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The Comp T/A Drag Radial was the world's
first street-legal drag radial that met U.S. Department of
Transportation's (DOT's) street tire standards & took BFGoodrich's
T/A (Traction/Advantage) to the dragstrip. However, BFGoodrich's
unification of its high performance tires under the g-Force T/A
family name has led to changing the original Comp T/A Drag Radial's
name to g-Force T/A Drag Radial.
NOTE: In order to further
differentiate the renamed Comp T/A Drag Radial from the existing
g-Force T/A Drag Radial (that features a directional tread design),
The Tire Rack will identify the renamed Comp T/A Drag Radial as the
"g-Force T/A Drag Radial-2".
The only change will be the tire's
name on the sidewall. The g-Force T/A Drag Radial-2 will retain the
Comp T/A Drag Radial's dimensions & proven asymmetric tread
pattern, making it compatible with the original Comp T/A Drag
Radial, allowing both tires to be paired together for use on the
same axle. While the name change will take place gradually during
the second & the third quarter of 2004, BFGoodrich plans to
convert all sizes by the fourth quarter.
No matter whether you run the g-Force
T/A Drag Radial-2 or Comp T/A Drag Radial, their radial construction
combines the enhanced traction, superior handling & extended
durability not normally associated with competitive bias-ply drag
racing tires.
The Drag Radial's popularity has
resulted in some questions about the tire's high speed capabilities
because, unlike other Ultra High Performance street radials, its
speed capability is not indicated on the sidewall by a speed symbol
in its size or service description. While the Comp T/A Drag Radial
has many of the internal construction features usually found in high
speed radial tires, the feature that prevents it from being speed
rated in the "normal" ways is its unique high-hysteresis tread
compound. This compound has extreme energy-absorption
characteristics that help the Drag Radial readily conform to the
track surface to help launch the car & take it to victory... an
eighth- or quarter-mile at a time. This same tread compound, when
subjected to continuous operation at very high speeds, could
possibly overheat & blister like super-sticky "qualifying tires"
that have been used in professional oval track or road racing
competition. Thus, even if the Comp T/A Drag Radial is available in
a vehicle's ideal size for use in activities other than drag racing,
it should not be used in competition where the car & tire will be
exposed to extreme cornering loads or sustained high speeds.
It is also important to remember that
the Drag Radial operates most efficiently on the strip at cold
inflation pressures of between 15psi & 20psi (in no case should
below 12psi be used). And after the racing is done for the day, it
is essential that Drag Radials be reinflated to normal highway
operating pressures in order to safely bring the driver & trophy
back home. Running any tire at relatively low inflation pressure for
a given load reduces the tire's speed capability by causing it to
stretch more & operate at a high deflection (more radial bulge).
The Drag Radial is built to withst& brief "bursts" of high speed
while inflated at low pressure (such as would be experienced on a
quick car in the quarter-mile), but no tire can be expected to
survive for a long time at high speed while operating at high
deflection.
The Comp T/A Drag Radial has been one
of the most widely publicized & most successful drag radials ever
used in competition. In addition to clinching the NOPI Drag Racing
Association (NDRA) championship in 2003, BFGoodrich's Comp T/A Drag
Radial set a new world record for the fastest time on a DOT-approved
tire. Paul Efantis drove his Toyota Supra to a new world record in
the NDRA BFGoodrich Pro Street Class by ripping off an 8.25 second
quarter mile at 170.8 m.p.h. With the world record, Efantis beat his
own previous mark set on the same tire.
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