MAHLE Aftermarket has announced plans to continue its partnerships with several of the National Hot Rod Association’s (NHRA) most recognized motorsports icons. Serving as pivotal members of the Team MAHLE Engine Parts and Products Test Teams, this group of elite drivers enlisted for the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing season will also support MAHLE through branded racecar promotion and special event appearances slated throughout the year.
“MAHLE has been fortunate to have been collaborating with some of these incredible forces in the motorsports industry for several years now; in fact, 2023 marks six years of partnership with John Force Racing and 12 years of partnership with Clay Millican,” said Jon Douglas, president, MAHLE Aftermarket North America. “Since the initial onboarding, our relationship with NHRA has blossomed and we’ve been able to grow our arsenal of Team MAHLE championship drivers.”
According to MAHLE, its premium aftermarket piston rings and engine bearings are used by every NHRA Nitro race team that goes down the track. The company’s newly released gasket offering also enables good vehicle penetration, the company adds. MAHLE says its components are used by all NHRA Nitro competitors due to their proven reliability and consistency of optimized vehicle performance when it’s time to hit the racetrack.
Earlier this month, the Team MAHLE NHRA drivers kicked off the 2023 season at the AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida. Of note, Matt Hagan of Tony Stewart Racing took home the first 2023 Funny Car Wally win racing Kalitta Motorsports driver, J.R. Todd, in the final round. During his first-round win on the way to a semifinal finish, Kalitta Motorsports Top Fuel driver, Doug Kalitta, recorded a career-best 3.646-second elapsed time at 333.82 mph, which also set the Gainesville Raceway elapsed time track record. Lastly, Brittany Force, dragster champion and daughter of well-known drag racer, John Force, secured the first Top Fuel No. 1 qualifier of the year. Ron Capps earned the title of first No. 1 qualifier for the Funny Car division.
2023 Team MAHLE NHRA Roster of Drivers
J.R. Todd, Kalitta Motorsports – 2018 NHRA Funny Car Champion
Shawn Langdon, Kalitta Motorsports – 2013 NHRA Top Fuel Champion
Doug Kalitta, Kalitta Motorsports – Michigan Motorsports Hall of Famer
John Force, John Force Racing – 16-time NHRA Funny Car Champion
Brittany Force, John Force Racing – 2-time NHRA Top Fuel Dragster Champion
Robert Hight, John Force Racing – 3-time NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Funny Car Champion
Austin Prock, John Force Racing – 2019 NHRA Rookie of the Year
Leah Pruett, Tony Stewart Racing [] – 2010 NHRA Nostalgia Funny Car Champion
Matt Hagan, Tony Stewart Racing [] – 3-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion
Ron Capps, Ron Capps Motorsports [] – 3-time NHRA Funny Car Champion
Antron Brown, AB Motorsports – 3-time NHRA Top Fuel Dragster Champion and first African American champion in drag racing history
Clay Millican, Clay Millican Racing – 6-time IHRA World Champion
Details of the complete 2023 NHRA schedule can be located here: https://www.nhra.com/schedule/2023.
