DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) has named VP Racing Fuels Inc. as the "Official Fuel Provider and a Proud Partner" of IMSA and the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship as well as "Official Fuel Supplier" of the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda in 2014.
High-profile races to be serviced by VP as part of the sponsorship include the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January and 12 Hours of Sebring in March, among others.
VP Racing Fuels, based in San Antonio, also will be the exclusive provider of racing fuels for the IMSA-sanctioned Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama series and the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series. VP Racing Fuels will provide two fuel blends for use by TUDOR Championship teams: Motorsport 100 and E85, with each supporting the IMSA Green platform. In particular, the ethanol used in blending both Motorsport 100 and VP's E85 is cellulosic, which is derived from renewable, non-food chain feedstock. An additional announcement on a third fuel formulation will likely be made in the near future.
"The opportunity to partner with IMSA as the Official Fuel Provider for the preeminent sports car racing series in North America is a key component of our overall business strategy," said Alan Cerwick, president of VP Racing Fuels. "The TUDOR United SportsCar Championship and IMSA's other series provide the perfect platform to promote not only race fuels but our expanded consumer product line including VP Small Engine Fuel and "Madditive" performance chemicals, as well as the growing number of VP-branded convenience stores opening across the United States.
"VP's roots in road racing are deep and broad, having fueled Trans Am, SCCA, Indy Lights, Atlantic, American Le Mans and many others over the years," Cerwick said. "Our products have fueled winners at Laguna Seca, Watkins Glen, Sebring and many other historic facilities. In 2014, fueling the podiums at Daytona, Indianapolis and many other venues will be especially fulfilling to the VP employees who have worked hard over the years to get us there."
Motorsport 100 (MS100) is an unleaded gasoline blended with 10% ethanol – the "race fuel" counterpart to VP100, VP's street-legal 100-octane unleaded blend. MS100 is the designated blend for the TUDOR Championship to satisfy race teams' need for a fuel that remains consistent from race to race for tuning purposes. VP's E85 blend is an alternative fuel that is held to a similar standard for the TUDOR Championship in that it is also blended to remain 100% consistent from race to race.
"VP Racing Fuels has a long and successful history in motorsports and, in particular, sports car racing in North America," said IMSA president and COO Scott Atherton. "A key component with our partnership, in addition to the primary goal of providing our race teams with a consistent high quality racing fuel, is VP's commitment to work with us in building upon our very important IMSA Green platform. We also see in VP a partner that can help our series grow with retail promotions through their branded stores and in conjunction with their rapidly growing consumer product lines. We're honored to have such a trusted and iconic brand as an official partner for the inaugural season of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship and multiple other IMSA-sanctioned series."
The 2014 TUDOR Championship opens at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. with the 52nd Rolex 24 at Daytona on Jan. 25-26, 2014.
VP Racing Fuels is a leader in race fuel technology for every form of motorsports. It is the Official Racing Fuel of NHRA Championship Drag Racing, American Le Mans, World of Outlaws Sprint Cars and Late Model Series and Rally America, among more than 60 VP-sponsored series and sanctioning bodies. In addition to racing fuels, VP's product line includes VP Small Engine Fuels, formulated specifically for two-cycle and four-cycle portable gas-powered equipment and PowerMaster hobby fuels for radio-controlled (R/C) racing.
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