Industry leading VP Racing Fuels support for motorsports in North America continues with a series of important announcements…
Atco Extension — VP Racing Fuels announced the extension of a long-standing relationship with Atco Dragway in New Jersey. For over fifteen years, VP has been the official fuel and this agreement will extend through 2020.
“I know VP’s a better fuel and it’s a very consistent fuel. VP has something for every application and those factors all lead to good fuel sales. I’m very happy with our sales and continuing our relationship,” said Atco’s Len Capone.
“I’m very happy to get this extension done with Atco,” said Tim Hogue, VP Regional Manager. “Len Capone and his entire staff do a great job at the track and everyone at VP is proud to be associated with them. We are looking forward to a great 2018 season at Atco.”
X14 Racer’s Fuel of Choice — VP Racing Fuels announced that drag racing champion Steve Furr has selected VP fuel for performance and reliability to use during his 2018 season.
In the competitive world of NHRA and IHRA class drag racing, Steve Furr has been the measurement of success for over two decades. Furr has found himself in more than 150 final rounds in recent years, propelling himself to multiple divisional and national championships. Performance and consistency are hallmarks of both VP Racing Fuels and the Furr Racing Program.
“I recently switched over my Par Racing Engine Powered 68′ Camaro from a competitor’s product to VP X14 and have had great results,” said Furr. “Being a mechanical engineer, I have a desire to test everything and prove things for myself. I am very impressed with the repeatability and consistency of this fuel and that’s what 9.90 racing is all about,” Furr continued.
“Steve’s on track performance speaks for itself,” said David Morris, Business Development Manager – VP Racing Fuels Southeast. “We had a conversation at Gainesville last year about becoming a part of the Furr Racing Program and in conjunction with Par Racing Engines decided that X14 would be the best fuel for Steve’s application.” “We look forward to being part of the Furr Motorsports success for years to come,” continued Morris.
VP Racing Fuels is proud to announce too that Kevin Brannon has chosen to fuel with VP in his pursuit of this year’s drag racing championships and big payout races.
Kevin Brannon, from Boiling Springs, South Carolina, is passionate about most things in his life, but perhaps the most passionate is sportsman drag racing. Kevin who is more affectionately known to many as simply “KB” will be pursuing a 2018 championship fueled by VP’s new X14. It doesn’t matter if it’s an NHRA National Event or a Big Money bracket race, KB is certainly a favorite to win.
“Having both on the track and in the dyno room experience, I was able to see first-hand what VP could bring to my program,” said Brannon. “The opportunity to partner with a globally recognized company that is as respected as VP certainly makes a lot of sense,” continued Brannon. “My wife Ivey and I are really excited to see what the 2018 racing season has in store.”
“Any time you can partner with a past world champion, it’s certainly a great idea,” said Marc Wesler, VP Racing Fuels International Sales Manager. “Working with Kevin is a real pleasure. It’s rewarding for a company like VP to be part of a program that is well prepared and looks the part. The fact that KB is a winner is really cool, but most importantly he’s a great person who is well respected amongst the drag racing community,” Wesler continued. “When we saw the opportunity to switch him from the competition, we knew it was a big win for VP.”
VP Racing Fuels confirmed to that both Gary and Troy Williams will rely on VP fuels for the 2018 racing season. This dynamic duo of racing brothers from Florida are two of the best when it comes to sportsman drag racing. Reaching the pinnacle of the sport, both brothers are former Million Dollar Drag Race Winners and have hundreds of other big money wins on their resume.
“When you race for a living it’s important to have the very best equipment you can rely on, this is our livelihood,” said Gary Williams. “When you’re out there competing against the very best this sport has to offer you need to make sure you give yourself the best opportunity to win and VP does that,” continued Williams.
“Being a part of Gary and Troy’s program is exciting,” said David Morris – Business Development Manager for VP Racing Fuel’s Southeast Office. “The Williams’ brothers are two of the very best in the sport of drag racing and we are sure they will add to the long list of winners Fueled by VP in the 2018 racing season.”
New Appointments — VP Racing Fuels® announced J.K. Kelly has been hired as a consultant to support the company’s Marketing and PR efforts.
“Jim had a significant role at VP for nearly thirty years,” Director of Marketing Donato Bonacquisto offered. “He retired a few years back to write his first novel and spend more time with his family in Pennsylvania. While he remained with us as a consultant it was thought that his passion for VP and his exceptional writing skills would be of additional value to the team.”
Kelly added, “I have enjoyed writing, promotions and advertising throughout my career, and returning to VP to assist with VP’s marketing and communication efforts seemed to be a natural path for us to follow. I am excited to be returning to VP and adding value to VP’s expanding marketing and promotional efforts.”
VP Racing Fuels, Inc., announced the appointment of Bob Merz as Senior Manager of Corporate Communications.
“Bob is very passionate about developing creative, strategic marketing initiatives that deliver results,” said Alan Cerwick, President of VP Racing Fuels. “His deep experience in B2B and B2C, strategic brand marketing and communications, and his significant, successful roles working with companies like 7-11, Pennzoil, Texaco, and Anheuser-Busch make him a great addition to the VP Team. At VP our culture is all about passion and results and he’s a great fit.”
Merz first experience in motorsports came when he ran the $3B Budweiser brand that included sponsorship of car owner Junior Johnson and drivers Darrell Waltrip and the late Neil Bonnett on the NASCAR circuit.
“Having admired VP Racing Fuels for several years, I am delighted to be joining the VP team,” said Merz. “The product lines, the expansion opportunities and the overall growth prospects make this a truly exciting time to join.”
About VP Racing Fuels
VP Racing Fuels is best known as the World Leader in Race Fuel Technology™, fueling champions in virtually every form of motorsport on land, sea and air since 1975. VP is the Official Racing Fuel of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, AMA Supercross, NMRA, NMCA, World of Outlaws Sprint Cars and Late Models, Pirelli World Challenge, PDRA and Rally America, among more than 60 VP-sponsored series and sanctioning bodies.
As part of a retail branding program, gas stations and convenience stores across the U.S. are being branded as VP Racing Fuels, with each providing distribution for VP’s other product lines, including ethanol-free VP Small Engine Fuels, formulated for 2- and 4-cycle outdoor power equipment; VP Madditive® performance chemicals; VP Hi-Performance Lubricants; VP PowerWash™; and VP PowerMaster® hobby fuels for R/C racing. VP’s most recent diversification efforts include the introduction of VP Hi-Performance Lubricants in conjunction with the launch of quick lube facilities branded VP Racing FASTLUBE™.”
More information is available online at VPRacingFuels.com.