Will Angelle Race for the Championship in 2002?

Star Racing Season Update

By Star Racing

With the arrival of the new year and the beginning of the season soon upon us, the main question on the minds of many continues to be: What will Star Racing and Angelle Savoie be doing in 2002? 

According to Star Racing President, George Bryce, the race team remains intact, complete with a full arsenal of race winning engines and ready to race the 2002 season. However, without funding from a major sponsor, chances for racing the full season with Angelle may not be possible.

After claiming their fifth championship and first back-to-back championships in 2000 and 2001, Star Racing has the formula for success. With driver Angelle Savoie and the proper backing, they have all of the ingredients necessary to continue building a championship winning team. 

Beginning in 2002, Winston is no longer able to sponsor NHRA drag racing...or Star Racing for that matter. As a result of the tobacco settlement, no major tobacco corporation may participate in multiple sporting or motorsports events under its title name.

So who will sponsor Star Racing and Angelle in 2002? For the past several months, Star Racing has been seeking sponsorship. Despite the reputation and history of the Star Racing team, it has not been easy to solicit and discuss possible plans with future marketing partners. In addition to the normal formalities associated with obtaining long-term sponsorship, several other factors have played into the delay of achieving this goal. The terrorists' attacks on 9/11, the Holiday season, and the delay in the announcement of the NHRA's new series sponsor have all added to the difficulty of obtaining a new sponsor. Despite ongoing talks with potential supporters, Star Racing is still seeking a marketing partner for 2002 and beyond.

Angelle Savoie: "Winning the NHRA/POWERade Championship is my top priority. Without sponsorship, I do not feel we could achieve this goal. My life has and always will be about setting and reaching my goals. Racing is in my blood, so is winning. I hope and pray that I will be able to continue to do both."

George Bryce: "For the past 4 years, Star Racing has enjoyed a wonderful relationship with sponsor R.J. Reynolds Tobacco (Team Winston). They were a tremendous asset to the sport and will be sorely missed. We now have a major void to fill in our racing program. However, we are excited at the possibility of obtaining a new marketing partner and being able to expand our image and marketing value. We now have the ability to expand into areas that were previously closed to us due to the nature of our sponsor's product. Angelle offers so many marketing opportunities that the possibilities are endless."

Jerry W. Battle, Sr.
www.georgia-motorsports.com/star_racing
229-928-9664