Race Winning Brands Acquires Dart Machinery
Race Winning Brands has acquired engine block producer Dart Machinery. Dart also produces cylinder heads, and intake manifolds. Race Winning Brands is a portfolio company of Kinderhook Industries.
Dart’s founder, Richard Maskin, will continue to play a leading role within the organization as a partner and chairman of research and development. Maskin founded the company in his two-car Oak Park, Michigan garage in 1981. He is also seen as 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.
“This move is about supporting the racers and preserving the Dart legacy,” Maskin said. “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.”
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.
“Dart is an iconic brand and a global powerhouse in high performance blocks, cylinder heads and intake manifolds,” said Brian Reese, CEO 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.”
Race Winning Brands, headquartered in Mentor, Ohio, markets its products globally through a portfolio of brands that include JE Pistons, Wiseco Performance Products, K1 Technologies, Diamond Pistons, Trend Performance, Rekluse Motor Sports and ProX Racing Parts.
