Jolly Rogers Racing Announces New Marketing Partners and 2011 Competition Schedule

Jolly Rogers Racing Announces New Marketing Partners and 2011 Competition Schedule

Total Oil and AGI – Bumper to Bumper headline the Jolly Rogers Racing nitro program.

Jolly Rogers Racing together with Steve Plueger Racing, AGI – Total Oil and AGI – Bumper to Bumper will be running a full schedule of nitro competitions from the NHRA Full Throttle professional drag racing series to IHRA Nitro Jams. Shortly after securing third in points of the 2010 NHRA Heritage Series nitro nostalgia Funny Car class, Jolly Rogers owner and driver Todd “The Pirate” Lesenko, announced his partnership with Steve Plueger Racing. Plueger, a three time nostalgia nitro Funny Car class champion, was a great fit to run a limited number of NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events in a nitro Funny Car as well as competing in a nostalgia nitro Funny Car in the NHRA Heritage Series and selected IHRA Nitro Jam events.

Lesenko explains, “I have dreamed of being a nitro Funny Car pilot since I was 12 years old watching drag racing legends at Edmonton Raceway. Today I am able to live that dream thanks to my marketing partners, Steve Plueger Racing, and my incredible teammate and wife Liz. Although I can tell you drag racing and the business of drag racing is very different from the days of my youth we have a different approach to marketing and growing our brand and sponsors. We are starting with a limited NHRA professional schedule to get our feet wet and understand the professional ranks. This is a long term plan and we are just at the starting point.”

Jolly Rogers Racing will start the 2011 season running a Steve Plueger Mach 1 Mustang at the annual March Meet, March 18-20 in Bakersfield, CA followed by an IHRA Nitro Jam debut March 26, in Tucson, AZ. The unveiling of the Total Oil Jolly Rogers pro-NHRA Funny Car will be mid-season at the FRAM-Autolite NHRA Nationals, July 29-31 Sonoma, CA. The full Jolly Rogers schedule is available online at http://www.jollyrogersdragracing.com/eventschedule.cfm.

Jolly Rogers Racing welcomes aboard AGI-Total, AGI-Bumper to Bumper, Mr. Horsepower Apparel and Antrim Construction.
Total Oil is one of the largest oil and gas exploration and production companies in the world. Headquartered in Montréal, Canada, Total Lubricants North Amercia has retailers and distributors spanning the entire continent, offering a comprehensive range of quality lubricating oil products. Their lubricants are very well known to the motorsports scene, being featured extensively on the Formula One racing circuit through Total and Elf brands. “The partnership through our Western Canada distributor AGI and Jolly Rogers is viewed as a strategic step in our branded market expansion plans to North America,” says Prashanth Koshy, Ontario and Western Canadian Regional Manager, Total Lubricants North America, “and we are excited to be a significant part of this.”

The Active Group Inc. (AGI) is Western Canada’s largest independent automotive replacement parts supplier. AGI’s multiple stores operate under the well-known AGI- Bumper to Bumper brand, and its distribution centers enjoy the exclusive distributorship of AGI – Total Oil products. Both Bumper to Bumper and Total Oil are featured side by side with Jolly Rogers in the AGI – Motorsports division. “This is the second season for AGI – Motorsports to be partnered with with Jolly Rogers. With the addition of Total Oil this year we have developed several exciting marketing promotions targeted at our customers (automotive service providers) creating a unique value added offering that strengthens our relationships,” shared Gord Olitch, President, Active Group of Companies (AGI).

Todd “The Pirate” Lesenko is a genuine throwback to the golden era of drag racing which played a large role in hooking the iconic brand Mr. Horsepower Apparel to choose him as the Mr. Horsepower of nitro Funny Car. The Pirate’s enigmatic personality and natural ease with entertaining audiences combined with the 80 year old Clay Smith Cams Mr. Horsepower woodpecker logo should be an enormous partnership connecting Jolly Rogers with drag racing fans of all ages.

Jolly Rogers is approaching the business of drag racing in a unique and aggressive fashion resulting in a diverse group of marketing partners. Antrim Construction, Ashton Transportation, Cox Mechanical, and Kimberley Homes, each a leader in their industry, have connected with Jolly Rogers for the business to business opportunities as well as the exposure to new target markets.
With the schedule and competition operations in place Jolly Rogers Racing will continue to roll out marketing partner announcements as well as the team’s plans in relation to social networking, connecting with spectators and enthusiasts and developing the Jolly Rogers brand.