Driver and team owner, Paul Lee, welcomes longtime partner TMS Titanium as primary partner on his nitro funny car entry for the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals. TMS Titanium and Paul Lee have been partners for many years both on and off the track. With a special wrap dedicated to the TMS Titanium branding, Paul looks forward to hosting many TMS guests at his pit this weekend. Heading into the final four races of the NHRA season, Lee and the team will continue their efforts for fast and consistent runs.
TMS Titanium, the leading supplier and stocking distributor of titanium mill products, not only work with Paul’s racing team in supplying titanium for race car parts, but also is a titanium supplier for McLeod Racing, the leading company in aftermarket driveline performance and racing products. Todd Harrison, CEO/president of TMS Titanium, and his team supply the titanium inner liners needed for the McLeod Racing SFI aluminum bell housing for street and racing performance vehicles.
“TMS Titanium products are of the highest quality,” says McLeod Racing owner and driver, Paul Lee. “When we first designed our SFI spun-aluminum performance bellhousing, we needed a dependable supplier for the titanium inner liners for safety in case of a clutch failure. Todd was our first and only call because we knew they could perform in both customer service and delivery. They have been and continue to be a valuable vendor for McLeod Racing.”
Prior to the beginning of the 2023 season, Lee decided to upgrade his five-disc clutch set up to a six-disc clutch for his nitro funny car entry. With the help of Harrison, the TMS team were able to supply all the necessary titanium material to make the off-season change.
“The clutch units in today’s top fuel and nitro funny cars are entirely machined from high strength 6AL4V titanium,” says Lee. “Actually, it’s an NHRA rule, and a good one. Titanium is strong, resists heat, returns to its form when faced with extreme heat. And most importantly it is the safest material for the high stresses of top fuel drag racing.”
Todd Harrison is no stranger to NHRA drag racing. He has become the “go-to supplier” of titanium for the racing industry. Started in Harrison’s garage in 2006, TMS has earned both ISO 9001:2008 and AS9100C quality assurance certifications. With this, TMS began supplying materials to a variety of well-known national aviation, space, and defense organizations. But with a passion for racing, Harrison grew his own racing program.
“This is a huge deal for TMS Titanium,” said Todd Harrison, TMS Titanium CEO/President. “This business is about relationships and working with Paul Lee and Steve Cole is just amazing. We have supported teams across so many motorsport platforms, but this is a real ‘arrival’ moment for our company. To see this Funny Car and know that it will be racing at the Betway NHRA Nationals during the Countdown makes me so happy. Everyone at TMS Titanium is excited about this program.”
With only four races left on Paul Lee’s schedule, this race will be the jumping point of ending the year in a fast funny car. With John Medlen and Jason Bunker tuning, Lee is ready to finish the year with fast, consistent runs to study over the off-season.
Qualifying for the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals will kick off with a night-time qualifying session Friday night. Followed by two more qualifying attempts on Saturday and eliminations starting Sunday.
