The brand-new Hoosier DR3 drag radial may be one of the worst kept new product releases, but it’s also a heck of a set of rubber. It was credited for Jimmy Dale’s recent win at War in the Woods, its very first outing, and may change a few minds that drag radials have a place in no prep racing.
Conventional thinking is that the soft sidewall of bias-plys are the only choice when it comes to no prep racing, especially with virgin concrete or “backside” track surfaces. But it’s long been known that generally speaking, radials are the faster tire. So clearly Hoosier set out to prove that radials were faster on no or limited prep surfaces as well by taking a compound they used in “other applications” (that’s all they’d say) and bringing it to drag racing. It is a DOT legal tire that requires very little burnout. That should tell you all you need to know.
At first, the DR3 will only be available in 275/60R15 but you can expect the sizing to expand. Hoosier had the tire on display on Pitbull’s Hellion twin-turbo Challenger at the 2025 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, NV. Unlike many SEMA debuts, these tires are actually available right now on Hoosier’s website for $338 a piece.
The DR3 is the next evolution of the popular DR2 drag radial, a full slick in a radial construction that is DOT legal. The DR2 is still available in sizes ranging from 225/50R15 to 325/45R18. If you are class racing, make sure you view the rules for your class before purchasing the DR3 to make sure it is allowed. With its unbelievable potential, governing bodies may try to put a leash on this formidable new tire. Thankfully in the no prep world, there’s usually only a size limit.
Hoosier also has matching front radial skinnies for 15- to 18-inch diameter wheels for your dedicated drag cars to your street/strip late models with stock brakes like Pitbull’s Challenger.
