NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Denso Products and Services Americas, an affiliate of leading global automotive supplier Denso Corp., has partnered with Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Angie Smith as her lead sponsor for four weekend contests of the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. The first event, the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, takes place April 28-30, at Smith’s hometown racetrack, zMAX Dragway in Charlotte.

After extensive offseason testing, Smith is racing on Denso Iridium spark plugs for the entire 2017 season. A member of the Matt Smith Racing team, she is within three points of breaking into the top 10 rankings for a shot at the championship.

“I started off the season with a lot of momentum, and I’m getting great results on the track,” said Smith, who rides a Buell V-Twin at speeds of nearly 198 mph. “I am on a mission to get our Denso Pro Stock Motorcycle into the winner’s circle this year!”

“We’re proud to sponsor Angie and support her ongoing success,” said Joseph Mejaly, senior vice president of operations, sales, strategic planning and marketing at Denso Products and Services Americas. “She’s a top competitor and an experienced technician, and we have very high expectations for her.”

In addition to the North Carolina race, Denso will be Smith’s lead sponsor at the Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals in California (July 28-30), the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals in Illinois (Sept. 29-Oct. 1) and the NHRA Toyota Nationals in Las Vegas (Oct. 26-29).

Born and raised in Kernersville, N.C., Smith started racing competitively in the Outlaw Pro Street class, where she was known by her maiden name, Angie McBride. In 2004, she captured the Outlaw Pro Street championship. During those years, a fierce rivalry ensued with competitor Matt Smith. A top-ranked Pro Stock Motorcycle racer with 18 career wins to date under his belt, he invited her to join Matt Smith Racing in 2008. They married in 2009.

Denso served as the title sponsor of the March 31-April 2 NHRA Las Vegas Nationals and is a supporting sponsor of all 24 races in the 2017 Mello Yello series. Denso is also a product sponsor of Matt Smith Racing.

At every race, fans will find Denso’s full line of spark plugs in Nitro Alley, the midway where they can learn more about and purchase Denso plugs. Throughout the series, Denso also posts race and product updates on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

For nearly half a century, Denso has sponsored world-class motor sports, including NHRA, NASCAR, Formula One, World Rally Championship, and Super GT races. In addition to spark plugs, alternators, radiators, and engine management systems are among Denso’s precision original equipment and replacement auto parts that professional drivers and pit crews count on for the best performance under the most competitive racing conditions and motorists rely on every day.

More information on Denso spark plugs, as well as Denso’s comprehensive lines of auto parts, is available at retail stores, wholesale distributors, and online, DensoAutoParts.com.