Best tips for drag tires on a challenge budget

We are building an LS powered Pinto wagon with Vetmotorsports.org Looking for best solution for cheap 13, 14, or 15" drag tires. Need to be in the 24-25" od size at most. Any suggestions or leads? 

I kept running across old drag tires when I was looking for a used Hoosier tire.    Craigslist mostly

Tires aren't included in your Challenge budget. Be safe!

I have used takeoffs, but I'm not sure how I'd feel about used drag slicks (especially if the car is fast)

Four tires aren't included in your Challenge budget.  Hit CL and Marketplace and be willing to travel.

Up to 4 tires are except from budget. If you run separate drag tires, you have to pick 2 of the 6 tires to include in the budget. 

Most Challenge cars with $2000-levels of performance do better drag racing on autocross tires compared to the inverse. 

That's fair. I stand corrected. 4 tires. 
 

Hard to say what an LS powered Pinto will run. Depends if you are an experienced drag racer. But the fastest cars that have been at the Challenge have mostly been LS powered. 
 

If you are gonna compete with the Nelsons, you need good drag tires (and they may be budget exempt).  If you are gonna compete with me a used set of snow tires should do. 

Search marketplace, and think of alternate words. Like search Hoosier, MT, Mickey, slick, etc, but also things like "cheater slick" "drag radial" and others. people are very inconsistent with what they call drag tires.
 

Also, you will generally get a much better used tire from an active drag racer than you will from someone who doesn't know what they are talking about. 
 

24/25 diameter might be kinda small though, and therefore hard to find.

In reply to Robbie (Forum Supporter) :

Good points.  I also search "race tire".

Thanks for the advice guys. Fingers crossed we get it complete. Still have not started it yet. The exhaust is proving to be a monster. I thought this would be "easy" but boy it is tight.  I have found a bunch of used stuff but struggle to find some on the smaller size. 26" talk is probably the biggest I could possibly squeeze in there. I may just do like y'all said and pick up two new ones from summit. Or just be happy making a few passes on 200tw and come back next year a little better prepared. 

I would also recommend looking for terms like "drag wheels" and "drag tires." Most often you can get a set of wheels and with tires on them and then sell off the wheels and have a free set of tires. Or in some cases you will just use the whole set. Most of what you'll find is heavily used, but oftentimes, There is enough life left for the challenge. Its what we have done many times including this upcoming challenge. Stampie said it best though, prepare to travel.... the good deals are never local lol

Steven said:

The exhaust is proving to be a monster. I thought this would be "easy" but boy it is tight.

Challenge exhaust = vertical dumps straight off the headers. Does your head design allow the headers to be installed upside down?