Constant Benoit attended a 24-hour endurance race at the Sheepshead Bay track near his Brooklyn, New York laboratory. He observed that many of the cars were forced to make frequent pit stops to replace blown cylinder head gaskets. The mechanic for driver Ralph DePalma’s car sought Mr. Benoit’s help after DePalma’s car blew its head gasket for the fourth time. Mr. Benoit applied some of his experimental gasket cement and the DePalma car drove the rest of the 24-hour race without any further gasket problems. On that day, Permatex entered the automotive maintenance chemicals business. The Permatex Company became one of the early leaders in using professional auto racing to prove product performance and to promote sales.