Racing for the edge

Jan. 1, 2020
The traditional market is becoming a more popular stop as drivers search for parts to get ahead.
SSR Auto Supply, Barry Russell's CARQUEST store in Canyon City, Colo., is similar to nearly every other independent jobber in the country. There is just about any part that a professional technician could call and request for his or her shop.

But among the traditional parts sits a small performance line and some brands that consumers — not technicians — have requested. The fact that Russell stocks those parts on his shelves is part of what keeps Charlie Wilson, owner of Circle Burner Race Cars in Primrose, Colo., coming back.

"On a Grand American modified, you have to run a stock suspension," says Wilson, who has built oval track and modified cars for about 25 years and goes to Russell's CARQUEST store to buy parts. "They're very knowledgeable. They can help you."

Performance parts are the majority of parts on racecars built for the variety of tracks around the United States. But some of the basics can be purchased from anyone in the traditional aftermarket distribution channel. And with the assortment of races and circuits available, there are a number of products you can stock for teams that range from the local Friday and Saturday night racers to bigger teams that travel the country. By educating yourself more about the racing in your area, you can learn what to stock and develop a rapport with area teams that goes beyond sponsorships.

"The one thing that strengthens our relationships with (racers) is our ability to find what they need," Russell explains. "We'll hunt down anything from any supplier. They don't have to hunt all over. If they want something, we can find it."

Retailers and jobbers say finding the part a team is looking for is often made easier by the drivers or a team's parts purchaser.

"They pretty much (know what they want)," says Todd Budlong, owner of Budlong Motorsports in Albuquerque, N.M. "They see what's working for other people out on the racetrack and they'll say, 'I'm trying to buy this particular item.'"

Al Schwab Jr., of ECS Auto Stores Inc. in Middletown, N.Y., sees the same thing in his part of the country.

"Usually the teams have an idea of what they need from other teams," he offers. "They network together, so once one team finds that edge, everybody copies it. They find out by experience. They've seen it, they've tried it, they do it and we adapt it here."

So if the drivers and team members are doing their homework, that puts the pressure on distributors to do theirs. Jobbers can cash in on this growing sport at any level by knowing what circuits run in their area and knowing the people involved.

"Go out to the racetrack and get acquainted with everyone. Everyone's looking for help," Budlong says. "Just do what I do. Get out there on a Saturday night; be out there. If you go to the pits, all your customers are there and you can mix and mingle. If you're trying to get your business out there, you've got to be out there with your customers."

Once you learn who the customers are and what drives them — both on the track and to improve their cars — you can boost your business to accommodate more than just traditional customers.

Cruising for a solution

What are customers looking for from a parts store to put them ahead in the next race? Dexter Canipe, of Claremont, N.C., who has raced modifieds, dirt and Busch series cars, among others, says the answer is engine parts.

"Everybody's got good engines. I just spent 1,200 bucks a few weeks ago just to get five horsepower," explains Canipe, who has won national championships and now teaches younger drivers to race. "I thought it was going to be more. If I could spend another thousand and get 10 (horsepower) and another thousand and get five more, I probably would. It's all about performance, and nowadays it's all about winning. If you don't leave the shop thinking you're going to win and you're just out having (fun), you should just stay at home."

Store owners on the traditional side can get a sense of the racing and performance business from stores like Martel Brothers Performance in Katy, Texas. Owner Ray Martel says his online and mail order business, as well as the brick and mortar store, caters to all racers, including a contingent that races on Friday and Saturday nights in the area. As with technicians and do-it-yourselfers, price is important for Martel's customers, the majority of whom are grassroots racers.

"Because racing is so expensive, I find that for most people, price is a really big issue. If you're competitive on price, you're local and you have the parts in stock, you're going to get that business," Martel says.

The price of a good part relates back to Canipe's experiences with his local parts store. He says distributors should keep in mind that people have to spend money to improve their cars, but they don't want the money to go to a cheap part.

"Really, they're doing all they can to making a living, too," he says. "But they don't need to keep a cheap part and put the guy out of a race. By then he's two weeks behind now or three weeks behind in the points. Just keep good, quality parts in place."

Beyond having the quality parts, having the knowledge of those parts is important. Wilson, the Colorado racer and racecar builder, says that knowledge is sometimes lost when he and his team travel and visit a parts store.

"The biggest thing that I find with stores like that is they're usually not very friendly. It's like they want to push the, for lack of a better word, fuzzy dice stuff. For parts, they just don't have very knowledgeable people there," he says. He adds that if he goes into a store like that, the counterperson normally wants to know a make and model of a car and is stumped if he says the part is for a racecar. "Most of the time, if you can just get them to do a part number, they can find it."

Taking the time to train counterpeople will boost store sales because racing is a national pastime; opportunity is everywhere. According to Russell, jobbers could reap rewards by adding parts for racers and by answering their questions.

Traditional jobbers can expand their business base by going to different WDs for parts and doing special orders for customers. For example, Martel's store has alliances with a number of suppliers, and Budlong's business, as a WD, places special orders daily with numerous companies.

Charles Potter owns CPR Performance Parts in West Columbia, S.C., what he calls a general parts store selling to the public. While what he sells is "day-to-day stuff" and some of it might help his racing customers depending on their level of competition, he also special orders a number of parts, especially pistons, cams and crankshafts.

Martel says that is common, as his business does a lot of special ordering as well. "That's one of those things where you can create that relationship (with a driver). We're not a big, giant company, but we can service the team."

Driving a parts influence

Bill McKnight, director of brand development for Clevite Engine Parts, says his company hears good and bad feedback, such as an engine failed at testing and the bearings were bad, or the car made a pass and everything looked great.

"Our feeling is that if you're not there to ask for the feedback, you might not get it. These teams might not have the time to pick up the phone," he says, noting there are two things Clevite works to improve with drivers, and it depends on which side of racing the team falls.

For top-level Funny Cars, "their primary concern is can you make a stronger bearing," while for NASCAR it's making a more precise bearing. "(At NASCAR) it's not about raw horsepower or brute strength. It's running 500, 600 miles with the least amount of friction. We're giving them a plenty strong bearing; they're looking primarily for preciseness," he explains.

"With both of those at the very highest level of motorsports, we have contact with the teams at least once a month from engineering, sales and, in my side, brand development," McKnight continues. "You've got to be there, talking with the folks, looking at the parts when they come out of the engines, go over the issues, talk about what we can do and try to supply it."

Drivers at the top levels of the sport work with their own suppliers, so it would be more feasible for local retailers and jobbers to get involved at smaller tracks. They could take examples from Chris Paulsen, owner of C&R Racing, an Indianapolis-based company that deals with professional NASCAR, Indy Racing League, Champ Car, National Hot Rod Association and Grand Am teams.

"Our forte is to design and manufacture very unique racecar parts that are not out there," he explains of his company that specializes in chassis and drivetrain components, cooling systems and other performance products. "Our staff of engineers are all very, very experienced racing engineers. All have been on race teams before. There's a lot of knowledge there. They know what the race teams need. We work with the race teams hand in hand to improve what they've got."

And while C&R focuses only on racing and not on the aftermarket, the lesson is something others in the industry can follow.

"We spend so much time working and testing with these race teams, we're there all the time; we know what they want, we hear what they say they wish they had. Based on knowledge and having our foot in the door all the time, that's how we know. That's part of being very energy-driven," Paulsen says.

Budlong, who builds engines in his Albuquerque store, gets his foot not in the door, but on the gas pedal and uses himself as an example.

"I've got the current stuff on my car because this is what I do for a living. Most of the people out there racing are doing something during the day like a plumber, electrician, doctor or a lawyer. A lot of people look at my stuff, and if I've got it on my car and I'm winning, people tend to look at it," Budlong elaborates.

Visiting tracks also will help store owners and managers learn rules and sanctions, which can help them market to drivers and teams. Schwab, of ECS Auto Stores, says his business stays abreast of track rules through teams and officials they know. That helps ECS keep correct parts in stock for teams.

"Usually whatever the teams have to use as mandated by the track or sanctioned (are stocked). This year, they have to run a certain required, sanctioned engine. Depending on what team or what track they're running on, what class of car they run (we stock those parts)," he notes.

Potter, of CPR Performance Parts, says keeping tabs on rulebooks also can help in stocking correct inventory. Racer and car builder Wilson says tire requirements also change based on track, so suppliers should know those rules as well.

Taking home the checkered flag

While the questions will vary, the answers will build ties to a new piece of the parts market. Being helpful and willing is the start.

"Sometimes he knows what he wants and he's just looking for a supplier. Sometimes it's service and (asking), 'Does this work with this?'" Martel explains. "Obviously, we're liberal with advice; sometimes they take advice, sometimes they don't."

But getting that relationship started, building that trust and helping the drivers get their parts — performance or traditional — could open up a whole new clientele for your store. Just look at Wilson and Russell.

"My first rule of thumb is, I'm a racer and I do business with places that do business with racers," Wilson says. "I'm a big NASCAR fan, and even when we go to the grocery store, we buy products that are on NEXTEL Cup cars. It might cost us a little bit more, but I'd rather support people who support things that I like."

Sponsored Recommendations

Best Body Shop and the 360-Degree-Concept

Spanesi ‘360-Degree-Concept’ Enables Kansas Body Shop to Complete High-Quality Repairs

ADAS Applications: What They Are & What They Do

Learn how ADAS utilizes sensors such as radar, sonar, lidar and cameras to perceive the world around the vehicle, and either provide critical information to the driver or take...

Banking on Bigger Profits with a Heavy-Duty Truck Paint Booth

The addition of a heavy-duty paint booth for oversized trucks & vehicles can open the door to new or expanded service opportunities.

Boosting Your Shop's Bottom Line with an Extended Height Paint Booths

Discover how the investment in an extended-height paint booth is a game-changer for most collision shops with this Free Guide.