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| National FFA to sponsor NHRA drag racing team |
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BROWNSBURG, Ind. — The National FFA Organization joined the Brian Thiel Racing (BTR) team earlier this month as a sponsor for the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing season.
BTR is a newly established Nitro Funny Car team that competes on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series based in Brownsburg, Ind. Brian Thiel is the team owner and Funny Car driver.
At home in Pleasant Grove, Calif., Thiel farms 4,000 acres of rice. He said his racing team is committed to promoting agriculture through motorsports. The goal of this partnership between BTR and FFA is to promote BTR’s connection to agriculture while also creating a new way for FFA to expand the reach of its agricultural education mission.
Brian and his wife, Randi, own R&B Farms in Pleasant Grove, where they grow Calrose medium grain rice. The Thiels are former FFA members and apply their ag-based upbringing and FFA education on the farm. “The achievements of R&B Farms and even the establishment of Brian Thiel Racing can be partially contributed to the skills and values that were instilled in us while part of the 523,000-member strong FFA organization,” said Thiel, who drives a Dodge Charger Funny car. “The commitment of the FFA to provide a path to achievement in premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education, in addition to all-American hard work is what has made BTR fortunate enough to campaign this season on the Full Throttle tour.”
These days, though, Thiel is more commonly known for his nitro Funny Car efforts. The team qualified for its first race last year in Seattle, Wash., which was a learning experience. This year, the team has high goals and has been testing this week in Phoenix, Ariz. BTR is on the entry list for the Kragen O’Reilly Auto Parts Winternationals in Pomona, Calif., Feb. 24-27.
The FFA mission statement directs the organization towards making positive differences in the lives of students by developing their potential for leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. Recently, FFA CEO Dr. Dwight Armstrong visited Thiel’s California farm to discuss the various business-to-consumer relationships that are directly synonymous in the agricultural and motorsports industries.
One of those relationships is BTR’s associate sponsor Lucas Oil, a company whose products are applied daily in both fields.
The crossover interest of farming and racing is not uncommon - many NHRA fans are involved in agriculture. Even Lucas Oil President Forest Lucas owns a cattle farm in southern Missouri.
“This exciting new relationship with Brian Thiel Racing is just another example of how agriculture touches every aspect of our lives – from food on our tables, to the clothes we wear to the fuel in our cars,” said FFA CEO Dr. Dwight Armstrong. “With more than 300 careers in agriculture, FFA believes it’s essential that we share with others the importance of agricultural education and the role FFA can play in providing students with these opportunities.”
The National FFA Organization has 523,309 student members in 7,487 chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. National FFA changed its name from the Future Farmers of America in 1988 to recognize the growth and diversity of agriculture and agricultural education.
“We are very excited to get the FFA logo and mission out in front of the millions of diehard NHRA fans this season. We are constantly looking for ways to promote the agriculture industry through the BTR nitro Funny Car team, and our partnership with the FFA, N&S Tractor Case IH, and Lucas Oil is a great beginning,” said Thiel.
Thiel welcomes other sponsors interested in establishing marketing relationships to contact the team for additional information and opportunities.
The National FFA Organization operates under a Federal Charter granted by the 81st U.S. Congress. The U.S. Department of Education provides leadership and helps set direction for FFA as a service to state and local agricultural education programs. Follow National FFA online at www.FFA.org to learn more. |
| 2/23/2011 |
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