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| Paul Fessel |
Firestone Industrial Products Company LLC promoted Paul Fessel to division manager of Light Duty Business. In his role, Fessel will lead the company's complete line of suspension solution products, which include Ride-Rite, Sport-Rite, Coil-Rite and Level-Rite air helper springs, and he will oversee development of Firestone's latest product offerings. Fessel has been with Firestone for 16 years, previously serving as project engineer for Ride-Rite sales; applications engineer and senior sales engineer for OE sales; China business development manager; and automotive OE sales manager.
Wes-Coast Marketing Inc. has teamed up with Power Tank (Advanced Air Systems) to represent the company in the 13 western states and western Canada. According to Wes-Coast marketing, Power Tank, is the original high-performance C02 air system designed for off-road, 4x4, desert and sand use.
Steele Rubber Products was selected as BAM Racing’s “American Pride” company for the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 30. The Steele Rubber Products logo will appear on the cars of BAM drivers, Robby Gordon and David Gilliland. BAM Racing, from Charlotte, North Carolina, is honoring great American companies and organizations during the 2010 racing season. Owned by Beth Ann Morgenthau, BAM Racing began in 2002 as a single-car team positioned against the much larger multi-car teams. In addition to producing restoration rubber parts and weatherstripping for American-made cars, trucks and street rods, Steele Rubber Products provides a line of spring rubbers to all levels of stock car racing.
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| Michael Santa Cruz |
Michael Santa Cruz joined ProMedia LLC—producers of the NMRA Keystone Automotive Ford Nationals and the NMCA Edelbrock Muscle Car Nationals—as its sponsorship sales manager. Santa Cruz started in the automotive performance industry in 1986 with SCCA Pro Road Race team, Ford-sponsored Kaufmann Racing. Before joining ProMedia, Santa Cruz worked with several southern California performance automotive companies, including Eibach Springs, Petersen Publishing, Tokico and Magnaflow Exhaust. He will assist the NMRA and NMCA series with development of additional contingency sponsors to support their vibrant race programs and will spearhead all-new class sponsorship opportunities for potential car show sponsors.
Effective June 1, Strictly Diesel and Sinister Diesel (formerly ITP Diesel) are joining forces to elevate their nationwide product and service offerings. The new partnership puts two previously independent companies together as one. The companies also announced their new 15,000 sq.-ft. facility, which is set to open officially on June 1, located at 621 West Lone Cactus Dr., Phoenix, AZ 85027. The new facility has more bays for completing maintenance and repair work, more parking for customer vehicles and more space to store products used for service, repair and maintenance. This facility also provides more space for aftermarket product inventory and new-product development work.
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| The Hotchkis family competed in the autocross challenge at the Goodguys Orange County Get Together Street Challenge Autocross. |
Hotchkis Sport Suspension equipped cars took home gold in the participant, vendor and truck classes at the Goodguys Orange County Get Together Street Challenge Autocross. The Hotchkis family—a team of more than a dozen customer cars from all over California and Colorado—competed in the autocross throughout the two-day event, including several Mopars, new and old Camaros, Chevelles, a pair of C10 pickups and more. Hotchkis chief engineer Aaron Ogawa drove the E-Max '70 Challenger to a first place finish in the vendor class with a time of 29.32. He was joined on the podium by Mike Hickman, who ran a 32.01 in his '67 Chevy C-10 in the truck class and Mary Pozzi, who pulled off a stunning 28.73 in her '72 Camaro. Both vehicles are equipped with Hotchkis Total Vehicle Systems. This year's Costa Mesa Street Challenge Autocross had more than 60 entrants and more than a dozen were Hotchkis customer cars. Dick Etchison came all the way from Colorado in his four-door '65 Chevelle. Dan Weishaar lopped nearly six seconds off his '68 Plymouth Roadrunner's lap times from the Del Mar GG event with new wheels and tires and lots of practice at local SCCA events. Trish and Rob Byrd's Hotchkis-equipped 2010 Camaro became the first 5th Gen to run a Goodguys Autocross and Shannon Hudson drove his TVS-equipped '69 Valiant.