In 1961, ATI began as a modest transmission rebuilding shop in Silver Spring, Maryland.
When Jim Beattie, Founder of ATI, initially attacked the field of automatic transmissions, Funny Cars were blistering at the bottom of the track at six seconds, and dragsters were still trying to break 200 m.p.h. During the formative years, ATI dominated the world of torque converters. Jim Beattie was known to produce converters robust enough to function under the high-power demand of drag racers.
In 1974, ATI introduced the Black Magic® Funny Car. Black Magic qualified seventh and had the third-lowest E.T. at that season's Gatornationals. Black Magic also won the Best Appearing Car and Crew awards -the first time in NHRA history that a single Funny Car team received both awards. The Black Magic also won the Summernationals at Englishtown, NJ in its first year of competition - still the ONLY fuel funny car to accomplish that feat in the history of NHRA.
Based in the suburbs of Baltimore in a 100,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility, ATI houses one of the most advanced CNC machine shops in the automotive industry. ATI manufactures strictly high-performance driveline components producing over 500,000 individual pieces per year. From a simple washer to the all-new permanent mold aluminum Turbo 350 SuperCase transmission, ATI makes it all in house.
As a second-generation family-owned company deeply rooted in drag racing, ATI's in-house, US-made products have gained considerable credibility as the industry standard for drag racers. J.C. Beattie Jr. explains, "Our complete equipment line allows us to manufacture new torque converters from raw material from start to the finished product.”
ATI has earned its reputation for cutting-edge technology, attention to detail, and rigorous testing in race conditions. The brand has built a loyal, long-term customer base. "It's not uncommon to see a converter shipped in for a refresh that we built in the 1980s," says J.C.
Last year, ATI acquired a Dynocom TriPod hub to make testing and product creation more accessible. J.C. is a hardcore racer and believes that through meticulous testing he can assess what his products are capable of in race conditions. J.C. explains, "With a hub dyno we eliminate variables like tire spin, put all of the power you have available through the converter and transmission to see what it can do.”
Vince Fourcade joined ATI as the Chief Transmission Technology Officer (CTTO) in 2021. Fourcade brings with him three decades of performance racing and automatic transmission building expertise. "There are only a handful of outstanding builders in the country," J.C. remarked, "Vince is one of them. We are fortunate and thankful to have him on our team”.
The next generation of the Beattie family, James (JCB3), is already behind the wheel of his junior dragster and can drive anything where he can remotely reach the pedals. "I've been involved in racing my entire life. Even as a kid, if I was not in school, this is where I spent my time growing up. It's the same for my kids now. It's a family business."
Today, ATI is prepared to drive technology to the finish line for the next 60 years. Their renowned Super Dampers have become the harmonic balancer of choice for racers, crew chiefs, and engine builders in NASCAR, IHRA, NHRA, and every other form of motorsports. The family business emphasizes innovation, extensive in-house manufacturing capabilities, and a commitment to helping its customers succeed. After all, ATI's mantra is "Race to Win!"