navigator wrote:post 3 from that link brought images of tires from a top fuel dragster to mind
Yes, this is specifically the reason that dragsters use bias ply tires, even though radials are more stable and have better traction characteristics. With bias ply, you get a fatter, shorter tire for the launch, that turns into a taller (for gear ratio change) and thinner (for aerodynamics on an open-wheel car and rolling resistance) as speeds go up.
Mike