Makita Global
MAY 1, 2008, La Mirada, CA – Makita U.S.A., Inc., manufacturer of high quality industrial power tools and accessories, has extended its presence in the world of live race events with its sponsorship of DragonFire Racing. DragonFire is part of the Polaris 2008 RANGER Side-by-Side Race Team, which competes on Polaris RANGER side-by-side vehicles.
“Side-by-side racing is experiencing huge growth, and we’re happy to be a part of it,” said Brent Withey, Makita senior brand manager. “We look forward to being part of the action with DragonFire Racing in the 2008 CORR series.”
Makita joins DragonFire Racing, which is sponsored by Polaris, the Minnesota-based engineer, manufacturer, and marketer of side-by-sides, all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles and Victory Motorcycles. The Polaris RANGER RZR is preferred by racers and recreational users alike, and parts of the vehicle are assembled with Makita Industrial Power Tools in Polaris’ plant in Osceola, Wisconsin. DragonFire Racing will race its built-by-Makita Polaris RANGER RZR on outdoor tracks in California and Nevada in the Championship Off Road Racing (CORR) Series.
“We’re excited about partnering with Makita Industrial Power Tools and Polaris for the 2008 season,” said Todd Romano, president of DragonFire Racing. “This season, we have the tools, the product, and the racing technology to make a big impact on the CORR Series.”
Side-by-side racing is the newest category in CORR, and is relatively new to off-road racing in general. The off-road side-by-side vehicles now being modified for race competitions were originally considered work vehicles and primarily used for construction and agriculture. In the past several years, the work-only vehicles evolved into recreational and racing vehicles. With the category’s exploding popularity, side-by-side racing was added to the CORR series this year as a sanctioned class. DragonFire Makita Polaris Racing Team Drivers Jimmy Weitzel and Todd Romano use a modified version of the Polaris RANGER RZR, which is a highly sought after model in the growing side-by-side category for both racing and recreational use.
“The expansion of our RANGER race team is part of our commitment to side-by-side racing,” said Craig Scanlon, product line sales manager for Polaris. “With the addition of RANGER RZR and its race successes, 2007 was a break out year for us and we are excited to see what 2008 holds.”
Polaris manufactures the RANGER RZR and other side-by-side vehicles in factory plants in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The Osceola plant in Wisconsin uses Makita cordless drivers, and prefers the tools for their power and performance.
“With the Makita cordless drivers, we were able to forgo expensive air and electrical drops that would be necessary for standard corded air or electric tools,” said Jeff Schwochert, manufacturing engineer for Polaris Industries. “From a quality standpoint, the Makita drivers hold a very steady torque range, are very robust and deliver consistent performance, just like the RANGER RZR.”
For Makita, the sponsorship of DragonFire Racing is a natural step in its growing line of partnerships in racing and action sports.
“Makita industrial quality power tools are engineered for professional tool users,” said Brent Withey, senior brand manager for Makita. “We know that pro tool users work hard, and we also
know that racing and action sports are a big part of their lives off the jobsite. So you’ll continue to see Makita on jobsites across America, but you’ll also see Makita at Supercross, Motocross, Superbike, and ATV races, as well as off-road in side-by-side racing at the CORR series.”
Makita is already a fixture on the AMA Supercross and Motocross Series. This year Makita and Suzuki teamed up with Rockstar to form Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing. The team debuted in January at the AMA Supercross season opener in Anaheim, where team rider Ryan Dungey won the Supercross Lites class race. The team will race in the upcoming 2008 AMA Motocross Series. Rockstar Makita Suzuki is also a sponsor of ATV and Superbike teams. Makita is also the Official Power Tool Sponsor of CORR, and sponsors Rockstar Makita Team Leduc Racing.
Makita is also the Official Tool Sponsor of Major League Soccer (MLS), as well as the Mexican National Soccer Team (FMF) for their games played in the US.
About Polaris:
With annual 2007 sales of $1.8 billion, Polaris designs, engineers, manufactures and markets all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), including the Polaris RANGER™, snowmobiles and Victory motorcycles for recreational and utility use. Polaris is a recognized leader in the snowmobile industry; and one of the largest manufacturers of ATVs in the world. Victory motorcycles, established in 1998 and representing the first all-new American made motorcycle from a major company in nearly 60 years, are rapidly making impressive in-roads into the cruiser and touring motorcycle marketplace. Polaris also enhances the riding experience with a complete line of Pure Polaris apparel, accessories and parts, available at Polaris dealerships.
Polaris Industries Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “PII,” and the Company is included in the S&P Small-Cap 600 stock price index. Information about the complete line of Polaris products, apparel and vehicle accessories is available from authorized Polaris dealers or anytime from the Polaris homepage at www.polarisindustries.com.
About DragonFire Racing
DragonFire Racing is based out of Mesa Arizona, a company focused on building performance accessories and Turn Key Race Vehicles for the Powersports Dealers and OffRoad community World Wide. You can find DragonFire Racing products in the stores of 3800 Kawasaki, Polaris and Yamaha dealers and at the races every weekend.
About Makita USA
Makita USA, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of over 450 professional, industrial quality power tools and has over 5,000 industrial accessories. Makita’s LXT Lithium-Ion is backed by Makita’s new three-year warranty and all other Makita tools are covered by a one-year limited warranty against defects in materials or workmanship and may be serviced at any of our 25 factory service centers or by more than 1,000 authorized service centers nationwide. Makita USA, Inc.’s home office is located in La Mirada, California and operates an extensive distribution network located throughout the U.S. Makita is located at 14930 Northam St., La Mirada, CA 90638. For more information, please contact us at 1-800-4-MAKITA (1-800-462-5482) or visit the website at makitatools.com.
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