Nitto NT05R Drag Radial Review

Available Sizes: 17”, 18”, 19″, 20”

• Tread Depth: 1/32”
• Weight: 27.92 – 34.54lbs; dependant on size
• D.O.T. Compliant: Yes
• UTQG Treadwear: 00
• Traction Rating: B
• Temperature Rating: B
• Speed Rating: V (up to 149mph)

Available in sizes ranging from 17” to 20”, the Nitto NT05R drag radial is designed for rear use only. Additionally, they are intended to be paired with Nitto’s NT05 summer performance street tires. With the summer performance street tires on the front axle and the drag radials in the front, this duo has the traction and treads necessary for legal street use. Not only that, but they also have the construction design and reinforcement to perform well at high speeds during recreational races. 

Huge center rib with a sidewall

The most noticeable feature on the Nitto NT05R is the large center rib that gives you maximum contact with the strip for that additional bite right off the line. 

This also helps evenly distribute pressure across the tread which translates into a better grip with very little spinning. 

Nitto takes it one step ahead and throws in a prominent sidewall that further improves your traction especially when launching.

There are customers who have used this with 800HP+ who’ve consistently been able to utilize the horsepower for launching their cars rather than just spinning, even on the street. 

In cold weather, we’ve seen drag radials get slick, squeal and chirp until they are warmed up. The NT05Rs work just fine without warming be it street or strip. 

Does it need a burnout? 

Not usually. 

But that also depends on your setup and the weather conditions.

We’ve seen the NT05Rs perform just fine without a burnout. Stuck like glue to the track.

We’ve also seen them squeal a bit when the temperatures were below 50 and the car wasn’t tuned for performance. But so do Mickeys or just about any brand that you throw on your car. 

If you feel that they are lacking traction, just heat them up a tad. 

Nitto NT05R Wear & Speed Ratings

Since we are talking about a DOT-certified drag radial, let’s check how these tires perform in less than ideal conditions. 

It comes with a UTQG Treadwear rating of 00, which for those who don’t know, that’s a rating that’s used to gauge the lifespan of a tire. However, the zero rating does not mean that these tires are going to burn out and go bald in a few days. 

It just means that these are designed primarily with high performance racing in mind. It’s noticeably softer than all-season touring tires. 

In comparison, the Nitto 555s have a rating of 100, whereas these are much better drag radials than those. (In our opinion).

So you shouldn’t look too much into the rating. 

It comes with a ‘B’ rating for wet condition usage, which indicates that while it’s not designed for making deft turns in heavy rain, it does hold up pretty well. In simple terms, you shouldn’t face too many problems in wet conditions unless you are looking to time it. 

When driven at 60-70 mph, most customers have reported zero slips or incidents of the car hydroplaning. That’s more than satisfactory. 

What front tires do they best pair with?

According to Nitto, these work best with the non-radial version of the same tire, which is the NT05. But you can pair them with just about any tire on the front axle. It works just fine. 

Pairing it with the NT05 does help with maintaining a consistent look though. So you might want to consider that. 

Best features

• DOT-certified drag radial that performs reasonably well on the street
• Specialized race compound and tread 
• Large center rib for maximum traction
• Prominent sidewall for launch traction
• Grips the track unlike anything else in dry weather
• Decent performance in poor weather as long as you drive at 60-70 or less
• Great control during turns allows you to use it for cruising