Movers & Shakers: <i>Dirt Sport</i> Honors Heidi Steele; Percy's Picks Rollins Performance Marketing

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SEMA Chair-elect Rick Rollins

SEMA Chair-elect Rick Rollins and his company Rollins Performance Marketing will oversee all of the marketing and sales efforts of Percy’s High Performance Inc. According to a recent press release, the move was made to help the company expand its product line and availability throughout the automotive aftermarket distribution network and racing arenas.
“I can’t wait to get focused back on being an inventor,” said Percy’s President Jeff Percival. “With Rick on our team, Percy’s can far better educate the consumer of our not just one-of-a-kind inventions, but many new staple products we are working on."

Laser Design Inc. and GKS Inspection Services announced that Giles Gaskell has joined their Michigan team as business development manager. Gaskell will help expand the market for Laser Design’s 3-D scanning hardware and software solutions and the scanning services offered by GKS Inspection Services.

Last year, off-road pro Heidi Steele made history by becoming the first woman to win two major off-road championships in one season by taking the flag in both the Best in the Desert and SCORE. Now, the Yokohama Tire Corporation-sponsored Steele made history once again by being the first woman to be named Dirt Sport magazine’s 2008 Driver of the Year. "This is a truly amazing and unforgettable feeling," said Steele. "To be recognized and honored with such a prestigious award among the many talented drivers in off-road racing is truly unbelievable.

Automotive research company AutoPacific selected PCGCampbell for its marketing and communications efforts. AutoPacific has specialized in the analysis and research of the automobile industry since 1986. It provides industry analysis, product development, product planning, marketing research and consumer research.

Dirt Sport magazine’s 2008 Driver of the Year Heidi Steele

For the third consecutive year, Meguiar’s Car Polish is the title sponsor of the Living It Out Loud Car Show, hosted by Division Five Rodders for Christ. The car show is a fundraiser and community outreach program for the Division Five Racers For Christ chaplains. For more information, visit www.teamrfc.org.

The D1GP drifting series finalized a deal with the GPI Content Corp. and The Fox Television Station Group to air each of the D1GP USA Championship Points Series events. Each event is anticipated to be broadcast adjacent to high-profile sporting events during the fall 2009 season. With the partnership, D1GP USA viewers will be the largest U.S. audience ever to witness drifting.

IMR Inc. completed its new Repair Shop Tool & Equipment Tracking Study that focuses on tool and equipment purchases. The study, which tracks the month-to-month purchasing habits of automotive repair shops, currently contains three years of data and will continue to build on that information in the coming months.

The crew from Gen-Right Off Road

Gen-Right Off Road hosted a recent Jeep-enthusiast swap meet to help raise money for the California Off-Road Vehicle Association (CORVA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and protecting the positive aspects of vehicular recreation on public lands. This was the first of what Gen-Right hopes will be at least a biannual happening. Plans are underway for another Gen-Right Consumer Swap Meet on May 9.

Hurst Performance Vehicles' new performance center in Irvine, California, is officially open and producing 2009 Hurst/Hemi Challengers and 50th Anniversary Hurst/Vipers. The new facility is part of the Aria Group Complex featuring more than 50,000 sq. ft. and a workforce of 60 employees.

A green associate sponsorship partnership was developed among Ask.com, JuicedHybrid.com and Hall of Fame Racing’s No. 96 car for the first 18 races of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. The program will measure and offset carbon emissions for the No. 96 Sprint Cup entry during each practice session, qualifying session and the race. Carbon offset is a certificate representing the reduction of 1 metric ton (2,205 lbs.) of carbon-dioxide emissions.
The amount of emissions created during standard racing activities will be offset through investments made by Ask.com and JuicedHybrid.com in clean energy projects, such as solar energy and wind farms by purchasing credits through TerraPass.

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