Drag racing is a great hobby, enjoyed by many people from all walks of life. Taking your performance car to the track on the weekend or during an open track night is a fun way to see just how fast the car is, but in a safe environment. If you are building a car for the track, it is important that you use high-quality parts. As the car gets faster, the suspension is going to become more critical to the handling of the car. 

Parts for Racing

The biggest difference between the suspension parts you use on your daily driven performance car and your track car is adjustability. If you are setting up your car for the dragstrip, you need to be able to adjust the suspension to dial in your elapse times. The car will not run quickly if the tires spin when it's leaving the starting line. The easiest way to reduce wheel spin is through preload adjustment and changing how stiff or soft the suspension is.

Every track is different, so if you race on several different tracks, the adjustments will change. That is why the ability to make changes quickly is so important. If you only race on one track, the adjustability is still important because track conditions, weather, and the way your car is running that day will affect the way the car acts coming off the starting line. 

Supplies and Vendors

There are many different suppliers that will sell you the parts you need for your race car. Many of the suppliers that you can source parts from are the same vendors that professional racers are using, so you know that parts are high-quality. The hardest part is knowing what you need to make the suspension work properly for you, but that is something that the vendor can help you with. Not every car is the same, so working with the vendor to get the right part is the best starting point.

Price Versus Performance

The cost of race ready parts is often very high so getting good parts takes time if you are on a budget. While you can sometimes find lower priced parts that may perform okay, if you are serious about racing, you need to work with the large professional manufacturers. The cost of bargain parts will not be worth the savings if they break and you have to replace them. Get the best parts you can afford and remember, the car is going to be moving pretty fast down the track—breaking a part at high speed could be a recipe for disaster.  

For more information on drag racing suspension parts, contact your local auto parts store.