Mickey Thompson makes a lot of tires for drag racing and street performance—enough tires that deciding which is the right one for your car can be a little daunting. Let’s take a look at some of Mickey T’s selection and see if we can make the decision a lot easier.
Race Tires
The Pro Bracket Radial tire is designed for the weekend bracket racer. It offers less rolling resistance, more consistent rollout, and don’t distort when big power is applied. That helps improve elapsed times and makes the car more stable going down the track. The Pro Bracket Radial does not ‘grow’ or distort as you’re going down the track. That means more consistent performance run after run, which is critical when you’re racing ‘on the dial-in.’ The Pro Bracket Radial features the X5 rubber compound which tends to be more forgiving on tracks that are not prepped as often.
ET Street S/S and ET Street R tires are DOT-approved and feature an R2 rubber compound that provides excellent traction at the track. The ET Street S/S has a tread pattern that is perfect for a street-driven car that goes to the track on occasion. The ET Street R has just enough tread to be street-legal, so they’re more for the race car that gets driven on the street once in a while.
The ET Drag Slick is probably Mickey Thompson’s most famous race tire. The ET Drag is a bias-ply slick designed to wrinkle, or distort, when power is applied. That creates a larger contact patch for improved traction. The ET Drag also absorbs shock more readily than a radial tire—a big plus for cars with manual or clutch-type transmissions that really spike the tires hard during launch. The tire requires less heat than other brands of drag slicks, requiring fewer burnouts to get sticky. And since it uses more air pressure than other slicks, the ET Drag is safer at higher speeds.
The Sportsman Pro is the classic bias-ply Pro Street tire. It has a DOT-approved full tread design, a drag racing compound for better traction, and a two-ply wrinkle wall carcass for better suspension reaction. They come in widths all the way up to 19.50 inches. Matching Sportsman Front tires are available.
The ET Street R Bias tire is basically a bias-ply version of the ET Street R radial tire, with just enough tread for street use in dry conditions. Its M5 rubber compound provides great traction at the track, especially for heavier cars with manual transmissions.
Many Mickey Thompson race tires are available in different rubber compounds based on tire size and application. This chart describes each compound, listed from softest to hardest.
Street Performance Tires
The biggest street-legal radial available, the Sportsman S/R tire is the radial version of the bias-ply Sportsman Pro minus the race-oriented rubber compound. It has a unique flamed tread design with a directional pattern for better traction in wet conditions. Polyester/fiberglass radial construction offers a smooth, comfortable ride. The Sportsman S/R rear tires come in 26 to 33 inch diameters, and matching Sportsman S/R front runner tires are available.
Designed for late model musclecars and Pro Touring rides, the Street Comp radial tire provides incredible traction and high-speed cornering ability. It has an asymmetrical tread design for superior wet and dry performance plus crisp handling and steering response. It’s available for 17, 18, 19, and 20 inch diameter wheels.
With a low profile design and raised white letters, the Sportsman S/T is the classic muscle car tire. The M&S-rated all-season radial is T-speed rated and has a flat tread profile for better handling and long life. The Sportsman S/T is available for 15 inch diameter wheels.
SEE ALL MICKEY THOMPSON RACE AND STREET TIRES AT SUMMIT RACING
