GEARWRENCH, the manufacturer of premier mechanic hand tools, has partnered with Don Schumacher Racing to be the official tool supplier of Ron Capps and the NAPA AUTO PARTS Funny Car team.
The multi-year agreement between GEARWRENCH and DSR’s NAPA Funny Car team marks the tool maker’s first foray into NHRA drag racing since 2014. The brand’s racing sponsorship platform has grown substantially since 2017, having partnered with various IndyCar, NASCAR, Formula Drift, and Monster Energy Supercross teams, among others. GEARWRENCH is excited to join forces with Capps and the NAPA team for the opportunity to reach NHRA’s captive audience of automotive ‘do-it-yourselfers’ and grassroots racers.
“Getting involved with Ron and the NAPA team and NHRA is a no-brainer,” said Rena Fiorello, Director of Brand Management at GEARWRENCH. “Drag racing is one of those sports where the fans can really relate. They tinker on their own cars at home and bring them out to their local dragstrips on open test-and-tune nights. NHRA fans are our target audience, and Ron will be an excellent ambassador for us. GEARWRENCH tools are designed to meet the toughest requirements of automotive technicians and industrial users. What better testament to the quality of our products than to be used on Ron’s 330-mile-per-hour, nitromethane-burning beast of a vehicle?”
The move also supports the retail relationship between GEARWRENCH and NAPA AUTO PARTS.
“We’ve enjoyed a long relationship with NAPA, and this partnership with the NAPA Funny Car team will help us build on that,” Fiorello said. “We’re working with them on an aggressive growth strategy, which includes expanding the GEARWRENCH product line across the NAPA system. We’re thrilled to expand our partnership by teaming up with them on the track.
As the official tool supplier of the NAPA AUTO PARTS Funny Car team, GEARWRENCH branding will be prominently featured on Capps’ 11,000-horsepower Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, his firesuit, NAPA crew member shirts, and throughout the NAPA hospitality area. GEARWRENCH is also planning to partner with NAPA AUTO PARTS on various activation programs and appearances both on and off the track.
“I’m delighted to bring GEARWRENCH into our NHRA world,” said Capps, the 2016 NHRA Funny Car world champion. “The racing on the track at any NHRA event is always incredible, but as we know, most of those races are won in the pit area where the talented teams tear these cars apart and put them back together in a matter of minutes. GEARWRENCH offers a durable line of products for the professional-level mechanics. The same tools used by NAPA crew members can be purchased at NAPA stores. With NHRA fans having the most accessibility of any sport that I know of and having a front-row view to watch GEARWRENCH tools at work, this partnership is a natural fit.”
Fans can expect to see the addition of GEARWRENCH branding on the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat when the 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season commences with the NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., March 12-14.
DSR PR
