Scott, the tires are soft rubber. They are CA glued to the plastic wheels. There is a soft foam doughnut inside the tire that helps them absorb movement. There is a tiny hole in the rim that lets air in and out that kind of acts like a shock absorber to dampen movements. In all, RC tire technology has come a long way. Back in the day, you would NEVER get enough traction to pull wheelies like that.

I swapped out the stock tires for the Anaconda street tires. The stock knobbies would have been burned up in no time. I got my tires as a wheel tire combo already glued up and ready to rock. I used front offset wheels all the way around for a wider stance in the rear.