Drag racing is an exciting experience, especially if you love traveling straight differences. For this, it is important to have a lightweight vehicle that is powerful.
However, the tires are also a major part of how great your drag racing goes, even if you have an amazing sports car.
When buying professional drag racing tires, it is important to keep in mind that these are not made for normal road use because they are built for maximum acceleration, and their corners aren’t very good at gripping.
However, if you are interested in the tires for racing, then here is a list of the best drag radials for street use.
Table of Contents
- 1 7 Top Rated Drag Radials For Street Comparisons
- 1.1 1. Nitto NT05R Drag Radial Tire – 275/40R17 0R
- 1.2 2. Cooper Cobra Radial G/T All-Season P275/60R15 107T Tire
- 1.3 3. Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R Ultra-High Performance Summer Tire
- 1.4 4. Nitto NT05R Drag Radial Tire – 315/35R17 0R
- 1.5 5. Mickey Thompson Street Radial Tire P275/60R15
- 1.6 6. Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperCar 3 Performance Radial Tire – 285/30ZR20 95Y
- 1.7 7. Cooper Cobra Radial G/T All-Season P225/70R14 98T Tire
- 2 What To Look For When Buying Street Tires For Drag Racing
- 3 Frequently Asked Questions
- 4 Conclusion
7 Top Rated Drag Radials For Street Comparisons
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | EDITOR'S RATING | PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
TOP PICK  | 9.7 | CHECK ON AMAZON | |
 | 9.5 | CHECK ON AMAZON | |
 | Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R Ultra-High Performance Summer Tire | 9.1 | CHECK ON AMAZON |
| 8.8 | CHECK ON AMAZON | |
 | 8.6 | CHECK ON AMAZON | |
| 8.2 | CHECK ON AMAZON | |
BEST BUDGET  | Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperCar 3 Performance Radial Tire - 285/30ZR20 95Y | 8 | CHECK ON AMAZON |
1. Nitto NT05R Drag Radial Tire – 275/40R17 0R
The number one product on today’s list is the Nitto NT05R Drag Radial Tire, 275/40R17 0R.
These tires are multipurpose and therefore are greatly loved by customers. This is because they can stand all kinds of abuse on the streets.
For this reason, even in the harshest driving conditions and roads, these tires will stay just the way they are. These tires are made in Japan.
During the making, they were created to have specialized race compounds. This makes sure that the tread inside these tires has an equal pressure distribution throughout.
The unique selling point of these tires is the large centre ribs. These ribs are larger than usually that of other tires, which helps with perfect driving.
This is because the contact with the track is improved with these ribs.
In addition, for the streets, a really good dry traction is also ensured due to the way the ribs are made. The load capacity is 1433 Pounds, and the section width is 275 Millimeters.
In addition, these tires have much larger shoulder blocks than other tires. Apart from this, the sidewall construction is also improved, making the tires perfect for road use.
Moreover, these tires also include features that give them longitudinal launch traction. They also have straight-line stability, making them suitable for drag racing.
Lastly, these tires are DOT certified, which means you can use these on the streets as well, so that will not be a problem.
These tires have very good customer feedback, and according to them, they are pretty good for street use as the car doesn’t get wobbly when on the street.
These are more like softer drag radials.
Overall, if seen according to the price, then the grip is actually pretty good.
- Multipurpose
- Specialized race compounds
- Dry traction
- Good for streets
- DOT certified
- The grip is not as amazing as some other, more expensive brands
These tires are some of the best performing tires on the list today, and you will not have a problem driving them on the streets.
2. Cooper Cobra Radial G/T All-Season P275/60R15 107T Tire
Another great product are the Cooper Cobra Radial G/T All-Season P275/60R15 107T Tires. These tires are the best for outfitting a strip car. These tires have responsive handling.
In addition, the operation is very comfortable, especially when considering the fact that these are all-season tires and will perform and stay the same throughout the year in harsh weather conditions.
These look very stylish as well. They have a modern and classic look. In addition, these tires make sure to have very high rubber to road performance.
This makes sure the tires perform perfectly. They have a tread design. The tire compound also makes sure to give the best all-weather performance.
Due to this, the ability to grip the road of these tires in wet, dry and cold weather is perfected. Therefore, you won’t have an issue driving your car in even the harshest weather conditions.
The tires also have two polyester casing plies. These closely follow the surface.
Thanks to this, the road contact is made much better. Thanks to this, road vibrations are significantly reduced.
Therefore you will be able to drive smoothly and have a comfortable ride.
Any shocks are also reduced, which further makes sure that the ride is calm, quiet and without any disturbances.
In addition, they also have circumferential grooves as well as open shoulder slots.
These remove and evacuate any water from footprints, so hydroplaning is resisted. This helps combat any weather variances and safe and comfortable driving all around the year.
A notched rib, in addition, makes sure that the tread life is elongated. Moreover, this product has a shoulder slotting design as well as twin steel belts.
This makes sure that any driving pressure is distributed evenly in the area of the tread. Because of this, any wear formations that are irregular are avoided.
- Comfortable handling
- Stylish look
- Excellent grip in all weathers
- Great road contact
- Comfortable driving
- Some tires do not last that long
Overall, these are the best all-weather tires that will allow you to maintain a strong grip no matter what the outer conditions are.
3. Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R Ultra-High Performance Summer Tire
Another great and customer favorite product, the Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R Ultra-High Performance Summer Tires are really popular choice among car users.
These tires are made to work perfectly when driven in a straight line. For this reason they are the perfect ones for drag racing.
The construction makes sure that the best traction is provided when driving in a straight line. In addition, these tires will work awesomely even in extreme performance.
Basically, these tires are literally constructed for drag racing.
Moreover, the corners of these tires have a really good grip, which is why they will work best on most surfaces, even on streets.
Also, a really good steering feel is provided when using these tires.
Not only this, these tires will be very stable even at really high speeds; therefore, you don’t have to worry about losing grip or your car slipping when trying to race.
You can go as fast as you’d like. Apart from this, these tires can also work really good on wet tarmac. This makes it a lot better for different kinds of weather.
You can also get these tires in many different sizes. For this reason you can choose whichever kind of grip you’d like and customize your ride and your car’s look accordingly.
It is also important to know that this is a high-quality Bridgestone product, which is a very expensive brand, and so are these tires.
They can also be controlled if the limit is reached and can be used on a wet surface as long as the rain is light and will not slip.
The handling is very fast and responsive, saving from any unfortunate events.
- Perfect for straight-line drag racing
- Really good grip on corners
- Work well on wet tarmac
- Fast and responsive handling
- Can work in light rain
- Less number of ratings
Overall, these are really good quality tires and perfect if you’re looking for something specifically for straight-line drag racing.
4. Nitto NT05R Drag Radial Tire – 315/35R17 0R
The NT05R Drag Radial Tire – 315/35R17 0R is another great Nitto product. These tires are made to deal with any kind of street abuse without getting ruined.
Therefore, you will be able to drive them on most surfaces. In addition, they will also last you long without much wear and tear.
In addition, these ones are also very versatile and will be able to adapt to most conditions, so purchasing them won’t be a bad idea.
This product also has DOT certification. This means that these tires are completely safe to use, especially on the streets.
Therefore you don’t have to worry about that. You can also drive these on the streets legally if you want to.
The dimensions of these tires are 25.7, 25.7 and 12.4 inches. In addition, they weigh 30.6 pounds. Because of these reasons, they are the perfect ones for dry competition.
Also, these ones have race compounds that are specialized. This feature makes them able to give the highest amount of traction. Moreover, the tread pressure distribution is also great.
A great feature about these tires, just like the other products in their company, is the large central ribs. These give the perfect drag radial of drag racing.
These large central ribs mean that there is a patch contact that is continuous with the track. This makes sure to give really good dry traction with the ground.
The pressure in these tires is evenly distributed, which makes sure for a perfect and smooth ride without any bumps. For this reason, you can ride your car in comfort.
These tires have received really good customer feedback, with most customers saying that they would buy these again.
These will also stick really well and won’t budge after that because they are very sticky.
In addition, some customers say that these do not make any improvements to the speed of their car.
- Can deal with street abuse
- DOT certified
- Specialized race compounds
- Large central ribs
- Great customer feedback
- Do not do well in light rain
- Do not improve the speed
Overall, these tires are a really good option for street use as they are DOT certified and have a really good grip.
5. Mickey Thompson Street Radial Tire P275/60R15
The Mickey Thompson Street Radial Tire P275/60R15 is a great quality set of tires from a very reputable company. These tires are some of the most loved products on the market.
Moreover, these are the perfect option if you want to drag race on the street. Mickey Thompson is a worldwide leader in making high-quality tires.
This product is made to stay the same in all kinds of harsh environments and protect itself from any wear and tear.
Therefore, these will stay safe on regular and harsh roads as well, making them perfect for street use.
This product is made from R2 compounds. This material makes these tires absolutely perfect for use on the streets.
They will work perfectly, even on the most uneven surfaces, without letting themselves get damaged.
In nature, these tires are a bit soft because of the R2 compound they are made from. These ones weigh around 35 pounds, and the aspect ratio is 60.
In addition, the rim diameter is around 15 inches, and the tread depth is 6 inches. Because of this reason, these tires are very well designed, making them stand out in the market.
These will give really good control on the streets protecting from any kind of damage at all or unfortunate events.
The special sidewall construction also makes sure to give the perfect grip on streets. These are another great set of tires basically perfect for the streets.
Because of being DOT approved, you can be sure this product is safe for use on the roads always.
In addition, there are a few complaints about them being a bit too sticky.
- Will protect from wear and tear
- R2 compounds
- Perfect for streets
- Sidewall construction
- DOT approved
- Not good in really harsh weather
- A bit too sticky
Finally this one is another great product perfect for drag racing on the streets. You might have to check these regarding harsh weather otherwise these are good.
6. Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperCar 3 Performance Radial Tire – 285/30ZR20 95Y
The Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperCar 3 Performance Radial Tire – 285/30ZR20 95Y is the best extreme performance option if you want to go drag racing.
These ones need to get to a high temperature, after which they will perform perfectly. Therefore, giving them burnout before riding them properly is the best idea.
When these tires do come to their perfect temperature, these tires become really sticky, which is just perfect because it proves a perfect grip on the road, helping the car to go at really high speeds.
In addition, these tires are really responsive. This makes them pretty safe to use and the perfect ones for drag racing.
Moreover, normal driving is also made fun of. The steering feel is also greatly improved. Most other tires are not very good in rainy conditions.
This is where this product steps in. These ones work very well on wet surfaces in rainy conditions.
For this reason, you won’t have to worry about your car slipping or about any unfortunate rain, making this product distinct from the others.
This product can be easily controlled when at the limit. The responses are actually surprisingly sharp, and the grip will leave you shocked when they heat up.
Also, to perform the best, these need to be heated up, which will take some time and driving.
- Perfect grip when warmed up
- Greatly improved steering feel
- Highly sharp and responsive
- Work very well on wet surfaces
- Easily controlled when at the limit
- Noisy after the tread wears down
- Need to be heated up to perform its best
Even though they need to be heated up to do so, once these tires do, the stickiness and the grip will give you the amazing performance which you will love.
7. Cooper Cobra Radial G/T All-Season P225/70R14 98T Tire
The last product on today’s list is the Cooper Cobra Radial G/T All-Season P225/70R14 98T Tire.
This one looks almost the same as the other Cooper Cobra tire at first glance. The size difference is actually pretty small.
However, this one is very lightweight and actually weighs about half the weight of the other tire.
The weight is only 17 pounds, and the section width is 225 millimeters. The aspect ratio is 70. Their rim diameter is only an inch different from the other one.
The rating of the load index is 98 and goes at 790RPM. It comes with a 50,000-mile warranty, and the highest speed is about 118mph.
Basically, this product is made for vehicles with normal passenger driving in mind.
These tires work well all season; therefore will withstand most conditions and stay the same all year round. Even in really cold weather, these tires work really well.
In addition, it has circumferential grooves and refined elements that remove the water perfectly from these tires.
These tires are all season for this reason and can be driven almost anywhere. This tire has an internal structure that makes the drive very comfortable.
The tread has an optimized design, and the tread elements are refined, which make sure to minimize any noise coming from the outside into the cabin.
This is done by making a sound frequency which lowers the noise.
This internal structure of the tires also has two polyester casing plies. These make sure to keep the road in contact with the tires all the time.
This makes sure to avoid any vibrations from happening and maintains a smooth ride. Because of this, the ride becomes very calm, quiet and comfortable.
- Lightweight
- All-season
- Comfortable
- Lower noise
- A bit noisy, and vibrations might occur
Overall, this is a comfortable tire which is perfect if you want to buy something for regular street usage.
What To Look For When Buying Street Tires For Drag Racing
The perfect set of wheels is key when it comes to drag racing. They are crucial in lowering your elapsed times.
If your car sees a lot of street use and if you are planning for a drag race, going for a race-oriented street tire package will make it perform exceptionally and look good on the drag strip.
Using racing-style tires or wheels that fit is not enough. They should meet the criteria of your intended application.
You must consider the following factors for the perfect street tires for drag racing.
- High Traction And Road Grip Designs
- Tire Dimensions And Height
- Lighter Tire Weight
- DOT Approval And Racing Specific
Let me explain these factors in some details below so you could choose the perfect street tire package for drag racing.
High Traction And Road Grip Designs
When looking into street tires for drag racing, you need tires that can grip the track safely to enhance proper traction. Drag race tracks can be wet, which will reduce traction.
Go for street tires with special tread patterns that retain traction despite the wet track. Tread patterns can have a lot of features on performance.
The tread compound also has a major role in how the tire performs under different circumstances.
Tire Dimensions And Height
Using the correct width and height for the right car in a race can be the decisive factor other than driving skill.
A wider tire will provide better traction, but going overboard and finding out that the tire does not fit in the wheel well is a waste of money.
Tire height directly affects the gearing of the driveline. Changing it would directly affect the speed.
You should look into these effects and then sync them with the crucial factors for the race strip you wish to use the tires on.
Lighter Tire Weight
A car’s stock wheels weigh much more than specially designed street tires. Choosing lighter but reliable street tires can make quite the difference when decreasing your elapsed times.
Moreover, choosing the right street tire will not only add a good look to your car but also reduce weight in all the correct places for your drag race.
This decrease in weight should not come at the cost of traction. Lighter street tires will overall help you with your racing needs.
DOT Approval And Racing Specific
Make sure to confirm if your street tire is DOT approved or not. This will save you a lot of time.
Some tires are, however, DOT approved but not street-legal or meant for use on the highway. Such tires are only approved for markings and are unsafe to use for drag racing.
Make sure your tires are perfectly legal in all regards and also fit for drag racing. This will give you a competitive edge.
Street tires can boost your drag race performance quite a bit. But getting the perfect one will require a little time and research.
Be sure to check most options out and whether the tire’s advantages sync up with your intentions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Can I Use Drag Radials On The Street?
Not all Drag Radials can be used on the street. This is because DOT drag radials are not all made out of the same cloth.
In fact, some of them don’t even meet the DOT standards at all. Therefore, they cannot be used on the street.
However, some brands like the Mickey Thompson ET Street Radials can be used on the street. For this reason, you can check if the drag radial you’re buying are street legal or not.
Q2. Can I Drive Drag Radials In The Rain?
Drag radials are made in such a way that they usually have very little tread.
This makes them unable to disperse water effectively. Their corners do not have a good grip at all, which makes them ineffective on wet surfaces.
For example, if you’re not paying attention to your driving while in the rain, an unfortunate event of your car hydroplaning could occur.
This is dangerous, so if you’re planning on installing drag radials, it is best to not use them in the rain.
Q3. How Long Do Drag Radials Last On The Street?
Usually, according to owners of drag radials, they last about 15,000-30,000 miles. This is because drag radials are made in a different way than normal tires.
Therefore, this makes their sidewall width smaller, and their tread is also thinner compared to usual tires.
Because of this, they can be used to go at high speeds while also driving pretty smoothly.
Normally, you should know if to replace your drag radials when the 60 and 330-foot times start slipping and become inconsistent.
Q4. What Is The Difference Between A Drag Radial And A Slick?
Drag radials and slicks are different due to the direction of the cords inside these tires.
Usually, a true slick would have a bias-ply, and the cords of it will form an x pattern around the whole tire.
In racing, a radial will keep the ride smooth and stable. On the other hand, a slick will help you to launch hard during the ride.
Because the radial tires do not absorb a lot of power, they are quicker and faster than slicks.
Conclusion
All of the products in the above list have excellent traction, grip and really good high-speed stability.
It is important to make sure when buying drag tires that they are usable on streets and that they are DOT approved and able to be used on public roads.
In addition, strength and durability are also important things to consider when purchasing these tires, of course.
Keeping all of this in mind, the Nitto NT05R Drag Radial Tire – 275/40R17 0R is the best drag radial for street use and the number one on my list today.
I am Tahir Azam, and I have been writing amazing articles for TaxiHack for as long as I can remember. I know everything that is to know when it comes to automobiles and is always on top of industry news and developments. While I am not an expert by any means, I pride myself on knowing the ins and outs of many different problems and, of course, their solutions. The articles on our website are some of the best and well-researched content that you will find, and I spend countless hours making sure this remains to be true. This is why I ask you to take your time out and read some of my articles, especially if you find a topic that resonates with you or is something you are looking into. This way, you will find the perfect mix of information and tips on your desired topic. Learn more about Tahir.
