In 1903 G.A. Krause, the founder of Wolverine World Wide, and his sons built a burgeoning shoe factory in Rockford, Mich. capable of producing 300 pairs of shoes a day. By 1914 the factory was growing, producing a line of leather work shoes branded as “1,000 mile shoes” because of their durability.

In 2008 Wolverine will be using the quarter-mile to promote its extensive line of premium outdoor foot apparel. The company has entered into an agreement to sponsor Championship Sunday at three events on the 2008 Knoll Gas Nitro Jam schedule. Wolverine will present Championship Sunday at the season-opening Texas Nationals at San Antonio Raceway April 4-6, the Northern Nationals at Knoll Gas Motorsports Park in Martin, Mich. Aug. 1-3 and at the Sooner Nationals at Tulsa Raceway Park Aug. 22-24.

“Wolverine is pleased to be a part of the IHRA family because we are happy to work with such a great team of people,” Wolverine World Wide spokesperson Christina Vernon said. “The management group, the race teams and the fans all have been so great to work with. In 2007 we worked with IHRA for the first time and we were happy with how everyone made us feel right at home. And the feedback we got on our product was wonderful.”

Last season Wolverine World Wide sponsored the Sooner Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This year the company has partnered with Academy Sports + Outdoors, one of the largest sporting good retailers in the United States, to put their names together to sponsor the three Championship Sundays.

“Because we partner with Academy Sports + Outdoors on these events we wanted to get exposure to a loyal group of consumers who can appreciate Wolverine’s ‘Relentless by Nature’ attitude and also appreciate the full selection of Wolverine products at Academy stores,” Vernon said. “So far the fans have not disappointed us. We had a great time in Tulsa last year showcasing our new products while getting people excited about Wolverine and Academy. With our expanded presence at the races this year we hope to have an even better season.”

Wolverine impressed IHRA president Aaron Polburn last year, and he expects the relationship to grow.

“Last season Wolverine was such an integral part of the Sooner Nationals in Tulsa,” he said. “They really proved to be a sponsor that knows how to activate, and that added a lot to our Nitro Jam event. I’m thrilled they decided to expand their sponsorship to include the Texas Nationals and Northern Nationals this season.”