isn't true?

 

That's the same way for my Kuhmo 711s. Allbeit they're a cheap *** hell tire, they work damn good as street tires for drag racing. When I go to Cordova, I have NO choice but to go through the burnout box. So I have to do a small smoker to at least get the water off. I tell ya, it's been nothing but dead hooking. 2.02, 2.04 short times and the like. When I do smaller burnouts, such as just rolling em over to clean em off, it hooks like **** and I spin. The way I do it at Cordova enables me to smack the gas right away. Gotta find what's right with every car/tire. I never believed the Kuhmo Ecsta Supra 711 would hook the way it does in my car. Having a full tank of gas helps as well. When I'm bracket racing, no need to have the car almost empty. I'd rather have traction and be slower than spin like hell and be inconsistant.

 

lots of folks will say that street tires get greasy when hot. that is true when they are OVERheated. a tire's compound is designed to work in a specific temp range. for race tires that temp is higher than street tires, but that doesn't mean that street tires won't get stickier when you warm them up... just don't over-do it. usually a small burnout to clear the surface and expose fresh rubber is enough for most street tires. high performance tires (most v, w, y, z ratings) will have a little extra stick with clean rubber a bit of heat in the tread.

 

i have learned that with street tires the best way to go is with a small burnout. Aim your mirrors at them and the instant you see smoke be done with it. That is plenty to get them cleaned off and at the right temp

 

So how long should you heat up drag radials for?

 

i say spin the DR's for about 7 seconds and get some good smoke