SealMaster announces SealMonster Display dragster

(April 30, 2015) Last year, when SealMaster® became a National Hot Rod Association® (NHRA) Mello Yello Series marketing partner for the first time, the franchise system fully embraced the affiliation by commissioning the fabrication of a scaled-down Top Fuel dragster. Known as the “SealMonster,” the dragster pays tribute to the thousands upon thousands of pavement maintenance professionals who work as sealcoating contractors, municipal employees and others charged with maintaining pavement. It will make its first appearance of 2015 in the display area at the Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals in Atlanta.

SealMaster commissioned ThorSport Racing employee Doug “Buzz” Jones to build the “SealMonster”. Buzz, a racing veteran who has built chassis for NASCAR teams and all classes of National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Top Fuel competition, began by buying a slingshot dragster frame and cut 5 feet off the front end to scale it down for ease of transport and display. Then he tricked it out SealMaster style. He contained the 392 blown/injected hemi, nitro, 1900 horsepower engine in a replicated SealMaster tank. “There’s a huge motor in that tank and I had to make sure everything fit just right,” Buzz says.

While the dragster is a novelty for display purposes only, it’s doing its job raising awareness of the SealMaster brand and paying tribute to thousands upon thousands of sealcoaters coast to coast. “We work in a big industry,” says Rick Simon, SealMaster director of franchise operations. “The world doesn’t realize how many people work in pavement maintenance because we have so many independent contractors, along with all of the people who do this work as municipal employees.”

SealMaster, which manufactures and distributes pavement maintenance products and equipment through franchises coast to coast, bills the dragster as “the fastest sealcoating machine on the planet.” SealMaster products and equipment are sold in every state the 24 NHRA Mello Yello Series races take place,” according to SealMaster spokeswoman Debbie Hufford. “Beyond that,” she says, “NHRA drag racing has more fans in the construction trades than any other sport, so we’re connecting with people in our industry on a whole new level and it’s being very well received.”

Fans can see the “SealMonster” in the SealMaster display in future races in Atlanta, Norwalk and Pomona, with more races to be added. They will also be able to meet and receive autographs from SealMaster-backed drivers Doug Kalitta and J.R. Todd from Kalitta Motorsports. In addition to the display, SealMaster continues it backing of the SealMaster Track Walk which allows fans to walk the lanes before Sunday’s eliminations.

“Partnering with Kalitta Motorsports aligns SealMaster with one of the most respected and winning teams in the NHRA,” says Hufford. “Like SealMaster, Kalitta Motorsports has a legendary reputation for quality and innovation.”