Are burnouts when using street tyres necessary?

[old-git]

Reading the section on burnouts in Drag Racing Basics by Cindy Crawford (no, not that one!) I came across this:

If you are driving on drag radials, do not go through the water box. Go around it. Sometimes you can back up towards the water box, but do not go into it, and do a quick burn out there.

If you are driving on regular street tyres, go around the water box. With street tyres it is not necessary to do a burn out.

Any comments?

 

[obi_waynne]

Warm tyres will always give an advantage IMO. Perhaps less so on road tyres but I still see it as an advantage.

The burnout also serves a purpose of testing a car before the real run. If the engine explodes or it dumps the gearbox over the tarmac this is best done in the burnout area!

I guess the question is "what is the point of doing a burnout at the start anyway?"

 

[davalav]

I for one, condone it as pure stupidy doing a burn out in public, but Obi Waynne maybe right in saying a warm tyre has its advantages over cold especially dragging or racing.

 

[old-git]

I can see the point if it is to get rid of crud and detritous. However, whether road tyres work any better when warm is the issue here.

 

[davalav]

I can see the point if it is to get rid of crud and detritous. However, whether road tyres work any better when warm is the issue here.

Admittadly, I have never been dragging, but any one with common sense, would suggest a warmer tyre is a grippier tyre. Wether or not road tyres have to be, I dont know. I'd imagine road tyres are designed to be grippy from the outset, without being warmed up.

 

[SLEEPER]

I would think it depends on the tyre to a great extent .

For example runflat economy tyres have so little grip that a burn out would be a waste of time whereas 888s for example grip much better when hot .

ok 888s are only just a road tyre but the example is valid . It is definately easier to spin the wheels on my stagea with goodyear f1s than with 888s hot or cold.

The power and and size of the cars tyres obviously are also critical as well as if the car is fwd , rwd or 4wd/awd .

however whatever the answer burnouts away from a drag strip are as far as Im concerned are completely for show and not go and a total waste of time .

 

[T9 man]

Fascinating, I always thought that burnouts were an essential part of drag racing.

 

[turbonutter69]

Yes it is for purpose built drag cars with drag tyres as these flex on pull off in the hope that they grip the surface. Obviously the hotter the rubber to an extent would mean more grip as the tyre would have a better chance to dig into the tarmac.
But a road tyres construction is far from that of a drag car so i'd be surprised if doing a burnout on standard road tyre makes any difference at all.

Fascinating, I always thought that burnouts were an essential part of drag racing.

 

[T9 man]

Many thanks for the informed feedback TN, I'm still learning

Yes it is for purpose built drag cars with drag tyres as these felx on pull off in the hope that they grip the surface. Obviously the hotter the rubber to an extent would mean more grip as the tyre would have a better chance to dig into the tarmac.
But a road tyres construction is far from that of a drag car so i'd be surprised if doing a burnout on standard road tyre makes any difference at all.

 

[john1jz]

I've been searching the net for ages about this subject and spoke to a fair few people who really should know the answer but no definitive results.

My feeling's are:

Run at normal pressure or do a rolling burnout to check for an even skid mark.
Very small burnout just to clean the surface of the tyre (overheat the tyre gives less grip).
Try to pull away with the minimum of wheel spin.

 

[T9 man]

Well we have a member on here called old-git, he is currently building his very own drag racing Lotus Elan.
OG is actively involved with drag racing and knows Santa Pod well, I am sure he will be able to offer you some sound words of wisdom

 

[TCJBOLDIE]

I can see the point if it is to get rid of crud and detritous. However, whether road tyres work any better when warm is the issue here.

Then you haven't tried for your best lap on the circuit on cold tyres :amazed:

 

[old-git]

Yes, good point. However, I am talking about whether doing a drag slick burnout with a road tyre is worth it.

 

[TCJBOLDIE]

Yes, good point. However, I am talking about whether doing a drag slick burnout with a road tyre is worth it.

Agree with the road tyre no burnout as there is so much traction compound on the track so there probably is no need to do a burnout UNLESS you have driven thru the water and need to dry the tyre.

For those unfamiliar with the traction compound I was once packing up after instructing a physics course on a drag strip on a sunny day and stepped out of my lace up shoes the grip was so good and by the same token was needing to get up to 100 k's for a radar gun demo and the speedo read 100 but the gun said 80 due to the slightest bit of fog moisture on the track. Grippy when hot deadly when wet :blink: :sad2: