Pr - Marty Thacker - Preview - Torco Racing Fuels Nationals

Thacker in Search of TORCO Race Fuels National Event Win ​

The Rapid Transit Race Team will be on the road again as they head to the TORCO Racing Fuels National event in Dinwiddie, Virginia this weekend. And as the season comes to a close, driver Marty Thacker is hoping to put the Knoll Gas – Torco Race Fuels / Atlantic Industrial sponsored Top Alcohol Dragster in the winner’s circle one more time.

“You would think as long as I have been racing, it would get easier. It sure doesn't seem that way. We struggled all year trying to figure out what combination our new Spitzer chassis wanted and finally felt like we landed on one at the U.S. Nationals. The next week NHRA gave us another 6% overdrive on the blower and the engine became a new beast. Since changing the blower pulleys and all the other components we felt had to go along with that, the car has been very inconsistent and hard to predict. One run it will leave soft and start to shake at 100 feet and the next run it will leave hard with the front tires in the air,” Thacker said.

Thacker is currently sitting in the Top 15 in the National points standings and in 3rd place in Division 3. The defending Division 3 championship team is looking forward to the 1st annual TORCO Racing Fuels National event. This will be the 4th weekend of racing in a row for the Robinson, Illinois based team and they are eager to get this car back out on the track and into the winner’s circle.

“Knoll Gas - Torco Race Fuels, Atlantic Industrial, and my crew each contribute a great deal to this racing operation. When we get up to the line and I throw it away with a red light that really gets to me. They tell me not to worry about it, that it's a sport that's won or lost in thousandths of a second, but it is important to me to help give these people something to celebrate at the end of the weekend. There would be no better event to redeem myself than the Torco Racing Fuels Nationals. God willing, and the skies stay dry, we're going to do our best to put this car in the winner’s circle.”

Qualifications will begin on Friday with 2 shots, one at 1:15 and one at 4:30. The third and final attempt will be run at 10:30 Saturday morning. On Saturday evening first round will be held at 4:45. Eliminations continue on Sunday following the Pro session.

Quick Facts

• The Team has been to two final rounds this year earning one win at the prestigious Jeg’s All-Star event earlier this year in Joliet, Illinois.
• This weekend marks the 4th race for the Team in the last 4 weeks.
• The defending Division 3 Champions currently sit in the #3 spot in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series points standings and 15th place nationally.
• The Team, based out of Robinson, Illinois, has won 5 UDRA National Championships and 2 NHRA Divisional championships.
• Four of the Rapid Transit Race Team crew members race in the NHRA Super Comp class.

Please visit the official team website www.rapidtransitracing.com.

You can access the full line of innovative products offered by our major sponsor TORCO Racing Fuels including racing gasoline, additives, and Skull Gear at www.torcoracefuels.com.

Visit the websites of our current associate and product sponsors at the following websites:

Atlantic Industrial – www.atscaf.com

Valvoline - www.valvoline.com/pages/racing

Hoosier Racing Tire – www.hoosiertire.com

Fatheadz – www.fatheadz.com

Submitted by: Shanna Snyder-Bell

Contact Person: Marty Thacker
Contact email address: mlthacker@mapllc.com