Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. has added Wally Holst and Bill Stevenson to its sales team. Holst, Toyo’s new regional sales manager for upstate New York and a portion of Pennsylvania, has more than 11 years of sales and account-management experience in the tire and automotive industries. Stevenson joined the northeast team as a district sales manager, assisting in sales and service of Toyo dealers in that region.
Toyota has teamed with BraunAbility, a leader in wheelchair-accessible conversion vehicles, to debut the Ultimate NASCAR Fan Sienna Rampvan at the 2008 SEMA Show. With a fully lowered floor, foldout ramp and an innovative “kneeling” rear suspension, the Sienna offers easy access for wheelchair and scooter users.
The Ultimate accommodates up to three NASCAR fans in wheelchairs, matches Toyota NASCAR driver Jason Leffler’s Braun Racing #38 Nationwide Camry scheme, and features an array of Toyota Racing Development and specialty-equipment products, including LLumar window film, Katzkin interior materials, Yokohama tires and satellite radio.
Kicker is holding its Big Air Bash VII on Wednesday, November 5, 7:00 p.m., at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. Motocross professionals Erin Bates, Adam Portue and Malcolm McCassey will host the event which features music from DJ Impulse and Kenny Wayne Shepherd, sideline commentary from Ronnie Renner, freestyle motocross action from Cowboy Kenny Bartram and Mike Mason and an exhibition demo from the quad team H-Bomb. The Big Air Bash is held annually in conjunction with the SEMA Show and is sponsored by Monster Energy, Makita, OGIO, Oakley, Toyota, Zune and Kicker.
Motorbooks (www.motorbooks.com) is looking for new authors for projects ranging from musclecar retrospectives, supercar galleries and how-to manuals to racing histories, marque histories and much more. If you have expertise in a particular area, see if it fits a project that’s already been approved. If you’re just a good researcher and writer, Motorbooks would like to put you on the list for future projects. For more information, stop by the Motorbooks booth (booth #22483) at the 2008 SEMA Show and ask for Zack Miller.
WyoTech has teamed up with Wal-Mart to promote tire safety, help improve fuel efficiency and encourage environmentally-friendly driving. The joint promotion is part of USA Weekend magazine’s Make a Difference Day. Four Wyotech campuses (Sacramento, California; Fremont, California; Blairsville, Pennsylvania; and Long Beach, California) will partner with local Wal-Mart stores to conduct tire-pressure safety tests and teach consumers how to check their tire pressure.
The 2008 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup season began airing on SPEED on Sunday, October 26. A total of seven 30-minute episodes will be broadcast from October through November, ending with an hour-long Jetta TDI Cup documentary on Saturday, November 22. All episodes air on SPEED. Check your local cable or satellite provider to confirm channel and times.
Paul Teutul Sr. from Orange County Choppers will be signing autographs at the Mobil 1 booth (#25173), Tuesday, November 4, at 2:30 p.m.
Will Castro and his crew from Unique Autosports return to SPEED for three fall specials featuring some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment royalty. The first special, scheduled to premiere November 4 at 10 p.m. (EST), will feature NBA star LeBron James and his Ferrari F430, along with a special Toyota Sequoia Platinum NBA All-Star Game project with Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning. For the second special, Castro joins rapper 50 Cent inside his Connecticut mansion, as the pair work on a special project with Pontiac. Castro and his team got to do a little retro work on a pair of “fraternal twin” Jeep Wranglers for Sean “Diddy” Combs for the third special.