Why do drag racing tires have no tread?

Question

Isn`t tread supposed to increase friction?

Answer 1

More rubber to road, more traction.

Answer 2

Tread is for wet conditions and snow.  Slicks are for racing on dry surfaces because of more surface to the ground.

The NHRA track that I race at preps the track with some kind of stickem or rubber.  Here's one of the products:  http://www.bazellracefuels.com/strip_gri...      When you walk on the starting area, your feet stick to the track.

After a race the whole back side of my car is covered with stickem and burnt rubber.  I put a lot of wax on prior to racing, (without taking it off), so that I can just wipe the stickem away.

Answer 3

First of there is no thread because of more rood contact..Second the drag strip where the cars leave from is a solution of melted tire and a gluish substance. The cars then burn out to heat tires.. hot rubber with hot rubber hold each other thats why some cars launch so hard.

Hold two pieces of gum that u chew and push them together and separate them the should stick... Same concept.

Answer 4

no no no.... it doesn't.... the drag strip track is preped with a solution that makes it very sticky and as they do burn outs that heats the tire then since it is a slick.... it has solid contact with the track and therefore have more traction

Answer 5

Because they are built to have maximum road contact.

Answer 6

Drag racing tires are very different than street tires.   There are treads in street tires so that when it rains,  there is a way for the water to "escape" from between the pavement and the tire to give you the best traction possible for the existing conditions.

Drag racing tires are made of a very different rubber compound.   The surface of these tires get sticky when they get hot so they will stick to the track better,  hence,  that is why they do a burnout before the race so that it heats up the tires.  No treads in the tires gives it full contact with the pavement.  

chelleB's comment that there is a solution on the track to help make it sticky is DEFINITELY a big  no no.  It is illegal to do such practice,    by either NHRA and NASCAR .    Stickiness is totally depended on the tires.

Answer 7

drag racing tires don't have tread so they have more contact surface to the road surface since they don't run in rain they don't need a tread pattern like your cars tires have ,the whole purpose of the tread in a tire is to move water out from under the tire to the sides to give the tire more traction in wet and rainy conditions