The class may be called Radial vs. the World (RvW), but when 16 of the baddest RvW entries in the country go head-to-head over a $101,000 winner-take-all-purse this weekend in Donald “Duck” Long’s inaugural Sweet 16 event, it’s almost certain every one of them will be rolling on Mickey Thompson 315 drag radial tires. For all practical purposes, “The World” has pretty much ended.

Long specifically created Radial vs. the World nearly a decade ago to headline his hugely popular Duck X Productions events at South Georgia Motorsports Park. Originally intended to challenge all comers to take on his favorite racers in the drag radial world, the original concept sought to create common ground on which slick-tire competitors, regardless of chassis type, could step up against those shod with drag radials out back.

It worked for a short time, too, until everyone came to realize, probably not surprisingly, that they actually could run quicker and more consistently on the extra-sticky, radial-prepped surface with radial tires. That, and Long’s continuing insistence that practically any door car is welcome—including full-tube-chassis Pro Mods—dictates the current crop of all-radial qualifiers for most RvW fields.

Which begs the question: is it time for a class name change?

“I don’t think so,” Long answers, “and I definitely want to explain why.”

He says the RvW class started with 315 drag radials (which refers to the tire’s width) taking on true 10.5-inch-wide slicks, but when those cars proved uncompetitive (“They were supposedly going to destroy everybody with them,” Long snorts dismissively.), he allowed the 29.5-inch diameter/10.5W tire in, which actually measures closer to 11.5 inches across its face.

“Then, once we destroyed those guys, too, what you still have in play right now is some people out there with no common sense that think the 33/10.5W, which is huge in comparison, could outrun the 315, but there’s no way a 33/10.5 will do it either. So there could come a time in the next six months to a year that we say, ‘Okay, if you want to bring that thing on a 33-inch tire, bring it on!’

“So really, the Radial vs. the World part, obviously I don’t feel like we’re done yet. To be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised in a year or two if we could outrun a 34/17 Pro Mod tire. No wheelie bar to no wheelie bar, I think the radial could outrun it right now,” he states. “Seriously, I wouldn’t mind trying that one day, but the thing is right now, everybody wants to see who’s the baddest person on the same tire.”

Though he loves all levels of drag radial racing, Long admits Radial vs. the World holds a special place in his heart. It’s caught on elsewhere, too, with many other tracks and promoters around the country essentially adopting Duck’s rules to stage their own RvW events.

“To me, it means more like I want to show everybody that this is my favorite class, that this is my top class,” he stresses. “I’m saying I’ll put up our radial class as racers against Pro Stock, against Pro Mod, against whatever else is out there, even Top Fuel or Funny Car to take it to the extreme. Obviously not lining up next to them, but what I’m saying is that I feel like Radial vs. the World is our baby, you know we’re at the top of the whole thing, and it’s basically us against everybody else.”

More so than worrying about tires these days, Long admits he’s more concerned with potential inequality among the engine power adders.

“I’m afraid at some point the nitrous cars are going to get to where they can’t compete,” he bluntly admits, despite the nitrous-fed Camaro of Keith Haney reaching the final round at last month’s Lights Out 9. “I just wish there was a little bit more weight on some of the boosted cars right now, because you get to a certain point where you can only pull so much weight off (the nitrous entries). But that’s with every class. It always happens.”

Regardless, Long insists no rule changes are imminent, especially considering the parity that currently exists in RvW. “When it comes to everyone on the same track, the same conditions, everything being the same, we haven’t had more than one or two (hundredths) separation in qualifying for our last three races,” he points out.  

And despite the ongoing success and popularity of Radial vs. the World, Long continues to look forward.

“Pro 275, to me, is the next up-and-coming deal,” he says. “But we’re not allowing Pro Mods in there. We are allowing pretty much the baddest of the bad motors, though, and we have a different weight scale obviously for Pro 275. But I think that Pro 275 will be the next Radial vs. The World.”

Only this time Duck can rest assured at least the tire will remain consistent.