Performance Unlimited Blog

Cars have come a long way since 1911 and the first Indianapolis 500 when Ray Harroun won the race in his yellow No. 32 Marmon Wasp. In that race, Harroun averaged 74.602 mph. That may seem ridiculously slow until you consider that Ralph Mulford won the race the next year with an average speed of 56.29 mph. In 2021, Brazilian Hélio Castroneves won the race with an average speed of 190.690 mph. That’s 116.088-mph faster than Harroun and 134.4-mph faster than Mulford. Keep in mind that, in 1911 and 1912, Harroun and Mulford were considered daredevils for daring to drive at such ‘excessive’ speeds. Up until 1989, Americans dominated the winners circle for the 500. From 1911 through 1988, Americans won the race all but seven years. But, in 1989, Emerson Fittipaldi won driving a Penske Chevrolet. He won again in 1993.  In fact, since 1989, American drivers have only won the 500 nine times. Alexander Rossi was the last to do so, in 2016, while driving a Honda for Andretti Herta Autosport....

Have you ever chosen a cart at the grocery store with one of the wheels that didn’t track properly? You push the cart down the frozen-food aisle but it keeps trying to slam into the glass doors if you don’t fight it. Did you know that the same principle applies to your car as you drive down the road in McHenry? Think about how much energy you have to expend to keep that cart with the ‘crazy wheel’ going where you want it to go. No doubt, your car has more than enough energy to overcome most errantly aligned wheels. As you hold the steering wheel, you may feel the car pulling to one side or the other. The way to counter this problem with a shopping cart is to replace a bad wheel. The way to fix the problem with your car is with a wheel alignment. A wheel alignment ensures that the wheels are tracking true and easy. A wheel alignment ensures that the car isn’t side tracking. It ensures that the wheels aren’t fighting to go their own way rather than where you want them to go. When a car i...

Out here in Wonder Lake, an hour-and-a-half from Chicago, for many, the essence of cool is a pickup truck. It’s been that way for years. But is it still true? Are pickups still the ride of the in crowd?  Of course, pickups make sense out here in what some from Chicago would call, “The Sticks.” The bed of that truck does more than come in handy; it’s a downright necessity for many owners of pickup trucks.  Often, the pickup is one of the tools that a tradesman relies on in the performance of his/her job. Materials for the job are carried in back. Tools are often found in locked boxes back there. And it’s entirely feasible that they would have a ladder rack installed so they can get the ladders they need out to the job with them. Farmers in the Wonder Lake and McHenry County area carry all kinds of things in the backs of their pickups. A tractor breaks down in the field and they run out to get parts to get the tractor running again; you’ll probably find those parts in the back o...

As the recently passed winter approached last fall, it was a really good idea to bring your car, truck or SUV into a McHenry auto repair shop to ensure that it was ready for the winter ahead. Hopefully, you did so. And, if you did so, it’s almost certain your car, truck or SUV made out better than it would have as you drove your way through winter. But, as mentioned above, winter is now over. Winter is over and we’re enjoying that blessed season known as Springtime. And spring, as usual, is followed by summer. A McHenry summer has a largely different kind of effect on your vehicle. Instead of dealing with the effects of frigid weather, ice and snow; in the summer, our car, truck or SUV deals with the effects of hot weather – potentially very hot. Just as you prepare your car, truck or SUV for winter, you need to prepare it for summer, too. This includes: Checking the coolant, which you also referred to as antifreeze in the winter Checking the belts and hoses Checking your tires and tir...

Anniversaries are cause for celebration. But how should you celebrate? The folks at Performance Unlimited, 5415 Austin Ct. Ringwood, are celebrating their 40th Anniversary, a remarkable milestone for any auto repair shop or business, by showing their appreciation for those who made it possible. “Between now and the end of the year, we’re giving away 40 free oil changes,” said Denny Norton, the owner of Performance Unlimited and son of the founder, Denny Norton Sr. “It’s our way of showing our appreciation to all the people, our customers, who made this possible.” Norton said they will have a drawing per week with special drawings the last week of the year. From the Beginning Norton said that his father was the premier auto technician at an auto dealership. “In 1980 or 1981, he started kicking around the idea of opening his own shop,” said Norton. “The owner asked if he was thinking about it and, when my father said, ‘Yes,’ the owner told him he had two weeks at the dealership. My dad s...