Mopar’s Magneti Marelli Expands NHRA FC Partnership
Mopar’s aftermarket partner, Magneti Marelli is expanding its relationship with Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer care brand, as well as its involvement in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drag racing series….
The international automotive parts supplier will partner with Mopar as primary sponsors of Don Schumacher Racing’s Dodge Charger R/T driven by Matt Hagan for multiple races during the 2013 season.
Race fans will notice a fresh new look to Hagan’s Funny Car starting this weekend at the Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., as a ‘Magneti Marelli Quality Auto Parts Offered by Mopar’ primary paint scheme will be highlighted on the Dodge Charger R/T entry. The same scheme will soon be displayed on the team’s transporter, as well as driver and crew uniforms.
“2013 is a very important year for us to educate the aftermarket world that Magneti Marelli stands for Quality Automotive Parts for All Vehicle Makes and we are very proud to partner with Don Schumacher Racing and Matt Hagan to build that awareness,” says Pietro Berardi, Magneti Marelli CEO of Global Aftermarket, about the partnership expansion. “It’s a perfect match since Magneti Marelli has a long history of motorsports involvement and we are excited to expand our reach within the NHRA racing. We are looking forward to a successful season with Matt Hagan as well as Allen Johnson who we also sponsor.”
“We are excited to continue and expand our relationship with Matt Hagan and Don Schumacher Racing by including our partnership with Magneti Marelli and continue to raise awareness for our brands and quality products,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “Along with our Mopar fans, we look forward to watching and supporting Matt and his hard-working team as they compete for another championship. The extension of our partnership with Magneti Marelli to include this primary sponsorship bolsters our collective commitment and support of NHRA drag racing.”
Mopar’s involvement with the NHRA originated in the 1950s with legendary racer Don Garlits, and includes a long-standing relationship with Don Schumacher and his team that began in 1970. Magneti Marelli’s history is steeped in racing tradition as well, having been involved in Formula 1 since 1950, as well as World Rally Championship and most recently the American Le Mans Series with the Chrysler Group’s SRT Viper program. Both brands’ involvement in motorsports has provided not only sponsorship, but a supply of high-performance parts and advanced technologies.
Mopar and Magneti Marelli’s racing alliance began at the start of last season with the associate sponsorship of the Don Schumacher Racing team and that of 2012 Pro Stock Champion Allen Johnson. After exploring the opportunity to be more closely involved with Mopar in NHRA, the choice to increase Magneti Marelli’s participation and promote both brands’ passion for racing and quality parts was an easy one to make.
The two brands partnered in April 2011, combining Mopar’s 75 years of U.S. automotive parts and service prowess with Magneti Marelli’s 93 years of international automotive parts experience to create an automotive parts giant that provides quality parts for all makes and models of vehicles nearly as quickly as one of Matt Hagan’s final elimination runs on the drag strip.
The partnership and launch of the “All Makes” parts program for the North American aftermarket gave the Chrysler Group dealership network and its customers the ability to service competitive make and model vehicles with high-quality parts at an exceptional value, creating one-stop service and parts shops for customers.
Since its introduction, the “Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar” program has grown to encompass more than 30 product lines and in excess of 2,000 part numbers, including top-selling maintenance products such as filters and brake components. Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar product lines also feature electrical products, exhaust products, window motors and assemblies, wheel bearings and hubs, water pumps and timing belts, remanufactured starters and alternators, chassis and suspension components as well as air conditioning components.
About Mopar Motorsports
Mopar’s commitment to professional motorsports competition was established in the 1950s when a partnership ignited with drag racing pioneer Don Garlits, resulting in the breaking of numerous speed and performance barriers in HEMI®-powered vehicles over the next several decades. In 2013, Mopar looks to defend its two NHRA 2012 World Championship titles in Pro Stock and Funny Car categories, and celebrates 25 consecutive years as title sponsor of the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals in Colorado. While Mopar remains involved in a various professional motorsports series, it continues to honor its roots by being a proud supporter of amateur racing within the NHRA with its sponsorship of the HEMI Challenge and Mopar Sportsman Cup.
About the Mopar Brand
Mopar is Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand. With the creation of the Chrysler Group and Fiat S.p.A. partnership, Mopar is extending its global reach, integrating service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance dealer and customer support worldwide. Combined with Fiat S.p.A., Mopar’s global portfolio includes more than 500,000 parts and accessories that are distributed in more than 130 countries. Mopar is the source for all genuine parts and accessories for Chrysler Group and Fiat S.p.A. brands.
Mopar parts are unique in that they are engineered with the same teams that create factory-authorized vehicle specifications for Chrysler Group and Fiat S.p.A. vehicles — a direct connection that no other aftermarket parts company can provide. A complete list of Mopar accessories and performance parts is available at www.mopar.com.
About Magneti Marelli
Based in Italy (Corbetta, Milan), Magneti Marelli was established in 1919. The company is a subsidiary of Fiat Group and has a presence and reputation in racing, including Formula 1 and World Rally Championship (WRC).
With 2012 revenues of $7,5 billion and approximately 36,900 employees, Magneti Marelli designs and produces advanced automotive systems and components. The company has 83 production facilities, 12 research and development centers and 26 application centers in 19 countries. The group supplies leading automakers in Europe, North America, South America and the Far East. Its business areas include: Electronic Systems, Lighting, Powertrain, Suspension Systems and Shock Absorbers, Exhaust Systems, Aftermarket Parts and Services, Plastic Components and Modules, and Motorsport.
Magneti Marelli USA coordinates the activities of all Magneti Marelli divisions in the NAFTA region from its North American headquarters, located in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
Magneti Marelli can rely on a longstanding presence in North America with Powertrain, Lighting, Electronic Systems, Suspension Systems (Shock Absorbers) and Motorsport businesses. Magneti Marelli has established a significant presence in the world of aftermarket and service networks in the US, thanks to the partnership with MOPAR
About Magneti Marelli After Market Parts and Services
Magneti Marelli After Market Parts and Services is the division of Magneti Marelli devoted to all the activities related to the automotive aftermarket and service networks.
Magneti Marelli AMPS has business activities in over 80 countries where it distributes spare parts, automotive components and information to the Independent Aftermarket, through a network of spare parts dealers; and provides the drivers with assistance, services, products and know-how through a network of authorized workshops. Magneti Marelli After Market Parts and Services also provides workshops with professional training courses. The division operates on the repair market under the trademark of Magneti Marelli Checkstar Service Network in Europe, while in Latin America, in addition to the Checkstar name, Magneti Marelli also operates under the Cofap name. Putting together all the various trademarks, the network has almost 4,800 workshops worldwide.
Posted by: Pat Caporali
