For track enthusiasts, it’s all about how your car can handle the pressure. Every millisecond matters. Upgrading your performance build for a better track time takes a lot of work, but there are tons of benefits that enthusiasts love and want in their car. We’ll show you how you can modify your car to hit that PR and enjoy that exhilarating track experience.
How Do Wheels Impact Performance Builds?
Stock wheels are designed for your vehicle, so why change what isn’t broken, right? Well, it’s a little more complicated than that. There are tons of performance-minded wheels out there specifically designed for track enthusiasts. Whether you’re shopping for wheels to improve your track time or boost your vehicle’s aesthetics, you don’t have to settle. Let’s take a look at why your wheel choice is important.
Why Wheels are Important for the Track?
Not all wheels are made equal. When it comes to your track performance, you need something that can give you advantage while being able to withstand the pressure of high-speed cornering. Lightweight wheels are a great way to lighten your setup, giving you an edge on the track. Wheels that are designed for better airflow are essential for any performance build.
Popular Wheels for Performance Cars
This wheel has changed expectations among track enthusiasts. Its split-spoke design and deep concave center hub offers a drastic, eye-catching look while also being lightweight to help enthusiasts who want to lighten their unsprung weight. This wheel gives track cars the edge they need to shave off some lap time.
The Enkei RPF1RS is designed to handle the pressure on and off the track. Lightweight with six twin-spoke features, this wheel delivers impressive performance with stress and heat disbursement and hard braking prowess. With MAT Technology, this wheel is strong while offering a lighter wheel to chip off a few pounds from your build for faster acceleration.
For drag racing enthusiasts, the Race Star 92 is hard to beat. Its lightweight alloy construction gives it an edge against competitors while its performance-based design delivers greater stress durability and clearance for bigger performance braking components.
What to Consider When Choosing Wheels
Your build goals are going to shape how you view your wheels. Larger wheels in the rear for extra surface contact can make a difference in your vehicle’s handling ability, so you’ll have to make sure that you have the clearance for these wheels with the appropriate tires on them as well. Know the fitment you want for your build and find the right set for your vehicle on our website. Check out our Wheel Visualizer to see what that new set of wheels will look like on your ride.
What Tires are Best for Track Applications?
Your mom’s all-season tires aren’t going to cut it if you’re making performance mods. Ultra high performance tires are designed for optimal ride quality and superior handling prowess. These tires deliver improved grip on the track for powerful acceleration and cornering stability, which are ideal for track builds. Let’s see which performance tires are right for your application.
Top Performance Tires
This tire is engineered for a precise responsiveness that track enthusiasts need when chasing their PR goals. This performance tire is built for dry and wet handling with its multi-compound construction for reliable traction and a thrilling ride performance. For responsive feedback and stability, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 is a tire that can take the high intensity you want on the track.
Designed for track competition, the Toyo Proxes R888R is for serious racing enthusiasts who want that next level performance. Its enhanced contact patch delivers excellent handling and cornering stability for enthusiasts who want to race at top speeds. Its high-grip compound and wide center rib offer precise steering response, consistent performance, and exceptional grip to give enthusiasts peace of mind as they drive through corners.
The Pirelli P Zero is an ultra high performance tire that is perfect for sports car enthusiasts who want to hit high speeds on the track. Built for an exhilarating track experience, this tire can also deliver a quiet, smooth ride quality on the streets. Its S-shaped tread design offers more support when hard braking and when you need greater cornering stability and acceleration.
What to Consider When Shopping for Tires
Before you make your decision, you’ll want to consider what kind of driving you’ll do to get the right fit for your vehicle. Look for the speed rating to make sure the tire is ready for the driving you plan on doing. For high-speed driving, a V (max 149 mph), W (max 168 mph), Y (max 186 mph), or Z (149+ mph) will serve you well.
If you want to buy tires that are larger than recommended, you will need to verify that you have enough clearance to avoid rubbing. Typically tires should stay at or below a 3% increase in size to avoid rubbing, underreading gauges, and additional wear on the tires.
What Suspension Mods Help on the Track?
There are several suspension upgrades you can make that will help you on the track. Lowering your suspension with coilovers is a common adjustment that makes cars more aerodynamic and offers a stability bonus as well. Replacing stock shocks and springs with performance alternatives is also a small change that can give you a more fine-tuned response on the track. Camber kits are also great for enthusiasts who want a wider contact patch on their wheels. These kits are particularly helpful for autocross and drifting enthusiasts.
How Does Suspension Impact Handling?
Lowering your suspension lowers the center of gravity of your car. This reduces body roll and gives you more control going into corners. Other suspension upgrades include stiffening your vehicle’s chassis for greater stability. Sway bars and strut bars tighten how your vehicle reacts to the road for smoother handling. Your suspension isn’t just for good looks. Improve your car’s suspension for more confident cornering so you can enjoy ripping across the track.
Top Performance Suspension Components
What to Consider When Lowering Your Suspension
There are plenty of options for lowering your suspension. From lowering springs to coilovers or even an air suspension system. Lowering springs are a budget-friendly option when paired with performance shocks, but they don’t offer the adjustability of other suspension upgrades. Coilovers are the go-to choice for performance builds because of their adjustable height so you can tweak your car for optimal performance. Check out these blogs to see which suspension setup is right for your build.
- Lowering Springs vs Coilovers: What’s Right for Your Car?
- Coilover Spring Rates: How to Choose the Perfect Setup for Street vs Track Driving
What Engine Mods are Good For Performance Builds?
There are tons of options for enthusiasts who want to up their horsepower. Turbochargers can open your car’s horsepower ceiling so the sky’s the limit. Tuning your engine is going to give you the quickest way to optimize your performance. Improving your fuel delivery, ignition timing, and pressure for maximized performance, engine tuning is the heart of any performance upgrade. Other parts like performance intakes, exhausts, downpipes, and manifolds will offer you small gains, but when done together, the HP stacks up. Check out our ECU Tuning kits to see what can get you the most out of your machine.
What to Consider When Tuning Your Engine
Making a plan for how to improve your vehicle’s performance is essential. You can’t just replace one part at a time. You want to replace key components with performance parts for the biggest horsepower gains. Obviously tuning your engine is going to be key to upping your horsepower, but other parts like your intake and exhaust are going to deliver power gains with that deep growl that you love. Check out these articles on performance mods to help you make the right decision for your build.
- Max Out Your Horsepower: Top 5 BMW S55 Power Mods
- Cat-Back vs Axle-Back Exhaust: Which Upgrade Delivers Better Value for Your Car?
- Top 7 Best 9th-Gen Civic Si Mods
Shop Aftermarket Parts at Vivid Racing
Deciding on what parts you need to chase those performance goals isn’t easy. We hope we made it easier so you can carve through those corners and hit higher speeds. If you have any questions about specific parts or need new recommendations, our blog is chock full of articles about the latest performance mods to give you the edge on and off the track. Call our customer service line to talk with experts who can help you find the parts that fit your ride and give you the information you need for your next upgrade.
