Winter time in the Midwest is, for many who are not fans of skiing, snowmobiling and other outdoor activities of the season, a good time to be somewhere else.  Autumn, however, offers a last blush of outdoor splendor for those who wish to mingle with nature without fear of frostbite. In particular, Autumn is an excellent time to witness the outdoors in an unsurpassed panoramic multitude of colors.

A glimpse in the rearview mirror of time quickly demonstrates one of the advantages of the automobile. A horse-drawn excursion to view Fall colors was restricted by an equation based on time available and the average speed possible by your equestrian transportation system. Therefore, if you didn’t live close to an optimal spot to watch the leaves turn, you might not have the opportunity.

The automobile and hardened roadways have changed all that. Distance is now almost an inconsequential consideration modified more by the cost of gasoline than anything. Of course, a well tuned car with proper air pressure in the tires will help to mitigate that problem, too.

Today, viewing Fall colors brings up two primary issues: Where to go and when to go? A useful modern tool is available to resolve these questions – the Internet.

Here at Performance Unlimited, 5415 Austin Court, Ringwood, our goal is to ensure that your car operates safely, reliably and efficiently. Once those bases are covered, you have our automotive-physician’s approval to take to the wood-covered hills to explore the wonders of Autumn at its most extraordinary.  In fact, we’d like to help with that, too. So, below, we’ve put together some Web sites you can check to track the southward path of leaves changing from green to shades of red, orange, yellow and browns:

If you do need any assistance with your vehicle before hitting the road, please, keep Performance Unlimited in mind where service and quality are guaranteed. To learn more about Performance Unlimited, visit: www.4performanceunlimited.com. Or, call: 815-728-0343.

We’ve all heard the stories about accidents caused because someone was texting while driving. With modern communication devices, we’ve become accustomed to a world where we are always accessible by phone. The problem is that we need to remind ourselves that, just because our phone has beeped, whistled or played the theme song from “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly,” doesn’t mean we have to answer immediately.

But safe driving really goes beyond letting the phone buzz that you have an incoming call or text message. Safe driving means paying attention.

Motorcycle riders often make better drivers because they learn to pay attention while they ride. It becomes habit forming and carries into their driving when they get behind the wheel of a car. Even motorcycle safety courses emphasize the need to scan the road ahead, with your eyes on a constantly moving swivel, not just to see what’s happening but to anticipate what might happen.

A motorcycle rider is more apt to notice the kids playing ball near the street and think, “If that boy misses a throw, will he run into the street without looking?” They observe the lady rushing out to her car and realize, there’s always a chance, she’ll back out of the driveway at the wrong time.

Anticipating potential accident-causing situations allows time for adjustments to avoid the accident. The driver can slow down a little bit or move his or her vehicle away from a possible problem.

The reality is that it’s almost impossible to anticipate an accident while texting. Almost all accidents occur unexpectedly.  Preparing for the unexpected and texting just don’t go together.

Here at Performance Unlimited, we wish you all safe and happy travels. For more information about Performance Unlimited, visit: www.4performanceunlimited.com.

OK, so you’ve heard of this great auto repair shop – Performance Unlimited – where friends or neighbors have told you about the high quality of service and strong reputation. You may even have heard that it’s in Ringwood. But, where in the heck is Ringwood? Not to worry.

Where did you say you’re coming from? Crystal Lake? McHenry?

Simple: take Route 31 north. Continue past the jog on Route 120, past Johnsburg Road and past Ringwood Road. After Ringwood Road, you’ll turn Left on Dakota Drive. A short block and you’ll reach the intersection of Dakota and Austin Court. Performance Unlimited is the large, white building, with the purple sign, across Austin Court to your left.

Oh, I’m sorry. Did you say you were coming from Antioch?

Just as easy: take Route 173 to Route 31 and turn left. Continue south three miles and turn right onto Dakota Drive.

Did you say you want to tell your friend in Woodstock about Performance Unlimited?

Usually, I would suggest sending them up Greenwood Road to right on Howe Road and right onto Barnard Mill Road. Unfortunately, I’m not sure if the bridge construction is done just past that intersection.

In any case, until the bridge is completed, maybe you should tell your friend to take Route 120 to Ringwood Road and turn left. Tell them to continue on Ringwood Road past the 4-way stop signs at McCullom Lake Road and at Barnard Mill Road until they reach Route 31. Then they should turn left.

From the intersection of Ringwood Road and Route 31, it’s less than a mile to Dakota Drive.

Of course, with a GPS, maybe all they need is an address: 5415 Austin Court, Ringwood, IL. If they don’t have a GPS they can look it up on Mapquest.com. To make it simple for them, just send them this link: http://mapq.st/p0oj8P. It’ll take them to Performance Unlimited as sure as Performance Unlimited will keep their car in safe and reliable operating condition.

To learn more about Performance Unlimited, visit: www.4performanceunlimited.comor call 815-728-0343. And if you have any trouble finding the place, give me a call; I’ll give you directions or send up a flare, or something.

It seems they’ve got a month for almost everything – Bring Your Dog to Work Month; Eat Plenty of Hummus Month, Brush Your Teeth Month. Well, now someone has gone and named August Road Safety Month. Well, that’s the case according to CarParts.com, which has piggybacked onto the occasion to promote the sale of car parts.

A Web search to find out more about the ‘holiday’ found that CarParts is right, there are announcements of Road Safety Month – in the Philippines, Jamaica and Uzbekistan, though not necessarily last month.

In a way, every month is road safety month. Who would wish it to be otherwise?

Having a road safety month is a good way to remind people that the rote process of operating a vehicle becomes decidedly less mundane when involved in an accident. It’s a way of suggesting that, as you get in your car, it wouldn’t hurt to reflect on the importance of good driving habits. And CarParts.com isn’t too far off either.

Is your vehicle ready to operate on the roads safely? Bad tires and alignment, worn steering and suspension components, brakes that don’t brake – these are all potentially hazardous conditions that can take safe driving out of the hands of the driver.

Here at Performance Unlimited, we hope everyone had a safe and happy summer and we hope that level of safety continues throughout the year.

To learn more about Performance Unlimited, visit www.4performanceunlimited.com or call 815-728-0343.

So, you’ve decided to make the best of the situation: “Yes, kids, this is what it was like when I was a child and most cars didn’t have air conditioning.”

Then again, maybe you’re trying to think of a game to play with your offspring while you wait for a tow truck to arrive while smoke pours out of your hood. Another scenario has the entire family loaded into the car, along with luggage and other necessaries for your vacation. Everyone is excited to hit the highway and you’re singing like Clark Griswold. Then, you turn the key and the car won’t start.

“OK, everybody out.”

With that, they all go inside and watch television while you fiddle under the hood hoping there is a simple explanation. This is no time for your otherwise reliable car to not start – not on the day you want to start a vacation.

All of these scenarios, and more, can largely be avoided with a little maintenance and a pre-trip inspection. You wouldn’t lie in the sun without your sunblock and you don’t want to hit the highway on 95-degree day without a radiator full of coolant that actually has the capacity to cool.

Is the cooling fan working and working when it’s supposed to? Is the thermostat, that little doohickey inside the cooling system that allows the coolant to flow when it’s hot and stops it when it’s cool, operating correctly? Is the battery up to snuff and the charging system charging? Do you have tires that about to lose that essential ability to hold air?

There’s nothing worse than driving down the highway on a hot summer day, with a vacation destination a couple-hundred ahead of you, and a carload of kids asking, “Are we there yet,” when you begin to realize the air coming out of the vents is actually pumping more heat into the car instead of the expected cool air.

What can you do on your own? Depending on your personal level of mechanical ability, there are several things you can do.

Inspect the tires, starting with air pressure and including a visual inspection for tire wear and/or damage. Does the coolant reservoir have coolant in it? Pick up a gauge to check the specific gravity of the coolant to see if it still cools.

Do you have enough oil in the engine? Better yet, is it time for an oil change. If you know anything about cars you know that the best time to have a fresh and full batch of oil in the engine is when you’re sitting still on a highway under the baking sun because of an accident or road construction ahead.

The best bet, as vacation approaches, even if everything seems fine, is to bring you vehicle in to a auto technician you know you can trust and have the car looked over. There are a lot of critical parts on your car and, generally, it’s not good to find out one or more of them require attention when you’re miles and miles from home.

It’s also a good idea to make sure you’re ready for the road in other ways, too. Do you have road reflectors to put out if the car does breakdown, especially if you aren’t able to get off the road? Do you have water to put in the radiator if it does overheat (remember to be very cautious about opening a hot radiator)? How about a flashlight in case you breakdown at night? How does the spare tire look?

Some optional items might include games you can play with the kids – you can even use these when you reach your destination, and a good GPS. You might even find a GPS that will steer you around the traffic jam mentioned earlier.

The point is this – a little forethought goes a long way when you take to the road. Check your route ahead of time and make sure your vehicle is up to the task. Think about these things ahead of time and you can relax and focus on your vacation once you leave the house.

To learn more, visit: www.4performanceunlimited.com, or call: 815-728-0343. Performance Unlimited is located at 5415 Austin Court, Ringwood.

The Performance Unlimited Team makes regular appearances at the McHenry Green Street Cruise Night in the summer. Recently, however, they were joined by a little additional star power.

Bambi, the 2-year-old Pomeranian from Aldens Kennels, 6810 Barnard Mill Road, Ringwood, made a surprise appearance and posed for photographs with the Performance Unlimited Team. Bambi is renowned as a canine version of Dos Equis, the fictional “most interesting man alive” from a brewing company’s advertising campaign.

Bambi is the star of magazines and film. He has one of three legs towards his Companion Dog obedience title, he trains in obedience, Schutzhund and agility and has been immortalized on canvas by world renowned photograph Aurdrey Wancket of Spring Grove based Wancket Studios.

With all that going for him, Dennis Norton, owner of Performance Unlimited, said it’s a wonder fame hadn’t gone to Bambi’s head.

“It’s really nice to meet someone of Bambi’s stature without that whole diva attitude,” Norton said. “Start to finish, he was a real gentleman and, well, personable.”

To learn more about Performance Unlimited, visit: www.4performanceunlimited.comor call: (815) 728-0343. You can also learn more about Aldens Kennels at www.aldenskennels.com and about Wancket Studios at www.wancketstudios.com.

Wild Horses were all over the place Monday night in McHenry. These ponies weren’t just Mustangs, however. There were also Cameros, Road Runners and Cutlasses, to name a few. If you’re familiar with these breeds you’re an obvious connoisseur of the muscle-car era that lives on and was richly on display at the Green Street Cruise Night event. Green Street Cruise Nights occur every Monday at 6 p.m. throughout the summer.

“There were at least 480 cars out here tonight,” said Denny Norton of Ringwood-based Performance Unlimited, “a lot of really nice cars.”

Many of the cars displayed in the impromptu hotrod coral owe a measure of credit to Performance Unlimited for their pristine condition.

Performance Unlimited is well known in McHenry County as a premier auto shop to bring the family car for maintenance and repair. However, as the name suggests, they also help hotrodders and auto racers to maximize their potential.

Considering the symbiotic relationship between Performance Unlimited and area auto enthusiasts, it’s only natural that Norton and the Performance Unlimited Team would be on hand in their purple and black shirts with a booth and a chance to meet and talk cars with attendees.

The Performance Unlimited booth was one among several, including Alden’s Kennels, Artistic Embroidery Creations and PrePaid Legal Services. Artistic Embroidery can help with things like the embroidered patches on the Northern Illinois Streeters orange jackets (the car club is instrumental in putting on the event). Of course, PrePaid Legal can help out if someone is pulled over for cruising just a little too fast in their hotrod. And, Alden’s Kennels will take care of the family pet with its boarding and board and train programs while an enthusiast is on an extended cruise in their dream car.

But, Performance Unlimited is the one that will keep cruisers cruising.

As Norton put it, “If you like hotrods, there’s no better place to be on Monday night.”

Norton welcomed car enthusiasts to come out to Green Street Mondays this summer to see the cars. Or, if someone has a hotrod of their own, Cruise Night is a great way to show it off. While there, be sure to stop by the booths and meet the vendors who support the event.

For more information about Performance Unlimited, 5415 Austin Court, Ringwood, visit: www.4performanceunlimited.com.

To learn more about Aldens Kennels, 6810 Barnard Mill Road, Ringwood, visit: www.aldenskennels.com.

To learn more about Artistic Embroidery Creations, 5203 Home Ave., Mchenry, visit: www.artisticembroiderycreations.com.

To learn more about PrePaid Legal Services, McHenry, visit: www.prepaidlegal.com/hub/fahosticka.

Now that winter is over, maybe (considering these wild fluctuations of heat and cold), and road crews are out filling potholes, you might want to consider taking a look at the suspension and steering on your vehicle. Midwestern winters are particularly rough on automobiles and, this past winter, probably more so than most.

“Winters in northern Illinois can really play havoc on your car’s chassis,” said Denny Norton, owner of Ringwood based Performance Unlimited. “Even if your car was recently aligned, if you hit the wrong pothole, the wrong way, you’re right back where you started from or worse.”

Norton said that potholes and bumps in the road can damage various parts on the chassis and throw the steering out of whack. Both are bad news for vehicle owners.

“It’s not just that you car won’t handle as well,” said Norton. “It can also affect your gas mileage and, worse yet, can put you and your family at risk while driving.”

Paul Smith, owner of Cary based Smith & Associates, Inc., insurance services, agrees with Norton.

“As much as 10 percent of auto accidents can be traced to mechanical failure,” Smith said. “Brakes, tires, bearings, tie-rod ends: all these cause accidents when they malfunction or break.”

Smith said that tire failure is the most common cause of automobile accidents. However, Norton pointed out that damage to a car’s suspension and steering can lead to tire damage, including premature and irregular wear.

“Drivers should have their car’s chassis and steering inspected every spring,” he said. “It’s a good idea to check the alignment, too.”

A car’s front end is aligned to provide proper tracking of the tires and to ensure that the steering operates at the optimal level. Proper alignment extends the life of tires and frontend components. In the process, it ensures the car is handling well and gives the driver the best opportunity to avoid an accident.

Norton said that there are several signs of a front end that has problems – whether with components or alignment.

“If the car is pulling to one side or the other, or if you feel a pulsation in the steering wheel, that’s a good sign that something is wrong,” he said. However, he added that, from the driver’s perspective, it’s not always apparent when something in the steering or suspension needs attention.

He said drivers can have the chassis looked at when they bring their car into a repair shop for scheduled maintenance, such as an oil change.

“It doesn’t take long to check out the chassis,” Norton said, “But, it could be a life saver.”

To learn more about Performance Unlimited, or to schedule an appointment, call 815-728-0343 or visit: www.4performanceunlimited.com.

To learn more about Smith & Associates, Inc., insurance services, call 877-766-8552 or visit: www.saiinfo.com.

Business took me down from Woodstock to areas south of Chicago last week. For those down that way, if you’re not familiar with Woodstock, we’re just beyond the Sacred Elephant Graveyard. In other words, we’re a bit off the beaten track.

While casually cruising southbound on Highway 355 in my father’s Lincoln I suddenly smelled something akin to burning rubber as I saw a sign for the Route 34 exit. Then, the battery light came on just as I noticed an marked stiffness in the steering wheel.

I know these symptoms of automotive malaise well. In fact, it was only 24 hours earlier that, like déjà vu, I experienced the same symptoms in my own car (hence the need to borrow my father’s car for the day).

What are the odds of throwing a serpentine belt on two cars in consecutive days? It has to be some kind of a record.

Contemplating the irony of the events was secondary to my immediate problem as I turned off of 355 onto westbound 34. The prominent issue plaguing my mind was what to do now.

When someone looses a serpentine belt, the battery light comes on because the belt is no longer turning the alternator. That means the alternator is no longer creating a flow of electricity necessary to keep the car running. The car can run for a while off stored energy in the battery but that is a quickly diminishing commodity. In other words, just as someone knows they’d better find a gas station soon when the needle comes to rest on empty, I knew that I needed to find a repair shop before that red battery light on the dash began to fade.

And there it was – Lisle Automotive & Tire beckoning with hope for a solution from my dilemma. Grabbing the steering wheel firmly, I muscled the car into the parking lot and shutoff the engine.

Finding a repair shop is one thing. Finding one that can work on a car ‘now’ is another. I had driven on a diminishing batter to Denny Norton’s Performance Unlimited, 5415 Austin Court, Ringwood, after hours the day before. I knew, however, that my car was in good hands. But, Lisle Automotive & Tire? I had never even heard of this repair shop and, until I burned up the serpentine belt in my dad’s car, there was no reason I would have.

It occurred to me that I might have to find a room in Lisle and get back on the road the next day. And, whether I had to wait or not, what kind of a job would they do? I’m sure we’ve all heard the same auto-repair horror stories.

It’s my philosophy that finding a good mechanic is as important as finding a good doctor. When your car breaks, you need someone you can trust – someone who will get you back safely and expeditiously onto the road with a minimum of expense and hassle. That’s why I bring my car to Denny. I know, from experience, that I can trust Denny and his staff to take good care of me and my car.

At Lisle Automotive & Tire, however, at best it was the luck of the draw.

We’ve established that I have about the worst possible luck in serpentine belts. I discovered last week that, apparently, I have the best possible luck in finding auto mechanics. Don Thomey, of Lisle Automotive & Tire, 1508 Ogden Ave., Lisle, had me on the road in about an hour. And I had far less pain in the wallet than I expected.

You’ll notice I’ve included the address to his shop. I don’t provide addresses and recommendations for companies I don’t trust. I can’t tell you how glad I am to have a place like Performance Unlimited to maintain my car. But, now I know that, if I’m traveling to southern reaches of Chicagoland, I can always call on Lisle Automotive & Tire with a similar level of confidence.

To learn more about Lisle Automotive & Tire, visit: www.lisleautomotiveandtire.com. To learn more about Performance Unlimited, visit: www.4performanceunlimited.com.

Most people in the area know Denny Norton as the owner of Performance Unlimited, the auto repair shop at 5415 Austin Court, Ringwood, that keeps their cars safely on the roads. A few years back, however, it was just as common to see Norton behind the wheel of a stock car or monster truck. Norton made a name for himself as a competitive driver in the region.

April 23 and 24, Norton returned to competitive driving, though in a less familiar arena – road racing.

Merry Men is a name that conjures visions of robust men with long bows and English accents wearing green tights. For Norton’s return to racing, it represented the name of a team of racers, including Wayne Seely, Mike Recine, Ken Girard and Dave Johnson, who were racing for fun and to raise funds for Japanese Tsunami relief. Norton said that, while he enjoyed the more gentlemanly sport of road racing, he was just fine skipping the tights.

“I was surprised the way some of the other drivers would politely move out of your way,” Norton said of his first experience road racing. “With monster trucks and stock cars, it’s a bit more aggressive than that.”

Norton said he’s comfortable hugging someone else’s bumper while going through turns at (???) mph. He said he’s also comfortable driving in heavy traffic with other drivers who aren’t afraid to fight for the lead.

Though, during the road race, if he tried to slide into another car’s slip stream, the other driver would inevitably, and with a very proper air of ‘sorry old chap’ civility, move aside, that’s not to say the event wasn’t competitive. In fact, Norton said it took him a couple laps to shake off the rust from several years’ absence from competitive racing. Still, the Merry Men finished 16^th overall out of 65 cars, and ninth in their class.

Finishing at all was the key. Seely said the event was part of the ’24 Hours of Lemons’ nationwide endurance races to prevent gingivitis. He said the group raised $960 to donate to the Red Cross to help survivors of the March 11 Tsunami that slammed into the northeast coast of Japan.

“I’m still soliciting,” Seely said. “I want to get over $1,000.”

Seely, who Norton described as a strong and experienced road-racing driver, said that Norton definitely enjoyed the event at Gingerman Raceway in South Haven, MI.

“He (Norton) had so much fun he said he’s thinking about building his own car for next year’s Lemon Race,” Seely said.

This year, the team of five took turns behind the wheel of a rented 1969 Alfa Bellini.

“It was an ugly car – oh yeah,” said Norton. “But, it handled well.”

The race was slowed a bit on Saturday, April 23, when the track was peppered by rain and snow. Seely said he’s used to racing in wet conditions. On the other hand, he said Norton probably didn’t have much chance to race in the snow or rain as stock car and monster truck competitions were shut down when the weather turned sour.

“We tried using Rain-X every time we came into the pits,” Seely said of the wet track that sprayed a mix of water, residue of rubber and grease onto the windshields. “It helped at first but, after two laps, it would be just grease again.”

He said that, in those conditions, the best you can do is to follow the other guy’s taillights.

By Sunday, the rain and snow had cleared up.

“Once Denny got on the dry track, he was in his element,” Seely said. “He was just flying through the turns.”

Seely said his top lap time was one-minute, 50 seconds. Norton beat that time by one second.

“Once he (Norton) got himself acclimated to that environment, he picked it up real quick,” Seely said.

Seely said the team ran 326 laps and finished the race. Norton said about 20 percent of the cars didn’t finish.

“I ran that car hard,” Norton said. “It was fun. You couldn’t have wiped that smile off of my face if you had tried.”