Smoking the Tires

Smoking the tires is when a vehicle's tires spin so fast they create visible smoke from the friction between the rubber and the road surface.

This happens when the engine produces more power than the tires can grip the ground with. Instead of moving the car forward, all that power just makes the tires spin in place, heating up the rubber until it literally starts smoking. You'll see white or gray smoke billowing out from behind the vehicle.

In drag racing, drivers intentionally smoke their tires before a race in what's called a burnout. They drive into a "water box" - a wet area on the track - then spin their rear tires to heat them up. Hot tires actually grip better than cold ones, so this tire smoking helps them get a faster start when the race begins.

Drifting is another motorsport where smoking the tires is completely normal. Drift drivers purposely lose traction in their rear tires to slide sideways around corners. The smoking tires are a sign they're doing it right - the more smoke, the more dramatic the drift looks.

Sometimes drivers smoke their tires just for show, especially after winning a race. They might do "donuts" - spinning the car in tight circles - or just hold the car in place while the tires spin wildly. Fans love seeing the big clouds of tire smoke.

However, smoking the tires can also happen by accident when a driver gives the car too much gas too quickly, or when racing on a slippery track. In these cases, it usually means the driver is losing control rather than showing off their skills.

The technique for smoking tires depends on the car type. Rear-wheel drive cars can brake with their front brakes while giving gas to spin the rear tires. Front-wheel drive cars need their parking brake engaged to hold the rear wheels while the front tires spin.