The FACTS and the TRUTH...
"Special Ed" has been racing nearly 20 years, far longer than most that post on these mesage boards and has NEVER seen a drag slick come off a wheel no mind because it wasn't screwed to the rim!
"Special Ed" has been racing 36 weekends a year for a very long time, has made over
4000 passes in his former ride a nearly 2 ton '68 Chevelle that has gone
1.28 60 foot on 10" tires and has made 300 passes to date in his new ride, an '02 Firebird that has gone a best of
1.20 60 foot with the front tires, 1.31 with the back on 13.5" tires, running as quick as 8.95 with a restrictor plate, slowing his car to run sub 9.05 at nearly 150MPH every week regardless of weather.
Neither car has ever had the tires screwed to the rim and never will!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbKYio6OvKM
Weekly, he watches numerous mid and low 7 second 1000+HP piperacks going 1.teens to 0's in 60 foot without having their tires screwed to the rim like these for example...
as well as countless door cars running 10's , 9's and 8's in addition to knowing and seing that the majority of stock and super stock racers too do NOT have their tires screwed to the rim!
This '69 Camaro running a nothing special n/a 400 sbc that "Special Ed" spec'd, topped with a 4150 carb, backed by a glide, 10" converter and 4.56 gear running on 10" tires and through the mufflers, launching off the footbrake to a best of
1.27 60 foot, is another of many that ain't got his tires screwed to the rim either yet somehow has managed to win multiple track championships without the tire coming off the rim!
Personal choice aside, most running them don't need them!
Further, there is no NHRA rule, never was mandated screwing slicks to the rim and only in the last 10 years have they mandated bead locks for certain classes.
Now of course there are cars that need to secure their tires to the rim but the majority of those posting on message boards like this and those you'd see running their car at the track on grudge night/test/tune days who have their tires screwed to the rim...DON'T!
THE PROOF IS IN THE PERFORMANCE
"Special Ed" don't bullshit and can back up every that he states!
If you want to see what he states in person, he's easy to find, bracket racing every weekend March through November at one of 7 tracks(ETown, Island, Atco, Numidia, Maple Grove, Cecil County, MotorMile, Piedmont) in 4 states(NJ, PA, MD, VA, NC)
You also won't see him check, add or reduce his tire pressue between rounds yet somehow his time slips show his runs only vary thousanths of a second from pass to pass!
That said, message boards as a whole aren't the best place to get advice for those that want to shorten their learning curve, spend the least $ achieving their goals, get it right the first time and RACE rather than endlessly working on their junk...since most that offer it on these boards are not serious and accomplished racers but rather career test/tuners, wannabe heads up racers, dreamers who are perpetuating myth, rumor, hearsay and marketing they've been told by another, read online or in a magazine!
Do yourself a favor and spend time at the track on RACE day, not test/tune days and/or go to an NHRA divisional or national event talk to serious sportsman racers that compete weekly in their venue chasing a championship and see for yourself who isn't screwing their tires to the rim!