I ran Hoosier top fuel/pro comp dragster frontrunners (size 22-2.25X17) on my lakester for two seasons. I got into it big time at 2009 Speedweek over the use of them.... that size in particular was the issue.... as, at the BUB meet of the previous year Cliff Gullett (Godspeed, Cliff) was involved in the fatal crash of a Jack Costella bodied 2 wheel 'liner that was using a Goodyear tire of that size as a drive tire. The crash analysis was that the tire had failed and there was a tremendous amount of opinionating going on as to the legality of using that tire size at all. As a result of the foregoing, we were tagged at tech and a sticker was affixed to the car that stated Lee Kennedy was to be notified for every run we made and we were to be incrementally running the car up to top speed. We were, thankfully, licensing two drivers, so we got to do our "tire testing" while we were licensing a driver. On about the third run, we had a flat.... the initial word were that this was EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE EXPECTING TO SEE.... of course, when it became apparent that we had run over some debris on the course and the tire had a 3/4" long cut in it, they retracted the words. I put on another spare tire that I had, refelled it with air and we had NO further problems.... about the 6th run on the car, Lee took the sticker off and signed off in our log book....
In a conversation with Hoosier, the engineer stated that their tires were equal and perhaps superior in every way to anything Goodyear made (well he worked for Hoosier- what WAS he going to say?) and that the speed ratings were every bit as high as what Goodyear rated theirs at. The conversation went on to discuss the newer, wider 17" top fuel frontrunners which are rated for a higher speed. I was doing my best to get this information prior to offering the answer to the question of "on what type of car was I using them?". I described a dragster chassis and then stated it was running at Bonneville. His reply then was to the effect that .... now hold on... we NEITHER RECOMMEND NOR RATE ANY of our tires for use at Bonneville..... so, again, we Landspeed racers are on our own with this.
There is other information that I gleaned from other sources..... the jist of which is this- the tires have static load ratings.... and even if your car on scales is well below those ratings... what part does aerodynamics and resulting downforce play on loading the tires to beyond the load ratings?.... this is a point well taken and which caused me to invest in the land speed tires from Goodyear.... And as far as I know now, SCTA-BNI will accept the new, wider top fuel tires from Goodyear for 300 mph.
