February 16th, 2012 / Author: BTS
NHRA announced today that Uni-Select USA and its Auto-Plus® network of automotive retail stores have acquired the naming rights to the NHRA owned and operated facility in Gainesville, Fla.
Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville will host the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals March 8-11, the third stop in the 23-race NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. One of NHRA’s “major” events, the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals serves as the East Coast opener for the series featuring Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and the season-opener for Pro Stock Motorcycle. In 2012, NHRA will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of the sport’s first 300 mph pass, which took place at the historic track in 1992. Making a special appearance at the event to commemorate the feat considered by many as the one of the greatest accomplishments in the sport will be NHRA legend and the first driver to go 300 mph, Kenny Bernstein.
Besides holding naming rights to Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville, the company also serves as title-rights sponsor of the Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pa., and is the official auto parts store of Atlanta Dragway, also an NHRA owned and operated facility, and Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio.
“In a short period of time, Uni-Select USA and its Auto-Plus brand have truly embraced the value of association with NHRA,” said John Siragusa, senior director of sales and business development, NHRA.
The naming rights sponsorship affords Auto-Plus with significant signage at the historic facility, which has hosted an NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event for 42 years, as well as hospitality privileges for business associates and customers. For all the exciting events scheduled at Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville, log on to www.autoplusraceway.com.
“Our strategic relationship with NHRA exceeded our expectations in 2011,” said Brent Windom, Uni-Select vice president North American Marketing and Product Development. “NHRA fans are incredibly loyal to companies that build their brand through drag racing, and our sponsorships help us strengthen our relationships with professional technicians and DIYers across the country. Gainesville Raceway is one of NHRA’s leading facilities, and we are pleased to announce this long-term agreement.”
Uni-Select is a leader in the distribution of automotive replacement parts, equipment, tools and accessories and, through Uni-Select USA, Inc., the company also provides services to customers in the United States where it is the seventh largest distributor. The Uni-Select NetworkTM includes more than 2,500 independent jobbers and services 3,500 points of sale in North America. Uni-Select is headquartered in Montreal. Uni-Select shares (UNS) are traded on the TMX.
Headquartered in Glendora, Calif., NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 23 national events featuring the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by ProCare Rx. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and the NHRA Drags: Street Legal Style presented by AAA. NHRA also offers the Jr. Drag Racing League for youth ages 8 to 17. In addition, NHRA owns and operates five racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Atlanta Dragway in Georgia; National Trail Raceway in Ohio; Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis; and Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California. For more information, log on to NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
February 15th, 2012 / Author: BTS
CORONA, Calif. (Feb. 15) – The Lucas Oil drag racing family has a new member with Pro Stock driver Rodger Brogdon joining the fold with his MAVTV/Lucas Oil/Charter Communications Pontiac GXP.
“It’s very exciting for us to be joining with Forrest, Charlotte and Morgan Lucas,” Brogdon said. “They are such a great family and the support and love they’ve shown for drag racing is tremendous. It’s an honor.”
Partnering with Top Fuel driver Brandon Bernstein, Brogdon will be a big part of the new network’s public awareness strategy.
“Rodger and Brandon are perfect representatives for MAVTV,” said MAVTV president Bob Patison. “They’re both great racecar drivers, solid family men and well respected individuals in their communities. As we grow this network, we know they will be an integral part of spreading the word about the wonderful programming we’ll always provide at MAVTV — the best in Movies, Action and Variety.”
Brogdon will continue to run a GXP before switching to the Chevy Camaro body when they become available in the spring. The team’s power will still be supplied by Victor Cagnazzi Racing. That combination saw the affable Texan smash records, reach the finals in his hometown of Houston and finish a career-best eighth in 2011.
“Victor and his group provide us with great horsepower,” said Brogdon, who qualified seventh at the season-opener in Pomona. “We know we can win any race we enter and that’s important. We’re more than happy with our relationship there.”
A native of the Houston suburb of Tomball, Texas, Brogdon said the partnership with MAVTV will only make this team more fearsome as the ties between his new sponsors and teammates are strengthened.
“The people at Charter Communications have been great to work with and they’re a big part of MAVTV’s initial growth phase,” Brogdon said. “They’re certainly helping MAV take an extra step by getting them in several million more households.
“It’s going to be fun to work with my new teammates. I got to know Morgan really well when he raced Top Alcohol Dragsters because he ran Division 4. He’s a good kid and a great racecar driver. I’m also looking forward to getting to know Brandon Bernstein a little better. MAV has big plans for the future and it’s an honor to be working with Brandon on getting this network as much exposure and notoriety as we can.”
Brodgon, who won multiple Comp Eliminator titles in Div. 4 before making the move to Pro Stock, said that despite the new affiliation with MAVTV and Lucas Oil, he’ll maintain the closest relationship with good friend, car owner and fellow racer, Steve Kent.
“Steve Kent and Kent Services and Trucking, man, what can I say about them? Bottom line, there’s no way I’d be racing without Steve’s support,” Brogdon said. “He’s the backbone of everything we do.
“We used to bang on each other pretty good in Comp Eliminator and finally one day he said we should join up and race together. We both wanted to move to Pro Stock and now here we are with an incredible group of sponsors and a race team that can win. I couldn’t be happier.”
February 14th, 2012 / Author: BTS
 CHANDLER, Ariz. (February 14, 2012) – Courtney Force gave the Funny Car field at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona a run for their money last weekend when she began her pro career in her Traxxas Ford Mustang. Courtney qualified in the no. 12 spot and took out Bob Tasca III in the opening round of eliminations on Sunday before falling victim to teammate Mike Neff who won 40 rounds throughout the 2011 season, more than any other driver.
The 2012 O’Reilly Winternationals event was a big step forward for Force, John Force Racing as a whole and new sponsor Traxxas, who came on board as primary sponsor for the rookie driver at the beginning of this season.
“I think our first race out for the season went a little better than expected. We were going in with very modest attitudes because all parts of our Traxxas team were new- driver, crew members, car, parts, etc. Our main goal in Pomona was to get qualified. We got in the field and were able to get past first round so it definitely was a good weekend for the Traxxas Ford Mustang team,” said Force
Force is only the second of eight Funny Car drivers at John Force Racing to snag a first round win during a debut event. The first was Gary Densham, who drove from 2001 through 2006. Densham made it to the semifinal round at the 2001 NHRA Spring Nationals at Houston, Texas. The other six JFR drivers exited their first events for the team in the first round of eliminations.
“It’s an honor to be one of the few drivers at John Force Racing to do well at my first event. It was definitely a team effort. I try to take everything I learn from the previous season and everything that my teammates have taught me, including my sister Ashley, and use that to move forward. I think that making it that far was good for us and the guys. They worked hard for it. With all of them being new and having to work together I think we all handled it well,” said Force.
New to the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing series is the Traxxas Nitro Shootout. In addition to Traxxas being announced as the Official Radio Controlled Performance Products of the NHRA, the new sponsor is giving Top Fuel and Funny Car teams a chance at a $100,000 prize.
The first seven event winners from both Top Fuel and Funny Car classes qualify for a spot in the shootout and are joined by an eighth driver voted in by fans. The Traxxas Nitro Shootout will be held during the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, with Top Fuel showcased on Saturday, Sept. 1, and Funny Car featured on Sunday, Sept. 2.
“I’m definitely excited about the Traxxas Nitro Shootout. I think it’s something amazing to bring back into the sport. I grew up watching the Big Bud Shootout and the Skoal Showdown so it’s exciting. Giving the fans those different events all at one race is pretty awesome especially mixing it up this year with Traxxas and making it so the fans have a say in who that eighth entry is. I think it will make for an interesting race,” said Force.
This coming weekend, Force will continue to build experience as she competes in the 28th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird International Raceway, Feb. 17-19.
“I’m looking forward to going to Phoenix because I think we have a pretty consistent car, great crew chiefs and a great group of guys behind us. We definitely want to go out there and try to get qualified again, make it in the field and just try to stay as consistent as we were at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona for the Winternationals. We want our car to continue to do well, we want to learn from it and push it a little harder and make it go a little quicker because it’s going to be tough to beat some of these guys that are our competitors.”
“Conditions are going to be different out in Phoenix, but I think as long as we keep doing what we have been and keep the car going down the racetrack maybe we can go one more round further,” added Force.
February 13th, 2012 / Author: BTS
PHOENIX (Feb. 13) – Erica Enders has hit the reset button and is ready for this weekend’s 28th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird International Raceway.
Enders and her Cagnazzi Racing crew, like a lot of other Pro Stock teams, struggled with the track in the 2012 season-opener at Pomona. But Phoenix is a new race, and Enders is looking forward to getting her Chevrolet Cobalt running well in a town where she has a lot of personal history.
“Phoenix now becomes the first race of the year,” Enders said. “We’ve got to leave the whole Pomona race in the dust. We’ll go to Phoenix with a new attitude and new confidence, and that’s perfect because the city means a lot to me.”
Firebird is one of Enders’ favorite tracks, as she’s done well there in the past. Plus, the Phoenix area is home to Enders’ brother and numerous other family members.
To make sure the weekend is a roaring success, Enders and her crew are spending two days this week testing at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
“Phoenix is like a home race for me and we really want to do well,” Enders said. “My family’s from there, and lot of them still live out there. We’ll have a lot of people at the track with us. I look forward to having that support group around me.
“In the past, Firebird also has been pretty lucky for us. We’ve not won in Pro Stock there, but we’ve come close a number of times. It’s also the first place I qualified as a professional. I look forward to this weekend.”
Enders made her official Pro Stock debut at Phoenix in 2005, qualifying No. 16 but losing in the first round to future boyfriend Richie Stevens. Enders has qualified fourth or better three times at Firebird, reaching the semifinals twice.
“All my love to Gaston Kearby,” Enders said. “he’s the one supporting the team this year and we couldn’t do it without him.”
The event begins Friday with Pro Stock qualifying sessions scheduled for 1:30 and 4 p.m. Qualifying continues at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday with eliminations slated for an 11 a.m. start on Sunday. ESPN2 will carry all of the action.
February 13th, 2012 / Author: BTS
 POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 12) – The opening race of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series ended way too early for Pro Stock driver Erica Enders.
Enders left -.007 seconds too soon in her first-round matchup Sunday against No. 4 qualifier Allen Johnson in the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, a foul that cost her the race.
“I had to take a shot at it,” Enders said. “It was a rough weekend.”
After getting the gift, Johnson still made a solid run, going 6.559 seconds at 211.10 mph, compared to Enders’ slowing pass of 9.651 seconds at 95.90 mph.
Enders drove well in qualifying, with an average reaction time of .027 seconds that was second best in the Pro Stock class. She qualified No. 13 after her Cagnazzi Racing team struggled to get the Chevrolet Cobalt down the track. Read the rest of this entry »
|
