Borla “The World’s Most Winning Exhaust” Expands Partnership with TV Host/Racer Kathy Fisher

Performance by Fisher Racing driver Kathy Fisher will head into the 2013 season with a newly broadened affiliation with Borla Exhaust on her K&N Filters American Race Cars dragster. The Lima, Ohio based racer and “Performance TV” co-host will debut the expanded relationship with Borla Exhaust [www.borla.com] starting with her opening event in Concord, North Carolina and the 4th annual Dollar General NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, April 19-21.

“I am really stoked for this opportunity,” beamed Fisher of the announcement. “This couldn’t make more sense when you stop and think about it. Get the air in with K&N and out with Borla Exhaust. There aren’t too many companies that offer products for my dragster, my daily drivers and our other toys. I get the good fortune to be able to use, enjoy and experience the outstanding benefits of Borla Exhaust from street to strip and have done so for many years.”

“And exhaust is a lot of what we do for a living,” added Fisher. “My husband Kevin has been in the custom exhaust business for many decades, so we see all the brands and Borla Exhaust systems are quite superior in their build and choice of materials. Their extensive R&D really shows in the products they offer.”

Borla Performance started in 1978 with Alyse and Alex Borla working out of a small, one bay, two story facility in Brooklyn, New York. They had a business distributing Rolls Royce parts to end users in The Northeast where the durability of undercarriage parts is a major issue due to inclement weather and salted roads. At the time, many of the undercarriage parts on Rolls Royce cars (and most cars for that matter) were made from mild steel and tended to rust easily, meaning replacement was common. Exhaust systems were one of the parts that were commonly replaced. Alyse and Alex had a handful of orders for Rolls Royce exhaust systems and came to find that their supplier had disappeared. So, they made their own, just to get through those orders until they found another supplier. They did such an excellent job of making these exhaust systems that they realized they could make a business out of it. In a short period of time word got out amongst Rolls Royce owners and Borla became major players in the small market of exhaust for Rolls Royce. The very first Borla Exhaust catalog is comprised solely of Rolls Royce exhaust systems. Soon after, the same owners who had bought exhaust systems for their Rolls Royce's started calling for exhaust systems for their other cars, Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, Jaguar etc. and the Borla catalog slowly grew to what it has become today.

“Most of the principles by which our brand is built on were established in those early years,” stated David Borla, Sales and Marketing Manager. “Borla Exhaust was the very first company on the planet to offer a combination of benefits that hundreds of companies have since attempted to copy and that automotive enthusiasts even take for granted today.”

David went on to explain what he refers to as “The Magical Combination”, saying it started right with the first small

batch of Rolls Royce exhaust systems. 1) Complete "bolt on" exhaust systems - At the time, the marketplace was primarily for mufflers which enthusiasts would bring to a fabricator to bend, cut and weld into a custom exhaust system. Alex and Alyse sold complete systems that bolted to factory locations and did not require any cutting, bending or welding for installation. 2) Exotic, aerospace grade materials - Alex and Alyse used the most durable materials available from the very beginning. These materials were (and still are) a major upgrade over stock materials in durability and weight as well. 3) Lifetime Warranty - The use of these exotic materials along with the manufacturing processes used by Alex and Alyse allowed them to offer a Lifetime Warranty. This warranty has become a million mile warranty today due to some trivial legal reasons but you get the idea. 4) - Straight through, high performance design. - From the very beginning Alex and Alyse designed mufflers that were totally unrestrictive while attenuating sound to the perfect note. This resulted in numerous patents for Borla and is a major reason why Borla mufflers are so sought after by the racing community.

“Those 4 features and benefits are the "magical combination" that spawned an entire industry,” he continued. “Borla was the very first to offer high performance, bolt-on exhausts systems made from exotic materials with a lifetime warranty. Last we counted there were over 200 companies worldwide that have tried to copy this business model.”

Installing a BORLA Performance Exhaust system is not just a way to make your vehicle sound better or different; they are truly a performance upgrade/enhancer, whether the application is for street, strip or off-road.

“We build products for such a wide range of markets,” David explained. ”The fact that we cater our products to the needs of the end user, is probably the most important element of what we do. Our experience with enthusiasts is a major influence on every single product we build and we have an excellent understanding of what, for instance, an F-150 owner wants versus a Porsche owner. You won’t find another exhaust brand that has the breadth of products that Borla does, and our success in these different markets is a testament to the fact that we listen to enthusiasts. We don't build the products we want. We build the products our customers want.”

And when it comes to the performance side, Borla takes a different approach. “We look to create the most power possible throughout the entire RPM range, that's why we don't quote horsepower numbers. Who cares if you make a bunch of power at one RPM when you might lose it everywhere else? It's very misleading to quote a single horsepower number so be wary of manufacturers that say "our part makes xx horsepower".

But when it comes down to it, enthusiasts are looking for that music to their ears and like everything else Borla does, they have their own methods for achieving this with the individual in mind.

“As far as sound goes, sound is subjective,” remarked David. “As a result, one man's cacophony is another man's symphony and neither man is more correct than the other. With that said, we have to focus on something specific or we'll never be able to finish a part. So, our approach to sound comes from a combination of 35+ years of experience plus continuous market research. I am confident we always have our finger on the pulse of the markets we cater to. Even so, we offer multiple sound options for many of the vehicles we design parts for.”

2010 Corvette Borla “ATAK” Installation

Borla Exhaust offers three main sound options. First, there is their "Touring" line, which is more of a stealth sound. Second is Borla’s "S-Type", which is throaty and noticeably louder than stock. Finally there is the "ATAK" (Acoustically-Tuned Applied Kinetics), which is the most aggressive.

“Most importantly, we completely eliminate drone and any other objectionable frequencies from all of our system,” he added. “We are "drone free".”

Fisher chose to go right for the BORLA “ATAK” systems for both their 2010 Corvette and 2012 Camaro SS. “Aside from the fact that one is an automatic and the other a 6-speed, both of these cars have an LS3 in them, but that’s where the similarity ends,” she said. “The BORLA ATAK systems that were designed specifically for each car have completely different personalities, if you will. The sound tuning that was done by BORLA is equally amazing on both.”

David went on to explain the thought process behind the “ATAK” systems. “Enthusiasts want choices because aftermarket parts are all about personalization. We wanted to be able to offer multiple sound level and tone options for the same vehicle so that our parts satisfy this need. ATAK came about because we needed something on the more aggressive side of the sound spectrum that was still tuned to a specific model and engine configuration. Being loud is easy, but being loud and sounding good is difficult. ATAK systems incorporate patented technology that allows us to tune these systems to the specific application they are intended for so that they are both aggressive and sound really good. Most importantly, they are tuned to each individual application. For example, the mufflers in the ATAK system for the '10 Vette are totally different from the mufflers in the ATAK system for the '12 SS Camaro. We tune them to specific year, make, model and engine configurations.”

In addition to Borla’s extensive line of bolt-on exhaust systems for street, their XR-1 Raceline provides nearly endless possibilities for the off-road and drag racing crown including the upswept Borla Headers and Mufflers on Fisher’s dragster.

“From the time I got my very first dragster, I have used Borla Exhaust,” said Fisher. “The only thing I have changed over the years is the size, as my engines got larger. I truly love the sound and the look of my Armor Coat™ ceramic coated Borla Exhaust and it’s all I’ve raced with for the last decade.”

“The XR-1 Raceline is comprised of parts that are meant to be used on a wider variety of vehicles and are designed for race-use. Each XR-1 part number isn't application specific like for example the ATAK part numbers are. Rather they are

2012 Camaro SS Borla “ATAK” Installation

Armor Coat Coated Borla Upswept Headers & XR-1 Mufflers

intended to be used on individually built vehicles because the motorsports world is made up of thousands of different configurations, many of which are "one offs," David noted.

And as David points out, “The World’s Most Winning Exhaust” is not the only thing we can look forward to from Borla.

“Aside from setting the bar for world-class exhaust products, you can look for us to expand our product offerings into other automotive areas as well. We are intensifying our electronic fuel injection conversion business, known as "Borla Induction" and will be expanding our product line well beyond exhaust in the years to come,” he added.

The growing relationship between Fisher and Borla Exhaust is great fit that is truly welcomed by both parties.

“Kathy presents a unique set of skills and experience that includes competitive driving, broadcasting, and so much more,” David pointed out. “We are proud to be associated with her and our partnership continues to be a significant component of our marketing efforts.”

When not in front of the camera, the “Performance TV” co-host will compete in her K&N Filters/Borla Exhaust American Race Cars dragster, alongside her husband Kevin, at both NHRA and IHRA events. “We have added a few events this season that we wouldn’t normally go to and that’s due to the travels and events that I’m scheduled to do for television coverage. So, we end up doing a lot of schedule shifting to get in as many events as can be squeezed in and it’s quite a full calendar this year.”

“This K&N/Borla American dragster doesn’t even have the new car smell worn off of her yet,” Fisher joked. “I have to say I probably only have maybe a half season on her, if that, but she’s already been to a final and we look forward to getting there again. Just hopefully a little sooner than last season. We certainly can’t say it’s not because we don’t have the absolute best from nose to wing on that car that also includes power by Ohio Crankshaft, backed up by my Abruzzi Racing Transmission and Converter, injected with Dragon Racing Fuels and sticking it down with Mickey Thompson Tires. So many important components from Flatout Gaskets, Amalie Oil, Computech Systems, Moroso, House of Payne Performance, Hawk Performance, XS Power, Auto Meter and Power Plus Lubricants. Advertising Edge/CustomRaceShirts.com keep us looking as good as the car with awesome crew shirts and thanks to the best tool man in the business Tom “The Tool Man” Hirt/Snap-On Tools, we have what we need to keep it all together.”

Fisher and Co-Founder Alex Borla filming on the set of Performance TV

Kathy’s K&N Filters/Borla Exhaust Crew Mekoh & Miyah