One of the largest specialty retailers of aftermarket automotive parts has been named title-rights sponsor of the Northwest\u2019s premier motorsports event: the newly-named O\u2019Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Northwest Nationals.<\/p>\n
The event, scheduled for Aug. 5-7 at Pacific Raceways in Kent, is the 14th stop in the 22-race NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is an honor to have O\u2019Reilly as title sponsor of the Northwest Nationals,\u201d said Jason Fiorito, president of Pacific Raceways. \u201cO\u2019Reilly is such a strong brand in the auto parts industry and like our race track was a family-founded business.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to its Northwest Nationals sponsorship announcement, O\u2019Reilly also inked a deal to sponsor the NHRA Route 66 Nationals near Chicago on July 7-10.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re excited and happy to have O\u2019Reilly Auto Parts as the title sponsor for two very important races in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series,\u201d said Tony Driscoll, NHRA vice president, sales and business development.<\/p>\n
The date for the Seattle race has moved to the first full weekend in August and will position the event at the end of the \u201cNHRA Western Swing,\u201d a punishing three races in three consecutive weekends that starts in Denver, moves to Sonoma, Calif., before ending at Pacific Raceways. The Aug. 5-7 date will put the NHRA\u2019s premier series in the Seattle area during Seafair weekend, something that hasn\u2019t occurred in a number of years, and placing Kent as the center of speed with Top Fuel Dragsters reaching speeds over 300 mph in the quarter mile. The event will also have same-day coverage on ESPN2.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Northwest has always been a hotbed of speed,\u201d Fiorito said. \u201cJerry \u2018The King\u2019 Ruth, Herm Petersen, Ed \u2018The Ace\u2019 McCulloch, Gordy Bonin, Jim Green, Dick Kalivoda\u2026the list of great Northwest drivers who have raced at big events at Pacific Raceways is really endless. We are proud of our drag race heritage and the connection we have with race fans throughout the Northwest and Western Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n