American Racing Wheels announces new Pro series drag racing collection

Famous for its early heritage of creating high strength-to-weight ratio magnesium drag racing wheels, American Racing Wheels today announced final development of its new forged American Racing Pro Series drag racing wheel collection at the 2002 Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show.

The American Racing Wheels lineup will be headlined by the retro re-release of the Torq Thrust Pro Series, a modern forged drag racing wheel version of the company’s famous signature five-spoke Torq Thrust hot rod and muscle car wheel. The American Racing Wheels will be offered in 15-inch and 17-inch front wheels, with rear drive wheels available in 15-inch and 16-inch in a variety of widths and offsets. The Torq Thrust became famous in the early 60s as the wheel of choice for early drag racers and continues today as an icon of muscle car enthusiasts.

The second wheel in the American Racing Wheels series is the TrakStar, a sleek rotary-forged five-spoked design that will be available in both front and rear wheels, with both 15-inch or 17-inch spindle-mount and bolt-on fronts. The rear wheel will be offered in 15-inch x 15-inch and 16-inch x 16-inch sizes, with bead locks available.

Retro race fans will be excited to see the third wheel in the American Racing Wheels series, the Qualifier, a modern 17-inch front wheel inspired by the company’s legendary twelve-spoke magnesium wheel that was so popular in the early 60s.

All American Racing Wheels in the collection will be rotary forged using technology originally developed in Germany and conform to S.F.I. test requirements. The American Racing Wheels Pro Series program will emphasize trackside service, performance and competitive strength-to-weight designs. The wheels will be available at selected American Racing Wheels dealers, distributors and car builders in the United States and Canada.

“Our roots are in drag racing,” said Robert Hange, president, American Racing Wheels Equipment. “Our Pro Series line demonstrates our tradition of technical correctness and a continued commitment to building wheels that perform.”

American Racing Wheels is the “official wheel” of the California Speedway and is the title sponsor of the track’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race – the American Racing Wheels 200. The company actively participates in a variety of motor sports enthusiast events, including NHRA, IHRA, NSRA, CORR, JeepSpeed.com, a variety of off road racing events, the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, and the APBA offshore ocean racing series. The American Racing Wheels Torq Thrust Planet Offshore Race Team won the 2001 APBA F-1 World Championship at Key West, Fla.

Founded in 1956, American Racing Wheels is one of the world’s largest aftermarket wheel manufacturers. Owned today by Noranda Inc., an international natural resources company, American Racing Wheels sells and promotes its products in more than 30 countries and through a network of more than 45,000 dealers in the United States.