TROY, OH – The E.A. Schaeffer Oil Company has joined Herd Racing as an associate sponsor for the 2012 race season, the team and company jointly announced January 30.  The Troy, Ohio –based oil company is part of the AMSOIL dealer network and will serve as Herd Racing’s “Official Oil Provider” as part of the agreement between the company and team, Herd Racing President Dana Tomes said.

  “It is an honor to welcome Elmer Schaeffer and his company’s AMSOIL product line to our growing family of supporters,” Tomes said.  “Elmer is a longtime supporter of racing and it is a joy to form an affiliation with his company and use his product line in our racing boats.”

  Elmer Schaeffer, owner of E.A. Schaffer Oil Company and a longtime race team sponsor, said his company’s 2012 sponsorship agreement with Herd Racing will be the firm’s first venture into the sport of boat racing.

  “We have been involved with sponsorship in auto racing for quite some time but we are excited to promote our company and product line with Herd Racing in the tunnel boat racing realm in 2012,” Schaeffer said.  “We will be at some of the races and be available to answer questions about our complete line of AMSOIL products and offer product for sale to both fellow competitors and fans alike.”

  As part of the year-long sponsorship agreement, Schaeffer will provide the Herd Racing program with AMSOIL Dominator two-cycle racing engine oils, synthetic racing gear oils, engine fogging sprays and marine synthetic greases.

  “We have been in talks with many oil companies since getting into the sport of outboard tunnel boat racing,” Herd Racing Crew Chief Jeramey Wentz said.  “We have used a variety of products and have confirmed that AMSOIL products are the way we want to go.  The performance and engine durability that the AMSOIL products promote are second to none.”

  Schaeffer promotes its racing involvement, and markets its AMSOIL product line through its ZoilRacing name.  You can log on to the company’s product website at http://www.lubedealer.com/zoilracing.  Fans or race teams interested in more information or to purchase AMSOIL product can contact Schaeffer by phone at 937-214-0866. You can follow Schaeffer on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/zoilracing or like him on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ZoilRacing .  His MySpace page can be found at http://www.myspace.com/zoilracing.  Schaeffer’s email address is zoil@mail.com .

  AMSOIL, sold nationally through independent dealers since 1972, was founded by fighter squadron commander Albert J. Amatuzio.  Seeing the need for a synthetic lubricating oil, Amatuzio’s first AMSOIL product was 10W 40 motor oil.  Since that time the company’s product line has grown to include nearly every oil and lubricating product imaginable.  

  A 15-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force himself, Schaeffer has been selling AMSOIL products for more than 20 years.  Schaeffer’s involvement in racing has spanned from local late models and midgets in northwest Ohio to team support for national auto racing teams as high as the ARCA series.

  TROY, OH – The E.A. Schaeffer Oil Company has joined Herd Racing as an associate sponsor for the 2012 race season, the team and company jointly announced January 30.  The Troy, Ohio –based oil company is part of the AMSOIL dealer network and will serve as Herd Racing’s “Official Oil Provider” as part of the agreement between the company and team, Herd Racing President Dana Tomes said.

  “It is an honor to welcome Elmer Schaeffer and his company’s AMSOIL product line to our growing family of supporters,” Tomes said.  “Elmer is a longtime supporter of racing and it is a joy to form an affiliation with his company and use his product line in our racing boats.”

  Elmer Schaeffer, owner of E.A. Schaffer Oil Company and a longtime race team sponsor, said his company’s 2012 sponsorship agreement with Herd Racing will be the firm’s first venture into the sport of boat racing.

  “We have been involved with sponsorship in auto racing for quite some time but we are excited to promote our company and product line with Herd Racing in the tunnel boat racing realm in 2012,” Schaeffer said.  “We will be at some of the races and be available to answer questions about our complete line of AMSOIL products and offer product for sale to both fellow competitors and fans alike.”

  As part of the year-long sponsorship agreement, Schaeffer will provide the Herd Racing program with AMSOIL Dominator two-cycle racing engine oils, synthetic racing gear oils, engine fogging sprays and marine synthetic greases.

  “We have been in talks with many oil companies since getting into the sport of outboard tunnel boat racing,” Herd Racing Crew Chief Jeramey Wentz said.  “We have used a variety of products and have confirmed that AMSOIL products are the way we want to go.  The performance and engine durability that the AMSOIL products promote are second to none.”

  Schaeffer promotes its racing involvement, and markets its AMSOIL product line through its ZoilRacing name.  You can log on to the company’s product website at http://www.lubedealer.com/zoilracing.  Fans or race teams interested in more information or to purchase AMSOIL product can contact Schaeffer by phone at 937-214-0866. You can follow Schaeffer on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/zoilracing or like him on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ZoilRacing .  His MySpace page can be found at http://www.myspace.com/zoilracing.  Schaeffer’s email address is zoil@mail.com .

  AMSOIL, sold nationally through independent dealers since 1972, was founded by fighter squadron commander Albert J. Amatuzio.  Seeing the need for a synthetic lubricating oil, Amatuzio’s first AMSOIL product was 10W 40 motor oil.  Since that time the company’s product line has grown to include nearly every oil and lubricating product imaginable.  

  A 15-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force himself, Schaeffer has been selling AMSOIL products for more than 20 years.  Schaeffer’s involvement in racing has spanned from local late models and midgets in northwest Ohio to team support for national auto racing teams as high as the ARCA series.

  CINCINNATI, OH - Mobile Imprint has joined Herd Racing as a supporting sponsor for the 2012 race season and will serve as the "Official Mobile App Provider" of the team.  Mobile Imprint, based in Cincinnati, OH, provides mobile apps for businesses, schools, sports teams and more.

  Mobile Imprint will assist Herd Racing by expanding the team’s reach to a younger audience by helping the tunnel boat racing team create a mobile app that will thrust the team’s web presence to millions of smart phone users worldwide.

  “We are tremendously excited to become a supporting sponsor of Herd Racing and be able to develop a specific app that will help the team reach a new segment of fans that they previously only had limited access to,” said Chelsea Inman, marketing director at Mobile Imprint. “Herd Racing will be one of the frontrunners in the racing industry to have its own mobile app along with a QR scan code and a plan to reach the world’s highly technical smart phone user market. We’re proud to be part of that effort.”

  Industry experts estimate that 31 percent of mobile phones in use today in the U.S. are smart phones. Currently, more than 73 million Americans have a smart phone and an additional one million smart phones are being activated daily around the world. Since 2007, more than 440 million smart phones have been sold, according to industry sources.

  The Herd Racing team will help promote Mobile Imprint by introducing the company’s services to a new source of potential users by carrying the company’s logos on its website and race boats, as well as helping promote the company’s services through the distribution of printed marketing materials at race events.

  Those interested in learning more about mobile apps can contact Mobile Imprint online by visiting their website at www.mobileimprint.com or via telephone at 855-944-APPS. 

   CINCINNATI, OH – Herd Racing and Mobile Imprint, a Cincinnati-based technology company specializing in mobile applications for businesses, have joined forces through a cooperative effort to promote both companies in 2012, both firms jointly announced January 18.

  Mobile Imprint will assist Herd Racing by expanding the team’s reach to a younger audience by helping the tunnel boat racing team create a mobile app that will thrust the team’s web presence to millions of smart phone users worldwide.

  “We are tremendously excited to become a supporting sponsor of Herd Racing and be able to develop a specific app that will help the team reach a new segment of fans that they previously only had limited access to,” said Chelsea Inman, marketing director at Mobile Imprint. “Herd Racing will be one of the frontrunners in the racing industry to have its own mobile app along with a QR scan code and a plan to reach the world’s highly technical smart phone user market. We’re proud to be part of that effort.”

  Industry experts estimate that 31 percent of mobile phones in use today in the U.S. are smart phones. Currently, more than 73 million Americans have a smart phone and an additional one million smart phones are being activated daily around the world. Since 2007, more than 440 million smart phones have been sold, according to industry sources.

  “This partnership with Mobile Imprint is a huge advancement for our team and our desire to reach more people,” said David Wechsler, Herd Racing’s marketing director. “Studies show that 92% of 18 to 24 year olds do not use email any more. They communicate between peers using their phones via text messages, Facebook, Twitter and mobile apps. We are excited to be able to be one of the first racing teams in all forms of racing embrace this growing technology.”

  Herd Racing’s agreement with Mobile Imprint will include the team having its own custom mobile app which will allow smart phone users to receive team news feeds, photos, blog posts and other information directly to their phones in real time. The team will showcase QR code marks on its boats, hauler and marketing materials that will allow a smart phone user to capture and download the team’s app at no charge. Fans will also be able to download the team’s mobile app directly from the Herd Racing website as well by simply photographing the team’s QR code with their smart phone.

  “Many custom app programs cost $20,000 or more to develop and require constant updating and hosting,” said Herd Racing President Dana Tomes. “Our agreement with Mobile Imprint brings that technology to our team at no cost. We are really excited about being able to promote our racing and outreach efforts to a much larger audience than we have ever been able to reach before.”

  Tomes said the Herd Racing team will help promote Mobile Imprint by introducing the company’s services to a new source of potential users by carrying the company’s logos on its website and race boats, as well as helping promote the company’s services through the distribution of printed marketing materials at race events.

  “We are confident that our involvement with Herd Racing will open doors for Mobile Imprint in tunnel boat racing and many other forms of racing,” Inman said. “We think this partnership is something we both will want to continue for quite a while.”

  Inman said Mobile Imprint will make its app design and hosting services available to all race teams at deep discounts in order to secure more business in the racing realm.  To learn more about Mobile Imprint, you can log on to their website at www.mobileimprint.com or by calling them at 855-994-APPS.

  Herd Racing’s new mobile app and associated technology is currently in production and will be available for web and smart phone users by early February.

  It isn't often that a race team's fans can make a direct impact on the performance of their favorite team or driver, but thanks to Champion Spark Plugs, Herd Racing's fans can make a huge contribution to the team's performance on the water in 2012!

  Herd Racing is one of more than 300 race teams from across North America that are competing in the Champion Spark Plugs "Search for a Champion" sponsorship contest.  The contest will award $100,000 in racing sponsorships to deserving race teams in 2012 and Herd Racing needs your help to claim part of the prize.

  Racers have been divided into five racing categories and Herd Racing has been entered along with 22 other teams in the Water Category.  Our quest is to receive the most fan support of any team in our category in hopes of claiming the category's $10,000 winning sponsorship prize.

  "One third of the criteria for winning is based on fan support," said Herd Racing's Chief Engineer Eric Himes, who along with help from team Crew Chief Jeramey Wentz, created the team's Champion video entry.  "We need fans to vote daily for our video so that we can show the judges we have the support of our fans and followers."

  Fans are encouraged to log in and vote by clicking on the following web link:  http://contest.alwaysachampion.com/contests/showentry/1011953.

 Each fan logged in can vote from the same computer once daily from January 2 through February 5 at which time the category winners will be announced. The five teams chosen by the judges to represent the five categories of racing will win $10,000 each and then move on to the final competition round where the winner takes home a $50,000 Champion sponsorship.

  “Winning the Water Category in this contest could be huge for our team and our 2012 efforts," said Crew Chief Jeramey Wentz. "We have the dedicated people and desire to win. We just need some financial support to help us make the most out of our effort and be able to upgrade our equipment to the next level."

  Complete contest rules and all entries can be found at www.alwaysachampion.com.

  The ability to capture the essence of racing on film is a talent that few people can boast.  But if a great photo is truly worth a thousand words then Herd Racing's team photographer Rick Adkins has amassed quite a vocabulary.

Adkins, whose day job is working as a research chemist for Marathon Petroleum, has used his love for photography to help promote Herd Racing's efforts by documenting the team's travels on film.

  "Rick is someone who can find the one photograph that tells the story of what he is shooting," says Herd Racing crew chief Jeramey Wentz.  "Great photographers have an eye for that perfect image and Rick finds those at every race or event we do."

  Adkins, who traveled with the Herd Racing team to many of the team's race weekends and outreach events in 2011, has provided a treasure chest of photos which the team can use to continue marketing it's program to potential fans, sponsors and supporters.

  "Most of our 2012 racing calendar is made up of photos that Rick took during the 2011 race season," says Herd Racing Foundation President Jeff Webb.  "He was able to document each event, from the race action to the personal stories of our team members and families.  He does a wonderful job."  Download a high resolution copy of the team's 2012 wall calendar here: http://www.herdracing.com/pdfs/2012Herdcalendar.pdf. (Be patient, it takes a while for the whole file to download)

  But if photography and working in a supervisory position in one of Marathon's largest gasoline refineries isn't enough to keep Adkins busy, he also finds time to collect antique phonographs, pre-1900 family Bibles and serves his local Baptist church congregation as a deacon and Sunday School teacher.

  "We're so fortunate to have Rick involved in our program and to have him go with us to the races," says Herd Racing's Chief Engineer Eric Himes.  "It helps with our sponsorship hunt to be able to put together publications and marketing kits that include a lot of good video and photographs."

Adkins plans to accompany the team on the road during the 2012 race season to continue photographing the races and faces on the APBA race circuit.  You can view some of Rick's work by accessing his online boat racing photo gallery at http://ricksfotos.smugmug.com/Hobbies. (Feel free to download and print any photos)

  Herd Racing is currently seeking lodging partnerships for the 2012 American Power Boat Association racing season with hotels nearby the race cities where the team will be competing.

  Herd Racing offers sponsorship trade agreements with hotels whereby the hotel will recieve complimentary advertising space on the team's race boat or boats in exchange for donating the cost of lodging for the team's crew members during the race weekend.

  Herd Racing requests that lodging sponsors provide up to a maximum of four hotel rooms to the team at no charge for the Friday night and Saturday night of the race weekend.

  In return, the team will provide the hotel with up to 360 square inches of advertising space on each side of the team's race boat or boats and four pit access passes to the races for the hotel's management and staff for the race weekend.  These passes include access to the racing area, as well as the pit area where the race teams are preparing their boats for racing.

  Other specialized services are available including a driver autograph session at the hotel, a banner to display during the race weekend in the hotel lobby or display of the team's race boat at the hotel if scheduling permits.

  The sponsorship trade agreement includes a pre-race press release by the team, a story and photograph about the sponsorship on this website www.herdracing.com which will remain throughout 2012 and you will receive your photo with the team and boat at the race venue.

  If your hotel is interested in becoming part of the team and advertising your facility to thousands of race fans please contact us toll free at 877-736-7303 or by email at danatomes@herdracing.com.

  KANE, PA - Herd Racing is proud to announce that BRL Solutions will sponsor the team’s 2012 tunnel boat racing efforts, the team and company jointly announced on December 14.
  The Kane, PA-based company will be an associate sponsor on both the team’s Formula 2 and Formula 3 race boats throughout the 2012 racing campaign and has been named the team’s “Official Lubricant Provider” for the 2012 season.
  “We are extremely excited to announce our new relationship with BRL Solutions and appreciate the confidence they have shown in Herd Racing by choosing us to be the exclusive racing sponsorship that they will use to promote their product to the public,” said Herd Racing’s President Dana Tomes.  “We have tested the BRL product in the race shop and it is the type of product we feel honored to represent and be part of.”
  BRL produces an aerosol-based lubricant which has almost limitless uses.  The non-flammable, biodegradable and environmentally-friendly spray lubricates metals, breaks loose rust and eliminates squeaks without harming the environment, and without the harsh solvent smell of other common brands.
  “The fact that BRL is environmentally friendly is important to us, being that we will be using the lubricant in a marine environment,” Tomes said.  “Being able to use a product that won’t create a sheen on the water or hurt the marine environment, but will still do the job we need, is an added plus to this relationship.”
  As part of the year-long sponsorship agreement, BRL will provide Herd Racing with a generous supply of the company’s product to use in the race shop, at race events and to distribute to other potential users as samples.
  “BRL is extremely excited to sponsor Herd Racing for the 2012 season,” said Dan Howard, VP of Business Development for BRL.  “We have successfully completed our local test markets for this new product and Herd Racing will allow us to penetrate the marine market very effectively.” 
  BRL also serves the automotive, residential, industrial and agricultural markets.
  Herd Racing will display the BRL product logos on both it’s Formula 2 and Formula 3 race boats in 2012, as well as advertise the company’s product on it’s website, www.herdracing.com.  The team will also lend it’s name and images to BRL during the sponsorship period to be included in BRL’s nationwide advertising campaign.
  For more information about BRL or to find out where you can purchase the product for yourself you can visit the company’s website at www.brl-usa.com.

  KANE, PA - BRL Solutions, Inc. will be an associate sponsor on both of Herd Racing’s Formula 2 and Formula 3 race boats throughout the 2012 racing campaign and has been named the team’s “Official Lubricant Provider” for the 2012 season.

  “We are extremely excited to announce our new relationship with BRL Solutions and appreciate the confidence they have shown in Herd Racing by choosing us to be the exclusive racing sponsorship that they will use to promote their product to the public,” said Herd Racing’s President Dana Tomes.  “We have tested the BRL product in the race shop and it is the type of product we feel honored to represent and be part of.”

  BRL, located in Kane, PA, produces an aerosol-based lubricant which has almost limitless uses.  The non-flammable, biodegradable and environmentally-friendly spray lubricates metals, breaks loose rust and eliminates squeaks without harming the environment, and without the harsh solvent smell of other common brands.

  “The fact that BRL is environmentally friendly is important to us, being that we will be using the lubricant in a marine environment,” Tomes said.  “Being able to use a product that won’t create a sheen on the water or hurt the marine environment, but will still do the job we need, is an added plus to this relationship.”

  As part of the year-long sponsorship agreement, BRL will provide Herd Racing with a generous supply of the company’s product to use in the race shop, at race events and to distribute to other potential users as samples.

  “BRL is extremely excited to sponsor Herd Racing for the 2012 season,” said Dan Howard, VP of Business Development for BRL.  “We have successfully completed our local test markets for this new product and Herd Racing will allow us to penetrate the marine market very effectively.”

  BRL also serves the automotive, residential, industrial and agricultural markets.

  Herd Racing will display the BRL product logos on both it’s Formula 2 and Formula 3 race boats in 2012, as well as advertise the company’s product on it’s website, www.herdracing.com.  The team will also lend it’s name and images to BRL during the sponsorship period to be included in BRL’s nationwide advertising campaign.

  For more information about BRL or to find out where you can purchase the product for yourself you can visit the company’s website at www.brl-usa.com.

  Herd Racing would like to thank BRL Solutions and it's staff for becoming a product sponsor of Herd Racing.

When it comes to fielding a dedicated crew each race weekend there isn't much more Herd Racing could ask for.  But in 2012, the team's UTV operator and launch specialist Roger LeGrand plans to put even more time into his newest found form of racing.

LeGrand, an overhead crane operator at a Huntington, WV speciality metals manufacturer for more than two decades, will be retiring in late December 2011.  His plans for 2012 include a lot of things, including the desire to travel with the Herd Racing tunnel boat program to all of it's summer schedule of races.

"I have always been a fan of racing and this is a way that I can use some of my knowledge and experience to help make the Herd Racing team better," LeGrand said.  Since the team's inception, LeGrand has been one of the first to lend a hand from building the team's first ARCA Racing Series stock car in 2008 through working on the pit crew through the team's final Nationwide Series race in 2010.

A longtime volunteer firefighter and craftsman, LeGrand has used his life experiences to become an integral part of the Herd Racing program, team president Dana Tomes says.

"I have known Roger for more than 20 years and we have done a lot of things together," Tomes said.  "He is one of those guys who can build or fix anything.  He can study something and the next day shows up with a homemade part or tool he needs to fix it.  He is a perfect addition to our race team and has already used his abilities to help us grow."

LeGrand, and his wife Karen who serves as the team's hospitality coordinator, was able to attend all but one of team's 2011 races, where he was tasked with safely and efficiently getting the boats into and out of the water.

"Having one person operate the tow vehicles makes it a lot easier on everyone," Tomes said.  "Roger can drive as good backwards as he can frontwards and that is really important when you're dealing with a boat trailer.  We try to find a way on our team to find our people's talents and use them to the team's advantage."

Keep checking out www.herdracing.com during the offseason as we continue to profile our team members.  Last winter we were able to tell fans about Jeramey Wentz, Eric Himes, Bryan Rozzi, Jeff Webb and Greg Smith whose stories you can still read in our website's news archives pages.  This winter we plan to feature stories on our Team Photographer Rick Adkins and Hospitality Coordinator Karen LeGrand, among others.