I do not want this thread to get taken the wrong way - and by that i am referring to which rims look nice, which rims to buy, or what tires are best...

Can someone please help me answering this question that has been burning inside of me that i do not know what to do with...

Q: What size do i need - according to my application...

Predicament - I know the car has 17 inch wheels semi - light weight- and good tires... I am a big fan of Volks and Gram Lights, but i am curious to know if i up to 18X8.5 or stick some 17X8.5 or something along those lines...

I plan on competing in a lot of 1/4 mile racing, so yes lightweight helps... Either way i believe i can narrow down my rims according to my taste, but what size do i buy, considering i still would like to compete in a lil bit of track stuff... Maybe a lil Auto-X - Drift night once they re-open...

If i do move up to 18s am i really going to be sacrificing my 11s dreams or am i over reacting...

Most of you would think, just buy 2 sets of rims, which would be nice, but i am curious to know what i should get right now... I still want to compete on an AUTO X level but i don't want sidewall hell either...

Q: What size tires would i pick?

It all depends on the size that i pick, but if you rim and tire gurus where in my shoes what would you suggest...

 

17" is the best choice if you intend on using R-Compound tires. There are just more choices in 17" versus 18". On 18's the wheels are heavier, the tires are lighter than 17's due to the shorter side wall. It almost evens out. For drag racing you don't want a short side wall. You want a soft and tall side wall, it will act as a spring by deflecting at launch and then releasing the energy. This is why wrinkle wall tires are used in pro drag racing. A street radial will not do this, from what I understand the BFG drag tires do so to some extent.

 

Do you want me to get Sam?

 

Looks like the experts are out having fun... I might have to look up SAM and eslai for this one...

 

The best would be to get a rim that is a tad wider and lighter but in 17". Get a 17x8.5 or 17x9" with a 245/40/17. The giggest/widest tire you'd be able to run easily would be a 255.
A larger rim will generally hurt you if it's not needed because of the extra weight (even if it's lightweight) placed further out from the center of the wheel.
I'm buying a rim for a lot of autoxing and a little 1/4 mile racing..I am leaning toward the new SSR GT2 in 17x8.5 or the Gram Lights 57S and using a good 245/40/17 tire such as Hoosier, Victoracer, RA1