USF2000 Inks Agreement With Performance Friction Brakes

PALMETTO, January 20, 2009: Fans may not realize the long-standing relationship, but racing insiders will nod knowingly when they learn that Performance Friction Corporation (PFC), the manufacturer of Performance Friction brakes, has agreed to support the Indy Racing League’s newest series.

PFC’s president used to race Formula 2000 cars like those featured in the USF2000 National Championship presented by Cooper Racing Tires and powered by Mazda.

Fourteen years ago this month that executive, Don Burgoon, qualified tenth and finished 15th in a F2000 race at the brand-new Walt Disney World Speedway in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. that was a support event for the IRL’s inaugural Indy 200.

At this year’s USF2000 season opener March 27-28 on the street circuit in another city in Florida, St. Petersburg, each U.S. Formula 2000 car will sport a decal for Burgoon’s company.  That’s because today it was announced that Performance Friction will be the official provider of brake components for the series.

The top class, the Championship class, will use Performance Friction brake pads and rotors this year and add its new aluminum brake caliper in 2011, according to Dan Andersen, president and chief executive officer of Andersen Promotions, which administers the USF2000 series for the IRL. The “B” class, called the National class, will use Performance Friction brake pads exclusively.

Performance Friction, which is based in Clover, S.C. and has additional offices in Novi, Mich.; Australia; England and Japan, will also present an award at the series’ year-end awards ceremony.

“Don Burgoon drove an F2000 car in our USF2000 series back in the 1990s,” Andersen noted. “I have used his products for everything I have done in racing, from F2000 [both club and pro] to Star Mazda and Firestone Indy Lights, and I know that they are by far the best brake components for racing applications in the world. I want them in our series because PFC is the best, and I am delighted they want to be here with us as well.”

Performance Friction brakes are the standard of excellence in high-performance vehicles, commercial fleets and street vehicles. Hundreds of races and more than 1,500 championships have been won on Performance Friction Carbon Metallic® pads. Last year alone over 120 racing champions all over the world drove to victory on Performance Friction brakes.

Fleet maintenance managers for both on-road and off-road applications also rely on Performance Friction brakes, which are 100 percent American made at the company’s 200,000-square-foot plant in South Carolina. The company supplies brake pads and rotors for domestic and international markets, major automotive retailers including Auto Zone and Pep Boys, and thousands of brake installers through local distributor networks.

For more information see its Web site at performancefriction.com.