Tires: Rotating weight vs radial construction

[Ed Wright]

Originally Posted by Eric Merryfield

On a non tire question......how do you block just the middle bulb?

Eric

I

Eric, I bought some thin, clear Lexan from Ace Hardware to make mine. One for each lane. Cut with the other side of the tree blocked, and a notch for my lane. Painted flat black from the stage lights down. Doesn't take a very wide strip to block two ambers from that distance. Narrower than a strip of electricial tape. Could just as easily just block the second amber.
Without moving my head around I can see both lanes stage, then nothing else until my third amber. If I could see my first amber, I would be red every time.

I had aluminum blinders before, which required getting my head in position after staging.
Since I pretty much always leave first, if the starter is fast my side of the tree sometimes started down by the time I got my head positioned. I'm old, so am kinda slow. With these

I see everything I want to see without moving around.

When I A-B-A tested same size (9" at the time) radials versus bias tires on my car, the radials were a solid 2/10ths and nearly three MPH. I had just started trying to race again. Not sure it was a bright thing to do. Anyway, Pete Peery told me they would be worth over a tenth. I kinda doubted it, he hasn't steered me wrong yet. They were the same size, same brand (Hoosier at the time) on identical wheels. All passes within an hour.
Had to adjust my lights. Started going red with the radials.

You mentioned tire weight. I have a pair of MT radials on the car. Also, on identical wheels, a pair of same size within 1/4" roll out Goodyears. They are 5 lbs per tire heavier than the MTs.
They hook just as hard, my lights are the same, but they are 4 hundredths slower at the 1/4 mile, 2 hundredths in 60'. Must be the effect of inertia due to the weight, right? Five lbs on a 31" radius has a bigger effect tha five lbs off a 15" wheel, or a crank shaft. Wouldn't that be right?