H&B Motorsports inks Berryman Products

McClenathan's Berryman B-12 Chemtooler Top Fueler to debut at NHRA O'Reilly Fall Nationals.

DALLAS -- Berryman Products, headquartered in Arlington, Texas, and Henkelman & Baca Motorsports, a California-based Top Fuel Dragster team, with Cory McClenathan handling the driving duties, announced a race marketing partnership for the NHRA O'Reilly Fall Nationals presented by Castrol Syntec which unfolds October 10-13 at the Texas Motorplex.

McClenathan's Henkelman & Baca Dragster will carry the corporate red, white and blue colors of Berryman Products and is dubbed "Chemtooler" after Berryman's cartoon character who represents B-12 Chemtool, Berryman's flagship product line.

Berryman's Chief Operating Officer John Ehlert shared the following reasons for Berryman Products becoming involved with the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Cory McClenathan and Henkelman & Baca Motorsports.

"Motorsports has become the cornerstone of our marketing efforts over the past three years. We have been working with professional race teams and tracks to develop programs which bring our products to the motorsports infrastructure and workplace while providing maximum exposure for the Berryman brand of professional-use products," said Ehlert.

"The demographics surrounding the NHRA fit perfectly with our marketing objectives and a program of this nature affords us an additional opportunity to deliver the Berryman message of High Performance and Quality Products to the NHRA audience of DIY'ers (Do-It-Yourself) and DIFM (Do It For Me) Professional Installers.

"Due to its proximity to our headquarters here in Arlington, we viewed the O'Reilly Fall Nationals as an opportunity to further showcase our motorsports involvement, not only to the fans, but, to our 160+ employees here in the greater Dallas area. In addition, we are proud to be running O'Reilly Auto Parts decals on the Berryman B-12 Chemtooler Top Fueler as part of an in-store promotional program in the Dallas market."

Henkelman & Baca driver Cory McClenathan said, "NHRA's television package and the race being in Berryman's backyard are two factors that excited Berryman Products and influenced them to become involved with our program. They plan to do hospitality for employees, client companies and VIP guests so it's going to be a very busy weekend.

"On the Wednesday before the race, the entire Henkelman & Baca team will visit the Berryman Products facility in Arlington, Texas, so that we have an opportunity to meet all their employees and give them a preview of the new graphics on their car for the O'Reilly Fall Nationals.

"Berryman has an awesome lineup of products, but the thing that stands out most in my mind is John Ehlert's professionalism, sincerity and belief in their company and products. That has impressed me the most. They make you want to be a part of their operation. It's contagious.

"This is Berryman's first opportunity with the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series," added McClenathan, "and I want everything to be perfect. They have been involved in racing through the NASCAR Series but this is their first look at drag racing. Berryman Products have been around drag racing forever and they have a new product that has me, as a driver, really excited."

When it comes to on-track clean up, Berryman has developed a product -- Berryman GREEN STUFF® Absorbent -- which has wide spread motorsports applications and certainly could revolutionize the sport of drag racing. With its extreme light weight, extraordinary absorbency and holding power, Berryman GREEN STUFF Absorbent offers a new level of efficiency and cost effectiveness for the quick cleanup of spills, leaks and race related waste at race tracks.

"We are excited about bringing this leading edge technology of our GREEN STUFF Absorbent to the world of NHRA Racing," Ehlert said. "We are confident teams and facilities will see increased ease and speed of cleanup by using Berryman GREEN STUFF. In addition, this products has many uses in the home environment."

The history of Berryman Products dates to 1918 when Waldo B. "Pappy" Berryman traded a prize winning stud horse for a patented tire sealing formula. The patent was transferred on the 23rd day of December, 1919. With his family, Pappy traveled coast to coast bartering their Sealex Tire Sealer.

An old shack, located in a back-woods area of Lima, Ohio, was converted to serve as the first manufacturing site for Berryman Products. Packaged in glass, early major products like Solvall Tune Up Oil, OilZall Valve Oil, and Lubrex Super-Lubricant gained localized acceptance and popularity and set the pace for Berryman's quality reputation. Coolex, Rust Knox, EZ Dox-It, Zingo, Gyroseal, Rad-Seal, Bloxit, Boilero and Quix were other products added to the line during the first 35 years of business.

In 1958, B-12 Chemtool ® was developed as a multi-purpose surface cleaning solvent and soon became Berryman's flagship product.

After Pappy retired in the 1960's, R.H. Blankenship purchased the company in 1970 and became the owner of Berryman Products, Incorporated, headquartered then in Dallas, Texas. Early in the 1970's, Berryman Products moved to larger facilities in Arlington, Texas. As the company flourished through the 70's, facilities were expanded and satellite distribution centers were established to accommodate growth and expansion. Blankenship found other interests to capitalize on in the mid 1980's and sold the company to his immediate family in 1986.

Berryman Products, Inc., a privately held company, manufactures and distributes the highest quality professional automotive chemical products throughout the US and internationally. With warehouse facilities in Alabama, Texas and California, Berryman products are sold to major auto parts chains, mass merchants and wholesale suppliers to independent automotive repair shops and car dealers. To learn more visit their website at www.berrymanproducts.com or contact the company at 800-433-1704.

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