In 2009, NHRA and The Coca-Cola Company enter their eighth year as partners in presenting the world's fastest motorsports attraction: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

Last April, Coca-Cola and NHRA announced an extension of the title sponsorship for NHRA's marquee touring series that runs through 2013, and that its Full Throttle brand would replace POWERade as the title sponsor. In 2009, with Full Throttle as the series sponsor, Coca-Cola has announced plans for an aggressive marketing activation strategy.

The two partners first joined forces in 2002 and just three years into the first deal, The Coca-Cola Company and NHRA agreed to a new, long-term deal that extended NHRA title sponsorship into the next decade.  Since becoming series sponsor in 2002, Coca-Cola has created a variety of consumer programs, the likes of which the sport has not seen in its 50-plus year history, that have helped to elevate NHRA's awareness among a broader audience.  Regional promotions in event markets, national presence through commemorative packaging, national television advertisements featuring the stars of the sport, and point-of-purchase displays highlighting the brand's association with the world's fastest motorsport are just a few of the many exciting initiatives that  the Coca-Cola company brought to fans of NHRA racing.

Coca-Cola first introduced its Full Throttle brand to the sport in 2005, as it became an official sponsor of NHRA, and implemented a program to reward and recognize NHRA pit crews for excellence in each of the four pro classes.

The series sponsorship extension with Full Throttle also continues to designate Coca-Cola as the official soft drink of NHRA and Dasani as the official water of NHRA.

In 2009 NHRA and Full Throttle's total payout to competitors will be more than $3 million, including the NHRA Full Throttle championship points fund and the NHRA Full Throttle Top 10 bonus program.

NHRA professional category drivers will compete for a champion's purse of more than $1 million in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series in 2009. That total includes the following bonuses for the four champions of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series: $500,000 each to the NHRA Full Throttle world champions in Top Fuel and Funny Car; $250,000 to the NHRA Full Throttle world champ in Pro Stock; and $75,000 to the NHRA Full Throttle champion in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

An additional $799,600 will be split among drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle who finish in the Top 10 in the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. Top Fuel and Funny Car Top 10 finishers will receive bonuses ranging from $100,000 for finishing second to $15,000 for finishing 10th. In Pro Stock, the second place driver will earn $50,000, while the second place finisher in Pro Stock Motorcycle will claim $15,000.

Season-long bonuses totaling $1,242,500 will be paid to drivers who are in the NHRA Full Throttle Top 10 in their respective pro categories entering each event in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. The NHRA Full Throttle Top 10 in Top Fuel and Funny Car receive $2,000 each, while the Top 10 drivers in Pro Stock earn $1,000 each. Another $2,500 is paid at each of the 17 races that feature the Pro Stock Motorcycle category.

NHRA's partnership with Full Throttle also includes a major commitment and involvement from Coca-Cola Enterprises, the world's largest marketer, producer and distributor of The Coca-Cola Company, to provide series sponsorship support at the consumer distribution level.

The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 450 sparkling and still brands.  Along with Coca-Cola, recognized as the world's most valuable brand, the Company's portfolio includes 12 other billion-dollar brands, including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid and Georgia Coffee.  Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, juices and juice drinks and ready-to-drink teas and coffees.  Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company's beverages at a rate of 1.5 billion servings a day.  With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that protect the environment, conserve resources and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate.  For more information about our Company, please visit our Web site at www.thecoca-colacompany.com.