NHRA ORIGINALS VINTAGE T-SHIRT PROGRAM EXPANDS TO PREMIER RETAILERS NORDSTROM AND J.C. PENNEY

GLENDORA, Calif. (Jan. 17, 2012) — NHRA and JEM Sportswear announced today that premier retailers Nordstrom and J.C. Penney will be stocking the hugely popular NHRA Originals vintage T-shirts for boys.  This follows the NHRA Originals vintage men’s shirts that debuted to rave reviews at Target Stores nationwide in Fall, 2011.  

“We believe very strongly in the value of the NHRA brand and the mainstream appeal of our vintage designs, and the extremely successful launch of this program validates that sentiment,” said Gary Darcy, senior vice president of sales and marketing, NHRA.  

“Moving forward now, we are enthusiastically looking forward to sharing these classic NHRA Originals with a whole new set of potential fans who shop at Nordstrom and J.C. Penney.”

NHRA and JEM Sportswear are not just expanding the footprint of the program, they are also expanding the line, unveiling seven more NHRA Original T-shirt designs. In maintaining the ‘look and feel’ of the original line, these new T-shirts will utilize many of the iconic symbols and figures that have made NHRA Drag Racing such an integral part of the American culture for more than half a century.

“We knew that these classic symbols of NHRA Drag Racing would resonate with a number of retailers and the recently introduced designs demonstrate the sell-through power of these timeless and iconic marks,” said Jenni Gold, creative director, JEM Sportswear. 

Currently available in all 114 Nordstrom stores nationwide is the NHRA retro logo of the National Championship Drag Races in Indianapolis in 1961. Featuring a front engine dragster, the design harkens back to the first national event in NHRA’s history and is available in boys sizes, small-to-extra large.

With an anticipated on-floor date of Feb. 20, J.C. Penney intends to make available six different designs specifically targeted toward the youth market in 54 stores nationwide.  The designs feature three NHRA-themed shirts, including two NHRA generic designs featuring a classic Top Fuel dragster and a piston-driven finish line drag racing team theme.  A third design features the logo of the NHRA World Finals from the mid-1970s. 

The other three T-shirts focus on one of the most memorable head-to-head rivalries in the sport’s history: Don “The Snake” Prudhomme and Tom “The Mongoose” McEwen.  The classic “Snake” and “Mongoose” logos are featured on two shirts, while a third depicts a typical old-school event poster touting the “Snake vs. Mongoose” match race at a fictional raceway. 

In 2012, JEM Sportswear and NHRA will continue to roll out other designs and products through these and other retail outlets.