Akona to sponsor Elko Speedway ARCA race again - WICU12/WSEE Erie, PA News, Sports, Weather and Events

Akona to sponsor Elko Speedway ARCA race again

Officials from TCC Materials, Track Enterprises and the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) announced today that Akona would again sponsor the 2013 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards event at Elko Speedway.

TCC Materials® Akona® brand of concrete repair products will be the race title sponsor the ARCA's second visit to Elko Speedway on Saturday, June 1, 2013.

"We are looking forward to working in partnership with Menards to sponsor the second Akona race to be held at Elko Speedway," said Brian DiGrado, Marketing & Business Development Manager of TCC Materials/Akona.  "This exciting venue gives us an excellent opportunity to highlight our Akona brand of concrete repair products, which are manufactured locally in Minnesota and are available at Menards stores across the region."

ARCA's first-ever visit to Minnesota in 2012 saw the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards invade the 3/8 mile Elko Speedway. A near capacity crowd witnessed Venturini Motorsports development driver Brennan Poole capture the checkered flag in a lightning-quick 200 lap event which took an hour to complete.

Series officials, along with Track Enterprises president Bob Sargent, decided to extend the 2013 version of the Akona-sponsored race event by 50 laps, much to the delight of drivers and fans.

"We're fortunate to have a corporate sponsor in Akona help bring the ARCA Racing Series back to Elko Speedway," said Bob Sargent of Track Enterprises, the company which also promotes races at the Illinois State Fairgrounds and the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds.

"We're looking to make the Elko event an annual stop on the ARCA schedule and feel adding 50 laps to the race will make it just that much more exciting," Sargent added. "In addition, we have some other pretty cool things planned for the first Saturday in June."

Akona's involvement with ARCA is part of a business-to-business vendor program with series presenting sponsor Menards. The manufacturer joins Ansell, Kimberly-Clark and Herr's, all companies who connected in-store presence at Menards to participation in the ARCA Racing Series through marketing relationships, contingency programs, and race sponsorships.

"Menards had asked ARCA to consider an event in the Minneapolis area for several years, as it's the second-largest retail market in their footprint," said Mark Gundrum, vice president for ARCA. "A combined effort by ARCA, the track, event promoter Track Enterprises, and Menards, to introduce Akona as a vendor partner allows this to happen again this summer." The Akona 250 race is scheduled as the sixth of 21 races in ARCA's 2013 season. The complete schedule can be found at arcaracing.com.

Akona Manufacturing is a branch of TCC Materials, a leader in the concrete products industry based out of Mendota Heights, Minn., less than 30 miles from Elko Speedway.  Akona Manufacturing, LLC, founded in 1950, specializes in concrete repair products such as cement patches, floor underlayments, cleaners, sealers, and mastic repair products.

The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is among the leading auto racing sanctioning bodies in the country. Founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum, the organization administers more than 100 events each year in multiple racing series, including the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, the ARCA/CRA Super Series, the ARCA Truck Series and the ARCA Midwest Tour, plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways.

For more information on Akona products and events go to www.akonallc.com.

For more information on the ARCA Racing Series, visit www.arcaracing.com.

ABOUT ARCA

The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is among the leading auto racing sanctioning bodies in the country. Founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum, the organization administers more than 100 events each year in multiple racing series, including the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, the ARCA/CRA Super Series, the ARCA Truck Series and the ARCA Midwest Tour, plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways.