This is HUGE aftermarket news. The title says it all. Race winning brads acquires Dart Machinery. Dick Maskin’s company has been one of the most innovative, hardcore, and respected operations in the aftermarket for decades and the company now becomes part of a portfolio of brands that includes names like JE pistons, Wiseco Performance, K1 Technologies, and Diamond Pistons among others. Race Winning Brands has been killing it on multiple fronts and we are not nervous about what they will do with Dart. Understanding that current management is staying largely intact, the company is set to continue to innovate and now has extra resources and capital to do it with.

Check out the announcement below!

RACE WINNING BRANDS ACQUIRES DART

MENTOR, Ohio (August 29, 2018) – Race Winning Brands, Inc. (RWB), a portfolio company of Kinderhook Industries, LLC is pleased to announce the acquisition of Dart Machinery, LTD. (Dart), a performance industry leader and manufacturer of high-performance engine blocks, cylinder heads, and intake manifolds.

Dart’s founder, Richard Maskin, will continue to play a leading role within the organization as a partner and Chairman of Research & Development. Maskin founded Dart Machinery in his two-car Oak Park, Michigan garage in 1981. Maskin is an icon within the racing industry stemming from his technical acumen. The 2015 Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee has earned multiple National Hot Rod Association Pro Stock world championships as an engine builder, while Dart-equipped racers have dominated professional and sportsman racing for decades.

In addition to retaining the current Dart management team, including Vice President Dave Tratechaud, former Dart General Manager Ted Keating returns to the organization in a new role as President.

Race Winning Brands is the leading manufacturer of high performance and racing related components sold to the automotive and powersports markets. RWB is headquartered in Mentor, Ohio and markets its products globally through a portfolio of leading brands, including JE Pistons, Wiseco Performance Products, K1 Technologies, Diamond Pistons, Trend Performance, Rekluse Motor Sports and ProX Racing Parts.

“Dart is an iconic brand and a global powerhouse in high performance blocks, cylinder heads and intake manifolds,” said Brian Reese, Chief Executive Officer of Race Winning Brands. “The Dart team has built a new manufacturing center of excellence in Warren, Michigan to power the brand with leading-edge products. We plan to leverage Richard Maskin’s championship engine building expertise across RWB’s portfolio of race winning products. This strategic acquisition helps drive our mission of leading racers to victory and enthusiasts to enjoyment, while extending RWB adjacently into new engine parts categories.”

“This move is about supporting the racers and preserving the Dart legacy,” explained Maskin. “By joining forces with Race Winning Brands and welcoming Ted Keating back, we will be accelerating new product development investments and further our focus on serving racers and engine builders. We already have several exciting new products in development. As shareholders in RWB, Dave Tratechaud and I are impressed with the RWB vision and future.”

(Left) Brian Reese, Race Winning Brands CEO, (Center) Richard Maskin, Dart Machinery’s founder (Right) Bob Romanelli, Race Winning Brands Chairman of the Board

About Race Winning Brands …

Race Winning Brands (RWB) is the leading manufacturer of racing and high-performance parts sold to automotive and powersports markets.  RWB is the preferred source for high-end pistons, engine blocks, cylinder heads, intake manifolds, connecting rods, crankshafts, clutches and other engine and driveline-related performance components.  RWB markets its products through multiple prominent brands including JE Pistons, Wiseco Performance Products, K1 Technologies, Diamond Pistons, Trend Performance, Rekluse Motor Sports, ProX Racing Parts, and Dart Machinery. RWB sells to a diverse and unmatched customer base of professional and sportsman racers, engine builders, enthusiasts, OEMs, automotive and powersports dealers and wholesale distributors. RWB is headquartered in Mentor, Ohio with sales offices and manufacturing operations in strategic locations throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia.

For more information, please visit: racewinningbrands.com, jepistons.com, wiseco.com, diamondracing.net, trendperform.com, k1technologies.com, pro-x.com, rekluse.com, and dartheads.com