Along with its tried and true range of bias ply and radial slicks geared to the sportsman drag racer, Phoenix Race Tires, a division of Coker Tire Company, has recently introduced several new drag racing slicks that fit in the “small-tire” racing segment, including no-prep racing and small-tire grudge racing.

Phoenix Race Tires has performed extensive, real-world testing on its new PH18S, a 28×10.5-inch stiff sidewall bias ply slick that offers exceptional traction for high horsepower cars on both concrete and asphalt surfaces, thanks to its unique F9 compound. Local racer Billy Smith offered his turbocharged Chevy Nova as a test vehicle and used Brainerd Motorsports Park as a test facility.

Smith tested the tires on the concrete racing surface, with and without track prep, as well as in the shutdown area, where it is completely bare asphalt. Smith would go on to win multiple no-prep races using the PH18S stiff-sidewall tire. It is important that Smith’s testing was performed using water burnouts only (no special traction compound) but these tires also perform well when traction compound is used.

Here’s break down of the available sizes and configurations in this lineup:

PH185 – 10.5/28.0-15 – You’ll find that this size is most commonly used in stock suspension small-tire drag racing, as it fits most applications without major modification to the body or chassis. The standard 10.5/28.0-15 tire offers racers the famous F9 compound for a long-lasting tire that hooks hard on just about any surface.

PH18S – 10.5/28.0-15S – This Phoenix tire targets the no-prep market. It is being developed with the latest drag tire technology with a stiff sidewall to move the car forward faster with less tire wrap-up. It’s the preferred choice for high horsepower applications. The tires are proven performers on prepped and no prep surfaces.

PH18W – 10.5/28.0-15WS– Similar to the other new 10.5/28.0-15 slicks, this variation includes (W) extra wide tread and (S) Stiff sidewall. Some grudge racers and no-prep classes allow the W tire, which features an additional inch of contact patch on the racing surface for the ultimate bite.

PH187 – 10.5/28.0-17 – Designed specifically for late model high performance cars, the 10.5/28.0-17 features the same great F9 compound, but offers fitment on 17-inch wheels. This applies to late model Mustangs, Camaros, Challengers and more domestic and import performance vehicles with large disc brake packages.

To learn more about Coker Tire’s Performance Division and Phoenix Race Tire’s new and existing selection of drag racing tires, visit them on the web at cokertire.com.