Drydene Performance Products didn’t enter Sprint Car racing on a whim. There was a strategic plan put in place.
Initially, Drydene gained exposure through its high-profile sponsorship of World of Outlaws drivers Logan Schuchart and Jacob Allen. The Jonestown, Pa., company also turned heads by implementing a sponsorship program with the traveling series.
But, that was only the beginning for Drydene and company president Dave Klinger. There was more going on behind the scene, and it was brought to the forefront Thursday on Night 1 of the Can-Am World Finals.
A sizable crowd gathered behind the grandstand at The Dirt Track at Charlotte to hear Klinger announce the release of a new racing motor oil by Drydene. Schuchart and Allen’s cars were on hand with new paint schemes to celebrate the event.
“We were thinking about becoming the official motor oil [of the Outlaws] and doing the sponsorship at the end of the summer in 2018, and I said, ‘One thing that would confuse me as a fan would be ‘does that mean they have racing oils,’” Klinger said.
“Anytime we would talk about it, we would talk about our oils, in general. What it’s been designed for up until now is our heavy-duty passenger car applications and industrial applications, but we didn’t have a true racing oil.
“I said, ‘You know what, the way we go about our business and formulate our products, I believe we can make a racing oil as good or better than anything out there today. So, we approached it that way, and the end result has been phenomenal.”
This wasn’t something that was thrown together. Klinger and his team took their time and made sure they developed a good product.
Drydene leaned on a strong group of experienced people in the industry. From there, they went to different engine manufacturers to get feedback on what worked and what needed to be improved upon.
“The formulators we were working with have decades of experience in racing oils, so we weren’t starting from scratch,” Klinger said. “There was a great knowledge and platform, so we said to the people we were working with, ‘Look, we don’t need a me, too, product.’
“We want something that when it’s developed that it is at, or better than, anything out there. We, actually, went to engine builders and asked them, ‘The engine oils you have used, what are the attributes we can look at to make what you are using better?’ Then, we looked at the additive technology that could get us there.”
Continued Klinger, “It was tested going into last Winter. Coming out of the Winter, we started dyno testing it. When we had these great dyno test results, we felt confident going to Shark Racing and asking them if they would run it. Bobby Allen has been great with us, and the results speak for themselves.”
The numbers stack up in Drydene’s favor.
Logan Schuchart has ripped off eight wins with the World of Outlaws this season and is fifth in the point standings. Jacob Allen has also shown speed, at times, and has led 37 laps during the 2019 campaign.
On the Late Model side, Pennsylvania’s Rick Eckert has been successful, notching wins with Drydene’s new product.
“Michael Newman told us, on average, the oils teams use … they get 700 or 800 laps,” Klinger said. “We have actual engine tear downs from the cars, and it looked really good.
“We put our reputation on the line and said, ‘Let’s push this out a little bit more.’ We increased the time before tear down by 20 percent, and when Michael tore it down, he said the inside of those engines looked new.”
Klinger couldn’t hide his excitement over his new product and how much Drydene has benefitted from getting into Sprint Car racing.
But, there is more to come. Along with more activations of Drydene Racing Formulas during this week’s World Finals, Klinger is looking forward to bringing new products to the racing community.
“We look at marketing in two ways, marketing programs and return on investment,” Klinger said. “This is really about brand awareness.
“Up until the last couple of years, nobody knew who Drydene was. Now, our distributing partners and sales reps go into dealerships, and they aren’t saying, ‘What is Drydene?’
“As we are seeing this happen, [racing] is having a big effect. It’s like, ‘Oh, you are doing the World of Outlaws and a lot of racing stuff.’ That recognition provides the opportunity to talk to businesses and people who want to use the product.”