If anyone knows the value of Competition Eliminator, it's Mark Beatty, Red Line Oil's Brand Director. 

Beatty, a former Competition Eliminator racer from the 1990s, has proudly joined the movement of companies determined to preserve the iconic drag racing division that dates back to the early 1960s. Red Line Oil is one of the sponsors alongside Rodger Brogdon in the 2024 Rooftec Competition Eliminator Bonus Fund. 

"We're really excited about being a part of the Comp Eliminator Bonus Fund," Beatty said. As a brand, we really focus on the grassroots or, I like to say, the family when it comes to all forms of motorsports. Comp Eliminator, if people don't know the category, I'd encourage them to get to know it because it is the most sophisticated, coolest category in all of the NHRA. 

"I'm a Pro Stock guy at heart, but I started in Comp Eliminator. These teams, racers, and crew guys work harder than anybody else at the racetrack. And so when we can join and show our support, it's our way of just saying, 'Hey, you know what? We appreciate what you do, and we're glad to be there with you. We definitely hope that we can help you in the future.'

Beatty's time in Competition Eliminator began with Joe and Nancy 
Shalkowski Los Alamos, New Mexico-based B/Econo Dragster. , and I was up in Denver. 

"We were never overly successful," Beatty admitted. "We won a couple of points meets in our adventures and stuff, but we were racing B/ED about the same time Bill Moropoulos was the king of the hill in that particular category.

"We ran hard, doing the best that we could. We ran Madcap Power for a while. We ran Nickens Power for a while. We jumped on the Buick-headed, small-block Chevrolets when Nickens was really big in the Buick setup and stuff. And so we just made a lot of friends; we ran hard, and we loved it."

As complex and challenging as those days were, Beatty revels in the accomplishments of today's modern Competition Eliminator. 

"This class is off the chain in terms of entertainment value," Beatty said. "To see how Rodger Brogdon has rallied the troops in Competition Eliminator just goes to show the spirit of this class. This is an absolute gearhead playground in that there's something for everybody here. I love watching this class and am beyond proud of supporting the Rooftec Competition Eliminator Bonus Fund."

The Rooftec Competition Eliminator Bonus Fund will be even more robust in 2024, with a planned $750,000 total payout, and is no longer bound by the confines of one NHRA division. This year's series will pay $250,000 to the series champion and will feature competition in three NHRA divisions outside of its home base of the South Central [Division 4].

Brogdon said he's proud to be associated with Red Line Oil and the value Beatty brings.

"Mark is just a salt of the earth guy," Brogdon said. "The Red Line Oil brand is synonymous with quality. When you put those Red Line Oil, Mark, and the Competition Eliminator Bonus Fund together, it has win-win written all over it." 

The 2024 Rooftec Competition Eliminator Bonus Fund Series kicks off this weekend at the NHRA Division 4 season-opener in Noble, Oklahoma.