question about tire pressure when racing...

[Foxfan88]

ok you know when you go drag racing and see some cars with big slicks and the pressure is LOW, where you can see the ripples and everything.

I mean if you just went outside and put like 10psi in them. the car would be slow and not cool.

How does a drag racer with LOW psi still run at its maximum?
sounds like a dumb question but i have to learn somehow....

 

[willys1]

ok you know when you go drag racing and see some cars with big slicks and the pressure is LOW, where you can see the ripples and everything.

I mean if you just went outside and put like 10psi in them. the car would be slow and not cool.

How does a drag racer with LOW psi still run at its maximum?
sounds like a dumb question but i have to learn somehow....

With the amount of pressure they use/it gives them the best results off the line(well,for the big boys its the whole lenth of the track) its only for a 1/4 mile so safety is not an issue,,except the way it handles with slicks!!

 

[5spd GT]

The low pressured tires have more give to them compared to "hardened" tires with more psi. It helps them enough off the line that it makes up for any drag down the track that the more rubber contact produces.

 

[Euphoric306]

different tire construction, its kinda like saying fuel injection engines get 40 psi of fuel pressure, so wouldn't it help a carb'd setup to go with that much fp?

...the answer is simply no

 

[darthcual]

centripical force.

 

[srothfuss]

When racing on the track... Maybe 1 or 2 PSI to increase the contact patch slightly.

On the street, no way! Soft sidewalls from lower air pressure can make your car unstable at high speeds.