Sponsored by Wharton Automotive Group
Paul Lee in the seat of his Nitro Funny Car getting ready for a warmup. Lee has been a drag racer for more than 40 years and is currently competing in the NHRA Mission Food Drag Racing Series.
In 2008, Paul Lee packed up his life in Philadelphia and headed to Orange County, California, with his sights on building McLeod Racing into the largest clutch manufacturer in the industry. Lee created a team that prioritizes customer service, dealer support and innovative technology for the McLeod brand.
In just a few short years, McLeod had become the number-one stop for domestic clutch application, flywheels, throw-out bearings and more. McLeod was growing and providing its customers the quality and service the industry had long waited for. Lee was now ready to extend that same recipe to other parts of the drivetrain market.
With the success of McLeod, Lee knew the next step was to grow within the drivetrain market, and in 2019, he acquired automatic transmission and torque converter manufacturer FTI Performance in DeLand, Florida. FTI is one of the top converter companies among the racing and street communities and specializes in custom and production converters, along with TH400, Powerglide and 700R4 transmissions.
With the cutting-edge technology needed for the automatic side of the business, Lee implemented his business strategies of customer service and innovative technology, using a vast network of distributors to grow FTI into a top contender for automatic drivetrain.
Lee has created a successful business portfolio hitting both the manual and automatic fields of the aftermarket driveline industry. The next step was to add a manual transmission company into the mix.
In 2021, Lee acquired Silver Sport Transmissions of Knoxville, Tennessee. Silver Sport is unique in that it is a TREMEC Elite Distributor. Silver Sport specializes in overdrive transmission conversion kits, and each kit includes everything needed for a TREMEC swap in almost any vehicle application.
With the three companies working together, Lee created the Wharton Automotive Group. Lee, a graduate of the Wharton Business School, continues to create meaningful connections with distributors, customers and shops. With no investment group in the mix, the Wharton Automotive Group can cater to each market with original technology and excellent customer service.
With dominance in the domestic world for the manual side, Lee had the opportunity to branch out with Competition Clutch in 2024. Competition Clutch is the top provider of sport-compact and European clutch kits and flywheels. As with McLeod, Lee turned Competition Clutch into a true drivetrain company. With single-disc, twin and triple-disc clutch kits, flywheels and other parts, Competition Clutch continues to add more and more products and applications for its customers.
With top-notch, innovative products, the Wharton Automotive Group has grown its distributor networks around the world. Each person in the Wharton Automotive Group is an automotive enthusiast. From drag racing to drifting, off-road to time attack, every team member has a passion for the aftermarket community. When customers call for technical questions or are ready to buy their clutch or converter, they can trust our expert recommendations because most run the products in their personal cars. The work environment that Lee has created proves that the Wharton Automotive Group is the customer's first stop for their driveline needs.
With a 10-year plan set, Lee continues to grow and acquire the best brands for the Wharton Automotive Group and its customers.
