PERFORMANCE REPORT

Motor State Performance Reportis compiled and published

bi-monthly by the Motor State Distributing Advertising

PAGE 1Info and Viewpoints

PAGE 2 Allstar Showcase

PAGE 3New Product Showcase

PAGE 4 New Product Showcase

PAGE 5Charlie Jobber's Take On Things

PAGE 6 Industry News

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PAGE 7 Tech Corner

-motive MaladiesPAGE 8 Info and Viewpoints (Cont.)

INSIDE INFORMATION

YOUR CONNECTION FOR INFORMATION AND NEW PRODUCTS

A group of new car manufacturers known as the Auto Alliance have teamed up with a con-gressional lobbying group in an effort to prevent do-it-yourselfers as well as independent auto repair shops from working on late model vehicles. The basis for this potential mandate is section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998. The group basically states that any repair or modification that involves a vehicle’s electronic control unit (ECU) must be performed at an authorized facility, otherwise that party is committing a copyright violation. If this ruling is made, the majority of vehicle repairs and upgrades could only be performed at an authorized repair facility (i.e., new car dealership). This would exclude a sizeable section of the automotive aftermarket industry from conducting business, forcing many to just permanently close their doors. The concept really isn’t new, as most of the car manufacturers have been re-luctant to release the various software diagnostic codes ever since the introduction of the automotive ECU. In an effort to have the federal government mandate the issue, the Auto Alliance is approaching this subject from a different direction by using an existing law, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), was originally intended to protect the computer software and the motion picture industries, but with so many computer controlled systems on today’s modern cars, trucks and even farm implements (an agri-cultural equipment manufacturer also supports the stance), the Auto Alliance is attempt-ing to make a case that the DCMA can be applied to the vehicles on our roads. Currently there are electronic controllers and programmers in the automotive aftermarket that will improve performance as well as fuel economy by altering the software in a vehicle’s electronic control unit. The members of the Auto Alliance claim that modification of the vehicle’s proprietary software is in direct violation of the DMCA. Under this interpreta-tion of the DMCA, other vehicle enhancements like changing wheel and/or tire sizes, that require speed and braking ECU recalibration would be illegal as well. This type of upgrade couldn’t be performed at the thousands of independent auto service centers that cur-rently offer this service. The group also adds that vehicle modifications by unauthorized technicians may cause the vehicle to operate in an unsafe manner. A final point the group is attempting to make is the ECU software is proprietary, therefore the car owner actually only leases the ECU. The car manufacturer actually owns your vehicle’s “electronic brain.” This concept could also change the way consumers purchase new cars.

Whether a business is involved with the stock replacement or the performance automotive aftermarket, applying the DMCA to the industry will have serious reper-cussions to hundreds of businesses. In general, the automotive aftermarket industry needs to prevent the Copyright Office from following the requests of the Auto Alli-ance. If you are exceeding the speed limit on public roads, it’s the responsibility of law

Keeping Government Out of Late Model Performance By Mike Reusche

Continued On Page 8

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NEW PRODUCT SHOWCASE

Steel Pro Series PTFE Lined Moly Rod EndsBlack, PTFE lined, two-piece spherical rod ends have a pivoting steel ball and are sold each.

90 Degree Swivel FittingsBlack anodized aluminum fitting swivels a full 360 degrees for convenient hose connection. 1/8" NPT fitting

is commonly used in aftermarket calipers, gauge panels or anywhere a swivel connection would be useful.

Bulkhead FittingsBlack anodized aluminum fitting swivels a full 360 degrees for

convenient hose connection. 1/8" NPT fitting is commonly used in aftermarket calipers, gauge panels or anywhere a swivel connectionwould be useful.

Bolt-On Battery Box, BlackALL76103

Battery box has multiple 1/2" mounting holes to bolt box directly to the frame rail, inner fender or firewall. Box can also be fastened to round tubing using clamp-on ballast brackets. Box is constructed of 13 gauge steel, measures 11" wide x 7" deep and includes 3/8" battery hold down hardware.

Slotted Upper Link Brackets, AluminumALL60152

1/4" thick bracket with 3/4" x 3" slot bolts to top of quick change and accepts upper link. Black anodized. 1 pair.

Wheelie Bar Wheel WrenchesBillet aluminum wrench is the perfect tool for adjusting wheelie bar height. A highly visible scale printed directly onto the

wrench helps to quickly measure height between 2" to 7" in 1/8" increments. Overall wrench length 9" x 3/8" thick.

Fabrication PencilPencil is a must for marking lines during metal layout and fabrica-

tion. Silver reflective marks will illuminate against darker steel and iron surfaces during cutting or welding for high visibility. Marks are resistant to torch flames and will not burn or rub off.

GM 7.5" Rear Brake Rotor ALL42095

Hat Style Brake Rotor with 5 on 4-3/4" pattern can be used with ALL42180 and ALL42181 caliper brackets and stock type axles. 11-5/8" vented rotor is .790 thick and has a 2.800" I.D. center indexing hole to work with most metric style axle flanges with a maximum O.D. of 6".

ALL50098ALL50099

ALL50094ALL50095

ALL50096ALL50097

ALL42180

ALL42181

ALL50108ALL50109

ALL50092ALL50093

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PERFORMANCE REPORTNEW PRODUCT SHOWCASE

Ironclad EXO Gloves“The ultimate light-weight glove for

under the hood and around the shop.”

Drag Race Fuel CellsAvailable in several sizes, feature sumps with -8AN fittings, and include

necessary safety foam (gasoline only). Includes standard black cap, or optional metal D-Ring or aircraft-style safety cap.

RJS10992B

Metric Rear Caliper Bracket WEHWM200-20HD

Designed for aggressive brake packages. Axle Clamp is 3/4" wide and the caliper bracket is a stout 3/8" thick.

Offset Climber Mount WEHWM240150

Steel arc climbing frame mount available for 1-1/2" square tube. The slot is 2-1/2" off tube centerline and can be used on either side of the tube by flipping over. Slot is 2" long and mount comes with the back nut and climber gear.

Holeshot 20 Drag Glove20% lighter than the competition. Newly developed Nomex® technology with

conforming stretch for improved dexterity. Made in the USA. Meets SFI-20.

4-Gauge Wiring Kit4-gauge wiring kit is sold with QRP50-102 ignition

control panel,4 AWG battery cable, wiring harness, solenoid, top mount battery terminals, ring termi-nals, heat shrink tubing and wire clamps. QRP55-009 master disconnect sold separately.

TRUFUELThis premixed fuel is engineered specifically for 2-cycle engines. It’s a ready-to-use blend

of high-octane, ethanol-free fuel, synthetic oil and performance enhancing additives that’s engineered to optimize equipment’s performance and protect the engine.

EXO Modern Utility Gloves

EXO Project Utility Gloves

EXO Hi-Vis Utility Gloves

EXO MotorUtility Gloves

Full Line Available

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PERFORMANCE REPORTNEW PRODUCT SHOWCASE

Aero Fuel Tank CoversKeeps fuel cap and bypass clean. Deflects air behind the driver.

Chassis Quick Stands KRP2555

Steel plated with heavy duty industrial casters allow easy movement of your race car. Adjustable and foldable for easy storage.

Seal Saver Front Hubs KRP1200

Tired of damaging your inner Hub Seal and Hub every time you to service your inner hub bearing? Newly designed front hubs that have a removable inner seal. The billet seal retainer is easily removed with 3 flush head screws so you can service your front hubs inner bearing without having to buy another seal or damaging your hub. The retainer also features an O-ring seal designed to help keep debris out and oil or grease in.

TXRSC-BW-9933-BLK

Front

Back

Remaster Billet Brake Master CylinderThe billet aluminum brake master cylinder engineered to match Baer®

braking performance. The compact body is engineered for optimum bal-ance and is available with an adjustable proportioning valve. Made in USA.

Z-Tech Head & Neck Restraint ZAMNT001003

Advanced Axis Adjustment allows you to adjust width, Arm angle, and Arm width. Fit different body shapes and sizes and adjusts to different race vehicles. Glass Reinforced Nylon a lightweight and very specialized material which offers leading structural characteristics. Stainless Steel Hardware screws and binary post built with high quality and strength to give long lasting strength. Kevlar Webbing Tether con-nects helmet to restraint. Spring Clip Quick Connect allows easy con-nect/removal from helmet with one hand. Replaceable Padding gives ease to clean and/or replace for continued comfort. Helmet Hardware all hardware needed to connect included. SFI 38.1 Certified

Aluminum 3rd MountJOE12150

3 holes are laid back to put more bite in your rear end under squat. Machined and anodized 6061 T-6 aluminum pairs. Sold in pairs.

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PERFORMANCE REPORT

Whether you own an existing business or are pondering starting up a new business, one of the most important aspects is build-ing your image, what is referred to as brand recognition. Brand recognition is simply what brings customers to your door, increas-ing sales and broadening your custom-er base.

It’s similar to sitting at a stop light, knowing that you need fuel while you spot a couple of fill-ing stations, one with a large familiar logo and another with a not-so-familiar, generic logo. Most people will pull in and get fuel from the brand that they recognize and remember, even though the generic fuel may offer a cheaper price.

The keys to building brand recognition are the business name, logo and slogan. All should be carefully chosen with the goals and background of the business. In order to be recognized and remembered, particularly in the high performance business, the company logo should not only look attractive on a sign, but on a business card or web site as well. Take Moroso, Edelbrock and Hol-ley, for example. All are prominent names in the high performance industry, and each has a very recognizable logo that has withstood the test of time. Each company has maintained the same logo for many years, remained steadfast to their roots, and therefore, have achieved prominent brand recognition in the industry. Just take a look under the hood of virtually any car at your local race track, and you’re bound to see a Holley carburetor, Edelbrock manifold and Moroso oil pan.

There have been a lot of companies that chose to update or change their logo over the years. Shortly after Moroso was found-ed in 1968, company founder, the late Dick Moroso, experimented with a couple of different logo variations, eventually settling on their current iconic block lettering design in 1974, which he cre-ated himself. According to Frank Thibodeau, Moroso’s Regional Sales Manager, the company followed by hiring an outside adver-tising firm roughly ten years ago to research their brand and it was found that their logo provided exceptional brand recognition.

Unfortunately, not all logo re-designs involve success stories like those of the late Dick Moroso. While it’s common that com-panies may modernize or update their logo, wholesale changes

can sometimes have devastating effects to the brand, and in turn, the bottom line. This not only occurs in corporate America, but in the high performance aftermarket as well. Several prominent companies from the industry have overhauled their logos follow-

ing a corporate takeover or buyout and suffered loss of brand recogni-tion created by the logo change, with some reverting back to their original logo.

The process of designing a logo is best left to a profession-al designer. Of

course, it is still vital that the business owner is involved in the pro-cess and provides input so that the designer fully understands the focus of the business and the market they are trying to capture. According to design experts, the logo should be relatively simple and recognizable, whether if it’s scaled up or down, in order for it to be memorable to your customers. It should feature a balanced layout with no more than three colors or two types of fonts that are identifiable with your company.

Once a logo has been established, it’s best to keep it in the public eye as much as possible on signs, business cards, letter-heads, decals, web sites, social media and even employee attire. Customers are sure to get a positive impression walking into a business that is not only clean and well organized, but features an eye-catching sign and employees clad in professional looking, company attire.

When you're developing a name, logo and slogan, you are in effect, sending a message to potential customers. A company slo-gan can certainly help convey that message, but must be relevant, concise and memorable. ATI Performance Products, for example, has relied on the slogan “Race To Win” in much of their advertising as a method of conveying their presence and success in the high performance market.

Whether the goals of the company are local, regional or na-tional, the company name, logo and slogan should be individually trademarked through the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The action provides legal protection under federal law, pre-venting the competition from using your “intellectual property”.

Brand Recognition By Jim Kaekel Jr.

CHARLIE JOBBER'S TAKE ON THINGS

MPR

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PERFORMANCE REPORTINDUSTRY NEWS

Canadian Motor Speedway – North America’s Newest Mrk1 Consulting of Bahrain has been hired to create Canadian Motor Speedway, a first of its kind facil-

ity in Canada. The 823-acre site in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada will feature a three quarter mile Speedway oval and a two-mile road course along with grandstands and enclosed club seating for over 65,000 spectators. Commercial and retail properties, a technology park, and a hotel will be incorporated into the facility as well. The speedway portion is being developed in conjunction with Jeff Gordon Inc. The first events for the property are projected for 2017. www.cdnmotorspeedway.com

Champion “King of the Road” ContestThe Champion Spark Plugs will award weekly cash prizes and a $5,000 grand prize to participants that

submit a photo and story showcasing their unique ride. Every week’s winners are determined by online voting. For more details visit: www.championsparkplugs.com/king-of-the-road

Weld Wheels Contributes to Children’s ExhibitThe “Hot Wheels: Race to Win” exhibit is currently hosted at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis,

has Weld Racing as one of its corporate supporters. The interactive exhibit encourages kids to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and uses the world of motors-ports to investigate the scientific side of creating fast cars.

The Weld Racing portion of the exhibit demonstrates how to build a lightweight wheel that does not sacrifice safety for speed. The exhibit will travel to other museums throughout the United States over the next five years, returning to Indy every summer.

https://www.childrensmuseum.org/blog/inside-hot-wheels-race-win-exhibit

Weld Racing Establishes New Dealer Program To Help Eliminate Counterfeit Wheels

Industry leader Weld Racing has instituted a new certified dealer program to help eliminate the importation of overseas based counterfeit and knockoff products branded as genuine Weld Racing wheels.

Norm Young, President and CEO of Weld, stated "Weld is pleased to partner with dealers that value the Weld legacy of providing high quality, made in the USA product". "We are very protective of our quality manufacturing heritage and have put measures in place so consumers know when they pur-chase product from one of our certified dealers that it is our genuine branded product" stated Young.

Weld Racing wheels are manufactured using company approved aircraft grade aluminum alloys, state-of-the art construction techniques and stringent quality control standards. Counterfeit wheels are not held to these high standards, and therefore, may not perform as well, have the potential for failure and associated safety hazards, according to Young.

All Weld Racing wheels are designed, engineered, produced and tested at Weld's Kansas City, Mo. facility.

History Channel Needs Vehicles for New ShowA new program airing on the History Channel, will be hosted by “Top Gear”

co-host Rutledge Wood and fellow car fanatic George Flanigen. The producers of the show, “Lost in Transmission,” are looking for rare vintage vehicles in need of restoration. Interested parties should contact the show directly through the show’s website: http://www.history.com/shows/lost-in-transmission

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PERFORMANCE REPORTTECH CORNER WITH JIM KAEKEL JR.

MPR

Household Remedies For Automotive MaladiesMany high performance enthusiasts have a garage full of tools,

but why would anyone stash a can of shaving cream, fish scale, paper clip, vanity mirror, baking soda, freezer bags, hair dryer, coat hanger or turkey baster in their tool box? Although these house-hold items don’t seem to have a place in the garage or at the race track, all of them can actually be very helpful in an instant.

Every time you install a set of cylinder heads onto an assembled short block, you may be unknowingly dropping cooling system deposits into the cylinders. Although the cylinder head may have been thoroughly cleaned, it’s not uncommon for cooling sys-tem deposits to remain in the water jackets, and each time the heads are installed (or removed), these deposits can fall into the cylinders, doing harm to the cylinders and rings. This is of particular concern on engines with cylinder head studs where the heads have to be literally wrestled past the studs. Many engine builders avoid this by rotating the short block 90° on the engine stand prior to installing each head. Another method involves wiping SHAVING CREAM over the deck surface, effectively sealing the water jackets and preventing contaminants from falling into the cylinders. It’s simple, effective and the shaving cream doesn’t hurt a thing.

Commonly found at bait shops, a FISH SCALE can be helpful when scrutinizing piston oil ring tension. Race engine builders often experiment with low tension oil rings in the quest for more horsepower. Too much oil ring tension creates excessive internal friction that robs horsepower, while insufficient tension causes excessive oil consumption and combustion chamber contamina-tion, however, the correct tension can provide significantly more horsepower. To measure ring tension, simply remove the con-necting rod from the piston, replace the wrist pin and install the oil ring package on the piston. Lightly lubricate both the piston skirt and cylinder prior to installing the piston into the cylinder upside down. Push the piston toward the bottom of the cylinder and hook the fish scale onto the piston pin. Gently pull the piston up the cylinder using the scale, noting the reading as the piston travels up the bore. Oil rings with varying tension can then be swapped and the process repeated. Compression rings can be checked as well. Just be sure you don’t loan your 20 lb. fish scale to your co-worker that decides to weigh the 40 lb. Sturgeon he just pulled out of Lake Michigan...it’s accuracy may be compromised.

Anytime a camshaft is installed into a high performance engine, it should be properly degreed to ensure that the valve timing events are as the manufacturer suggests. During the process, a degree wheel must be installed on the front of the crankshaft and a timing pointer positioned to check valve timing events. A pointer can be quickly made from a wire COAT HANGER, cut at a length of several inches and secured to the front of the block under the head of a timing cover bolt. After TDC has been located, simply bend the pointer to “zero” on the degree wheel and you may begin the camshaft degreeing process. Step-by-step instruc-

tions are available on-line from most camshaft manufacturers.Changing starters is rarely fun, particularly if the vehicle is fitted

with headers and a deep oil pan. Many enthusiasts readily change starters without checking pinion gear to ring gear clearance, yet improper clearance can cause repeated starter or ring gear failure. Checking clearance is relatively quick and easy. After the starter has been installed, use a screwdriver to pull the pinion gear into the ring gear. Follow by using your opposite hand to slide a PAPER CLIP, typically .035”, in between the “valley” of the ring gear and the starter pinion gear. If the paper clip can be slipped in between

the gears, you’re “good to go”. If not, place a shim in between the starter and engine block, and re-check the clearance.

While on the subject of starting systems, if you use a traditional lead/acid battery and encounter a no-crank condition, it could be caused by battery terminal cor-rosion. Often visibly evident as white or white/blue crystals, it can be quickly re-moved without the need for elbow grease. Simply disconnect the battery, sprinkle a light amount of BAKING SODA on the terminals and proceed by pouring a small

amount of water over the soda. The mixture quickly dissolves the corrosion without having to expose your hands to acid. Coating the terminals lightly with white lithium grease can prevent future corrosion.

Crawling head first up under the dashboard of most vehicles can be challenging when inspecting fuses, wiring, etc. One item that can aid the process is a VANITY MIRROR. Simply hold the mirror under the dash at the desired angle to aid viewing. They are par-ticularly helpful when viewing the rotary dials found on aftermar-ket digital ignition systems. Allstar Performance offers a telescop-ing mirror (ALL14174) that can be useful in these situations.

Most racers are familiar with the headaches involving with removing decals. One wrong pull and you not only remove the decal, but the paint right along with it! By simply warming the de-cal with a HAIR DRYER, the glue is softened and allows the decal to be removed without harming the paint.

Looking to pick-up those last few hundredths of a second in E.T.’s at the race track on grudge night? Simply fill several FREEZER BAGS up with ice and place them on the intake manifold prior to racing. The ice helps create a cooler, denser air charge for more horsepower. The warmer the day, the greater the improvement. Be sure to have a friend remove the bags just prior to pulling out onto the race track. Dumping liquid onto the race track can result in an instant DQ.

Ever spill fuel onto an intake manifold during carburetor ser-vice? Rather than mopping it up with a rag, simply use a TURKEY BASTER or BULB SYRINGE to remove the fuel. They work equally well for coolant spills that need to be quickly cleaned up.

I’m sure there are many more of these “home remedies” that can help make your life easier in the garage or at the race track. Just don’t hand the turkey baster back to your significant other smell-ing of gas and full of greasy fingerprints!

PERFORMANCE REPORT

CAT108.4

Toll FreePhoneFax

Keeping Government Out of Late Model Performance (Cont.)

Info And Viewpoints (Continued from page 1)

enforcement, not a copyright law to slow you down. If a vehicle doesn’t meet emission standards, the Environmental Pro-tection Agency is in place to enforce the standards. If a car owner wants to improve the performance of their vehicle, there should be laws ensuring the freedom to do so. Fortunately groups, such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) are work-ing hard to prevent these changes from occurring. The EFF has presented exemptions to the Copyright Office as to why the DMCA should not apply to the automotive industry. Some have suggested a compromise, possibly a redesign to a vehicle’s computer system allowing for access to certain areas, while others would be deemed off limits. Of course the debate would continue as to what systems would be left open, and which ones would be permanently closed. The Copyright Office will make a ruling on this subject sometime later this year. Regardless of the outcome, expect the battle to continue, as vehicles on the road become even more computer intensive as the years roll on. MPR