Tips on Hoosier Race Tires

Whether it's drag racing, road racing, circle track, or dirt racing, Hoosier has a tire for it. Hoosier is a legendary name in motorsports, and its tires are used in practically every racing series on the planet—and for good reason: cost, reliability, performance, and intense research. Like any race tire, Hoosiers are specialized by nature and require a little more care and caution than the average street tire.

  1. Break-In

    • Although proper break-in isn't required for performance, following Hoosier's recommended procedures for doing so will greatly increase longevity. Although "greatly increase" is a relative term when it comes to racing, sacrificing a couple of seconds on your first lap will pay big dividends when you find yourself pitting less often and losing laps at a time in doing so.

      If you don't have the time or are running a short race, consider breaking in your tires ahead of time. Run the tires at 3 to 4 psi higher than you would on race day, running at a minimal pace. Do this at least a day before racing, as Hoosier recommends giving the tire 24 hours to settle after break-in.

    Radial vs. Bias Ply

    • Hoosier offers drag slicks in radial and traditional bias-ply construction, and cost is comparable. So, the more modern radial tire is a no-brainer choice, right? Not so fast. Although Hoosier's radial tire is more than capable of outrunning the bias ply under ideal conditions, the radial's stiffer construction means it isn't going to be as forgiving as a comparable bias-ply.

      Although they're not as stable at speed as a radial, bias-ply drag tires recover quicker from spinning and hook easier when assaulted by a powerful engine. This is true whether you're talking about Hoosier, Mickey Thompsons, or any other brand. For the record, Hoosier does not recommend mixing bias ply tires and radials, but many people do it anyway.

    Tire Growth

    • Many of Hoosier's bias-ply drag racing slicks are designed to have softer sidewalls than those of a comparable street tire. The rationale behind this is twofold. First, soft sidewalls will wrap around the rim on launch and add a bit of instant "rubber-band-effect" acceleration. Second, soft sidewalls will cause the tire to grow with the centripetal force of high speed, which effectively decreases gear ratio and causes the car to act as though it has a continuously variable transmission.

      This can be good for one or two-speed cars that need a gearing advantage at low speed, but can make suspension tuning a nightmare if your engine and transmission are not set up for it. This is especially true when you consider the fact that at launch, your car's back end will need to sit about 4 inches higher than the tire to account for growth and aerodynamic loading. That kind of ride/height change will drastically affect weight transfer and suspension setup.

      Soft-sidewall Hoosier tires have a "W" suffix at the end of their part number, which indicates a "Wrinkle-wall" slick.