RaceWay will double its presence in Chattanooga this year with a multi-million dollar investment in three new stores. The retail convenience stores/gasoline stations will be located at 405 Signal Mountain Road, 459 Amnicola Highway and 5455 Hixson Pike. All are under construction and will be completed this fall.

"We have a strong base of stores in and around Hamilton County and want to build on this foundation," said Phil Gura, vice president and general counsel.

"Our strong customer base in Chattanooga is the reason we are building more stores this year in Chattanooga than in any other city. Even during the current economic situation, we believe there is a high demand from our consumers for a well-run, high quality and cost-efficient brand like RaceWay."

Each store will feature an attractive masonry exterior, as well as a consumer-focused interior, according to Mr. Gura. "The product offering is solely up to the operator, thus allowing the store to reflect the community," he said.

"Tailoring our look and products to the community is a key to RaceWay's success."

RaceWay has over 275 stores throughout the Southeast and a total of 40 locations in Tennessee. The opening of three new stores in Chattanooga should create about 15 new jobs in the area.

RaceWay convenience stores are operated by independent contract operators who are chosen through a rigorous selection process. "We would love to have a local operator in each of our three sites and are actively seeking applicants," said Mr. Gura.

Business entrepreneurs interested in applying to be one of the contract operators for a store should call 1-800-688-6199, Ext. 0, or visit www.RaceWayStores.com.

Carl Bolch, Sr. opened his first independent gas stations in St. Louis 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, Ala., 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, Ala. 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.