Putting together a competitive drag car means understanding how to increase your total power and your ability to unleash it quickly at once. While there are a lot of ways to fine-tune a competitive car at the top end, there are also a few minimum upgrades you need to make before you even worry about debating the finer points of optional upgrades that might help your times.
Tires
Sticky tires are a must-have for any car built to run a drag strip, and drag tires are different from racing slicks that you’d use to run laps because the kind of heat buildup drag cars face and the traction they need is different from what you would want to give a lap runner.
Wheels
Forged wheels are a must-have upgrade for any track vehicle, no matter the competition. That’s because forged wheels are stronger than cast wheels in several places due to the way they can be tempered through heat treatment to resist becoming brittle or warping when they heat up. Racing wheel designs also frequently build in additional heat sink features to their design to help with dissipation.
Coilovers
Performance suspension upgrades give you a wider range of adjustability in addition to increased strength and responsiveness. The right coilover upgrade gives you a chance to fine-tune your ride around your vehicle’s changing weight and center of gravity as you adjust your approach and add more upgrades to the power and handling. If you’re installing them yourself, it’s also a good idea to order a full set of automotive tools that will help with this upgrade and future projects.
Engine Upgrades
An engine rebuild or crate upgrade that lets you change the cam size and add performance lifters will be necessary for any competitive dragster. That engine upgrade should also come with aftermarket cylinder heads and other features that help you reach the power output you need to place in events. Whether you rebuild an existing engine to its full potential or drop in a short block you can modify to suit, you’ll need to make some changes to the stock setup to get competitive power levels. Just relying on a power booster like nitrous or turbo will not be enough.
Racing Seats With Harnesses
Safety is easy to overlook, but if you don’t have the setup you need to compete safely, you can get disqualified without a single trial time logged. Racing seats help mitigate the additional vibrations that come from running at high speeds and high RPMs, but they also come with safety harnesses and other features that are even more important if anything goes wrong.
Order Parts for Your Next Round of Upgrades
Whether you are ready to tackle the entire build at once or you’re moving to slowly improve your everyday ride until you have the option of rotating on your racing tires and drag slicks whenever you want to compete, it’s easy to find the parts you need if you shop with a retailer that prioritizes performance parts. Start looking for your next upgrade today.
