Tire Kingdom, a leading brand of service centers for Florida-based TBC Retail Group Inc. (TBC), has signed an agreement to become the title sponsor of the tradition-rich NHRA Gatornationals, held at historic Gainesville Raceway.

The Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals, March 11-14, is the third event in the 23-race NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series in 2010. The race will be televised by ESPN2 and ESPN2HD.

It is the first event sponsorship for Tire Kingdom and TBC with NHRA.

“We are pleased to welcome TBC Retail Group and its Tire Kingdom brand into the family of NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event sponsors,” said Gary Darcy, NHRA senior vice president of sales and marketing. “We feel this sponsorship is a perfect fit for a Florida-based company like TBC to promote its Tire Kingdom tire and automotive service centers, and we are confident the partnership will help the company achieve its marketing objectives.”

The Gatornationals entitlement will increase the company’s profile in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series; TBC also recently announced that it will sponsor the two-car Pro Stock team of Johnny Gray Racing. Its NTB (National Tire and Battery) brand is the primary sponsor of Johnny Gray’s Pontiac GXP, and its Tire Kingdom and Big O Tires brands will share primary space on rookie Shane Gray’s GXP.

“During our recent visit to Pomona to finalize our contract with Gray Motorsports, we experienced the excitement of the 50th anniversary of the NHRA Winternationals,” said Lynn Parker, TBC senior vice president. “We felt it was important to increase our exposure, and we are very pleased to be the title sponsor of the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals. We are convinced that our decision to team up with the NHRA will help us meet our marketing objectives.”

Headquartered in Juno Beach, Fla., TBC Retail Group Inc. operates more than 770 tire and automotive service centers under the brands Tire Kingdom, NTB-National Tire and Battery, and Merchant’s Tire and Auto Centers, along with nearly 500 franchised Big O Tires locations. The contingent of more than 1,250 stores has trained and certified ASE technicians who use state-of-the-art equipment to provide quality service on cars and trucks. The nationwide warranty provides peace of mind while it protects consumers and their investment in more than 40 states. TBC Retail Group employs more than 300 associates at its Juno Beach headquarters and approximately 10,000 associates nationally. To locate the nearest store, call 800-NEW-TIRES (639-8473).