M & H Racemaster Tires

Drag racing is a popular pastime for car enthusiasts, and it has certainly come a long way in the early days of the hobby. In the late ‘40s, there was an influx of gear heads, fresh out of the military with an intense need for speed. From modified street cars to home-built machines, racers quickly gained knowledge about making their hot rods quicker and faster. Not long after the nation’s first few drag strips opened to the public, racers began experimenting with tires. At the time, a purpose-built racing tire was something that only existed in Indy car or other forms of round-track racing. 

For drag racers, traction was dependent upon street tires, or tires that had been recapped to feature a slick tread. These recapped tires did not offer much traction, so progression of the hobby resulted in the need for real drag racing tires. Enter Marvin Rifchin, whose father, Harry, had a tire dealership and recap business. Marvin was heavily involved in the dirt track scene, and made a name for himself in the Midget and stock car racing industry by introducing a tire with a special compound, designed to work much better than regular recap rubber. 

Subject ID: 17701

More

Drag racing is a popular pastime for car enthusiasts, and it has certainly come a long way in the early days of the hobby. In the late ‘40s, there was an influx of gear heads, fresh out of the military with an intense need for speed. From modified street cars to home-built machines, racers quickly gained knowledge about making their hot rods quicker and faster. Not long after the nation’s first few drag strips opened to the public, racers began experimenting with tires. At the time, a purpose-built racing tire was something that only existed in Indy car or other forms of round-track racing. 

For drag racers, traction was dependent upon street tires, or tires that had been recapped to feature a slick tread. These recapped tires did not offer much traction, so progression of the hobby resulted in the need for real drag racing tires. Enter Marvin Rifchin, whose father, Harry, had a tire dealership and recap business. Marvin was heavily involved in the dirt track scene, and made a name for himself in the Midget and stock car racing industry by introducing a tire with a special compound, designed to work much better than regular recap rubber. 

With a firm grasp on the round track market, Marvin experimented with a drag racing tire, as the sport began to blossom quickly. By 1957, he had created his first drag racing tire, and by the next year, M & H was in the winner’s circle, thanks to a popular racer who took a gamble and tried one of Marvin’s new purpose-built M & H drag racing slicks. That racer was Don Garlits, and he blistered the competition on his first event using M & H Racemaster tires. The original M & H slicks offered less than seven inches of tread width, but it was the structure and compound of the tire that made such a huge difference in performance. Don Garlits’ victory meant a lot to the company, as it sparked an incredible tidal wave of business, which continually increased as the years rolled on.

Subject ID: 17701

Less