:::::: News ::::::

SEND YOUR WELL WISHES TO EVAN

With Evan Knoll out of
racing while recovering from the affects of a head injury, a special email has
been established so race fans can extend their well-wishes during this recovery
period. These emails will be delivered to Evan’s family as well as posted on
Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com.

SEND EMAIL 

PRUDHOMME/WILKERSON ANNOUNCE ALLIANCE

Team owner Don Prudhomme and owner/driver Tim Wilkerson announced an
alliance for the upcoming 2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing season. While
Snake Racing will field a car in the Top Fuel category and Tim
Wilkerson will campaign a Funny Car, the new coalition will create the
ability for the two teams to share resources and discuss tuning
decisions, while generating new opportunities for their sponsors.

"Tim has always been a really good guy and a solid competitor,"
Prudhomme said. "I know he has a good relationship with (Snake Racing
crew chiefs) Donnie Bender and Todd Smith and both teams have always
been quick to lend each other a helping hand. For 2008, I wanted to
strengthen the relationship between our teams and create opportunities
for our dragster and Tim's Funny Car program."

Team Wilkerson Racing has been one of the few remaining single-car
teams on the NHRA circuit, while amassing five national event wins,
including the prestigious Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. Wilkerson has the
unique distinction of being team owner, driver, and crew chief of his
team, earning him high respect from his peers.

PSM CHAMPION FACES TOUGH CHALLENGE

Matt Smith knows the ups and down of racing, from winning his first race at Indy in 2005 then just two
days later having it taken away to winning his first NHRA Championship in dramatic style in 2007.
Therefore when Matt Smith along with all other Torco backed teams received a phone call letting him know
that Torco Race Fuels would be suspending their funds for the 2008 race
season, Smith put on his game face and started looking at what he could
do to get his winning team out there in 2008.

THE ANDREACCHI FACTOR

For 20-year racing veteran Sam Andreacchi, winning one of the Pro
Modified Racing Association’s events in 2007 was the highlight of his
season, and he hopes to add some more wins this year.
 
“The PMRA is a great series,” said Andreacchi, who has raced a Pro
Modified for the past six seasons, but joined the PMRA only last year.
“And winning one of the races was certainly nice.”
 
New for this year, will be a carbon fiber body on the Sam Andreacchi /Domenic Calabria-owned entry.
 
The team that is sponsored by Paul Wolf Electric & Lighting Supply
Ltd. has been running a steel 1969 Chevy Nova body, but he said the new
body has finally arrived, and getting that on the car will be the main
focus of activity before racing begins in 2008.

TORCO OFFICIAL STATEMENT

Torco Racing Fuels has announced an interruption for their 2008 racing
season.  The break will include sidelining all Knoll Gas
Motorsports’ teams, including those owned by Evan Knoll and sponsored by Torco
Racing Fuels, Inc. for the 2008 season.  However, the break will
not affect event sponsorship in NHRA, IHRA, and other sanctioned bodies.

 

At the center of the
interruption is the long-term health of Torco President and founder, Evan
Knoll.  Knoll, who suffered major injuries in a serious motor
vehicle accident in November of 2004, has stayed at the helm of operations with
Torco.  Knoll has been in and out of Mayo Clinic and has also been
working with several Neurologists.  He continues to have in-home,
state-of-the-art medical care when treatment is necessary and Knoll is currently
unable to travel. 

 

In taking a season
off from the rigorous duties of being a primary sponsor and team owner of more
than a dozen teams, Knoll will be able to concentrate on furthering his
recovery.  Additionally, the organization is hoping to plan,
strategize, and regroup their team efforts throughout drag racing, thus
strengthening their chances of world championships. 

ESTN PRE-ENTRIES - 01-09

The following are the pre-entries received for the 8th annual Eastern Spring Test Nationals presented by Torco's CompetitionPlus.com hosted by South Georgia Motorsports Park in Valdosta, Ga. 

HERBERT'S NEW THEME FOR 2008

Doug
Herbert announced today a new theme for his Top Fuel operation for the 2008
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Season.

Herbert,
whose long term association with Snap-on Tools is one of the longest sponsor
relationships in all of drag racing, will be piloting the SnaponFranchise.com
Top Fuel dragster, shedding light on one of the top ten franchise opportunities
in the country.

INTERVIEW WITH TORCO C.F.O. LATRELL PRESTON

Latrell Preston, Chief Financial Officer for Torco Race Fuels, Inc.,
announced yesterday, January 8, 2008, that the company has suspended
some of its drag racing programs.
 
Evan Knoll, President and C.E.O. of Torco Race Fuels, was involved in a
single-car accident dating back to November 2004 in which the vehicle
he was driving went off of the highway and struck a tree. He was later
diagnosed with a severe concussion and later developed multiple brain
bleeds. This medical condition worsened to the point that Knoll has
opted to take a leave-of-absence from his company to properly heal.
 
Preston conducted the following question and answer session on Wednesday afternoon.

BARTONE COMING TO VEGAS TEST

Professional Funny Car driver Tony Bartone will give drag racing fans a sneak
peek at the 2008 season when he brings his Chevrolet to the starting line at the
Jan. 18-20 Nitro Blast-Off Preseason Test Session at The Strip at Las Vegas
Motor Speedway.  Bartone’s Jim Dunn Racing Funny Car now is sponsored by CANIDAE
All Natural Pet Foods and its bright green-and-yellow paint scheme is
highlighted by canine silhouettes on the hood and doors.  Another
eyebrow-raising item on Bartone’s colorful entry is an associate-sponsor sticker
on the rear spoiler: Speedway Illustrated Magazine, a respected stock car racing
publication.

Team owner Dunn is one of the original
pioneers of drag racing. He began his career as a competitor in 1950 when the
popularity of the sport was starting to take hold on local strips throughout
Southern California. Over the years, the acclaimed driver/crew chief/team owner
has accumulated numerous wins and performance records.  Since retiring from
driving in 1990, Dunn's career has continued to flourish as a respected crew
chief, technical advisor and car owner.

CHILI BOWLING WITH GARY SCELZI

G_Scelzi.jpgFour-time NHRA world champion Gary Scelzi, driver of the Mopar/Oakley
Dodge Charger Funny Car, took his first stint behind the wheel of his
Scelzi Enterprises/Jeg's/K&N Filters USAC car in a practice session
for
the Dodge Chili Bowl Nationals this past Tuesday night.

For Scezli, those laps were the culmination of several years of
planning and going to school to learn how to drive a sprint car. For
some the sight of a drag racer climbing into a car that has to make
four left turns might be a jaw dropper. However, for Scelzi it's just
another experience in the world of motorsports.

“It is absolutely true,” Scelzi replied when initially asked over the
winter if he was going to compete in the Chili Bowl. “ I own a USAC
pavement car and a USAC dirt car that (17-year-old) Michael Faccinto
drives. And one of the things I've wanted to do since I drove the Ford
Focus celebrity race in 2003 (at the Chili Bowl) was to race the Chili
Bowl itself. And now that I own my own USAC team I told everybody on my
team that, OK I'm going to run the Chili Bowl this year.

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