Upgrading your tires can be just as important as any other performance enhancement you make to your car. In fact, if you’ve been increasing power and fine-tuning your acceleration profile but you have yet to take your tire performance up a level, it’s time to catch up. Racing tires provide you with the additional handling precision and traction you need to make full use of any track-tuned vehicle.
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Materials Designed for High Speed
Racing tires have one thing in common with drag wheels, and that is a design that’s built around the sport they support. When it comes to high-speed tires, the difference starts with the choice of rubber formulations. The compound used for tires designed to withstand track speeds? It’s significantly softer than what you would use for street tires.
At lower speeds, the softer rubber gives no discernable benefits, and it does wear down a little faster than regular tire compounds. At the higher speeds and the increased heat levels that go with them, the softer compound provides significantly better traction. That means more control for the driver, so you can make tighter turns at higher velocities with total control.
Safety Upgrades for Racing Customizations
Increased precision and traction also mean your race-tuned car becomes safer to drive. The ability to maintain the same level of control on the track that you expect from street speed performance means you can be sure of your vehicle’s handling even when you push the envelope. That allows you to make bolder moves in competition with confidence. Paired with an upgrade like racing brakes, they’re the perfect balance for power upgrades like crate engines.
It is important that racing slicks get swapped out for street tires before leaving a track environment. The same designs that increase your performance on a good track day also make navigating on less perfectly maintained roads less than ideal. The trade-off to the former material in street tires is their ability to have deeper treads and designs that channel water away from contact surfaces. If you drive your track car on the street, make sure you have separate tires for each surface.
When To Upgrade To Racing Tires
When you’re starting to put in time at track speeds, you need track tires. The design of your street tires simply isn’t made to match the higher heat generated by track speeds. It doesn’t matter what stage your engine upgrades are at, if you are running at extreme speed, you need the tire for it. If you’re simply unlocking more power for street performance, you can skip the upgrade entirely, too.
That means you could theoretically invest in all your engine rebuild tools, make all the power and acceleration upgrades you want, then circle back to this upgrade. That is all provided you don’t start track competitions until you’re ready to make the change. For increased street performance, check out high-performance tire designs and performance brakes. Those upgrades will maximize your street build’s safety and handling alongside your power upgrades. Then, when you’re ready, order some racing tires and head to the track.
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