RACING TIRES
Racing or competition tires are manufactured for high speed races. These tires combine high speed durability and handling with driving safety, but not all of them are street-legal. While most tires are DOT-approved for highway use, some are not legal to use in everyday driving as their wet weather traction is not adequate and they run the danger of hydroplaning.
Racing tires are made with a softer tire compound. This compound ensures the tire’s surface grip at extreme speeds, ensuring its high speed driving safety levels. The softer compound and the ideal construction work together to enable the tire’s high speed durability. They help minimize heat build-up along the tread area and maintain the ideal tire shape to heighten the tire’s high speed driving durability.
Such tires come in two types. They have different categories for dry and wet-weather tires. Depending on the weather conditions during the race, different tires can and should be used. These models optimize the tire’s traction in their intended weather conditions, while maintaining their high speed performing ability. Tires with a slick tread pattern are used in dry weather conditions. They maximize the surface contact increasing the traction and the high speed performance. On the other hand, wet or rainy weather tires feature grooves that help prevent hydroplaning, making the high speed wet traction stronger. There are also combined tires, which can be used in both dry and wet weather conditions safely.
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DOT Approved
Most racing tires are approved by the Department of Transportation for highway use, but some are not street-legal due to safety reasons.
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Performance
The soft compound and the durable construction ensure the tire’s safer high speed power, enabling its extreme high speed performance.
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Weather Traction
The two most common Racing tire types are dry and wet weather models, which can be used in their representative weather conditions.
