RaceTrac History
RaceTrac's roots go back over 75 years to 1934 when Carl Bolch, Sr. opened independent gas stations in St. Louis, Missouri, under the name Carl Bolch Trackside Stations. His strategy was to be independent of major oil companies and thus be able to consistently offer lower-priced gasoline to the public. In 1959, he relocated and acquired the Oil Well Company of Opp, Alabama, which consisted of numerous independent stores located, for the most part, in rural areas of Alabama. These stores and the ones opened after them evolved into the early RaceWay concept: full-service stores opened in conjunction with small grocery stores. In 1967, Carl Bolch Jr., the current Chief Executive Officer, joined the company in Montgomery, Alabama. He expanded the Company's geography throughout the South and into Texas on the newly constructed interstate system and pioneered the concept of self-service gasoline in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia.
TIMELINE
The company relocated to Atlanta, Georgia in 1976, and in 1979 adopted the brand "RaceTrac" for its company-operated stores. Contractor-operated stores, many of which were the original Oil Well Company stores, became branded RaceWay.
Brand Equity
RaceTrac's strong brand equity, built over years of consistently delivering the lowest prices and fastest service in the industry, is a key contributor to the company's high volume traffic and profitability. From the very beginning, Carl Bolch, Sr. believed in building stations with lots of pumps for fast, easy access, combined with high quality gasoline at a price you'd be proud enough to put on the largest price sign available. Today, this idea lives in our brand promise: Great Service, Great Selection, Great Value, Depend on RaceTrac. For today's time and money-starved consumers, RaceTrac's brand promise provides a very real and relevant benefit.