Iconic — adj. \ī-ˈkä-nik\ — widely recognized and

well-established; acknowledged for distinctive excellence

What are the most iconic brands in the automotive performance aftermarket?

We thought about that for a while and collected votes from thousands of hot rodders and performance enthusiasts on Summit Racing’s Facebook and Instagram in search of the answers.

The word “iconic” may mean different things to different people, but we chose to roll with the dictionary-based definition of the word.

Continuing the countdown to #1 is the brand you voted to the #8 spot on the list.

#8 — Isky Racing Cams

Isky Racing Cams, as you probably already know, is named after Ed Iskenderian.

In the hot-rodding world, Iskenderian is kind of a big deal. People know him.

His name is synonymous with the creation of the automotive performance aftermarket, and people who don’t call him Isky tend to call him The Camfather.

Super Chevy went so far as to suggest Isky Racing might be “the most prolific innovator in the history of hot rodding,” without raising many objections, because it’s totally true.

Iskenderian was first guy to design and manufacture aftermarket camshafts.

Right away, Iskenderian learned that having matched valvetrain components was critical to maximizing valvetrain performance as his advanced cam designs kept revealing deficiencies elsewhere.

Many of the parts readily available today didn’t exist in hot rodding’s early days.

When racers were testing their horsepower limits by pushing for bigger lifts and durations from their camshafts, other valvetrain parts would break.

Faster opening rates were destroying lifters. Faster closing rates were destroying springs. And as these parts failed, so too did the entire valvetrain assembly.

Iskenderian couldn’t just go buy new rockers and springs like we can today. He had to design his own components that could withstand the rigors of more power and speed.

So he did.

He also leveraged computer-aided design to machine precise, duplicate camshafts that would could serve performance enthusiasts’ hunger for more horsepower.

Isky Racing Cams quickly developed a reputation for producing parts that delivered more power and speed to race teams and street cars.

Iskendarian helped establish the Speed Equipment Manufacturers Association (now the Specialty Equipment Market Association, or SEMA) and served as its first president.

He was also the man who first sponsored a young Don Garlits, and played a critical role in the early days of his legendary racing career.

Isky’s legend is such one wonders how the brand could have slipped to #8. But one might say that any brand ahead of it is also a testament to the Isky Racing Cams legacy, since so much of the credit for getting this party started deservedly goes to this iconic name.

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Popular Isky Racing Cams Parts

Here’s a sampling of some of Isky Racing Cam’s most-popular and trusted parts:

Isky Racing Cams Camshafts

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Isky Racing Cams Lifters

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Isky Racing Cams Valve Springs

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Isky Racing Cams Rocker Arms