Racing Exterior & Body Parts

Besides horsepower and chassis/suspension tuning, another variable that can determine whether a car gets to the winner’s circle is aerodynamics. If power and handling of two machines are relatively equal, the car that can slice through the air with the least resistance should cross the finish line first. Of course, there’s more to aerodynamics than a slippery shape. Aerodynamics is the study of how the motion of air interacts with an automobile, and race cars often have body parts that increase drag, but create downforce that aids traction. Weight is still another variable, and again, all other factors being approximately equal, a lighter car should beat a heavier one. With our racing exterior & body parts, you can change the shape of your race car to reduce drag, generate downforce, and shed pounds

If your race car is based on a production model, we have the fiberglass and carbon fiber hoods, trunk lids, doors, and other panels for many popular vehicles to help you drop pounds and boost the power-to-weight ratio. But while trunk lids, doors, and the like are lightweight versions of the factory metal, our hoods can provide much more. The right hood can provide the clearance needed for high-rise aluminum intakes, carburetors and air cleaners. Channeling colder, denser, oxygen-rich air to an engine’s intake tract is a proven way to make more power and hoods with scoops can provide the entry way. And you can help keep your car cooler with a hood equipped with vents or louvers. Excessive heat not only reduces performance, it can also considerably shorten the lifespan of your engine and other underhood components. Vents and louvers allow this damaging heat to escape. The continuous flow of cool air drawn in by the cooling fan and out through the vents or louvers reduces underhood temperatures.

Air flowing under a car creates two problems for a vehicle at speed. The first problem is drag created by the irregular shapes of the mechanical components. To eliminate this drag, many race cars have smooth undertrays. The second problem is lift created by excessive air flow that lightens the front of the vehicle and reduces traction at the wheels, which can make the vehicle unresponsive and difficult to handle. Reducing air flow under the vehicle can reduce drag and lift, but doing so also creates an additional benefit. Decreased air going under the car forces more air around the sides and over the top of the car. The limited amount of air that does go under the car travels at increased velocity, creating a low pressure area. The greater pressure above the car creates downforce that helps the car stay glued to the track, improving tire traction for propulsion and steering. Our bumper lips, also called air dams and spoilers, or our custom bumpers that incorporate bumper lips, reduce air flow under the vehicle.

Side skirts minimize the amount of air that goes under the car from the sides. In fact, without side skirts, a bumper lip’s effect can be negated because the low pressure area created under the car by the bumper lip would cause high pressure air from the sides to come rushing in. When combined with an air dam and side skirts, a rear diffuser functions to increase the velocity of the air flowing underneath the car and increase downforce and traction at the tires. Diffusers also typically have dividers that allow the air flow to transition to the airstream at the back of the car without creating turbulence and drag.

Bumper canards are small triangular shaped, wing-like devices that attach to the corners of the bumper. They are angled to redirect the oncoming air upward, thereby creating a downward force on the canards and the front of the vehicle. The front ends on some cars lift or get lighter at high speeds, so creating downforce is necessary to maintain power delivery on FWD cars, and to provide traction for proper steering performance and braking. Canards are also used on dragsters to ensure the front wheels stay planted on the asphalt, so they can be controlled at speeds that are typically over 200 mph. Canards on cars are often used in conjunction with vortex generators, which look like smaller canards. The vortex generators are positioned slightly above the canards at the bumper corners. The canards/vortex generators create vortices along the sides of the car, which prevent high pressure air from getting under the car.

Depending on how they’re shaped, rear spoilers can create downforce, or reduce drag and keep the rear end of the vehicle from becoming lighter at speed. We offer a huge selection of spoilers, including models designed specifically for competition that are adjustable and available in several different heights. Race cars typically run wider tires to increase traction for acceleration, cornering and braking. However, with stock fenders there are limitations to how much width and negative offset you can run. Too much and the wheels and tires can stick out past the fenders, with the fenders scraping the tires. You’ll be able to run your choice of wheels and tires with our custom fenders. These fenders are generally wider than stock and many are described as “wide body” fenders. Many are modeled after the fenders found on race cars that are based on or built to resemble stock body cars and run in series like IMSA and Touring Car, and at endurance races like Le Mans, Daytona and Sebring. We also offer fender flares for select applications that can be used to widen and provide tire space with factory fenders.

Before making any purchase decision, check out our body kits and ground effects kits. While the contents of each kit will vary, an air dam or lip spoiler, side skirts, and a rear valance, bumper extension or diffuser are usually provided. If a kit has front and rear bumpers, then the air dam and rear valance will generally be incorporated into the bumpers. In addition to the above, components like a rear spoiler and hood are sometimes included. “Wide body” kits include fenders and/or flares to accommodate wider wheels and tires. We offer kits constructed from the most popular body component materials including lightweight and affordable fiberglass, tough ABS plastic, flexible urethane, and strong and durable carbon fiber. Body kit components are created by the manufacturer to work together and each component complements the others in the kit in both appearance and performance. With a body kit you save money and end up with a fully integrated appearance.