DECATUR, Mich. — Torco Racing Fuels and its owner Evan Knoll are cutting back their vast commitments to drag racing for the 2008 season.
The move will sideline all Knoll Gas teams owned by Knoll or sponsored by Torco Racing Fuel, but should not affect event sponsorships.
 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 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.  
“We want to stress that this is only an interruption,” stated Torco CFO Latrell Preston. “We are not selling any of our racing assets including any of our race team properties, and we will also retain all leased property in preparation for 2009.  We intend to remain a leader in the racing industry. In order to achieve the success we expect, we found it necessary to take a break with our teams. This is in no way an indication of us leaving the sport. We have a long-term commitment to the fans, racers and racing industry. With Evan’s health being our main concern, the shaky oil market and world economy, and our need to better strategize our teams, we will simply take a small step back.”  

• Less than 48 hours after learning of his longtime sponsor’s sudden and unexpected hiatus from drag racing, Mike Ashley acquired primary funding for his NHRA Funny Car team for 2008 and beyond.
Ashley announced a racing partnership with ProCare Rx Chairman and co-founder Roger Burgess with the goal of fielding the ultimate championship drag racing team. Ashley and Burgess will initially field one nitro Funny Car with racing standout Melanie Troxel behind the wheel and will aggressively seek additional long-term sponsorship to field a second Funny Car in the NHRA.
“I wasn’t sure what we were going to do,” said Ashley, regarding Torco Racing Fuels’s withdrawal from sponsorship. “I got the announcement and it was obviously stunning. I was on the way to Indianapolis to talk with the team when Roger called me and asked what I was going to do about the 2008 season.”
Within two days a deal was done.
Ashley said his own Funny Car driving will be limited in the start of the season as the duo searches for additional primary funding for both cars as well as other racing operations.
“We have everything we need to run a second Funny Car including trailers, parts and a stellar crew, but we’re only going to run that car at select races until we gain complete funding for the entire operation,” Ashley said.

• At the end of last season, team-owner Don Prudhomme appeared to have gotten out of the Funny Car business, moving his Skoal sponsorship to his Top Fuel team and releasing driver Tommy Johnson, Jr.
However, Prudhomme’s Snake Racing team has now formed an alliance with independent owner-driver Tim Wilkerson, which will allow the two teams to share tune-up and other technical information.

• CANIDAE All Natural Pet Foods, a leading manufacturer of super premium dog and cat foods, will be the primary sponsor on Jim Dunn Racing’s Chevrolet Funny Car wheeled by Tony Bartone.
“We’ve put a lot of good things in place during the off-season,” said Jon Dunn, team manager of Jim Dunn Racing. “We’ve brought in some tremendous sponsors and team partners and we can’t wait to get started. We’re also pleased to have Tony back with us this year. Tony’s done a great job for us, knows what we’re trying to accomplish and the tight parameters we’re racing with. To have Tony back sets us up for what we’re hoping will be a great year.”
It will be Bartone’s fourth full season with Jim Dunn Racing.

• After many months of negotiations, Bob Gilbertson announced that after five years of support from the Honeywell Consumer Products Group, he will go into the 2008 drag racing season without Autolite and Prestone as associate sponsors.  
“To say I’m disappointed would be an understatement, but this was a business decision and being in business myself, sometimes you have to make tough decisions,” Gilbertson added. “Our mission now is to get out there and beat the bushes for a new marketing partner to help us achieve our goals and get out there on a full-time basis.”

• Don Schumacher announced Chip Ellis will join the Don Schumacher Racing stable for the 2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing season in the ultra-competitive Pro Stock Motorcycle class.
Ellis will begin his fourth full season in that category. The team, headed by longtime DSR tuner Steve Tartaglia, will be sponsored by Schumacher Electric under a developmental relationship with Suzuki.
“This is an awesome opportunity and I'm grateful to Don Schumacher for providing it,” said Ellis. “I’m really happy to be here and ride for such a great team. The DSR shop is quite the facility and Steve Tartaglia is very smart and I’m going to be working with a good bunch of guys. It’s hard to find the words to describe how excited I am.”