Motorsports-grade wheels: What they are–and why you need them

By David S. Wallens
Apr 16, 2025 | Buyer's Guide, Wheels & Tires | Posted in Tires & Wheels , Buyer's Guides , Features | From the May 2025 issue | Never miss an article

Photograph by David S. Wallens

Does your car have wheels? Likely yes.

And are those wheels suitable for motorsports? Are they up for hopping curbs, clearing big brakes and aiding fast pit stops?

Maybe?

So what exactly makes a wheel track ready? Follow along for some features to consider when shopping.

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Unique Features

Shown here: BimmerWorld’s forged TE:AL TA16 features lots of brake clearance, knurled beads and pocketed center pad. Various BMW fitments. $539.99+

1. Deep, knurled, beefy beads to prevent tire slippage, a likely outcome when mixing sticky tires, aggressive pad compounds and extra downforce. Some motorsports wheel builders leave these knurled beads unpainted, too, to further increase grip.

2. Room for today’s big, big-brake kits is a must, meaning generous spoke clearance as well as a wheel barrel devoid of the dips and contours often found on street wheels. Building a wheel without a drop well or tapered barrel that’s still strong enough for motorsports use often requires starting with a thicker, heavier forged blank–and this adds to the cost.

3. Strong lips that can handle those curbs at Daytona’s chicane.

4. A modern technique to save weight while adding strength? Milled or I-beam spokes. Again, though, this adds cost.

5. A pocketed center pad–again, an extra machining process–can shed ounces.

6. Roomy lug sockets that will easily, quickly accept an impact socket while not requiring those small, tuner-style lug nuts.

7. Concave construction: Spokes that stick out can quickly become a liability during side-to-side racing.

8. Hub-centric fitment: Odds are you’re not going to find centering rings in the pro paddock.

9. Does cleanliness matter? Yes. How easy is it to clean and inspect the spokes between events?

10. While cooling fans, sadly, have fallen out of favor, an efficient motorsports wheel won’t block airflow. Gotta keep those brakes cool and happy.

11. An ideal balance of strength versus weight, likely meaning forged or flow-form construction. In addition to simply comparing weights, check out the load ratings, too.

BONUS: Thanks to modern machining techniques, we’re seeing more wheels built for specific, motorsports-friendly applications–like 15x9-inch wheels for the early Miata or 11-inch-wide wheels for the rear of an E46-chassis M3. Custom fitments? Could also be on the table.

How Much vs. How Strong

Not all aluminum wheels are created equal. As usual, there’s a relationship between price and performance.

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Comments

Tom1200 UltimaDork
4/16/25 10:52 a.m.

I always love this information because I've run the same two sets of wheels on the Datsun for decades. Read I'm not up on the latest technology.

Keith Tanner GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
4/16/25 11:30 a.m.

Thanks for including the Tobu in the list, although the flow formed FM Kogeki is more popular as it's priced more in line with Miata budgets. Available in 15x7 to 17x9 in Miata-specific fitments and exclusive to FM.
https://flyinmiata.com/collections/wheels

Keep in mind that motorsport wheels may be built with less strength margin than street wheels - they should be considered a consumable. Be especially wary of wheels that are significantly lighter than others in the same size with the same construction. One of the popular Miata wheels had a problem with that a few years back, they were particularly light in the 17x9 size but they cracked quite quickly and a number of them came apart on track.

Also, not noted in the guide - forged wheels have a superior grain structure to cast or flow formed wheels. They're more likely to bend than crack, which is a better failure mode. Also, flow formed wheels only have the improved grain structure from flow forming on the barrel, the center of the wheel has the same properties as a cast wheel.

One last note - the Advanti Storm pictured above (available from a variety of sources) is a good illustration of point 7. The spokes protrude from the wheel face around the lip. This makes them a hassle when mounting tires but also makes them prone to damage in wheel to wheel racing.

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