Flowmaster® has its roots in solving the engine noise problems encountered by California racers in the 1980s. In 1983 Flowmaster's founder, Ray Flugger, created his first patented design of racing silencers, which dampened noise with minimal loss of power. Ray attached handles to ease carrying the square shaped race mufflers through the race pits, and the mufflers became known as the "suitcase mufflers." Today, the innovative Flowmaster mufflers are the result of years of development with top race engine builders, thousands of hours of dyno research and "real-world" on-track testing.