NHRA NEWS: Nitto Tire to Present Diamond Tree Rings to Xplod Sport Compact World Champions
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: NHRA Communications Dept., (626) 914-4761 NITTO TIRE TO PRESENT DIAMOND TREE RINGS TO NHRA XPLOD SPORT COMPACT WORLD CHAMPIONS GLENDORA, Calif. – NHRA has announced that Nitto Tire will present the Nitto Diamond Tree Ring to the world champions of each professional category in the NHRA Xplôd Sport Compact Racing Series. Nitto Tire will present the Nitto Diamond Tree Rings to each of the NHRA Xplôd Sport Compact World Champions (Pro RWD, Pro FWD, Modified, Hot Rod, and Honda Tuning All Motor) at the NHRA Sport Compact Series awards ceremony on Oct. 22. “The Nitto Diamond Tree Ring, in addition to the Champions Wally, will be a cherished dividend to each NHRA Xplôd Sport Compact World Champion,” said Josh Peterson, general manager of the NHRA Xplôd Sport Compact Racing Series. In addition to the Nitto Diamond Tree Rings, Nitto Tire is the official tire and title sponsor of three events on the NHRA Xplôd Sport Compact Racing Series. The three events are the Nitto NHRA Sport Compact Nationals at Moroso Motorsports Park in Jupiter, Fla. held in April; the Nitto NHRA Sport Compact Springnationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J. held in May; and the Nitto NHRA Sport Compact World Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern Calif., Oct 21-22. “In addition to our tire and race sponsorship, we felt that the Nitto Diamond Tree Ring is a wonderful way to recognize the achievements of those drivers who have won the NHRA world championship,” said Jonathan Ozeretny, marketing supervisor for Nitto Tire North America, Inc. “We know that the world champions will wear the rings proudly.” Located in Cypress, Calif., Nitto's dedication to market-focused products has led to many innovative products that meet the varied needs and wants of the consumers. Nitto offers Ultra High Performance tires for the sport compact market such as the Neo Gen, NT555, NT450, and DOT approved competition radial tires for drag racing, and the specially-designed NT-01 for autocross and road racing. In addition, they have products for light truck and SUV applications such as the NT420S, Terra Grappler All Terrain, and the Mud Grappler Extreme terrain. NHRA is the premier sanctioning body for sport compact drag racing. It is presenting the 11-race, $2.5 million NHRA Xplôd Sport Compact Racing Series at nine tracks across the country from April through October. The series features the largest guaranteed sport compact event purse of more than $27,000 paid out per event. In addition, the series offers a year-end championship fund of $144,000, bonus program payouts near $20,000, along with the most lucrative contingency payout program in the sport at more than $2.5 million. The series is highlighted by its five championship classes (Pro RWD, Pro FWD, Modified, Hot Rod and Honda Tuning All Motor). In addition, and at all nine of the stand-alone NHRA Xplôd Sport Compact Racing Series events, the NHRA Xplôd Stylefest showcases a compliment of the lifestyle and entertainment elements synonymous with today’s sport compact scene. More information is available at nhrasportcompact.com. Headquartered in Glendora, Calif., the NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. It presents 23 national events through its POWERade Drag Racing Series. The NHRA has 80,000 members and 140 member tracks. The NHRA-sanctioned sportsman and bracket racing series’ provide competition opportunities for drivers of all levels. The NHRA develops the stars of tomorrow by offering the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, NHRA Xplôd Sport Compact Racing Series, NHRA Summit Racing Series and the NHRA Street Legal Program presented by AAA. The NHRA also offers the O’Reilly Auto Parts Jr. Drag Racing League for youth ages 8 to 17. -30- Brian Hacker Media Relations Manager, NHRA (626) 250-2424 (626) 428-0280, cell (626) 914-1491, fax