Sometimes a company just has to change things up a bit to get the ball rolling, and that’s exactly what Don Barry, Group President of Accel Performance Group decided to do when he went with the new name for the Prestolite Performance company, a performance auto parts manufacturer that includes famous brands such Mr. Gasket, Accel, Hays, Lakewood, Mallory, and Prestolite Proconnect.

Barry recently announced the name change to Accel Performance Group as the next step in a major rebranding strategy and growth initiative he launched when he took the steering wheel back in January of 2012.

As part of the name change, each of the brands manufactured by Prestolite Performance will continue to benefit from a host of marketing assets, however two of them—Mr. Gasket and Accel—will undergo significant branding identity and positioning overhauls making them flagships of the group, with more clear and separate target markets, from which the other brands will operate.

The Accel brand will focus on giving performance enthusiasts the latest ignition and fuel system technologies so they can make their cars and trucks go faster and operate more efficiently. The Mr. Gasket brand will still serve the performance market, but will be focused on restoration enthusiasts and nostalgic hot rod builders.

“With both Mr. Gasket and Accel, we want to continue to create performance parts that inspire and unite generations around the world; keeping this hobby viable for years to come,” said Don Barry. ” This new branding strategy is our first step in continuing to do so.”

In addition to the name change to Accel Performance Group and segmenting each of the brands more clearly, Mr. Gasket and Accel also unveiled new logos and will soon launch an integrated marketing program.

For additional information on Accel Performance Group and each of its brand’s complete line of products, go to www.accelnation.com.