Bart Price told Torco's CompetitionPlus.com last year that he had a new sponsor, but kept it all quiet until the right time. He didn't want to jinx the program by announcing early. Not only did he gain a new backer, he also acquired a new partner. On Thursday, he let the cat out of the bag.

"This has been a very exciting off-season for us," Price said. "In addition to bringing Greg Hill aboard as an equity partner, we've established relationships with two companies that are new to drag racing in Attitude Apparel and Throttle Racing Products. Greg and I have been friends for years and (have) spent a considerable amount of time comparing notes. We concluded that our teams were in very similar situations and determined that combining our resources made a lot of sense."

Price described Attitude Apparel as a brand focused on marketing lifestyle apparel and related products to all kinds of enthusiasts.

"They've got some really exciting plans and products that I'm sure drag race fans will enjoy," he said.

Bart Price told Torco's CompetitionPlus.com last year that he had a new sponsor, but kept it all quiet until the right time. He didn't want to jinx the program by announcing early. Not only did he gain a new backer, he also acquired a new partner. On Thursday, he let the cat out of the bag.

"This has been a very exciting off-season for us," Price said. "In addition to bringing Greg Hill aboard as an equity partner, we've established relationships with two companies that are new to drag racing in Attitude Apparel and Throttle Racing Products. Greg and I have been friends for years and (have) spent a considerable amount of time comparing notes. We concluded that our teams were in very similar situations and determined that combining our resources made a lot of sense."

Price described Attitude Apparel as a brand focused on marketing lifestyle apparel and related products to all kinds of enthusiasts.

"They've got some really exciting plans and products that I'm sure drag race fans will enjoy," he said.

TRP is also new to drag racing but Price believes NHRA fans, and especially sportsman competitors, will quickly appreciate the way the company conducts business. "For years, TRP has designed and marketed safety equipment for the carting industry," Price said. "They're very innovative and their products are very high quality. We're proud to be working with them."

Having fielded a variety of cars in the past, Hill was pleased to join forces with Price and is understandably excited about the duo's future together.

"Bart Price, Greg Stanfield, and I have a lot in common," Hill said. "Bart and I operate similar businesses, both have roots in the sportsman drag racing ranks, and for the last few seasons we've each fielded independent, single-car Pro Stock teams.

"The major difference between our teams was that Price and Stanfield have been building their engines in-house. While I'm sure most would agree that's the way to go, I think it's obvious very few can really make it work. After looking closely at Price and Stanfield's operation I'm convinced they can, and I believe we will work well together."

Stanfield knows Hill's contribution will mean a great deal to the team.

"A lot of people seem surprised to hear that we've only had three full-time employees these past few years," Stanfield said. "Due to that limited manpower, we've been forced to spend most of our time on race preparation and logistics. Mr. Hill's financial support enables us to finally hire full-time staff for our engine shop, so for the first time we'll be able to continue maintenance and development work even when we're on the road testing and racing.

"The additional shop time will allow us to finally begin serious development on our DRCE3 combination. I'm convinced we've gone just about as far as we can with our deuce (DRCE-2) combo. To truly compete, we need to sort out GM's new race engine.

"Further, this will be the first time since we ran in Pro Stock Truck that we'll have access to multiple race chassis. We learned the hard way last season how difficult troubleshooting problems can be when you're relying on a single car. I'd say we're entering this year in the best competitive position we've ever been in. It's very exciting."