Ashley Forms Partnership With Roger Burgess and ProCare Rx to Carry Gotham Banner into 2008 ...( NEW YORK and ATLANTA Jan. 11 /- L...),Health

NEW YORK and ATLANTA, Jan. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Less than 48 hours after learning of his longtime sponsor's sudden and unexpected hiatus from drag racing, Mike Ashley has acquired primary funding for his NHRA Funny Car team for 2008 and beyond.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080111/NYF039-a )

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080111/NYF039LOGO-b )

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080111/NYF039LOGO-c )

Ashley today announced a racing partnership with ProCare Rx Chairman and Co-Founder Roger Burgess with the goal of fielding the ultimate championship drag racing team. Ashley and Burgess will initially field one nitro Funny Car with racing standout Melanie Troxel behind the wheel, and will aggressively seek additional long-term sponsorship to field a second Funny Car in the NHRA.

"I wasn't sure what we were going to do," Ashley recounted. "I got the announcement and it was obviously stunning. I was on the way to Indianapolis to talk with the team when Roger called me and asked what I was going to do about the 2008 season.

"My initial response was that it was such short notice that I wasn't sure what we would be doing and I didn't know if we were going to be able to continue long term. Roger immediately hopped on a plane and met me at the shop in Brownsburg [Ind.].

"After a tour of our facilities and a couple of hours of meetings, Roger was impressed with the dynamic organization and the reputation we had achieved of fielding championship teams, we decided to join our racing operations together -- his R2B2 Racing any my Gotham City Racing -- to build a world-class, drag racing organization."

Burgess said he is excited about
'/>"/>