NHRA, Auto Club extend multi-faceted partnership

Sponsorship package includes entitlement of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season finale in Pomona, Calif.

NHRA and the Automobile Club of Southern California today announced an extension of their long-running partnership through the year 2020. The multi-tiered sponsorship package is a comprehensive program that touches many facets of NHRA’s business, including race entitlements and track sponsorships.

Highlighting the business relationship is an extension of Auto Club’s entitlement of Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, and one of the storied venue’s two annual NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events—the season finale Auto Club NHRA Finals. The extended partnership also includes presenting sponsorship of the popular NHRA Drags: Street Legal Style program, designed to provide safe alternatives to illegal street racing; and continuing the Auto Club’s partnership with the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum.

“NHRA and the Automobile Club of Southern California have a long and proud relationship based on shared values,” said Peter Clifford, NHRA president.  “Their deep involvement with the NHRA has a positive impact on nearly every part of our business from the grassroots level all the way to the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.  Words simply can’t describe our appreciation for their support.”

“There is a close alignment between the objectives of the Auto Club and those of the NHRA,” said  R. Wendy Sabins, senior vice president of marketing, product management and publishing for the Auto Club. “We each place a premium on automotive safety on the track and in the community.  We look forward to building on this synergy.” 

The Automobile Club of Southern California involvement with NHRA spans 21 years, beginning in 1994 as a sponsor of the National Junior Dragster competition.

The Automobile Club of Southern California, the largest member of the AAA Federation of motor clubs, has been serving members since 1900.  Through its affiliates and subsidiaries the Auto Club serves more than 14 million AAA members by way of  AAA Alabama, AAA East Central, AAA Hawaii, AAA Missouri, AAA New Mexico, AAA Northern New England and AAA Tidewater Virginia.

Today, the Auto Club’s members benefit by roadside assistance, insurance products and services, travel agency, financial products, automotive pricing and buying programs, automotive testing and analysis, trip planning services and highway and transportation safety programs.  Information about these products and services is available on the Auto Club’s Web site at www.AAA.com. 

Headquartered in Glendora, Calif., NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 24 national events featuring the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and the NHRA Drags: Street Legal Style presented by AAA. NHRA also offers the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League for youth ages 5 to 17. In addition, NHRA owns and operates five racing facilities: Atlanta Dragway in Georgia; Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville in Florida; National Trail Raceway in Ohio; Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis; and Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California. For more information, log on to NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.