Pennzoil Announces Four-race Support of Leah Pritchett with Mopar at Don Schumacher Racing

Don Schumacher Racing’s newest Mopar/Pennzoil Top Fuel dragster was unveiled on Thursday with Pritchett during the Mopar Mile-High Nationals press conference at Elway’s Restaurant in Denver, Colorado before the Mopar Mile High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway.

Mopar and Pennzoil will be the marketing partners supporting Pritchett and DSR’s fourth Top Fuel dragster at Bandimere and at three other NHRA national events including last weekend’s race at Sonoma Raceway near San Francisco, followed by Sept. 30-Oct. 2 at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pa., and at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Oct. 28-30 in the penultimate event of the 24-race NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.

Mopar’s association with Pennzoil extends an already robust global business relationship between the two brands.

Shell supplies bulk and packaged oil and transmission fluids for Mopar in the United States, Canada, Mexico and many other countries throughout the world, and Shell’s Pennzoil is the approved factory-fill for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep_® and Ram vehicles.

Pennzoil is The Official Oil Technology partner for DSR, and a major associate sponsor on two-time NHRA Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan’s Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car at DSR that fields eight professional teams.

Pritchett, 28, captured her first career Top Fuel victory earlier this season and advanced to the semifinals on July 10 at the recent Route 66 NHRA Nationals near Chicago. The DSR star takes her seat in the HEMI-powered Mopar/Pennzoil Top Fuel dragster currently positioned 10th in the Mello Yello standings. 

“Shooting for the moon is what we do, and now to have two great global corporations like Mopar and Pennzoil get behind us is all I can ask, along with driving for Don Schumacher Racing, the most successful organization in drag racing,” said Pritchett, who claimed her first NHRA Wally trophy as a 9-year-old NHRA Jr. Dragster racer at Bandimere

“This has been my goal for several years, and it means absolutely everything to me. I’m very proud to represent the Mopar and Pennzoil brands in its return to Top Fuel.

“I’m also grateful for the support that Quaker State provided me earlier this year. They stuck by me throughout this transition and never wavered in their support of my racing career. We have all the parts, pieces and partners in place, and now that I’ve made the switch to Pennzoil with DSR, it’s time to hit the ‘go’ button.”

Jesse Campos, director of OEM Marketing Shell Lubricants, added, “The partnership with Don Schumacher Racing provides Pennzoil with the ability to test existing and new motor oil technology developed by Pennzoil’s industry-leading scientists in order to gain insights from the track to aid in the production of innovative lubricants for consumer vehicles in the future.

Since DSR made the switch to Pennzoil last year at Charlotte for the fifth event of the 24-race season, DSR has won 38 event titles out of a possible 68 (55 percent).

“This is coupled with the growth of the NHRA audience on FOX Sports 1 and the timing of Leah’s relationship with Pennzoil to begin at Denver, which featured the first live network coverage of NHRA on FOX network and marked the first time an NHRA event will be broadcast live on one of the four major networks. We are honored to have Leah carry our brand forward with DSR and Mopar for 2016.”

Pritchett earned her professional NHRA competition license in 2008 with DSR under the supervision of owner Don Schumacher.

“Leah is very smart in business and has proven she is an excellent racecar driver, and we are delighted to be able to have her in our fourth Top Fuel dragster,” said Schumacher, whose teams have won 280 NHRA event titles and 14 world championships.

“She has been instrumental in working with me to expand our relationship with Pennzoil and Mopar, and bringing new partners like FireAde and Albrecht’s Fast Track to DSR.”

Pritchett’s first public appearance with the Mopar/Pennzoil was Thursday, July 28th at the 15th Annual Mopar Block Party in nearby downtown Golden, Colorado.