Bob
Vandergriff last saw action on the NHRA trail last November, at the
2008 Auto Club Finals in Pomona, and the time off in the interim has
been a tough pill to swallow for the popular Top Fuel owner/driver.
Accustomed to going fast, the Georgia resident is never comfortable
going nowhere, but a lack of sponsor backing had left him parked
throughout the first five races in 2009, and with the annual trip to
Atlanta Dragway looming he put the "pedal to the metal" to find a
marketing partner for this weekend's Summit Racing Southern
Nationals. Speedco, the only national network to specialize in
quick-lube and tire service for heavy-duty trucks, was quick to see the
value in such an association, and Vandergriff will proudly fly the
Speedco colors this weekend in Commerce, Ga.
The marketing agreement will include the Summit Southern Nationals
(April 17-19), as well as the Mac Tools US Nationals in the fall
(September September 4-7), and Vandergriff is not only thankful for the
support, but also believes it will provide a much-needed boost for a
number of other potential sponsor programs he is currently discussing.
"Mark Clark and the team at Speedco have been longtime supporters of
our racing efforts, and we're thrilled to be able to run the Speedco
colors at our home track in Georgia, as well as at the US Nationals in
Indianapolis," Vandergriff said. "It's been really difficult to sit on
the sidelines for the first part of the season, so I'm even more
appreciative that Speedco stepped up in time for us to make our '09
debut at our home track. We're looking forward to jumping right back
into the mix, and maybe we can turn some heads and have some success
this weekend.