SPECIAL EVENT (AUBURN HILLS) - 'Big Daddy' Don Garlits Will Display a Mopar Wynn's Charger Dragster at 2007 SEMA
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Garlits began the adaptation with his historic Swamp Rat 12-A, a front-engine fuel dragster he ran in the '60s. Mopar provided the 392 HEMI crate engine and related technical assistance to the project. To give the engine classic AA fuel dragster treatment, Garlits supercharged and converted it to nitro. The result is a modern HEMI engine with all the nostalgia parts and components to spout ear-splitting terror. With Wynn's sponsorship, Garlits restored the chassis and hand built the special parts to adapt the engine to run on nitro with an 80 percent mix.
"We're in exciting new territory with this engine," says Garlits. "We will creep up on it -- run cacklefests for now, then get into burnouts later."
This 392 HEMI crate engine is the latest chapter in Garlits' long HEMI-powered history with Mopar. It began in 1956 when he adopted the 331 cu. in. Chrysler FirePower HEMI V-8 engine. Then in 1957, he upgraded to the then-new 392 FirePower HEMI engine to begin a long series of record-breaking performances. Garlits added a 6-71 supercharger for the first time in 1959 -- and never looked back.
Garlits' dominance in professional drag racing took the HEMI powerplant to new levels of visibility and prominence. He was the first drag racer to officially surpass 170, 180, 200, 240, 250, 260, and 270 mph. He was also the first to top 200 mph in the 1/8 mile. Garlits's HEMI-powered Swamp Rat XXX was enshrined in The Smithsonian Institution in 1987.
The new Mopar Wynn's Charger Dragster also marks the renewal of Wynn's sponsorship of Don Garlits. The relationship began in 1960 when a Wynn's decal first appeared on his Swamp Rat III. The name "Wynn's Jammer" appeared on the Swamp Rat VII a few years later. The current name, "Wynn's Charger," was on the Swamp Rat X and last seen on the Swamp Rat XXIII in 1977.
"Wynn's was the first company to sponsor me," said Garlits. "Before that, the only help I got was free parts."
After SEMA, the Garlits' Charger Dragster will head to the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) show in Orlando on Dec. 6 -- 8, 2007.
About Wynn's
Wynn's traces its history to 1939 when the original Wynn's Friction Proofing Oil Treatment(R) formula was first developed and introduced to the automotive market. Over 65 years following the introduction of that single product, Wynn's has grown to become a leading worldwide manufacturer and marketer of innovative, groundbreaking automotive specialty chemicals and service equipment, as well as Complete Automotive Maintenance Programs. For more information on Wynn's, log on to http://www.wynnsusa.com/.
About SEMA
The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show, the annual showcase of technology, trends and products for the $36.7 billion automotive parts and accessories industry, will be held Oct. 30 -- Nov. 2, 2007 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The premier automotive specialty products trade event in the world, SEMA draws the industry's brightest minds and hottest products to the Las Vegas Convention Center and attracts more than 100,000 industry leaders from over 100 countries in the automotive, truck and SUV markets. Open to domestic and international industry professionals and media, the 2007 SEMA Show will feature more than 2,000 exhibitors. More than 100,000 are expected to attend this year. SEMA was founded in 1963. The industry provides appearance, performance, comfort, convenience and technology products for passenger and recreational vehicles.
70 Years of Mopar
When Chrysler bought Dodge in 1928, the need for a dedicated parts manufacturer, supplier and distribution system to support the growing enterprise led to the formation of the Chrysler Motor Parts Corporation (CMPC) in 1929.
Originally used in the 1920s, Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) was trademarked for a line of antifreeze products in 1937. It was also widely used as a moniker for the CMPC. The Mopar brand made its mark in the 1960s -- the muscle car era. The Chrysler Corporation built race-ready Dodge and Plymouth "package cars" equipped with special high-performance parts. Mopar carried a line of "Special Parts" for super stock drag racers and developed its racing parts division called Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use.
Today, Chrysler LLC's Global Service & Parts division is responsible for the manufacturing and distribution of nearly 250,000 authentic Mopar replacement parts, components and accessories for Chrysler, Jeep(R) and Dodge vehicles sold around the world. To assure quality, reliability and durability, all Mopar parts and accessories are designed in strict adherence to Chrysler engineering standards.