A look at some of the country’s in-demand motorsports products and services by region and racing segment.

Motorsports retailers and service providers are constantly tracking the latest parts and trends to give their customers a competitive edge. For the latest on which products and services are moving the retail needle, we present the following sales snapshot from shops across the US.

Turn 4 Automotive and Performance

South Paris, Maine

Turn 4 Automotive and Performance not only sells speed parts, but it also sells speed by renting out race cars. Approximately 75–100% of its customers are racers, primarily in the New England region. Most of them race four cylinders and street-stock, entry-level circle track cars at its home track, Oxford Plains Speedway in Oxford, Maine. Its services for non-racers include exhaust systems and coilover suspension work.

With such a large percentage of racing customers, Turn 4’s best “fast movers” are single-layer firesuits and carbon-fiber helmets from Zamp Racing. Other fast-moving parts are switches from Allstar Performance and tire gauges from Joes Racing Products.

Owner Bob Guptill said customers like these products because they get quality for the price without breaking the bank. This is important because, according to Guptill, “our guys are entry-level people, not high-dollar people. These are guys who are building stuff in their basement or in their own garage. They get these parts and are able to perform the function they’re meant to do.”

Apocalypse Performance

Mason, Ohio

The primary business of Apocalypse Performance is providing engines, engine parts, and driveline components for Mustangs, mostly of the modular and Coyote-powered variety. Its customers come from all over the US, as well as Australia, Kuwait, England, Canada, and Mexico. About 20% of its customers come from racing, with one-fourth of those being NMRA competitors.

Fast-moving sellers are Supertech valvetrain products, Diamond pistons, Molnar Technologies connecting rods, and custom camshafts. These products’ high sales rates can be attributed to giving customers the most bang-for-the-buck, said Todd Warren of Apocalypse Performance. That’s especially true of the cams, as they have proven to be quality performers. Currently those cams are used in the record-holding quickest NMRA Factory Stock two-valve engine and the quickest naturally aspirated 4.6 four valve in Modular Muscle. Other customers are consistently at the top of their class, Warren added.

Marketing for its products is mainly done by word-of-mouth and online via its Facebook page and numerous Mustang technical groups.

“The stocking/availability of parts has been an issue for about three years, especially when it comes to camshafts,” reported Warren. “We do a significant amount of them, and this puts a strain on the core supply.”

TAOS Performance

Raymore, Missouri

TAOS Performance is a shop that sells a wide variety of components and provides installation and build services for domestic drag racing vehicles, including Mustangs, Camaros, and trucks. Jared Johnston estimates about 90% of his company’s customers are racers, most of whom are local, but they also have many regional customers as well.

The fast-moving products sold by TAOS are oil pumps and gears for Coyote engines from Boundary Racing Pumps, ProCharger supercharger kits, Texas Speed and Performance camshaft kits, Turn 14 stainless headers, Hellion Turbo turbocharger kits, and McLeod clutches. These have been mainstays since the company began nearly eight years ago.

Customers like these products because of the commitment to each customer’s needs provided by Johnston and Brandon Webster, who run the business. “We always seek out first to make sure the customer is taken care of,” Johnston said. “What that means is that if they have an idea of something they want to do, but their expectations are ‘X,’ we try to make sure we provide the best possible products for that build. A lot of that recommendation comes from our advice and being the professionals we are, making sure they get exactly what they need. Or if they don’t know what they need, we recommend [what they need] for them to make sure they don’t have any problems.”

Webster added, “We want to make sure the car makes 900 horsepower for years, not months. That’s why we use the companies we use—for reliability.”

TAOS markets its parts through advertisements and posts on social media, but most of its sales come from the builds based on employees’ recommendations. Johnston explained the approach: “At the end of the day for us, it’s not just about selling parts. It’s to make sure the customer is taken care of and leaves with a smile on their face.”