WIX® Filters Are the Winning Formula for NASCAR Race Teams

There’s a good chance that when a car races under the checkered flag at a motorsports event, WIX® Filters is under the hood. The majority of NASCAR Cup Series race cars have a filter that WIX Filters Race Products Engineer Greg Rhyne built by hand. The WIX Filters team is instrumental in helping drivers and teams get results.

Racing experts rely on WIX Filters

How important are oil filters in racing? 

“The oil filters are one of the most important parts of our engine,” says James McNaughton, Technical Director of Roush Yates Engines.

WIX Filters works directly with race teams and engine builders to optimize their designs. 

“Teams will call me and tell me what they want to do,” says Rhyne. “If it’s an air filter, they might show me the housing, what it looks like and where it goes on the engine. I’ll usually ask them what they’re looking for on the filter, and then I’ll get with the media engineers and media specialists, and we’ll make samples, test them in our laboratories and make sure they do what they [need to] perform.” 

One of the most important aspects of a racing oil filter is to block contaminants while letting performative additives like high-viscosity index fluids do their job. 

“You don’t want to filter out the add pack that’s in the oil,” says ECR Engines Senior Vice President Bob Fisher. “WIX always formulates a filter that will give us a competitive edge.” 

Testing championship race equipment at WIX Filters

Race teams will visit the WIX Filters facility to test their filters before a race. Chris Moroch, Development Technical Specialist for Hendrick Motorsports, went to the WIX facility and spent a week testing airflow rate for filters on a computerized flow bench in the lab. 

“We flowed air filters almost nonstop for five days straight,” says Moroch. “It paid huge dividends going to Daytona.” 

WIX Filters are a trusted source of engine protection for Richard Childress Racing, too. 

“WIX Filters are the best,” says NASCAR Cup Series Crew Chief for Richard Childress Racing, Richard Boswell. “We put them in everything we’ve got. When you’re racing anything, getting the proper airflow to the engine, keeping the filtration system up for the oiling systems—all of that is critical, especially when you’re running as high of tolerances as we are, to get the maximum performance. WIX does a great job with race cars and everyday drivable cars, too.” 

The racetrack is a proving ground for filtration

The relationship that WIX Filters has with racing goes both ways. WIX Filters helps teams thrive on the track while the experience of testing products and working with the top race teams helps WIX Filters see inside the engines and develop innovative solutions for every type of vehicle. 

“WIX is in racing because it’s a high-speed test lab,” says WIX Filters Motorsports Manager Bill Stamey. “What we learn on the racetrack can be applied to local street cars.” 

Motorsports is a high-stakes endeavor, with the brightest minds and most experienced engineers contributing to put their teams on top. WIX Filters sees racing as a proving ground to test different media and materials in severe applications. 

“Some of the media we started out with in racing are the ones we now use in over-road trucks,” says Rhyne. 

With our filters tested in such extreme conditions, WIX Filters customers can trust we’ve got your back when it comes to protecting your engine, no matter the vehicle you’re driving. Ready to find your own filter? Check out our filter finder.