DENSO Products and Services Americas, an affiliate of leading global automotive supplier DENSO Corp., has partnered with Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Angie Smith as her lead sponsor for four weekend contests of the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. The first event, the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, takes place April 28-30 at Smith’s hometown racetrack, zMAX Dragway in Concord, North Carolina.
After extensive off-season testing, Smith is racing on DENSO Iridium spark plugs for the entire 2017 season. A member of the Matt Smith Racing Team, she is within three points of breaking into the top 10 rankings for a shot at the championship.
“I started off the season with a lot of momentum and I’m getting great results on the track,” said Smith, who rides a Buell V-Twin at speeds of nearly 198 mph. “I am on a mission to get our DENSO Pro Stock Motorcycle into the winner’s circle this year!”
“We’re proud to sponsor Angie and support her ongoing success,” said Joseph Mejaly, senior vice president of operations, sales, strategic planning and marketing at DENSO Products and Services Americas. “She’s a top competitor and an experienced technician and we have very high expectations for her.”
In addition to the North Carolina race, DENSO will be Smith’s lead sponsor at the July 28-30 Toyota Sonoma Nationals in California, the Sept. 29-Oct. 1; AAA Insurance Midwest Nationals in Illinois, and the Oct. 26-29 Toyota Nationals in Las Vegas.
Born and raised in Kernersville, North Carolina, Smith started racing competitively in the Outlaw Pro Street class, where she was known by her maiden name, Angie McBride. In 2004, she captured the Outlaw Pro Street championship. During those years, a fierce rivalry ensued with competitor Matt Smith. A top-ranked Pro Stock Motorcycle racer with 18 career wins to date under his belt, he invited her to join Matt Smith Racing in 2008. They married in 2009.
DENSO served as the title sponsor of the March 31-April 2 NHRA Las Vegas Nationals and is a supporting sponsor of all 24 races in the 2017 Mello Yello series. DENSO also is a product sponsor of Matt Smith Racing.
At every race, fans will find DENSO’s full line of spark plugs at Nitro Alley, the midway where they can learn more about and purchase DENSO plugs. Throughout the series, DENSO also posts race and product updates on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
