If you're striking an arc, you're either using a stick welder - definitely not recommended for anything close to a race car part - or you're using a stick machine with a TIG torch. Doable, but you lose being able to control the heat. If you must, use a copper pad next to where you are welding to avoid contaminating the tungsten.

I've also seen guys use the ground clamp to knock the wire back on a MIG if it got run out of the gun too far. Makes a s***mess of the clamp. For those too lazy to keep a pair of dykes handy.