It is a story that is common in the performance aftermarket—an enthusiast becomes passionate about their hobby and a door opens to turn it into a full-time position. Luis De Leon is on that list, as the Brazilian saw an opportunity to make the switch from FuelTech customer to employee and now, sixteen years later, one its most valued executives. It hasn’t always been about chasing Radial vs. The World records or assisting with some of the most powerful drag race vehicles in the sport, Luis’s humble beginning was no different than most of us.
The native Brazilian has had an affinity for cars and motorsports since a young age and instantly got his driver’s license the day he turned 18, the legal age to drive in his native land. Following a four-year, mandatory stint in the Brazilian army, he would follow a path to college, chasing a mechanical engineering degree. During that time, he had a four-cylinder car with nitrous, picking up a FuelTech ECU to run it all. Back then, the company was just a handful of years old and not yet a dominant stand-alone engine management system.
“At some point I struggled,” confessed Luis as he recalled how he met Anderson Dick, the founder of FuelTech. “The tech couldn’t figure it out over the phone, so Anderson came to my house to make it run,” showing that customer service has been an integral part of FuelTech since its early years. The two car enthusiasts instantly hit it off and kept in touch over the years. Eventually, Luis began working at the Delphi automotive testing lab, but he yearned for more. His desire to chase another challenge, particularly with engines, led to some conversations with Anderson and a casual invitation to come to the FuelTech headquarters. It was a trip that would end up changing both of their lives. Anderson saw a need to have a larger FuelTech presence at race tracks around the country, and he felt Luis possessed the skills to be that representative.
It was 2007 and FuelTech had just three people in tech support, but with Luis in the field, the group would grow larger. Not only did FuelTech expand, so did Luis’ role, as he became supervisor of the developing department and eventually the coordinator of the entire customer service division. He was responsible for designing the RMA and warrantee department and it was around the time that the company expanded into the United States.
“I walked into Anderson’s office and offered to move to Georgia and get in at the…
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