Now, Penske Racing Shocks will be a sponsor for the first time in the ADRL in 2012.
The world's premier eighth-mile drag racing league announced the sponsorship on Thursday, forging an already strong partnership with one of the industry leaders.
"After seeing the car count at each race, the large fanbase and how the ADRL and each event is ran, we definitely wanted to be part of the 2012 season. There's a tremendous amount of potential in the ADRL," Penske Racing Shocks Drag Department Marketing Manager Adam Lambert said.
"The ADRL is constantly evolving, getting faster and improving and that's exciting to see. There's so many new things going on and we want to give back to the racers and say thanks to all the teams that run and support our product."
Based out of Reading, Pa., Penske Racing Shocks (PRS) have only been involved in drag racing for the past three years.
But with quality products and customer service, PRS has quickly become a top choice for a number of competitors in the ADRL, presenting user-friendly shocks that helped in a number of areas, including 60-foot times, reduced tire shake and increased launch control.
In fact, they were used by ADRL world champions Cary Goforth (Extreme Pro Stock), Mike Castellana (Pro Nitrous) and Jason Hamstra (Pro Extreme).
"It's definitely good to see the progress we've made since we started our drag program. It's keeps getting better and better, and to go to the ADRL, it really makes our product shine even more," Lambert said.
"These are cars with big horsepower and I think we kind of proved our worth last year. We want to keep moving forward and keep developing new products to help make these cars go faster and faster."
A tremendous amount of Extreme Pro Stock and Pro Nitrous cars found success with PRS products in 2011, and Lambert expects the company to have an even greater impact in Pro Extreme and other classes in 2012 as well.
PRS will also have a greater presence at each event on the 2012 ADRL, which starts on March 30-31 at Royal Purple Raceway in Houston and includes 10 national events.
"It is great to have companies like Penske Racing Shocks come on board for the first time. Not only is it the start of a new partnership, it shows that the ADRL is continuing to grow and bring new companies into the fold," ADRL Executive Vice President Jeff Fortune said.
"Penske Racing Shocks have proven to be a top-notch product in a short time and we're thrilled to have them as an official sponsor for the 2012 season."
With the Northeast Drags II (May 5-6) to take place at historic Maple Grove Raceway for the second time in 2012, PRS will also enjoy a race less than 15 minutes from its Reading shop.
Lambert also expects a big 2012 season for both PRS and the ADRL as PRS releases more innovative shock products.
"We're always working hard with new products and new designs to make sure our product is second to none," Lambert said. "These cars are going to be even faster in 2012 and it's our job to keep everything running well."
