How Premium Motorsports Products Is Accelerating Its Global Mission

For Premium Motorsports Products (PMP), speed and performance are powered by great partnerships. Based in Indianapolis, the company has pioneered a comprehensive strategy for sourcing, consolidating, and delivering quality new and used parts for drag racing and other motorsports teams and individual enthusiasts in international markets around the globe.

To target and acquire the right products for their customers, PMP has forged deep relationships with manufacturers and suppliers in the United States for almost a decade. Then, to move those products rapidly overseas, they joined forces with DHL Express – and never looked back.

The company’s success starts with a deep understanding of drag racing and the complex machines that make it one the most exhilarating sports in the world. Mike Domagala, a passionate and seasoned drag racing expert, launched PMP in 2014 after years of working with U.S. and international teams. Today, he’s a respected name in the sport of National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Drag Racing, FIA European Drag Racing, 400 Thunder and the Australian National Drag Racing Championship series. He understands almost every facet of the sport and element of the cars.     

But just as importantly, Mike understands the motivations and aspirations that make people want to build, maintain, and perfect the fastest vehicles on the planet. And he knows how to locate the right parts and move them quickly from the U.S. to motorsports markets in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the Middle East.

“While drag racing was born in the U.S., my work in international circuits showed me not only the need for a better approach to parts and service distribution globally, but also the incredible enthusiasm and demand that exists for the sport around the world. And for all categories of motorsports.”

Working with his wife Michelle Domagala, who serves as PMP’s Business Development Manager, they have grown the company’s presence from zero to 12 overseas markets, with plans for continued expansion to new countries and new motorsports categories in the coming months and years. Today, PMP’s sourcing and distribution strategy locates parts from around the U.S. and brings them to Indianapolis, where shipments are consolidated and then delivered by DHL to Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, the UK, Sweden, Switzerland, and Kuwait.

Partnering for Growth

As a motorsports company, PMP was born to go fast. A depth of knowledge about new and used parts allows Mike to source material rapidly, and from the very beginning DHL Express has helped drive the fast and efficient international delivery of every order.

“Like all good start-ups, but especially one dedicated to racing, we began our business out of a garage, or as we referred to it, PMP’s World Shed-quarters” said Michelle.  “And it was from that garage, in 2014, that DHL Express picked up our very first shipment for delivery to the UK. We were also soon on our way overseas to meet with our drag racing customer, and the shipment made it there before we did.”

By partnering with DHL, Premium Motorsports Products has benefited not only from proven international shipping speed and efficiency, but also from the expertise and resources that only a global logistics organization can bring to the table, or in this case, to the track. As Michelle explained, “When we started the company, we had never shipped internationally, so we had a lot to learn, and DHL delivered information and knowledge just as effectively as they delivered our orders.”

But for PMP, the partnerships go even deeper. In teaming up with DHL, the company has made it crystal clear for their manufacturers and suppliers in the U.S. that international markets are open for business. Simply put, they are accessible and profitable. And that has led to more powerful connections with a variety of motorsports vendors. “Through our relationship with DHL, we have been able to open doors with vendors, and have become their preferred partners because they see how we are succeeding in the global marketplace,” said Michelle. “We are able to play a critical role, because some specialty manufacturers may not want to work internationally -- it seems too overwhelming, but we’re able to meet the challenge for them.”

Focusing on the Nuts and Bolts

It’s been a long journey from Mike’s first international drag racing experience. In 2011, after a friend and team owner from England explained how his operation was working and how he was buying parts throughout America -- Mike was offered the opportunity to travel across the Atlantic and help out. His job was getting the cars together and assisting the teams.

The experience overseas opened his eyes to the needs and opportunities abroad. It demonstrated how important international drag racing had become. And, it showed him how U.S. resources could help international owners and teams, many of whom worked at other jobs and raced part-time.

Today, PMP is focusing on every detail, from the smallest part that fits in an envelope to the massive Good Year racing tires and chassis that make it all happen.   

“Let’s say a customer needs some valves for a cylinder head, some clutch discs, connecting rods and driveline components,” said Mike. “We find the exact part to meet the need, and then order from different vendors and have them shipped to Indianapolis. Then we organize it into a single DHL shipment for international delivery, so our customers are not paying for separate items from each destination.”  

The point, says Mike, is to know exactly what is needed and to consult thoroughly with the customer. “Our job is to know the specifics, and to assess when a customer should receive a new part, or when they can succeed with a less-expensive used one,” said Mike. In other words, it’s all about knowing the nuts and bolts.

A Championship Run

PMP is geared to be a one-stop shop for motorsports teams and individual racers. “A Top Fuel and Funny Car drag race,” said Mike, “is less than four seconds long, in a straight line. Or at least, you hope it’s a straight line!”

But the line between sourcing parts and getting them into the hands of a customer in Australia, for example, is more complicated. It involves manufacturers, suppliers, Premium Motorsports Products insight, and a host of DHL delivery experts.

Today, PMP ships parts and supplies for all classes of drag racing and other forms of motorsports.  They supply engine builders, chassis builders and fabricators, so those businesses can better focus on servicing their own customers.  Working with DHL, the company is poised to expand with plans to focus on reaching new customers in motorsports around the world.

Said Michelle: “The parts we source go inside DHL packages, leave our shop, and head out on a DHL truck. Then they move to a DHL Hub, and then onto a DHL airplane. Ultimately, these parts end up on the racetrack where racers – our customers – win championships, set records, and achieve their goals.  That’s a real international team effort, and something we all can feel good about being a part of!”

For small and medium-sized businesses across industries, achieving the kind of international speed that PMP prizes is not only possible, it may be the key to future growth and success. To find out how your company can team up with DHL Express to reach new global markets, request a business account.