Here at Power and Performance News we’re starting a new series that we’re calling simply, “5 Questions With …” We’ll be bringing you the questions you want to ask to the leading decision makers and influencers in the hot rod world. So let us know who you would like us to talk to.

Since this is our first installment of “5 Questions With …” we thought we’d go big. Scooter Brothers is truly one of the great men in the aftermarket industry. He’s the co-owner and Chief Operating Officer of COMP Performance Group, which includes Comp Cams, TCI, FAST, Quarter Master, RHS and ZEX, so he’s got his ear to the ground when it comes to racers and hot rodders. But he’s also a three-time board member and Immediate Past Chairman of SEMA, the most influential organization in the automotive aftermarket.

So needless to say, Brothers has a very unique perspective. He’s regularly talking to the hot rodder and engine builder in the trenches, but with SEMA he also had to take a wide-angle view of every aspect of the industry and especially the hot rodding hobby as a whole. Here are our five questions for Scooter Brothers:

For decades racing was considered the breeding ground when it came to performance innovation. But recently the automakers have been coming up with some really interesting innovations like direct injection and variable cam timing to name a few. Are the OE’s now pushing the pace of innovation faster than racing?

Brothers: That stuff has actually been in racing and high performance street applications for some time, but it has mostly been in the prototype stage and is just now finding its way into racing and our market in general. But in a way, yes, the vehicle manufacturers have come up with some great technology that helps improve the performance of their street vehicles. They’ve snuck up on us a bit when it comes to integrated electronic systems and some basic engine designs. However, like any good racer, we are beginning to understand how to take advantage of their technology to move the industry’s products to another level.

I think you are going to see a lot more computers and electronics making their way into racing. Today the stuff is good enough, it is robust enough and it is way better than it used to be as far as performance and durability is concerned. But it is going to take some of the engineering talent from the racing side to make it work for racers and hot rodders. Look at NASCAR: no more carburetors. That’s big. The OE’s have to be concerned with so many factors besides performance—everything from safety to emissions, from fuel economy to making an engine live 150,000 miles even with poor maintenance—that they really can’t push the limits. We’re more specialized, and it’s going to be fun to see just how much we can do with these new toys the OE’s have given us. The companies that take advantage of this latest OE technology will lead the industry to the next level. The OE’s might have more resources but we can move a lot faster than they can.

Given the growing complexity of today’s cars and trucks, do you think hot rodding will remain viable as a hobby?

Brothers: I hear all the time that cars are getting too complex to work on, but I see just as many, if not more, people “hopping up” and racing the newer cars. And I’m not just talking about professional mechanics but even the normal “car guys” we work with every day. And most of all the performance parts manufacturers are learning how to use the new technologies to design and produce parts that make working on your car easier and more productive.

When I was just learning to drive if the carburetor flooded you got out and knocked on it with a wrench. Back then our customers were very tolerant of things like that. Today we are used to getting in our passenger cars and driving 150,000 miles without even opening the hood except to change the oil—and some drivers barely do that. Some of that mentality has bled off to the high performance guy and he won’t accept parts that don’t do what they are supposed to do. Today the aftermarket manufacturer has to be more considerate and use better engineering because the consumer is less likely to accept compromises like they used to. But I do think hot rodding will always be around because there will be people that will always want more performance and make their car special to them.

Speaking of performance, the modern muscle cars are better than ever. Are they good enough? In other words, is there any need for hot rodding a car that can now do more stock than a highly modified car could even dream of a couple decades ago?

Brothers: No and yes. No, there’s never going to be a car good enough for a high performance guy or a racer. And yes, you’ve heard the old saying that as long as they make two cars one of the guys will want to be faster than the other. Have you ever seen a racer or a hot rodder that is content with the horsepower or the performance of their car? The high performance aftermarket is all about helping the car owner create the car that is special and personalized exactly to them. The leading aftermarket manufacturers can develop the parts to do this because the high performance design engineers don’t have to accept the compromises the OE’s are stuck with. The OE’s have to design one car that performs acceptably in all conditions. They must design a single part that works for the guy who drives up Pikes Peak one day and across Death Valley the next day. The OE part must perform for your grandmother as well as the motor head high school kid. This single design concept never works for the performance guy. In our world one person may be looking to have fun with a track day car, while another is a dedicated drag racer, but almost never would they give up any performance for a nice ride to the grocery store. The racing industry develops special parts for each specific application. The modern muscle cars are great, but the same car cannot fit the bill for everybody. The OE muscle cars are like the canvas, and the high performance parts are like the paint. Every car is different and customized exactly to the desire of the owner. The performance companies simply are not saddled with having to accept compromises like the OE’s are.

A few years ago we were being told that the Import Tuners were the “Next Big Thing.” But that seems to have died down. Do today’s youth even care about cars and motorsports?

Brothers: It is definitely different today than it was a few years ago and a lot different than it was when I was coming up. When I was a teenager a car meant freedom. To go see your friends and connect socially you needed to get in a car and drive to them. Today teenagers have social media and Facebook and things like that to connect with their friends. I got my driver’s license the day I turned 16, but I don’t think the younger generation sees a car as a requirement for freedom. They can do with a smart phone what I did with a car.

But just because things are different that doesn’t mean that it’s all bad. While I was the SEMA Chairman I could see things from a lot higher altitude. I’ve seen drifting events where the kids were three deep at the fence and they couldn’t get enough of it. Off-road racing and rally racing also seem to be growing in popularity. So just because today’s youth doesn’t appear to be as interested in the same types of racing some of us old guys are, that doesn’t mean they aren’t out there. Racing and high performance cars will be around for a long, long time. We simply have to accept the fact that we must adapt as the market develops.

That’s enough gloomy questions; give us some good news. What do you think is something that hot rodders and performance enthusiasts can look forward to?

Brothers: Looking in my crystal ball there are lots really exciting and fun things ahead for the performance enthusiast and racer. It’s easy to watch a big race on TV and see lots of empty seats and think things are really bad. What you can’t see as easily and don’t normally hear about are the many local tracks and other events that are growing. Short track racing, bracket racing, Hot Rod Power Tour, Street Rod Nationals, local car shows and cruise –ins are thriving and getting stronger every day. The enthusiast is just as passionate and there are more of them than ever before, they are simply not where we are used to looking and are a lot more spread out.

From the product side, the quality, value and variety of high performance parts have never been better. Even though the complicated technology in new cars seems to be a hurdle for our market to overcome, the technologies in design and manufacturing have enabled the companies to make parts that really work. The designs are better due to computer design software, rapid prototyping, and simply a better disciplined sense of engineering. New materials and new casting and forging methods have helped optimize the design. And CNC machining has really revolutionized manufacturing. The result of all these things is a much better part that works every time. There is another side as well. All of this technology has enabled the manufacturers to get better at making parts so the prices have not gone out of sight. One example that comes to mind is an aluminum block. They are just about the same price as when I built engines 30 years ago. And they are a LOT better. The result is that there is a double dip for the enthusiast. Better parts and more value.

So, what does the future hold? I see better parts, more parts, much better engineering and design, and parts being available quickly and much easier. I see more participation and involvement in high performance cars. I see the most exciting times ahead that I have ever seen.