’80s FLASHBACK
July 12, 2024
THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
MORE THAN A CAMEO
November 11, 2024
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: The Truck Norris HEMI Camshaft from Brian Tooley Racing
September 12, 2025
FASTER PASTOR
Keith Shuley is a genuine hot rodder and a bona fide car nut. In that respect, he’s no different from any of you reading this article, but what makes him a little different is how he spends his days. Shuley is a Catholic priest and a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy, serving as the Command Chaplain aboard the amphibious assault carrier U.S.S. Peleliu, the LHA-5. He spends his days filling the spiritual needs of those sailors, aviators and Marines who help keep our country free. But during his personal time, he fills his own need for speed. What a concept!
Tasty Taillights
If you are building a street rod, sooner or later you will have to select the taillights you want to use. As with so many other parts, the taillights should match the style of the car you are building. A smooth, high-tech rod should have taillights of the same style, perhaps flush-fit diode lights that match the shape of the body. If you are building a resto rod, the stock taillights are generally used, stalk and all. Internally they can be updated with bright bulbs or a diode kit. If you are building a nostalgic or a traditional rod, there are several different lights that were used by builders in the ’50s and the ’60s. The rod seen in this story is being built in a traditional style, so there were many lights to choose from.
GOLDEN ARCHES
As enthusiasts, when we build our cars, we tend to stuff as much tire under those cars as possible. This is especially important for rear tires that hook the car to the ground while improving its stance. For those interested in drag-racing their cars, you will need to accommodate larger rear tires or slicks. The current hot trend is the 10.5-inch slick, which seems to work well on many applications, but depending on the make and model of your car, it may require modifications to enlarge the rear wheel openings to accommodate the larger rubber.
Spotlighter
HPX 2025 Award Winners
Innovation Takes the Checkered Flag
The inaugural High Performance Expo (HPX) brought together a powerhouse lineup of vendors, builders, and performance innovators. Amid fierce competition from dozens of standout products, two companies took home the top PerformancePlus HPX honors—showcasing the cutting edge of high-performance innovation.
Author
Jamie Dent
Photography by Scott Killeen
A Showcase of Excellence
With vendors vying for attention, the wins by LABA7 Precision Testing and Kirkey Racing highlight the innovation and dedication driving the high-performance industry forward. These awards aren’t just accolades—they’re a preview of where the future of performance and safety is headed.
Judge’s Choice: Peak Performance Award — LABA7 Precision Testing
LABA7 Precision Testing earned the coveted Judge’s Choice: Peak Performance Award for its revolutionary Electromagnetic Shock Dyno (EMA). This advanced machine pushes shock absorbers to the extreme, testing speeds up to 7,000 mm/s and forces powerful enough to lift a small car, while capturing even the tiniest performance details with unmatched precision.
Designed for everything from mountain bikes to race cars, the EMA runs quietly on standard power outlets (for smaller models) and features intuitive software that generates clear, detailed graphs. This lets teams quickly identify issues like stiff or weak shocks and adjust accordingly. Its versatility extends to testing different shock patterns and temperature effects, giving racers and mechanics a complete picture of shock performance.
The EMA is more than a testing tool—it’s a critical safety device that helps prevent crashes by ensuring shocks maintain vehicle stability. It also boosts performance by allowing fine-tuned suspension setups and saves money by catching problems before they escalate. Trusted by professional motorsport teams and workshops, LABA7’s EMA is driving safer, smoother rides across disciplines.
Judges Mike Galimi (Hot Rod), Robert Kibbe (The Muscle Car Place), and Scott Parker (Power Automedia) recognized LABA7 for its technical excellence, strong presence, and significant impact on the industry.
People’s Choice: Best New Product — Kirkey Racing
The People’s Choice Award for Best New Product went to Kirkey Racing for its innovative 95 Series Full Containment Seat—a lightweight aluminum racing seat designed specifically for Sprint Cars and Northeast Dirt Modifieds.
The seat features a 10° layback angle, SFI 39.2 certification, and a three-piece design allowing up to 4 inches of vertical adjustment—3 inches for torso height, 1 inch for head height—and 2 inches of head restraint positioning. Made from TIG-welded 0.100″ 5052-grade aluminum with additional MIG welds, the 95 Series is both strong and adjustable, eliminating the need for costly custom seats.
Comfort and safety are prioritized with energy-absorbing black cloth padding that reduces vibration and impact, molded rubber grommets to protect seat belts, and a rotating head restraint that enhances visibility and protection. Available in hip widths from 14 to 17 inches, the seat also ensures easy entry and exit while fitting all major head and neck restraint systems.
This combination of safety, adjustability, and durability helps racing teams save money and enhance performance by offering a comfortable, secure fit for multiple drivers. It’s quickly becoming the seat of choice for pros competing in series like Lucas Oil and World of Outlaws, where every advantage counts.
Kirkey Racing’s COO, Kevin Derochie, dedicated the award to “the hardworking men and women in the shop—the ones who build the best and safest racing seats in the industry, day in and day out.”
Looking Ahead: The Future of Performance Innovation
As HPX looks ahead to future expos, innovations like these don’t just win awards—they shape the future of motorsports and high-performance engineering. Breakthroughs like LABA7’s shock dyno and Kirkey’s advanced seating solutions are setting new standards for safety, precision, and performance. With technology advancing at full throttle, HPX remains the place to discover what’s next in the world of high-performance automotive excellence.
ARTICLE SOURCES
