When it comes to drag racing, all the horsepower and torque in the world doesn’t matter if you can’t transfer that power into traction and therefore, forward movement. There are a variety of different ways to get more traction. Drag race style suspension helps shift front-end weight towards the rear to plant the rear tires, and that helps. This is the reason old “gasser” type drag machines of yesteryear had their noses pointed towards the sky— for more traction. This set up was ideal back in the day because tires at the time were so terrible. But getting traction wasn’t as bad as it sounds because the top of the line, high-output vehicles of the era generally only made about 300 to 400hp.
A Great Time to be a Muscle Car Fan
Drag racing and tire technology have come a long way since the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Today, most “sporty” cars make about 300hp off the showroom floor, and the current crop of muscle cars all make well into the 300hp range at the base model level, and the higher-end are making considerably more power than that. Take Dodge’s Challenger Hellcat Redeye—it makes 797hp, Chevy’s Camaro ZL1 makes 650hp, and Ford’s Mustang Shelby GT500 makes 760hp, all directly from their respective manufacturer. These numbers would have been unbelievable just 20 years ago, but muscle car technology has continued to progress in every muscle car fan’s favor. So, how does one get these incredibly powerful street machines to hook-up at the drag strip? Part of the answer to that question is: a great drag radial tire.
The New NT555RII Drag Radial Tire
Tire technology has come a long way since the ‘60s and ‘70s, too, especially tires for the everyday drag racing enthusiast. Take Nitto’s new NT555RII competition drag radial tire for instance, it’s a D.O.T. compliant tire designed with additional flexibility, meaning it’s designed to be soft enough for a hard launch off the line, but still rigid enough to handle the rigors of daily driving.
A Weekend-Warrior’s Best Friend
Running this tire on your car could mean less work at the track. What? You read that right—because this drag radial is Department of Transportation compliant, a person could drive directly to the drag strip without the need to trailer the vehicle or bring an additional set of wheels and tires they’d have to swap out for their trip down the ‘strip.
It’s a Drag Tire at Heart
The high-grip compound and semi-racing construction combine to significantly increase traction from the start and lower 60-foot times, but there are large circumferential grooves that aid the driver should they encounter any wet conditions.
Matching Set
Consistency matters, whether it’s the color of paint on a car or the tread of a tire—parts, themes and colors should be the same throughout the vehicle. Nitto has been in the tire game for a long time and made sure that the tread pattern on the new NT555RII drag radial perfectly pairs with their widely popular NT555 G2 summer performance tire.
The Bottom Line
If you’ve got a high-horsepower machine that is driven on the street or are thinking of upgrading your vehicle for more power, you need this tire for the best times at the drags. It’s the perfect drag tire for every American muscle car, modern or vintage, including the Chevy Camaro and Corvette, Ford’s Mustang, Dodge’s Charger and Challenger, and Pontiac GTO. Plus, it’s a great tire for four-wheel and All-wheel-drive applications, SUVs and trucks, too. Initially, 10 of the most popular sizes will be released for wheels ranging from 15 to 22-inch diameters with more sizes coming soon.
Visit Nitto's website for more information about this innovative drag tire.