DALLAS – Nov. 3, 2016 – Dallas-based ZAK Products recently unveiled its “Back the Blue” No. 83 Toyota Camry NASCAR that honors the Dallas Police Department (DPD) and all fallen officers since the foundation of the department in 1881, including those from the July 7 tragedy. This car, which will be driven by BK Racing’s Matt DiBenedetto at the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, November 6, is the first of its kind supporting a police department. ZAK revealed the car’s design yesterday at an event at Toyota of Dallas that commemorated the bravery and sacrifice of the men and women in uniform who serve the city of Dallas each day. The event helped raise money for families of the fallen officers through the Assist the Officer Foundation and included remarks from DPD Chief Pughes as well as ZAK Founder Vic Keller.
Pughes said, “People ask us all the time how we’re doing. Moving forward is tough and we’re not beyond it yet. But events like this and encouragement and support from the community make our jobs more rewarding. It helps motivate our officers to get out there and take risks to make sure our city is safe. I could not be more proud of our officers and I want to thank ZAK Products for paying tribute.”
Emblazoned in black, blue and white, the design was inspired by current DPD cruisers and incorporates the “Back the Blue” badge on the hood and doors. The design also includes the names and badge numbers of the five fallen DPD and Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) officers who lost their lives on July 7. Eighty-four names were also inscribed on the hood, naming all of the fallen DPD officers since 1881. DiBenedetto’s firesuit also takes design cues from Dallas Police Officer uniforms.
During the event, attendees took pictures with the car and entered a raffle for NASCAR tickets and pit passes, with all money raised donated to the Assist the Officer Foundation.
“Dallas is home to ZAK’s headquarters and we were deeply impacted by the July 7th tragedy. We wanted to do something to honor and show appreciation for the civil servants who dedicate their lives to the city without hesitation every day,” Keller said. “The November 6th race is the largest venue for a spectator event in Dallas-FortWorth, making it the best platform to showcase the city of Dallas and our outstanding police department on a national scale. We hope everyone will tune in to the race and back the blue by donating to the Assist the Officer Foundation.”
DiBenedetto said, “I am truly honored that ZAK Products has given me the opportunity to represent the Dallas police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty. I have a tremendous amount of respect for all of the police officers around the country who protect our cities day and night. It means so much to BK Racing and to me personally to ‘Back the Blue’ with our No. 83 Toyota this weekend.”
ZAK’s “Back the Blue” No. 83 Toyota Camry will race in the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway Sunday, November 6 at 1 p.m. CT on NBC, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Race tickets are still available and can be purchased at www.NASCAR.com/Tickets. For more information about the car, including “a making of” video visit www.zakproducts.com/zak-backs-blue/.
ZAK encourages everyone to donate to the cause by visiting www.atodallas.org. In addition to the funds raised for the Assist the Officer Foundation, ZAK has partnered with the DPD vehicle service center to provide their Fuel System Cleaner to keep the DPD fleet running at optimum performance. ZAK is recognized as the #1 professional maintenance fluid of NASCAR and the official fuel additive of NASCAR.
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About ZAK Products
ZAK Products®, with its national headquarters in Dallas, Texas is an industry-leading provider of professional grade products to certified professional automotive service centers and franchised car dealerships across the United States. ZAK was founded in Dallas, Texas in 2002. Dallas continues to be one of ZAK’s largest markets, servicing more than 50 local dealership partners, including: Toyota of Dallas, Toyota of Plano, Grapevine Ford and Grubbs Infiniti. As a Berkshire Hathaway Company, ZAK is an industry-leader that continues to innovate and grow rapidly in order to bring the highest quality products and services to the professional automotive market. ZAK Products is proud to be an exclusive Official Partner of NASCAR® and the Official Fuel Additive of NASCAR®.For more information, visit zakproducts.com, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/zakproducts, or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/zakproducts.
Follow Vic Keller, ZAK Founder, on Twitter at twitter.com/vickeller.