Danny Vaca is a familiar face when it comes to walking the pits and having a presence at the racetrack . It ’ s a method that has worked extremely well for one of the three founders of LAT Racing Oils , thriving with a process that often goes something like this : A racer not using LAT Racing Oils has a problem , with their transmission being the most common thing . Vaca will talk to that racer , borrow from a current customer ’ s supply – which he always replaces – with enough to make a change and the impact is almost immediate . “ They put it in and I ’ m telling you , the next pass they make they thought I walked on water ,” Vaca says . “ I hate to describe it like that , but they will say , ‘ Dude , it did exactly what you said it was going to do .’”
It ’ s proven to be a successful method since LAT Racing Oils was founded in 2007 and something Vaca takes a great deal of pride in . His presence at the track , which will include a number of NHRA Pro Mod and PDRA races in 2018 , has given the company a distinctive edge against its competitors , but Vaca ’ s racing background has also been instrumental in LAT Racing Oil ’ s growth .
Vaca was a racer for years , building his own engines and doing his own research and development . He sold the car after he got married and had children , but the passion to stay in the sport remained . When his partner showed an interest in moving into the oil side of the industry , Vaca was all in and his determination showed it .
“ I used a lot of different oils and experimented but I didn ’ t really know the background about oil ,” Vaca freely admits . “ At that time , it took me about 2-3 years to learn the ins and outs . Not that I knew everything , but I knew a good handful to kind of get started . The most important thing I remember why the oil made sense to me is because when a racer has problems , I knew automatically what they were talking about . I could relate and work with the people .
“ As I was adjusting , I was able to learn more about what a motor really needed . I think the biggest thing was I was a former racer and I built my own engines , and it helped me understood anytime someone had a problem , I related to it right away .”
That has been an impactful aspect for LAT Racing Oils over the past decade , though Vaca readily admits the company suffered through the low spots any new business tackles , especially in
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one as fickle as drag racing . But Vaca has been dedicated in making sure his racing oils and transmission oils are at the top when it comes to quality and performance .
That comes from rigorous studying and testing , as well as plenty of interaction with racers . He ’ s not at the track to hand out business cards and make idle conversation ; he ’ s there to make a difference , whether it is with current customers or potential new ones . That transparency has gone a long way with a customer base that is constantly growing .
“ I ’ m not afraid to talk about what ’ s in my oil because that customer needs to know ,” Vaca asserts . “ That ’ s important and I ’ m personable with everybody . When they become a customer , it ’ s kind of like more of a family kind of thing . Every one of my customers has my cell number . I tell
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them if they ’ re in trouble on Saturday or Sunday , call me . I ’ m always there for them .”
Vaca readily admits that aggressive approach has made a major difference , but that aggressive mindset carries over into their intense testing and development . He understands the difference in applications for different cars and different set-ups , and recognizing those minor differences can pay major dividends for racers at the track . It leads to questions nobody else is asking , but that also leads to answers other companies aren ’ t providing .
“ When you talk to an oil person , usually they ’ re a book-talk person ,” Vaca says . “ I can tell by talking to them , they are taught what to say . Me , when they come up and they tell me they have this application and they say they want to run this oil , I can say , ‘ You don ’ t want to run that oil . You ’ re going to have issues .’ I tell them the problem . Just because the Pro Stock cars run it doesn ’ t mean a turbocharger is going to run that oil .
“ That ’ s what sets us apart , the knowledge that I ’ ve learned hands-on . Not putting down a formulator , but a formulator studies regular passenger cars . I had to take it into my own hands , and it was a lot of trial and error .”
Vaca studies bearings , RPM range , power range , clearance and anything else to arrive at the proper answer , doing in-depth analysis that has proven to get results , all with the goal to make an oil robust enough to handle the heavy limits of a racecar .
LAT Racing Oils ’ top seller is its Pro ATF transmission products , which is also starting to gain heavy traction in the X275 class . The ATF products have become a dominant force in that category , while the 50- , 60- and 70-Weight oils have become wildly popular with Pro Mod racers .
Vaca says the next step for the company is suspension fluid , but business is clearly on the right track . He left in mid-April for Thailand , visiting one of his biggest clients at an international raceway that promotes LAT Racing Oils , adding another impressive sign of growth for a company continually adding dealers . Ultimately , though , the product has to work and that is where Vaca takes the most pride in the company ’ s lineup .
“ Everything is in here that you want ,” Vaca says . “ We do have a big trust out at the tracks . That ’ s why I walk around . They ’ re promoting my product and standing behind my product , and we ’ re continuing to grow .” - JOSH HACHAT
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PHOTO : JOE MCHUGH |