Gas City Stores Reopen Under Speedway Name

LEMONT, Ill. -- Gas City gas stations and convenience stores acquired by Speedway at last month's bankruptcy auction were expected to close at 8 p.m. Thursday and reopen this morning under their new name, the Lemont Patch newspaper reported.

Speedway spokesman Shane Pochard said he had no knowledge of the transition, but store employees in Frankfort and New Lenox said they were told the stores would close Thursday evening, be rebranded Speedway overnight and reopen Friday in their new incarnation.

Speedway's Web site already lists all of the former Gas City sites as Speedway locations.

Gas City employees said customers' Gold Card reward points would be good only until closing Thursday. Members will be converted to Speedway's Speedy Rewards program if they turn in their cards. Gold Card members will get a bonus of some kind when they convert, employees said, but their points will not carry over.

Last month, Frankfort-based Gas City auctioned off its 50 stations in Illinois, Indiana, Florida and Arizona as part of the company's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in order to pay off debts. Speedway, which is owned by Marathon Petroleum Co., is an Ohio-based chain of gas stations and convenience stores with locations throughout the Midwest.