Technical No Radial Tires?

I enjoy taking my warmed over Banger to an occasional time trail or vintage drag event (ie: Trog, Showdown, FAST). Why do the regulations seem to specify NO RADIAL TIRES?

Is there a performance advantage on a relatively low powered flathead engined car with radials over bias ply?

Is there a safety issue?

Is it merely an appearance issue?

Just curious...
Peace, Phred

 

I would guess it's totally an appearance issue. They look like crap on an old car!

 

Just being very commited to being "traditional". Radials are a modern invention.

 

It's an issue of aesthetics ... radial tires stand out like a sore thumb when mounted on a fenderless car.
Think of it as; 'wearing tennis shoes while dressed in a tuxedo'

 

If you don't have rules then you have anarchy.

 

Yes there is.
If you allowed radial tyres that would allow all sorts of modern higher tech tyres to be used and you start another spiral of costs and performance etc.
By restricting to bias ply, you are limiting the performance to the period of the cars and before radial tyres came into use, and thus creating a more level playing field to the era for everyone.

 

I don’t see any problem with that!

 

But if you don't break rules, then you have...sheep!

 

There are radials that look like bias ply.

 

I thought this site was for hoodlums!

 

All of the above!!

 

It is about period correctness. Consider the era that your time trials are based on. Were radial tires an option in that time period? The organizers are just trying to keep things correct for that specific time period.

 

The promoters of these vintage event's make the rules, radials are not traditional, I realize they are now making radials that appear to be bias plys.

There are no hard fast rules on how you build your car but to participate in the event's you gotta play by their rules. HRP

 

RULES

 

I'd have to say it is called dress for the occasion. Having studied the Trog rule book pretty tight and even asked a few questions when I was thinking about entering a car at Pismo Beach the rules are just as others stated. To have the cars (and bikes) have a total appearance that says they actually could have raced or been driven in the timeframe they represent. I don't think a set of skinny radials would have helped you run any faster in the rain at Pismo Beach but they would have really looked out of place in the pits.

For Trog style cars if you run the correct wheels about the only radials you will find are going to be Excelsior from Coker. No running down to the local tire store to get a set of 50 buck each radials to get by cheap there.

I'll throw in the simple: Why not just have an extra set of wheels and tires that fit the wishes of certain event promoters better for when you go to one of their events if your normal rolling stock doesn't fit in with the look that meets event requirements. I saw that on several cars at Billetproof a few years back. They weren't running the same wheels and tires that you saw the car with at Goodguys on a different weekend. I'm thinking that the same thing was done with a couple of cars that were at Hotrod-A-Rama. They had a different set of wheels and tires than you normally see them with.

 

Good idea. I bring a pair of bias ply slicks with me when I go drag racing, to replace the bias ply street tires on back....

 

How about requiring leaded gasoline? Authenticity is king.
As for multiple sets of wheel/tire combinations; I don’t run a quick change at ElMirage or Bonneville anymore but travel with 3 mounted sets of tire diameters. 3 gear pumpkins, and now a .96 OD in my transmission. One must be prepared..

 

I changed to bias look radials on my T modified, it made all the difference in drivability. I’ll take that any day over a trog rule.

 

^^^^ But you are not entering those events

 

The TROG rules are for an event. Play by the rules or don't enter the event. It's simple.

 

Exactly, I’d rather drive my cars safely at speed than run down a sandy beach

 

Sheep have rules, they just aren't your rules.

 

Baahhh.......

 

As I recall there's only one rule in Hot Rodding.
"There are no rules"!

 

Best explanation of the "traditional" concept I think I have ever seen. Short, to the point, and delivered without judgement or agression. Well done @porknbeaner .................

 

^^^ Yea, well, @porknbeaner IS known as a silver-tongued devil after all!

 

His meds are working.

 

Thanks to all. I will conclude the following and consider my curiousity satisfied:

Is there a performance advantage on a relatively low powered flathead engined car with radials over bias ply? Nope

Is there a safety issue? Probably not

Is it merely an appearance issue? Yes, I suspected this all along.

Peace, Phred

 

With racing the rules are different
"If you get caught ,it is cheating! If you don't ,it's innovation."

Another thing to consider is the mismatch of bias ply tyres and radials [eg: rear bias cheater slicks and radial front tyres]
This can be quite dangerous, and most competitors don't think about it when they only swap the rears to go racing