Torco Racing Fuels, a leading manufacturer of high performance fuels, has signed a multi-year agreement with NHRA to become the title sponsor of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event held in the Chicagoland area, NHRA officials announced today.

The 10^th annual Torco Racing Fuels Route 66 NHRA Nationals, June 7-10, is the 10^th of 23 events in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. The event, held at the Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill., has produced some of the fastest times and speeds in motorsports history. It will be televised by ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD.

“Sponsoring the Joliet race makes great sense to me,” said Evan Knoll, president, Knoll Gas-Torco Racing Fuels. “We have a lot of different types of customers in the state of Illinois, along with one of our offices there, and some very large storage tanks for our refined products. It’s the Grand Trunk for the Midwest with pipelines and storage terminals. We had our first experience with the (Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals in Virginia) last year, so when this event was available I had to jump on it. That track is one awesome place to race.  It’s fast, very clean and a good time.”

This sponsorship increases Torco Racing Fuels’ involvement in NHRA. In addition to the POWERade Series national event in Virginia, the company also supports a stable of talented drivers, including Melanie Troxel, J.R. Todd, Mike Ashley, Morgan Lucas, Clay Millican and Dave Connolly.

“We are pleased to have Torco Racing Fuels as title sponsor of this much-anticipated event,” said Gary Darcy, senior vice president, sales and marketing, NHRA. “Route 66 Raceway, just outside of Chicago, is one of the premier facilities on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series tour and we look forward to returning June 7-10.”

Tickets for the Torco Racing Fuels Route 66 NHRA Nationals go on sale on March 5, 2007. For more information, call (815) 727-RACE, log on to www.nhra.com or www.route66raceway.com.

“We’re very excited to have a company like Torco Racing Fuels, which has such strong ties to the Midwest, on board with us for the 2007 season and beyond,” said Matthew Alexander, vice president and general manager of Chicagoland Speedway and Route 66 Raceway.  “With only one NHRA POWERade National Series event at Route 66 Raceway this year, we encourage our fans to purchase tickets early before they become unavailable.”