DENSO made its UK drag racing debut at Santa Pod Raceway in Bedfordshire between 4th and 7th September, supporting 13-times European FIA Pro Stock champion, Jimmy Alund, with its Iridium Power IXU27 spark plugs.
The spark plugs were used in the 8.2-litre V8 engine of Alund’s Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock machine, which is capable of delivering 1,425bhp and reaching a top speed of well over 200mph in around six seconds over the quarter-mile course. The FIA Pro Stock class features petrol-powered cars that closely resemble production models.
Jimmy Alund explained the technical advantage of the plugs, saying: “Switching from the previous brand of plugs to DENSO Iridium Power plugs has made a big difference. Primarily it’s the quality of the plugs, but they are also easier to ‘read’, which is how I fine tune the calibration of the oxygen sensors with the carburettors, to ensure the combustion is as close to perfect as it can be to allow the unit to generate the optimum power needed to deliver the times I need during every run.”
He added a practical benefit: “Although the brand I previously used was the original specification for the engine, the step up in quality with the DENSO Iridium Power plugs was immediately obvious. One of the most beneficial factors is the gaskets, which are retained on the thread, which is really helpful when you’re taking them out of the cylinder head. Previously I’d have to waste time retrieving the gasket from the hole before I could refit them, which is a time consuming job when you’re changing eight plugs between races!”
Despite Alund achieving the quickest quarter-mile time of 6.5990 seconds in Sunday’s final, he lost the race by just 0.0079 of a second due to a slower reaction time, which also meant he was narrowly pipped to the season championship title. Alund is now focusing on the 2026 championship, aiming for his 14th title.
Further details of the DENSO Aftermarket programme are available online by clicking here.