It’s about that time of year when racers across the country are pulling their machines out of winter hibernation. If the tires you plan on using at the track are from last season, you’ll want to make sure they’re ready to race this year. We talked with Mickey Thompson’s Jason Moulton to get some tips on how to get your rubber ready for the new racing season.

Drag racing tire technology has come a long way, and that has changed how you get a set of tires ready each season. Gone are the days of using chemical concoctions to bring tires to life after an offseason of rest. These days, it’s all about what you do before you put your car up for its winter slumber.

“With modern tires, it’s really about what you do at the end of race season before you put the car into storage. You’ll want to make sure the car didn’t sit on the tires all winter. An appropriate amount of air pressure should have been maintained in the tires. The tires should also have been kept away from high levels of direct heat,” Moulton says.

Once you start getting your car ready, Moulton recommends giving the tires a good inspection to check for any issues. You should also be keeping track of how old the tires are and how many runs are on them. If the tires are older or have a higher run count, it might be time to replace them before racing even starts.

What about when you arrive at the track and are ready to make your first pass of the year? Moulton has some advice on how to heat those hides.

“You shouldn’t have to do anything crazy on your first pass. A harder and longer burnout than normal should be all you need to do. The goal is to get down to the fresh rubber on the tire. Thankfully, modern drag racing tires don’t need much more than that if they’re properly stored and taken care of during the offseason.”

So, make sure you’re giving the tires on your ride a thorough inspection before you make that first trip to the drag strip this year. If everything looks good, rip off a bid John Force-style burnout and start making passes.