There is no IDEAL rim size. Some ppl think 18's are ideal. Some 13's. This is all highly dependadnt on the car as well so I'll speak for civics and just you can raise each measurment by 1 inch if you have a heavier honda like an accord or prelude.
For drag racig purposes, you want to get the smallest and lightest rim that fits (13's) and then place the largest, widest, and softest drag slicks you could find on them.
For racing purposes, you want a rim that's not too small so that you need a tire with a large sidewall. But you don't want it too big so that the weight of the rim starts to hamper performance. 15's are pretty good racing purposes.
For cornering, that gets difficult. Here the same principals apply as the racing bit but in addition you want the hardest side-wall you can get to maintain a constant contact patch. 16's are pretty well suited for this.