11 New Parts Your Racecar Needs

December 16, 2019
Story By
Tara Hurlin

The Performance Racing Industry Show is the place to view the latest and greatest innovative automotive technologies. It’s also a show so full of mind-boggling new products that it’ll put your wallet and willpower to the test. At the very least, our automotive "want list" got eleven times larger.

1. See Clearly

Loose engine particles can cost thousands of dollars in damage if not caught in time. The folks at Billet Connection developed Clearview Filtration, a system designed that not only catches those metal bits before they enter your engine, but allows you to examine them, too. Even better yet, the see-through assemblies do not require unbolting or loosening any fittings to drain fluids, even if the engine oil looks more like molasses. How is this possible? Simply by switching off the ignition to ensure oil is not being pumped through the filter, then using an air chuck or hand bicycle pump to shoot a quick burst of air into the inlet fitting located on the side of the filter. Oil will empty out of the assembly to expose the filter element. Any particles sitting atop of the filter would have otherwise caused disaster.

2. Weight Loss Made Easy

Looking for more ways to drop weight from your car while making it more reliable? After talking with the guys at Pegasus Auto Racing, investing in an Antigravity Battery is a no-brainer. The number one reason is in the name: Antigravity Batteries offer up to an 80-percent weight savings over lead or acid batteries, yet are endowed with two-times the cranking power of an equal-size acid lead battery. Their lithium-ion technology makes it all possible. Frequently used in Motorsport applications, these batteries are available for 6-volt, 12-volt, and 16-volt applications, in ultra-compact and drop-in OEM sizes. And get this: The Antigravity Battery is also available with a built-in jumpstart button. For extra reassurance, the company’s battery tracker will help monitor any battery’s voltage, starting and charging system with your phone.

3. Girls Drive Fast, Too

Fast and fierce ladies finally have a way to get their hands on affordable fire suits and other racing gear, including SFI-1 and SFI-5 rated suits available in one or two-piece, shoes, gloves, and Snell rated helmets. Racechick is a lady-owned company supporting women in motorsports, and every item offered in the store is meticulously customized for a women's-specific fit, because the more comfortable you are, the more you can focus on driving, and the more you focus, the faster you can go.

4. Cool Your Brakes

When we walked by the Steele Racing Products booth, a whooshing gust of wind from their SRP Gen4 Blower wicked the sweat from our brow. We stopped in to learn that this high-speed blower is the latest generation of SRP’s automotive grade brake and tire cooling blowers, and the thermal management system is an industry first in combining performance, reliability, and dynamic functionality for the racing industry. The fan speed is controlled either with a billet aluminum potentiometer for variable speeds, or by a single-speed on/off switch.

5. Three Pedals, No Problem

When it comes to performance-minded aftermarket pedals, choosing Tilton Underfoot Pedal Assemblies will put the world at your feet. This particular example is the 800-series. The system uses spherical bearing-mounted master cylinders for brake and clutch circuits. Lightweight forged aluminum pedals are engineered for rigidity, and the floor-mount aluminum frame offers superior strength so you can really put your foot down. The foot pads can be adjusted in horizontal, vertical and in angled positions to suit the driver and car.

6. The Concealed Weapon

Keeping competitors guessing just got easier with the Nitrous Outlet’s Nitrous Puck, a system that hides the nitrous nozzle inside of the intake manifold. The standard puck provides a max flow of 400-hp and is designed to install into single plane intake manifolds, mounted at the base of the plenum. When installed, the system discharges the nitrous and fuel directly into each intake runner. If more horsepower is needed, then a step up to the Mother Pucker will provide a max flow of 700-hp.

7. Build Custom Headers Like a Pro

Designing headers doesn’t having to be exhausting. Auto Rod Controls’ new Header Development and Gauging System helps fabricators make perfect radial axis and square vertical cuts at exactly the number of degrees required to maximize airflow. Flawlessly cut edges will save material and prevent excessive weld penetration, which will also eliminate flow restrictions and get all the horsepowers.

8. Making Custom Fabrication Vibrant

Vibrant Performance is the leader in custom intake, exhaust and fluid delivery products, and they bring new innovations to PRI every year.

For 2019, we saw their HD Alignment Tool, which is designed to give the perfect gap when fabricating with their billet clamps.

Also in the Vibrant display were various lines, fancy fittings and their new line of high-performance HD PowerFilters, which provide outstanding filtration, unparalleled fluid flow and peace of mind for fuel injected or carbureted engines. How so, you ask? Each HD PowerFilter includes a serviceable stainless-steel filter element (your choice of 10, 40, 60 or 100 micron filters). An integrated magnet also allows for fine metallic particulate matter to be captured, keeping your investment safe. These filters are machined from 6061 Billet Aluminum and are featured in Vibrant’s signature black anodized finish. They are available in -8AN, -10AN, and -12AN, and billet mounting brackets are sold separately.

9. The Next Racing Generation in Quick Release

The folks behind NRG Innovations are the masterminds behind the most innovative quick release steering wheel systems. Their newest units feature a self-locking mechanism for safety and ease-of-use, which is activated by a simple turn of the wheel. Each unit is built to last while remaining stylish, with varying designs that include quality aircraft aluminum or powder-coated stainless steel in multiple color combinations. Different lever designs are also offered for ease of removing the steering wheel while wearing driver’s gloves.

10. Feed the Beast

Designed for crazy horsepower, it’s hard to find a more powerful, higher flowing, in-line fuel pump than Aeromotive’s Pro-series fuel systems. Engineered for high-horsepower racing engines, this pump, part # 11102, features Aeromotive’s innovative dual chamber design for the thirstiest of engines.

11. Manage Your Engine Like a Boss

Haltech revealed their newest engine management system, the NEXUS R5, at this year’s PRI show. The revolutionary device is an ECU, PDM, high-speed wi-fi communications module, dual-channel universal wideband controller and a data logger all in one, and it’s all programmable with a single piece of software. It’s not yet available to the public, but there’s already a line of horsepower fanatics waiting in suspense for its release.