Custom wheels keep rides rolling in 'tricked out' style

For most people, their car is more than just a machine. It's a work of art.

Like the clothing we sport or the music we listen to, what we wheel around town is an extension of who we are.

As for their rides, some folks are purely practical and remain perfectly content with off-the-shelf stock features. For others, it's not a question of whether they'll customize their cars, but merely a matter of what they'll customize next.

But you need not be a car-customization aficionado to make a statement.

Car lovers can enhance the visual appeal of their rides through custom parts, accessories, gadgets and gizmos. Body kits, spoilers, wings, decals, and bumpers are commonly used to customize a car. Other accessories that can add new personality to your not-so-bling Buick include custom seats, stereo systems, grille guards, striping, neon trim lighting, and window tinting among others.

These accessories can be pricey. However, there's an easy and economical way you can really change the look of your vehicle without spending too much.

The creative solution: just install a new set of wheels.

Getting wheels "tricked out" is common these days: accessory wheels and tires have become a $3.23 billion business -- double what it was a decade ago, according to the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA).

Often clad in chrome, some containing spinning centers, customized wheels began gaining fans on the West Coast about five years ago. The fad has been fueled by such TV programs as Monster Garage, Pimp My Ride, even NASCAR's reality TV show NASCAR Angels, that showcase customized vehicles.

One of the reasons for the increase: car owners have more affordable options than ever before. The tough decision concerns style.

Wheel choices can be downright overwhelming. But for the avid NASCAR fan, NASCAR-inspired replica stock car wheels and wheels and wheel covers endorsed by many of NASCAR's top drivers are real "head-turning" rims that'll customize any ride.

Want to light up the two-lane highway heading into Atlanta Motor Speedway this Fall? A new set of NASCAR "dubs" should do the trick. Visit www.victorywheels.com to take a test drive.