Bristol Dragway and NHRA officials announced today a multi-year partnership agreement with Super Grip, a Piney Flats, Tenn. corporation that is a world-wide leader in creating high quality tires for the industrial tire market.
In the agreement, Super Grip will become the entitlement sponsor for the popular NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, one of the most prestigious races in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, held annually at the scenic dragstrip in Northeast Tennessee.
The Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals will be held at Bristol Dragway on June 7-9. and will showcase 330-mile per hour Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars, along with high-revving fuel-injected Pro Stock cars, 200-mph Pro Stock Motorcycles, and vintage and late model Pro Modifieds. The race weekend also will include a variety of Lucas Oil Series sportsman classes, Legends Nitro Funny Cars, Mountain Motor Pro Stocks and the Factory Stock Showdown.
“We are thrilled to partner with a progressive company like Super Grip to bring the fans in this area, also Super Grip’s hometown, the tradition-rich Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals,” said Jerry Caldwell, president and general manager of Bristol Motor Speedway and Bristol Dragway. “The Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals promises to deliver our guests a sensory experience like no other.”
It is the first sponsorship involvement for Bristol Motor Speedway and Super Grip, whose headquarter offices are located less than 10 miles apart.
“The legendary Bristol Dragway creates lasting memories literally every few seconds for their guests, so our business philosophies mesh together very well and that makes this partnership a perfect fit,” said Scott Whitney, CEO and president of Super Grip Corporation. “We look forward to helping produce an amazing, memorable experience for fans, racers, our employees and everyone in the drag racing industry during the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.”
The 2023 winners of the event include Justin Ashley in Top Fuel, Ron Capps in Funny Car, Erica Enders in Pro Stock and Steve Johnson in Pro Stock Motorcycle.
The 2024 Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals weekend race schedule will be showcased by two thrilling sessions of nitro qualifying with Top Fuel and Funny Car on Friday at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday’s two pro sessions, including the final two sessions for Top Fuel and Funny Car, begin at 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. On Sunday, final eliminations for the professional categories begin at noon.
“It’s always exciting to welcome a new partner to NHRA drag racing and we’re thrilled to have Super Grip as the title sponsor of the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals,” NHRA President Glen Cromwell said. “Bristol Dragway has always been an incredible stop on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series circuit, offering an amazing backdrop and a memorable, one-of-a-kind race weekend. This event continues to be a favorite for both our race teams and fans, and partnering with a local company like Super Grip only adds to the race weekend experience.”
To purchase tickets for the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals please visit the Bristol Dragway website, or call (866) 415-8415.
About Super Grip
With headquarters in Piney Flats, Tennessee, Super Grip Corporation was established in 1984 to meet the need for High Quality Tires for the Industrial Tire Market. Super Grip builds tires using only the best raw materials available. With high grade natural rubber, the best quality carbon black, and ultra-high tensile nylon cord, Super Grip produces a line up of tire products that remain unmatched in quality. Our mission is to provide products and services to our customers to improve the overall quality, performance and value of the equipment they own, manufacture, or operate. Super Grip provides personalized customer service along with the lowest operational cost and lowest down time possible by providing tires that last longer and perform better. For more information, please visit the Super Grip USA website.
About NHRA
Headquartered in San Dimas, Calif., NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With 110 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
About Bristol Dragway
Affectionately known as “Thunder Valley,” Bristol Dragway is nestled between two mountains in northeast Tennessee near the Virginia state line and sits adjacent to the iconic Bristol Motor Speedway. In 2024, the historic dragstrip will celebrate its 58th anniversary and is scheduled to play host to numerous major events including the fan-favorite Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, a marquee event in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Bristol Dragway also transforms into a premier outdoor concert venue for the world’s greatest music performers and becomes The Thunder Valley Amphitheatre presented by Ballad Health. With more than 50 event days each season and serving as the longtime starting point for The Speedway in Lights holiday spectacular, Bristol Dragway continues to be one of the busiest drag racing facilities in the nation. For more information, please visit www.bristolmotorspeedway.com/dragway.
