By 1965 everything from Junior Stockers on up to blown fuel rail jobs were running M&H Racemaster wrinkle wall slicks – or losing to cars that were. Sure enough Firestone and Goodyear quickly adapted – and adopted – and their stiff-wall drag slick offerings were virtually eliminated overnight. By 1966, wrinkle walls ruled the land, all thanks to the forward thinking and innovative mindset of Marv Rifchin’s little Massachusetts-based tire company.

Fast forward twenty years to the mid-Eighties. I was an active street racer (you can do dangerous things safely) and was a fan of M&H’s line of D.O.T. approved cheater street slicks. With their soft rubber compound, thin-ply sidewalls and token tread design, The Man couldn’t say a word about ‘em and they hooked like glue.

My primary weapon at the time was a 1964 Polara hardtop with a 440-based Max Wedge mill, full-manual, pushbutton Torqueflite and 4.10 Dana Sure Grip. Super Stock leaf springs and an adjustable pinion snubber worked in concert with the P265-15 M&H street slicks to provide spin-free launches and 1.7 60-foot times – pretty much any time, any place.

I loved the fact I could drive out to the M&H facility in Gardener and buy slicks directly from Marv, the same exact dude who used to supply Don Garlits during the Sixties. It made me feel important and somehow connected to the legacy. I didn’t have a ton of money but at about $180 each, the M&H D.O.T. skins were an essential ingredient in keeping my Polara ahead of the many 5.0 Mustangs on the scene at the time.

I remember my first visit to M&H. It was August 2, 1989 and I was surprised that Marv was wearing a hearing aid and seemed to be quite old. Who knew his clock would keep ticking for two more decades. From notes I took on that day, Marv offered these bits of advice for maximizing the performance of the slicks I bought:

1. * Stay off the highway, softer rubber compounds run hotter and extended high speed running can invite tread separation.
2. * The tires can be run without inner tubes if at least 18-psi of inflation is maintained and operating temperature will not be extreme (see above).
3. * Tires will bleed a small amount of air so tubes should be installed IF you don’t want to add air every week or two.
4. * If inner tubes are used, the rims should be drilled for bead screws to prevent tire slip which can tear the valve stem or pull it inside the tire carcass.
5. * Don’t expect more than 3 to 5 thousand miles of use. The federally mandated tread wear rating is zero, and is molded into the sidewall for all to see.
6. * There is no need for smoky burnouts. It just wastes rubber. Just give them a quick spin on dry pavement to dislodge pebbles and dirt then make the run.
7. * At the strip, stay out of the water box so the shallow treads don’t carry water up to the starting line and cause tire spin.