SealMaster and Kalitta Motorsports are pleased to announce SealMaster will become the primary sponsor of the Top Fuel dragster driven by J.R. Todd for the entire 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Series.

“After having top-notch experiences with Kalitta Motorsports, the NHRA and their fans for the past two years, we decided to take our partnership to a more prominent level in 2016,” says Rick Simon, director of franchise operations. “J.R. Todd is a great driver and stand-up guy. He represented us in a SealMaster Top Fuel Dragster in Norwalk and Denver last year and the exposure our brand received for both events was quite eye-opening,” he adds. “Our involvement with Kalitta Motorsports and the NHRA gives us a great national platform to share who we are and what we do: We’re the one-stop source for pavement maintenance supplies and equipment,” Simon adds.

SealMaster will also have a role in the remainder of Team Kalitta’s entries as it returns to sponsor Doug Kalitta’s Mac Tools Top Fuel Dragster for the third season, while adding 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Funny Car Champion Del Worsham’s DHL Toyota Camry Funny Car and Alexis DeJoria’s Tequila Patrón XO Café Incendio Toyota Camry Funny Car to their sponsorship portfolio.

“First, I cannot thank SealMaster and all of their franchisees for stepping up in a big way and sponsoring the entire season on my car,” said Todd. “Over the past two years, having SealMaster as an associate partner, I’ve met a lot of their franchise owners and customers and I could not be more thrilled to be the driver to represent them in NHRA action. This announcement makes me even more excited for the new season. I know we are going to take the SealMaster machine to the winner’s circle many times next year.”

“SealMaster has the same values as Team Kalitta,” said Jim Oberhofer, vice president of operations, Kalitta Motorsports. “The growth of this program has been amazing, and we are excited to welcome even more SealMaster franchisees to the race track each week.”

SealMaster franchisees manufacture pavement sealer and distribute a full line of pavement maintenance products and equipment throughout the United States, including Puerto Rico. Franchisees serve contractors, public and private road maintenance departments, property managers and others charged with pavement maintenance and preservation. The company’s products and equipment are sold in every state where the NHRA Mello Yello Series races.
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About SealMaster:

SealMaster is the world’s leading manufacturer of pavement sealer with more than 100 loca-tions in the United States, including Puerto Rico; licensed distributors in Canada, China, Israel, Mexico, Sweden and the United Kingdom; and distribution in more than 50 countries. Through its franchise system, SealMaster distributes a full line of pavement maintenance products, tools and equipment for asphalt, concrete and sport surfacing
About Kalitta Motorsports:

Based in Ypsilanti, Mich., Kalitta Motorsports is a Top Fuel and Funny Car drag racing team in the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. The team was founded and is owned by drag racing icon Connie “the Bounty Hunter” Kalitta. For more than 50 years, Connie has been involved in the sport as a driver, tuner, and an owner. Kalitta Motor-sports is one of the most successful teams in the history of auto racing with six world champion-ships and over 100 national event titles in five different professional drag racing sanctioning bodies since it was established by Connie in 1959.

 MAD Creative Concepts puts the finishing touches on the SealMaster Top Fuel Dragster, which will make its debut this weekend at the Summit Motorsports Nationals, with J.R. Todd behind the wheel.

SealMaster will expand its role to the primary level on J.R. Todd’s Top Fuel dragster at upcoming NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events in Norwalk and Denver. SealMaster has been a valued Kalitta Motorsports partner since 2014, but this is SealMaster’s first primary sponsorship at the Pro level of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

Based less than an hour from Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Sandusky, Ohio, the franchisor distributes SealMaster pavement maintenance products and equipment through franchises coast to coast. The company’s products and equipment are sold in every state where the NHRA Mello Yello Series races, and SealMaster franchisees and customers have enjoyed Kalitta Motorsports’ hospitality and winning tradition for two seasons.

“SealMaster’s relationship with Kalitta Motorsports and the NHRA has flourished over two seasons,” said Debbie Hufford, spokesperson for SealMaster. “We’re excited to expand this program to the primary level of J.R. Todd’s Top Fuel dragster to further spread the word to NHRA fans about SealMaster’s top-quality pavement maintenance products and equipment. We want to let international fans know, too, that we have a global distribution system and our products are available worldwide.”

The black scheme makes its debut at the home race for the SealMaster brand before taking on the altitude in Denver, where Todd walked away with the victory last season. The Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals has been a great place for Todd throughout his NHRA career. He earned his first victory in Denver in 2006, which was part of his historic run to the Auto Club Road to the Future Award.

“SealMaster has chosen two great races, and I am excited to represent all the outstanding SealMaster franchisees,” said Todd, who earned his 100th round-win last weekend in Bristol. “SealMaster really takes their NHRA partnership seriously, and I am honored to be able to educate the awesome NHRA fans about pavement maintenance. SealMaster is the best at what they do, and we are confident we can take the SealMaster tradition and be the best in Norwalk and Denver.”

Fans will have the opportunity to meet Todd as he walks with fans prior to the race action during the SealMaster NHRA Track Walk. SealMaster, an NHRA partner, backs the Track Walk at all 24 NHRA Mello Yello events. Fans can also meet Todd, along with teammate Doug Kalitta, at the SealMaster display in Norwalk as the SealMonster display dragster makes its return to the NHRA Nitro Alley.

“It is always great when a sponsor continuously wants to grow their program,” said Jim Oberhofer, vice president of operations, Kalitta Motorsports. “SealMaster has been such a solid part of the Kalitta Motorsports family, and we could not be more excited that they have decided to grow to the primary level.”

Not many adults start their careers in childhood, but that’s when Doug “Buzz” Johns started building cars. “I was out in the garage as soon as I could walk,” he says. “My dad taught me to build chassis.” Johns’ father also passed along a love of fast cars. The elder Johns raced stock cars and super modifieds locally in Ohio, and Buzz followed suit, building and racing dragsters during the 1980s.

Professionally, Buzz has built chassis for NASCAR teams and all classes of National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Top Fuel competition. In some cases, he’s built entire cars. Today he works for SealMaster sister company ThorSport Racing, where he was approached by SealMaster’s brand team and asked to build a slingshot dragster as a tribute to sealcoating contractors. “I liked the idea because it was something different and I could be creative,” Buzz says.

After sketching the dragster on paper and building a cardboard model, he set about the business of building the SealMaster SealMonster, “the fastest sealcoating machine on the planet.” Buzz was passionate about building a fitting tribute that would capture midway attention at NHRA Mello Yello races, trade shows and other such tour stops. After buying a slingshot dragster frame, he cut 5 feet off the front end to scale it down for ease of transport and display. Then he tricked it out SealMaster style. He contained the 392 blown/injected hemi, nitro, 1900 horsepower engine in a replicated SealMaster tank. “There’s a huge motor in that tank and I had to make sure everything fit just right,” Buzz says.

In addition to incorporating the traditional elements of a top fuel dragster, parachute and all, Buzz jazzed up the design with a replica sealer tank that houses the engine, adding the SealMaster logo and custom die cuts backlit in red; and mounted a spray bar and squeegee to the back end. He’d only trust the paint scheme he conceptualized to one man: Todd Zeller of Todd’s Extreme Paint. And Todd did not disappoint. “He’s the best,” Buzz says. He did a great job with the carbon fiber (pattern) and really made the chrome stand out.”

Doug “Buzz” Johns is also known for his artistry on stage. In addition to fast cars, he has thing for bass guitars, and has toured throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. A flexible schedule allows him the ability to manage his career writing, playing and producing “super funky bass music.” Learn more about his music at dougjohns.com.

Pavement maintenance is hard work. Whether you’re a contractor or you work for a contractor or public works department, you sweat through long, hot days and take pride in a job well done. As part of SealMaster’s sponsorship of the NHRA, we’re not only promoting the SealMaster brand, we’re advocating the importance of timely pavement maintenance and professional application by qualified contractors.

While the SealMonster is an actual working dragster, SealMaster commissioned its construction to pay tribute to thousands upon thousands of sealcoaters coast to coast. It’s billed as the fastest sealcoating machine on the planet and features a replica tank, which houses the engine, a spray bar and a squeegee. “We work in a big industry,” says Rick Simon, SealMaster director of franchise operations. “The world doesn’t realize how many people work in pavement maintenance because we have so many independent contractors, along with all of the people who do this work as municipal employees.”

When we take the SealMonster on tour, our signage advises: “Be sure to ask for SealMaster!” and provides a toll-free phone number to locate contractors who use SealMaster products and equipment. We refer these calls to SealMaster franchises, which recommend contractors who work in the local area.