ST. CHARLES, Ill. — Parent Petroleum Co. is newest retail branding partner for VP Racing Fuels. It has converted one station, the first VP-branded station in the Chicago market. Based in St. Charles, Illinois, Parent owns and operates a dozen “The Pride” convenience stores in the greater Chicagoland area.

The addition of the VP Brand strengthens and diversifies the company and provides a new offering in its market, said Mark Potaczek, vice president of fuels marketing and development for Parent Petroleum.

“We are excited to bring VP into our brand portfolio as an independent option because it provides us with many benefits that were previously available only through major refiners,” said Potaczek. “VP’s brand image is very economical and attractive and communicates a theme of quality and reliability, which is consistent with its reputation in the specialty fuels, additives and racing community. Their credit-card fees are among the lowest in the industry and their marketing support programs are very useful and easy to administer. These benefits, combined with their low to no-interest equipment loans for the operator, make VP an extremely useful tool in our sales kit.”

Alan Cerwick, president of VP Racing Fuels, said, “We’re very pleased to partner with Parent Petroleum in our retail branding program. Parent is well-respected in the industry and brings fresh thinking to the challenges faced by petroleum retailers. With VP’s game-changing business model, they’ll be positioned to offer the solutions and competitive advantages convenience-store owners are looking for.”

Based in San Antonio, VP has fueled champions in every form of motorsport on land, sea and air since 1975. VP is the official racing fuel of Tudor United SportsCar Championship, AMA Supercross, TORC: The Off Road Championship, NMRA, NMCA, World of Outlaws Sprint Cars and Late Models, Pirelli World Challenge, PDRA and Rally America, among more than 60 VP-sponsored series and sanctioning bodies.

Gas stations and convenience stores that join VP’s retail branding program also distribute VP’s other product lines, including ethanol-free VP Small Engine Fuels, formulated for two-cycle and four-cycle outdoor power equipment; VP Madditive performance chemicals; VP PowerWash and more. VP also markets VP PowerMaster hobby fuels for radio-controlled (R/C) racing.

Parent Petroleum specializes in service and sales of petroleum products to local municipalities, retail, commercial and industrial customers throughout Illinois and surrounding states. It has been operating gas stations for more than 30 years, mainly offering the Mobil and BP fuel brands, and started calling its stores “The Pride” to emphasize the pride taken in the stations it owns. The Pride stores are owned and operated by The Pride Stores Inc., the retail division of Parent Petroleum.