DENSO Auto Parts will expand upon their involvement with NHRA Championship Drag Racing and create the DENSO Spark Plugs 200 MPH Club for racers in the Pro Stock Motorcycle category. This program will honor the first four racers in the two-wheel division who surpass the 200-mph barrier.
The initial racer who sets the national record will receive $10,000 and be honored during the FOX Sports NHRA broadcast as well as in National Dragster, NHRA.com, and on all NHRA social platforms. An additional $10,000 will be split amongst the following three riders that join this exclusive club. Bonuses will also be provided to the first four Pro Stock Motorcycle racers, if they eclipse the 200-mph barrier while using DENSO spark plugs.
The 200-mph barrier is a milestone many of the teams in Pro Stock Motorcycle have set their sights on and they each long to be the history-making rider. In 2011 Eddie Krawiec became the first competitor to enter in the 199 mph range. The current national record is 199.88 mph posted by Hector Arana Jr. set in March of 2015 at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, N.C.
“When the Pro Stock Motorcycle season begins at Gainesville Raceway in March, the competitors will be aiming to have their name entered in the record books as the first to break this barrier,” said Brad Gerber, NHRA vice president of sales & chief development officer. “The DENSO Spark Plugs 200 MPH Club members will forever be a part of NHRA’s rich performance history.”
“The individuals who first break the 200-mph barrier in Pro Stock Motorcycle will lead the category into a new era of competition,” said Lisa Michler, marketing communications manager for DENSO. “We are excited to be a part of such a milestone moment in NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle history.”
DENSO is the sponsor of the DENSO Spark Plugs NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, April 6-8 and the primary sponsor of Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Angie Smith and associate sponsor for her husband Matt.
About DENSO in North America
DENSO is a leading global automotive supplier of advanced technology, systems and components in the areas of thermal, powertrain control, electronics and information and safety. With its North American headquarters located in Southfield, Michigan, DENSO employs more than 23,000 people at 28 consolidated subsidiaries and 4 affiliates across the North American region. Of these, 25 are manufacturing facilities located in the United States, Canada and Mexico. In the United States alone, DENSO employs more than 17,000 people in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Iowa, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. DENSO’s North American consolidated sales totaled US$9.6 billion for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2017. For more information, go to www.denso.com/us-ca/en. Connect with DENSO on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DENSOinNorthAmerica.
About DENSO Corporation
DENSO Corp., headquartered in Kariya, Aichi prefecture, Japan, is a leading global automotive supplier of advanced technology, systems and components in the areas of thermal, powertrain control, electronics and information and safety. Its customers include all the world’s major carmakers. Worldwide, the company has more than 200 subsidiaries and affiliates in 38 countries and regions (including Japan) and employs more than 150,000 people. Consolidated global sales for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2017, totaled US$40.4 billion. Last fiscal year, DENSO spent 9.0 percent of its global consolidated sales on research and development. DENSO common stock is traded on the Tokyo and Nagoya stock exchanges. For more information, go to www.denso.com, or visit our media website at www.denso.com/global/en/news/media-center/
About NHRA
Headquartered in Glendora, Calif., NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 24 national events featuring the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by J&A Service. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and the NHRA Drags: Street Legal Style presented by AAA. NHRA also offers NHRA Jr. Street program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League for youth ages 5 to 17. In addition, NHRA owns and operates four racing facilities: Atlanta Dragway in Georgia; Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis; and Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California. For more information, log on to NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter.