I used to run the M/T 28x10.5 slicks. M/T said to run them with tubes, and later I understood why. The sidewall is not stiff enough. I replaced them with Goodyear 29x11 slicks without tubes. I got more consistent 60' times, my "bunny hop" disappeared and they last longer. I currently have 157 runs on them, with a lot of rubber left. I will probably have to replace them due to age before the wear indicators say they should be replaced.
As to the impact of tubes – I agree that you don’t ever want to run a tube unless there is a good reason. I had to add tubes to my Goodyear tires due to getting my rim screws too deep. They went a little too far into the bead, causing a slow leak. Over time the leak got so bad that I could not keep the pressure stable in the staging lanes. Rather than buying new tires, I added tubes. I keep detailed logs of every single run my car has ever made. I made a comparison of my runs before and after tubes and I was not able to see any measurable difference. Again, this is not to advocate the use of tubes, but if you have to it is no big thin, at least in this size range. With the slicks that M/T was making up until the end of 2002, you were supposed to run tubes in them. I think this is because the design was old, and the tubes are a way to effectively stiffen the sidewall. In my case, it did not stiffen them enough.
As was stated previously, if you need to stiffen the sidewall a little more, consider upping the rim width by 1-2”.
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