TONAWANDA, N.Y. -- Dan Flanigan and "Fill-Up T. Frog" will be hitting both the public appearance and drag race circuits this season looking to bring high speed success to this Tonawanda, N.Y.-based team as well as positive marketing exposure for Flanigan's sponsor, NOCO Energy Corp., reported The Buffalo News.
Flanigan needed to obtain a new car this season to keep his bracket drag racing team equipmentand his careercurrent, said the report. When he renewed his sponsorship agreement with NOCO, it allowed him to get the necessary funding, it added.
He recently unveiled [image-nocss] his latest race car, the NOCO Express Shops Top Sportsman 2002 Firebird.
Flanigan will be busy making appearances on behalf of NOCO Energy and NOCO Express convenience stores. He will often be paired at promotional gatherings with NOCO's new mascot, Fill-Up T. Frog.
"I raced a 1981 chop top Camaro for the last few years and had a lot of success with it," Flanigan told the newspaper. "I had to get rid of the car after last season because the chassis was out of date by today's standards.
"Local car builder Vito Antonicelli had built the Firebird car for someone else but over the winter I purchased the car. I didn't think I would have been able to get the car and keep racing but when my sponsor NOCO, who had been with me the last five years, decided to continue with me this season, it gave me the support I needed."
Flanigan has competed with the new car in the Quick 16 class at Dunn Tire Raceway Park and at the beginning of August will compete in the Quick 32 Sportsman Series, at their event in Grand Bend, Ont.
For the past five years, he has run his 1981 Chop Top Camaro with the help and support of NOCO Energy, said Drag Racing News.
Flanigan's new ride is a 2002 Pontiac Firebird, which was built by Vito Antonicelli Race Cars and is powered by a 540-cubic-inch big-block Chevy motor that was built by Jan-Cen Racing Engines that runs on alcohol and N.O.S. Competition Transmissions & Converters built the powerglide transmission and 9-inch converter. Scott Jahren applied the Dan the Sign Man illustration of the NOCO Energy Corp. colors.
Crew chief on the NOCO entry is Sam Christian, along with help from brothers Jim and John and friend Tom Coonley. Sam Christian runs a RED, Jim Christian runs the "Gulf Express" RED and John Christian runs the Keller Chevrolet RED called the "Red Rocket," all in Quick 16 competition, and Tom competes in Top ET and Hot Rod with his Nova.
"I want to thank [NOCO president and vice president] Jim and Mike Newman for there support. This is our fifth year together, and the car and Fill-up T Frog are a perfect fit for our marketing plans in western New York and southern Ontario," said Flanigan.
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