Automotive in Edison

Michael Kornfeld has loved many cars in his life, from the red 1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme convertible he can still be seen driving from time to time, to the minivan he now calls his daily driver. This dichotomy seems to reflect the philosophy of Salit Auto Repair’s team of technicians, who turn their expertise toward vehicles from sporty to practical. Nestled inside the barn-style office, the garage rattles with the sounds of pneumatic car lifts, smooth-running engines, and the squeak of owners practicing their Dukes of Hazzard hood slide.

Although the race begins at noon, motor through the gates as early as 7 a.m. to start enjoying all that the speedway has to offer, from a pre-race concert by Kenny Loggins to the to the high-flying, back-flipping motorcycle mad men of the Metal Mulisha. Part of NASCAR's playoffs, the Pepsi MAX 400 gives race fans 400 miles of fleet-wheeled fun. From the comfort of their seats, spectators can watch like a hawk as NASCAR’s finest cover 200 laps around the asphalt oval with the speed of peregrine falcons, strategizing pit stops and bathroom breaks more craftily than the craftiest egrets. The speedway is equipped with 750 television monitors and 338 speakers, giving fans ample opportunity to bask in the warm glow of light waves and the comforting vibrations of sound lightning.

With every tire purchase at Suburban Discount Tire, customers receive complimentary tire services including free repairs, rotations, and wear-and-tear checks. A team of technicians extends the life of rubber feet through a nitrogen-fill program, which helps maintain proper tire inflation to keep cars trundling down highways or careening through drive-in movie screens during pivotal plot points. The techs also performer preventative services to repair faulty belts, leaky AC systems, and oil filters overdue for a change.

Since Angelo Resta first opened his business 67 years ago, Resta's Car Care & Rental has kept customers happy and vehicles shipshape with expert detailing, oil changes, new tires, and repair services. The bustling, five-bay auto shop traces its origins to 1946, when most of the roads around Somerset were paved in dirt, and cars were still propelled by 2-ton steam engines. Today, Angelo's sons, Ed and Frank, run the business, which is now a certified NAPA Auto Care Center where clients drop off their modern four-wheeled friends for certified state inspections, emissions repairs, buffing and waxing services, and axle, air-conditioning, and transmission repairs. Drivers can also refuel their cars, trucks, and SUVs at the full-service Shell gas station, or pick up a convenient rental vehicle from nearby Fred's Auto Rental.

The technicians at Wet Wheelz Detailing restore vehicles' luster with meticulous interior and exterior detailing services. The staff's attention to minutiae shows in its careful hand washes and paint-sealant application, as well as in the little things, from buffing tires to shampooing mats and shining rims.

Tire Barn's mechanics draw on more than 65 years of combined experience to service hard-working cars as they roll into one of the service bays tucked inside the garage's clean brick façade. Barely-there wait times disappear in an accommodating showroom area stocked with a 46-inch HDTV, glimmering chrome wheels, and free WiFi for building a website commemorating a young car's first oil change. Amid the cranking ratchets of four garage bays, heavy treaded rubber wraps around bare rims in trusted tire brands such as Michelin, Goodyear, and Continental. The full-service staff goes a step beyond routine tire and oil swaps and offers comprehensive repairs including computerized engine analyses and alloy-rim repair for wheels in the habit of streaking.