“This made it heavier than a 3062R, but lighter than the original 315 radial. This new Pro tire retained the rubber compound of the original 315, gained the tread pattern of the 275 Pro, and was wrapped around the carcass of the Pro Drag Radial,” Stocklin told us. “After giving a massive amount of feedback to Tommy, we got the tire we wanted. The nitrous-huffing machine of Kyle Huettel, the nasty overhead blower-fed Corvette of Jason Michalak, and Rick Thornton’s demonic turbocharged Camaro were all in attendance. His insight into the small tire racing as a whole made perfect sense to be one of the representatives of the community.Īfter months of waiting, the day was finally set for the testing this new super tire, which gathered some of the biggest names in the sport to North Star Dragway in Denton, Texas, and was comprised of three different power adder combinations. “After making only two passes with the 275 Pro, we knew the nylon ply radial design was a leap in the right direction,” explained Tom Kundrik of Mickey Thompson.ĭuring this time, noted small tire tuner Billy Stocklin was heavily involved with a multitude of teams in the radial world, and after several conversations with Kundrik, was able to give some input on the tires’ performance these racers were craving. The success of this tire established a new construction design which employed the use of a nylon ply instead of the steel belt, that would be carried over to all future Mickey Thompson Pro radials. Mickey Thompson provided a peek at what they could do when designed a radial tire from the ground-up with pure drag racing in mind with the introduction of the 275 ET Street Radial Pro - a tire that led to extensive and immediate battering of the record books in the X275 class and other 275 tire-based classes. But, as Mickey Thompson’s Tom Kundrik has shared in the past, the original 315 tire was designed with far less horsepower and terminal speeds in mind than what the tire was ever intended for, in essence stretching the tire well beyond its limitations. Another important advancement that set this tire apart from the rest was the introduction of the R2 rubber compound. Featuring low rolling resistance in comparison to a bias-ply tire, it meant that much less energy was required to gain wheel speed down track. Almost ten years ago, the original 315 ET Street Radial came off the production line at Mickey Thompson and instantly redefined what it meant to be fast on a radial tire.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |