As an 1/8th mile national event the length of the race may be shorter than usual, but the list of sponsors for the season-opener in San Antonio is anything but short. It also shows the strength of IHRA and the marketability of its associated properties.

April 4-6, San Antonio Raceway hosts the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals presented by NAPA Auto Parts and the San Antonio Express-News. Holt Cat will return to sponsor Saturday’s Night of Fire. New sponsors on board will be Tetco, the Texas-based convenience store chain, Wolverine World Wide and Academy Sports and Outdoors.

“Our national sales force at the Live Nation corporate office has been getting after it,” IHRA president Aaron Polburn said. “We have such a great team in place in Aurora and they really have turned up their level of aggressiveness. These corporate marketing partners are the kind of companies we love to have involved with our events…companies who are looking for incredible branding and a tool to move product off their shelves.”

Polburn thinks the product IHRA is putting on the track has a lot to do with the slew of companies who have chosen to attach their names to the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals.

“Last season our drivers took things to a new level,” he said. “In every class we saw track, event and world records fall on a consistent basis. We also had record-setting  crowds at our events last year. We expect even more fans to check out the Knoll Gas Nitro Jam this season because the word is out…we have an incredible product for an incredible value.”