Lancaster, NY (September 7, 2008)… Jiffy-tite has been the preferred manufacturer of fluid connectors for the industrial and original equipment manufacturer sector of the automotive industry since 1963. During that time period, Jiffy-tite has supplied their innovative products to companies such as General Motors, Chrysler and more, while their broad depth of aftermarket parts can be found among retail giants like AutoZone, NAPA, and CSK. Then in the 1990’s, a successful drag racer named Duane LaFleur ran across Jiffy-tite’s highly advanced technology and was convinced the world of motorsports would embrace the product.
After several years of testing and R&D driving a Jiffy-tite sponsored car, Duane accepted a position within the company as a Training Specialist and Area Representative in 1999. With the success of the product and its programs, he now serves as Manager of their Motorsports division, (still racing of course) and currently sits in 5th place in the NHRA Super-Gas Division 3 standings and is ranked 18th in the country.
“I got involved with racing back in the 80’s when my Uncle Paul LaFleur built a 1966 Tempest race car,” said LaFleur. “My Father and I were a part of his crew for a few years and I instantly fell in love with the sport. My Dad and I eventually built our own car and I started racing it in the late 90’s. What I loved then is exactly what I love now, the competitiveness and the camaraderie. I enjoy competing against the best racers in the country, and, along the way you become good friends with these great people. But of course, winning sure helps to keep you coming back for more.”
LaFleur’s first big win came in 2002 and was only days after his biggest fan and largest supporter, his Grandfather, had passed away due to illness. The win came in his first race car, a Jiffy-tite sponsored 1967 Pontiac Firebird that was built in his Dad’s garage over a two-year span.
“That was a great car and we raced it for nearly 10 years with a lot of success. However, in June of 2006 while racing at the K&N Nationals, LaFleur threw a connecting rod through the block, spewing oil and water all over the track and sending him into a 150-mph roll, flipping the car nine times before coming to rest against the retaining wall. He was lucky to walk away, but the car was history.
Less than a year after the crash, LaFleur was able to get behind the wheel again in a newly built race car. This time in a 1968 Chevrolet Camaro built by Race Tech Race Cars of Burlington, NC, and once again sponsored by Jiffy-tite, with associate sponsors Valvoline, K&N Filters and KD Kanopies. The car features a chromoly tube frame, a full fiberglass body and a 540 ci Chevrolet big block engine built by Larry Sexton of White House, TN.
“We took our first win with the new car at the 50th Anniversary of the Dunn Tire Raceway Park on July 4th weekend, 2008. We qualified #1 and ended up winning the entire deal. What was great about that win was the fact that my Dad used to take me to that track when I was kid. To win a race there years later and have him there to see me do it was a special deal.”
“I also feel that the Jiffy-tite fittings that are used all over the engine are invaluable to my success. They not only save us time between rounds, but it gives us an added safety benefit. When you are at the races, timing is everything, even in the pits. When you have plumbing work to do on the car, the Jiffy-tite Quick-Connects allow you to do it quickly. Jiffy-tite makes plumbing simple and error proof. With Jiffy fittings they are either connected or not. Unlike conventional AN fittings where you can forget to tighten them, strip, cross-thread, or even over-tighten them causing them to break off. You just simply disconnect and do the work, then re-connect when you’re done. No tools. No spillage. No hassles.”
As a 2008 major NHRA contingency sponsor with postings of over $255,000, demand for Jiffy-tite product has been explosive. “Besides brand visibility, what I love about the NHRA sponsorship is that it allows us to give something back to the racers that purchase our product,” says LaFleur. “At Jiffy-tite, our corporate philosophy is all about that kind of give and take.”
Jiffy-tite Quick-Connect Fluid Fittings are available from your local auto parts store or at your favorite online retailer. For more information about the product, contact: Duane LaFleur, Jiffy-tite Motorsports Sales Manager, toll-free at 888-605-7788 or visit www.jiffy-tite.com.
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Jiffy-tite Racer In Action
Duane LaFluer and Crew (Mom & Dad)
Jiffy-tite Corporate Offices – Lancaster, NY
Jiffy-tite Motorsports Logo
Jiffy-tite Standard Quick-Connect Fitting