(4-15-2011) CONCORD, NC – It’s the type of partnership everyone thought would never happen.
Everyone, that is, except Roy Hill.
At this weekend’s 2nd Annual VisitMyrtleBeach.com NHRA 4-Wide Nationals, the venerable drag racing icon will debut a new Super Stock Ford Cobra Jet Mustang featuring the bright red livery of Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated.
“I couldn’t be more excited to announce this partnership with Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated,” said Hill, the Sophia, NC-based drag racing school owner. “It’s the opportunity of a lifetime to be involved with such a well-known and well-respected company both in the Charlotte community and nationwide.”
Headquartered in Charlotte, NC, Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated is the largest independent Coca-Cola bottler in the US, and has been refreshing thirsty consumers for over one hundred years.
“By being heavily involved with zMax Dragway and through my drag racing school, I’ve met a lot of wonderful people,” said Hill. “One of those people is Gerry Beattie, Director in Fleet Operations at Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated. Gerry has been a big help to Doug Herbert’s B.R.A.K.E.S. program as well as to Roy Hill’s Drag Racing School, and has spearheaded Coca-Cola Consolidated’s involvement in the school for over a year now. He introduced me to Robert Chambless, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, and the relationship has just blossomed from there.”
“Two years ago, Robert just so happened to be in Greensboro to tour stores in the area before the annual Shriners’ Expo,” Hill continued. “I met with him for no more than half an hour and an immediate connection was formed. He came and saw our shop, saw the cars, and we even fired up the Pro Mod for him. He liked what he saw, and he really liked the big Coca-Cola logos we had across the hood and down the sides of one of the school’s Mustangs. We had just taken a chance and put them on there, and it ended up bringing us to where we are today.”
Hill and Chambless’ initial meeting led to increased involvement of Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated with Roy Hill’s Drag Racing School. The school will host one of the company’s corporate events, providing ride-alongs and instructional sessions for Coca-Cola Consolidated’s employees. These scheduled events eventually led to the agreement to help support Hill’s school and Super Stock endeavors.
“There is no better place to debut this partnership than here at zMax Dragway, right in Coca-Cola Consolidated’s backyard, during the 4-Wide Nationals,” added Hill. “We’re going to have Robert and bunch of people from the company out here with us this weekend and we’re really looking forward to it.”
The partnership with Coca-Cola Consolidated calls for Hill to campaign a series of unique match races throughout the Southeast in the team’s Cobra Jet Super Stockers. With events scheduled featuring match races against legendary names like “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, Hill is thrilled with the potential of the program.
“What’s better than Roy Hill and Don Garlits just having fun again?” Hill asked. “We’re doing our part to bring match racing back to the forefront of the drag racing landscape. I’ve seen Pro Stock price itself out of the match racing scene, then watched Pro Modified do the same thing, so we’re making it affordable for a small track to bring in names like Roy Hill, Don Garlits, and more with these Super Stock Cobra Jets.”
“We’re going to be hitting all of the areas that Coca-Cola Consolidated serves throughout the Southeast, promoting Coca-Cola and Full Throttle Drag Racing,” continued Hill. “You’re going to see us with Garlits in Panama City, Chip King in Roxboro, NC, and we’ve got a host of other names lined up for tracks throughout North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee.”
Currently in Hill’s and team owner James Finch’s stable are the number fourteen and sixteen Cobra Jets, with the former being the car with which Hill set fire to the Super Stock category throughout the 2010 season. Besides winning Super Stock B/Automatic at the Mac Tools US Nationals in Indy, Hill qualified number one seven times in nine outings. The other two races saw Hill qualify second and third, and class indexes were reset along the way.
However, Hill and Finch are adding two more Cobra Jets to the mix. One was back-halved by Jerry Haas and is at the team’s shop awaiting a new Ernie Elliott-built engine, while the other is in the process of receiving the same back-half treatment at Petty’s Garage, the relatively new hot rod and restoration venture by NASCAR icon Richard Petty. Hill’s plans for these new cars are equally as exciting as his match race schedule with living legends of drag racing.
“We’re looking for drivers for these cars, plain and simple,” Hill stated. “Ol’ Roy can’t drive these things forever. We’re looking for young, marketable drivers that can bring partnerships to the table. We’ll put them through the school, make them into professional race car drivers, and then they can tour the match races with us or run NHRA national events or points races. It’s an incredibly unique concept that I’m thrilled to get started.”
As with anything of this scale that is executed in drag racing, Hill reasserted that it wouldn’t be possible without the companies that support him. In addition to the partnership with Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, Hill has also formed an agreement with Alsco, the first company to introduce commercial textile services and one of the largest in the world today. Besides being featured on the Cobra Jet Super Stockers, the companies also appear on the team’s transporter, 3-seater and 2-seater dragsters, and the school’s ten Mustang street cars.
“I’m humbled to be involved with these great companies, from Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated to Alsco and on down the line,” Hill said in closing. “We’ve formed partnerships, not sponsorships. These companies will all benefit by being involved with us together. These may be small deals to some people, but they’re big deals for Roy Hill’s Drag Racing School and the racing program. I’m humbled at what we’ve been able to achieve through the school, and 2011 is shaping up to be an exciting year. Have a Coca-Cola and keep a smile on your face!”
Everyone, that is, except Roy Hill.
At this weekend’s 2nd Annual VisitMyrtleBeach.com NHRA 4-Wide Nationals, the venerable drag racing icon will debut a new Super Stock Ford Cobra Jet Mustang featuring the bright red livery of Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated.
“I couldn’t be more excited to announce this partnership with Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated,” said Hill, the Sophia, NC-based drag racing school owner. “It’s the opportunity of a lifetime to be involved with such a well-known and well-respected company both in the Charlotte community and nationwide.”
Headquartered in Charlotte, NC, Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated is the largest independent Coca-Cola bottler in the US, and has been refreshing thirsty consumers for over one hundred years.
“By being heavily involved with zMax Dragway and through my drag racing school, I’ve met a lot of wonderful people,” said Hill. “One of those people is Gerry Beattie, Director in Fleet Operations at Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated. Gerry has been a big help to Doug Herbert’s B.R.A.K.E.S. program as well as to Roy Hill’s Drag Racing School, and has spearheaded Coca-Cola Consolidated’s involvement in the school for over a year now. He introduced me to Robert Chambless, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, and the relationship has just blossomed from there.”
“Two years ago, Robert just so happened to be in Greensboro to tour stores in the area before the annual Shriners’ Expo,” Hill continued. “I met with him for no more than half an hour and an immediate connection was formed. He came and saw our shop, saw the cars, and we even fired up the Pro Mod for him. He liked what he saw, and he really liked the big Coca-Cola logos we had across the hood and down the sides of one of the school’s Mustangs. We had just taken a chance and put them on there, and it ended up bringing us to where we are today.”
Hill and Chambless’ initial meeting led to increased involvement of Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated with Roy Hill’s Drag Racing School. The school will host one of the company’s corporate events, providing ride-alongs and instructional sessions for Coca-Cola Consolidated’s employees. These scheduled events eventually led to the agreement to help support Hill’s school and Super Stock endeavors.
“There is no better place to debut this partnership than here at zMax Dragway, right in Coca-Cola Consolidated’s backyard, during the 4-Wide Nationals,” added Hill. “We’re going to have Robert and bunch of people from the company out here with us this weekend and we’re really looking forward to it.”
The partnership with Coca-Cola Consolidated calls for Hill to campaign a series of unique match races throughout the Southeast in the team’s Cobra Jet Super Stockers. With events scheduled featuring match races against legendary names like “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, Hill is thrilled with the potential of the program.
“What’s better than Roy Hill and Don Garlits just having fun again?” Hill asked. “We’re doing our part to bring match racing back to the forefront of the drag racing landscape. I’ve seen Pro Stock price itself out of the match racing scene, then watched Pro Modified do the same thing, so we’re making it affordable for a small track to bring in names like Roy Hill, Don Garlits, and more with these Super Stock Cobra Jets.”
“We’re going to be hitting all of the areas that Coca-Cola Consolidated serves throughout the Southeast, promoting Coca-Cola and Full Throttle Drag Racing,” continued Hill. “You’re going to see us with Garlits in Panama City, Chip King in Roxboro, NC, and we’ve got a host of other names lined up for tracks throughout North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee.”
Currently in Hill’s and team owner James Finch’s stable are the number fourteen and sixteen Cobra Jets, with the former being the car with which Hill set fire to the Super Stock category throughout the 2010 season. Besides winning Super Stock B/Automatic at the Mac Tools US Nationals in Indy, Hill qualified number one seven times in nine outings. The other two races saw Hill qualify second and third, and class indexes were reset along the way.
However, Hill and Finch are adding two more Cobra Jets to the mix. One was back-halved by Jerry Haas and is at the team’s shop awaiting a new Ernie Elliott-built engine, while the other is in the process of receiving the same back-half treatment at Petty’s Garage, the relatively new hot rod and restoration venture by NASCAR icon Richard Petty. Hill’s plans for these new cars are equally as exciting as his match race schedule with living legends of drag racing.
“We’re looking for drivers for these cars, plain and simple,” Hill stated. “Ol’ Roy can’t drive these things forever. We’re looking for young, marketable drivers that can bring partnerships to the table. We’ll put them through the school, make them into professional race car drivers, and then they can tour the match races with us or run NHRA national events or points races. It’s an incredibly unique concept that I’m thrilled to get started.”
As with anything of this scale that is executed in drag racing, Hill reasserted that it wouldn’t be possible without the companies that support him. In addition to the partnership with Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, Hill has also formed an agreement with Alsco, the first company to introduce commercial textile services and one of the largest in the world today. Besides being featured on the Cobra Jet Super Stockers, the companies also appear on the team’s transporter, 3-seater and 2-seater dragsters, and the school’s ten Mustang street cars.
“I’m humbled to be involved with these great companies, from Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated to Alsco and on down the line,” Hill said in closing. “We’ve formed partnerships, not sponsorships. These companies will all benefit by being involved with us together. These may be small deals to some people, but they’re big deals for Roy Hill’s Drag Racing School and the racing program. I’m humbled at what we’ve been able to achieve through the school, and 2011 is shaping up to be an exciting year. Have a Coca-Cola and keep a smile on your face!”
