In business, there are companies that do many things well, and there are companies that focus on doing a single thing great. Scott Performance Wire is in the latter category, and for the past 34 years, the company has focused the entirety of its energy on producing the best spark plug wires available. The funny thing is that while the company has supplied spark plug wires to the top teams in NASCAR and NHRA Top Fuel Funny Car competition for decades, Scott Performance Wire is not as well-known as it should be among other segments of the automotive enthusiast market.
Scott Performance Wire not only has extensive experience in supplying plug wires for professional race teams, but they also make high-quality wires for performance street engines.
Founded in 1990 by Brian Scott, Scott Performance Wire specializes in top-quality spark plug wires. Brian quickly moved Scott Performance Wire to the front of the industry by focusing his efforts and passion on developing a product to meet the demands and needs of high-performance engine builders and automotive enthusiasts. Unfortunately, Brian’s unexpected passing in 2017 was a profound loss to those who knew him and the automotive industry. In his honor, the team at Scott Performance Wire continues the company’s story and carries on Brian’s legacy with the commitment and passion he had.
Since Brian Scott’s untimely passing, his lifelong friend Mark Vieau (pictured here) has led the company with the same passion and drive that Brian had for producing a quality product and taking excellent care of customers’ needs.
Continuing The Legacy
Leading the way at Scott Performance Wire is Brian’s lifelong friend of 30 years, Mark Vieau. “Brian left us an uncut diamond here at Scott Performance Wire, and all we do every day is polish it with a bit of technology, people, and innovation,” Vieau says. “We’ve taken it to a different place, but it is still his company.” Vieau’s experience in the high-performance racing arena spans a lifetime. Having begun his automotive journey at a very young age, he learned a lot and moved up in racing quickly. “My first real race car was an AA Funny Car at age 18,” Vieau says.
Vieau decided early on that he wanted to be an engine builder, and he has spent the majority of his career learning from and working alongside icons of the automotive industry. Vieau has spent years as a member of several NASCAR teams as an engine builder and has been involved in developing engines for Ford, Chrysler, and others. His storied history within motorsports and in NASCAR could easily be a top-selling book. If you would like to hear more about his career, watch this video interview here.
The production facility at Scott Performance Wire is a somewhat simple setup. However, great attention to detail and quality control are the keys to producing some of the best wires on the market.
Vieau brings an intense passion for all things automotive to his leadership role at Scott Performance Wire. His goal is to produce the best possible product and educate customers and other enthusiasts on the importance of controlling the electricity traveling from the coil(s) to the spark plugs. The team at Scott Performance Wire utilizes 75 years of combined industry expertise to maintain a competitive edge through innovation to produce high-quality American-made spark plug wires at their Mooresville, North Carolina, facility. Today, Scott Performance Wire is a global company that supplies wires to race teams, individuals, and even does private labeling of its products. “We’ve built the company up to be able to supply to everybody, but the foundation is still the engine builders,” Vieau says.
That’s who we are, we’re racers. — Mark Vieau, Scott Performance Wires
When it comes to making a spark plug wire that can survive and perform in extreme environments like NHRA and NASCAR competition, it has to be designed and constructed with as much thought and care as the other components of the engine. “When our customers buy our product, they have to understand that I look at this meager spark plug wire the same way they look at the pistons, cylinder heads, or crankshaft,” Vieau says.
Spark plug wires are the last thing to go on an engine, and it’s the last thing engine builders think to order. — Mark Vieau, Scott Performance Wire
Uniquely Scott Performance Wire
So what sets Scott Performance Wire spark plug wires apart from the competition? While all spark plug wires are essentially produced the same, there are differences in the materials used and in the construction processes that will help or hurt the performance of a plug wire. First, there are two common types of plug wires, solid core and carbon core. Solid core wires, as the name implies, have twisted metal wires inside the shielding. These were commonly used on vehicles prior to the 1960s and work well on those vehicles because they offer very low resistance. As the years went by and the amount of electronics in vehicles grew exponentially, makers of spark plug wires have had to combat issues with electromagnetic interference (EMI), sometimes referred to as noise. Solid core wires are known to emit EMI and cause a number of issues in modern EFI vehicles, including false readings on gauges and sensors, and improper functioning of electrical systems.
The illustration explains what sets Scott Performance Wire carbon core products apart from the competition.
Following solid core wires and the rise of issues caused by the EMI these wires emit, a new design of spark plug wire was created to help solve the EMI issues. Carbon core wires, also known as spiral core wires, are the go-to wire for car enthusiasts. They create low noise and allow you to run other electronic systems worry-free. Spiral core wires also do an excellent job of allowing the full spark of your ignition system to reach the spark plug. “Virtually every plug or coil we make is a spiral core design,” Vieau says. “And they work great on everything from a street car to a race-ready NASCAR engine.”
From the initial cutting of the plug wires to the desired length, to hand testing every piece of wire and final assembly, great care and pride are taken by everyone at Scott Performance Wire to produce the most consistent and best performing spark plug wires possible.
Scott Performance Wire relies on what its team has learned over 45 years in motorsports and racing to create spark plug wires that are unmatched. Offered in thicknesses of 8.5mm and 10mm, their spark plug wires have excellent noise suppression as well as heat protection up to 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Scott Performance Wire uses a spiral core design that carries very low resistance to produce the best conductivity possible. “We test each and every wire after we build them to ensure the resistance and performance meets our strict quality control measures,” Vieau explains. Spark plug wires can be ordered as premade sets or you can order a custom set of wires that are built to your specific lengths and boot angle needs. Additionally, Scott Performance Wires stocks a wide range of colors so you can have your spark plug wires match your color scheme.
Scott Performance Wire offers a range of colors and boot choices along with the option to order custom lengths.
Taking Scott Performance Wire Into The Future
While Scott Performance Wire may not be the largest company of its kind, its focus remains on the customers and engine builders who have supported the company for almost four decades. “We could grow the company to be a 20 million dollar deal, but as long as I’m at the company, we are going to do whatever we have to to take care of engine builders and our customers,” Vieau says. This dedication and passion for our industry and the enthusiasts within it is what makes Scott Performance Wire special. The next time you need spark plug wires, it is worth the time to give Mark and his team a call. He is always happy to help diagnose an issue or offer advice on spark plug wires.
