More or less friction on front tyres? (RWD car)

[AliTheLord]

When drag racing, do you want more or less friction on the front tyres?? I know you want narrow wheels like the top fuel dragsters, but hard or soft tyres?? Thanks.

 

[old-git]

When drag racing, do you want more or less friction on the front tyres?? I know you want narrow wheels like the top fuel dragsters, but hard or soft tyres?? Thanks.

If the car is FWD, then friction is good
If the car is RWD, then friction is bad. You need just enough to be able to control the car off the line and up the track and to be able to stop safely from high speed. However, on most road legal cars changing the non-driven wheels will have a marginal effect on performance (but, if coupled with other marginal improvments, it does all add up).

 

[MustangMan]

You want grippy front tires, too. You need to be able to keep the car going straight and more front end grip always helps.

 

[old-git]

Drag racing is usually done in the dry, so any properly constructed and maintained tyre will have enough grip to steer and control the sort of vehicles we are likely to be peddling. so the question is rather academic but none the less interesting.

If front tyre grip was that important the front tyres on pro-fuel dragsters wouldn't be from a pram