Why so pricey and short-lived? It all comes down to the immense forces these tires endure in a fraction of a second. NHRA Top Fuel dragster tires are massive, about 36 inches tall and 17.5 inches wide, and have to handle over 11,000 horsepower launching a car to nearly 335 mph in under four seconds. The sheer torque twists the tires dramatically, causing the sidewalls to wrinkle and shrink, effectively “squatting” and pressing the tread into the track for maximum grip.
This squatting action expands the tire’s contact patch to nearly 250 square inches—more surface than two sheets of letter-sized paper side by side. The tire’s radius changes by six or more inches during launch, shortening the effective gear ratio for a harder, more explosive start.
As the run progresses and the car accelerates, centrifugal forces balloon the tires out, to as much as 38 inches in diameter, making the contact patch narrower again and effectively lengthening the gear ratio for top speed while reducing rolling resistance.
The tires run at extremely low pressures, around 6 to 10 psi, to maximise grip, but that also means the rubber heats up quickly and wears fast. The ultra-soft compounds drag tires use are far softer than even the stickiest Formula 1 tires. This softness grips the track but sacrifices lifespan as molecules shear off rapidly in the cracks of the asphalt surface.
Drivers do burnouts before their run to heat the tires just right and lay down a sticky rubber layer on the track surface, all part of prepping for maximum traction.
Because these tires only last for around 8 runs, roughly 1.5 miles total, racers burn through tens of thousands of dollars in tires over a few race weekends. This makes drag racing an expensive sport where top performance comes at a serious price.