NHRA Story » NHRA Full Throttle Series rings The Opening Bell at NYSE

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NHRA Full Throttle Series rings The Opening Bell at NYSE

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

NHRA President Tom Compton and Coca-Cola's Bea Perez led a contingent from the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series that rang The Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange June 10. Watch the video here.

Representatives from the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series performed the prestigious task of ringing The Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday morning, June 10.

More than 20 NHRA sponsors and/or partners who are listed on the New York Stock Exchange were invited by the NYSE to take part in the event, which serves as a kickoff for the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event June 11-14 at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, the 40th annual United Association NHRA SuperNationals. The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series remains the only major motorsport to host a race in the New York area, the nation’s No. 1 DMA (demographic market area).

NHRA President Tom Compton was joined in ringing The Opening Bell by Coca-Cola North America Senior Vice President, Integrated Marketing Beatriz Perez, Coca-Cola North America Director of Motorsports Marketing Ben Reiling, and IMG Sports and Entertainment Group President George Pyne.

The contingent on the podium also included drivers Antron Brown (Matco Tools), Ashley Force Hood (Ford, BP/Castrol), Bob Tasca III (Ford), Tony Pedregon (Quaker State), Eddie Krawiec (Harley-Davidson), and Morgan Lucas and Karen Stoffer (GEICO), as well as Marci Brand, regional vice president for the Automotive Americas (Castrol); Darryl Hazel, president, Ford Customer Service Division (Ford); Tim Gilmore, vice president-sales (Matco Tools); and GEICO executive Eric Vaden.

The Opening Bell was shown around the world on the four major business channels (CNBC, Fox Business, Bloomberg, and CNN) and was simulcast on the giant flat screen on the W Hotel in Times Square. You can download a webcast of the event here.

NHRA was featured on CNBC and Fox Business, where Compton, Perez, and Tasca were interviewed. NHRA also will be featured on Fox Business' America's Nightly Scoreboard at 7:40 p.m. ET Wednesday, where GEICO-sponsored racers Lucas and Stoffer will be interviewed.

NHRA also hosted a fanfest in front of the NYSE featuring the Matco Tools dragster, GEICO Powersports dragster, Castrol/Automobile Club of Southern California Mustang, Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang, Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson, and GEICO Suzuki. Full Throttle Energy Drink was represented on a themed NHRA Full Throttle Series banner on the facade of the NYSE.

Compton and NHRA racers Ashley Force Hood, Tony Pedregon, Bob Tasca III, Morgan Lucas, Karen Stoffer, Antron Brown, and Eddie Krawiec outside the NYSE, where NHRA held a fanfest.

The night before the ringing of The Opening Bell, this huge banner representing the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series hung outside the New York Stock Exchange.

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