3 days ago
- Automotive
- Hamilton Spectator
Trump tariffs plague Canadian motorsport racers
Canadian motorsport racers aren't immune to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs.
Most performance items are imported from the U.S., which makes some of them subject to tariff-related price increases (earlier this year, the federal government also imposed retaliatory tariffs on some vehicles and auto parts).
Those in racing say it's starting to take a toll.
'I have to pay attention to every item,' said Performance Cellar owner Venice Perno, whose shop is based in Hamilton and has long supplied the racing community. 'There is a fine line when ordering parts and I'm trying to keep a good balance. I have to look at every line of every product.'
To make matters worse, prices never returned to their lower, pre-pandemic levels, Perno said. He said the situation is confusing as to what has increased in price, including raw materials and production.
'It's a lot more work. I just can't push the order button.'
Perno said the price increase for racing tires is front and centre. 'Tires have gone through the roof. They're all 25 per cent more,' he noted and added a rear tire for a quick drag race car, such as a Pro Modified, costs about $2,000.
Erica Bicknell-Jones of Bicknell Racing Products in St. Catharines also cited the increase in tire costs. 'The biggest spot we have felt it is tires,' she said. The company has been scouring the country for race tires, sending trucks to Eastern Canada for stock. It has secured tires, but they don't come cheap.
'So far, we have put out over $150,000 in tariffs just for those three trucks,' she said. 'All costs have to be paid up front. All of these 2,500-plus tires are not sold and paid for yet, so it's a huge out-of-pocket expense.' A rear tire for a Sprint Car is now more than $600. 'That's just insane.'
'We don't know all the ins and outs,' said Dale Stroud, who for more than 30 years has been building performance engines for oval and drag racing cars as well as street rods and marine applications.
Stroud, whose shop is in Caledonia, also mentioned pricing never returned to pre-pandemic days. 'It never came down. As an example, an intake manifold for a small-block Chevy is now around $500 and pre-COVID it was $250.
'We try to source Canadian products,' he went on, 'then North American parts, then we're using offshore. The trouble with tariffs is what parts have these tariffs and how the pieces that make up a part are categorized. There is so much uncertainty.'
Bicknell-Jones appealed to the federal government for help.
'In early April, the government shared an option for applying for an exemption on things like tariffs on racing tires,' she said. 'Since there is no where in Canada that we could get them made, in reality, we should be exempt. I have not heard back on our application.'
Weekend winners:
Cody McPherson
of St. Catharines won the DIRTcar Sportsman Western Region event at Merrittville Speedway Saturday, his fourth feature win in a row at the dirt track …
Tyler Hawn
from Oro Medonte led all 30 laps to win the OSCAAR Hot Rod Bill Zardo Memorial at Flamboro Speedway Saturday night. The APC United Late Models will be on the paved oval this Saturday for the Grisdale Racing Products 100, along with a visit by the Can-Am TQ Midgets … An $18,000 purse includes $5,000 for the winner and will be awarded after the feature for the touring Southern Ontario Sprints this Saturday at the Chatham-Kent oval of Buxton Speedway … Stratford native
Spencer Hyde
took Funny Car runner-up at the recent New England Nationals at Epping, N.H.
Brittany Force
won the Top Fuel title and tied Shirley Muldowney's 18 national event wins in TF …
Nick Sheridan
of Mount Brydges won the Empire Super Sprints feature at Ohsweken Speedway, his first 360 Sprint Car A-Main win at the dirt oval.
