let me expound on that....
in my advanced physics course, we proved that surface area has nothing to do with friction! the only reason dragsters use big tires is because of the extra mass they offer, and they do not wear nearly as fast. the rubber compound is also important. the only place a wide tire will help you is when you are turning. to explain this further, let me put it this way:
get a box with some weight in it. enough to be difficult to push. put the box on one of its sides and push it. now turn it to a different side and push. keep trying this -- you'll find its no easier on a smaller side versus a larger size.
as for muscle cars using wider tires in the rear, its basically a marketing gimmick. sure it helps a slight bit due to their weight, but other than that it doesn't do diddly off the line.
