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 According
to his spokesman, there are just too many racers that Torco
gives product to list here. It would be remiss to not mention
that his company also signed a long-term sponsorship of the
drag racing e-zine CompetitionPlus.
To say that Evan Knoll has become the racer’s best
friend and has had a huge influence on the sport of drag racing
is a vast understatement. In my 30-plus years of covering
this sport, no one -- and I mean no one -- has done more to
keep racers racing and drag racing healthy by giving away
his money and product, without any strings attached, than
Mr. Evan Knoll. As an example, does anyone really believe
that Melanie Troxel, Dave Connolly or Mike Ashley will sell
enough Skull gear or racing fuel and make enough profit from
doing so to support just one professional race team much less
three?
Knoll's largess and support doesn’t stop at just at
giving individual racers money and product either.
His support of the International Hot Rod Association is unparalleled.
His company, Torco Race Fuels, is the title rights sponsor
of the Pro Modified and Pro Stock classes as well as the company
that puts up the purse for the Pro Mod Shootout and Pro Stock
Showdown as well the Top Fuel bonus program. Torco is the
official race fuel for the IHRA as well as the presenting
sponsor for several races and just recently committed to joining
AMS’s Dave Wood in backing the NHRA Pro Mod series for
three years. It is probably a sure bet that without Evan Knoll
joining with Dave Wood there wouldn’t have been a NHRA
Pro Mod series going forward.
Through all of this Evan Knoll
remains somewhat of an enigmatic figure. He has some health
issues and usually avoids the limelight. His friends and supporters
are highly loyal and supportive of him and insulate him somewhat
from the fans and the press. He certainly isn’t drag
racing’s version of the late Howard Hughes, but he certainly
doesn’t seek nor apparently want the spotlight of fame.
It was our plan to do an “Innerview” with Knoll
to accompany this award, but he was just unable to find the
time to do so. I didn’t get the impression that he didn’t
want to, it was just finding the time. Perhaps he’ll
give DRO the opportunity at a later date.
I’ve had the opportunity to meet and talk with Evan
Knoll on several occasions and I come away each time with
the opinion and impression that he is just a genuinely nice
man who loves drag racing and drag racers, and puts his money
where his heart is.
In the end, the decision to name Evan Knoll the first recipient
of Drag Racing Online’s Man of the Year award was the
only decision we could make.
Congratulations, Mr. Knoll.
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