Shelby American to Introduce 1,100hp Shelby 1000 S/C
Shelby American will introduce its most powerful Shelby yet April 5
at the New York International Auto Show. Carroll Shelby started with a ’12 Ford Shelby GT500 and pumped up the handling, performance and
braking. The Shelby 1000 will be offered in both a street and a Shelby
1000 S/C “off-road” track version. According to Shelby American, the
street-legal, pump-gas version dyno’s out at approximately 950 hp, while
the track-oriented S/C edition is rated at more than 1,100 hp.
To build the car that Carroll Shelby envisioned, Shelby American takes Ford’s 5.4L V8 down to the block to add new rods, crank and pistons. The team flows the heads, upgrades the cooling and exhaust, replaces the supercharger, tunes it and then sprinkles it with a little Shelby magic.
To complement the new power, the Shelby 1000 has improved the handling and stopping capabilities with six pistons in front and four pistons in the rear, while the suspension includes new struts, sway bars and bushings. The new solid driveshaft is connected to a new 9-in. rear end. Exterior cues incorporate aerodynamics while maintaining a stealthy appearance. The hood, rear panel and splitter are functional pieces. Shelby American will accept orders once the Shelby 1000 is unveiled at the New York International Auto Show. More information on the vehicle will be available after April 5, 2012, at www.shelbyamerican.com.
GenRight Off-Road Donates $1,500 to Savethehammers.org
In a move that GenRight Off-Road refers to as doing its part to protect
the Johnson Valley OHV area from the 29 Palms Marine Base Expansion, the
company donated $1,500 to Savethehammers.org. Currently the Marines are
looking to expand the 29 Palms Marine base west into the Johnson Valley
OHV area. The Johnson Valley OHV area
represents 50% of the area available for off-road recreation in
California. More information is available at www.savethehammers.org.
Alpine's Jim O'Neill Announces Retirement
Alpine Electronics of America Inc. announced that Jim O’Neill, executive vice president of OEM and aftermarket sales and marketing, is retiring from the company. O’Neill also serves as the president of Alpine Electronics of Canada. His last day in the office will be March 30, 2012, after which he will support Alpine as an advisor and consultant. He has been an Alpine employee for 40 years. Steve Crawford, vice president and general manager of Alpine’s aftermarket business unit, will take on the additional duty of president for Alpine Electronics of Canada. “Jim O’Neill has had a major influence on Alpine’s entire business structure,” said Kazunobu Watanabe, president, Alpine Electronics of America, Inc. “His wisdom and business acumen shaped the foundation of our OEM division, which remains a key part of our company. We greatly appreciate his many years of dedication and service to Alpine.”
Kristen Wentzell Joins NHRA as Director of Advertising and Promotions
Kristen Wentzell has joined the NHRA as director of advertising and promotions. NHRA reports that her primary focus will be to increase ticket sales at national events through creative and innovative strategies designed to reach the core as well as a broader fan base. Wentzell will work in partnership with national event track owners and operators on all advertising and promotions for the 23-race NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.
Goodguys to Honor Ed Pink and Ed Iskenderian as "Hot Rod Heroes"
Ed Pink and Ed Iskenderian will be honored as “Hot Rod
Heroes” at the Goodguys 12th Meguiar’s Del Mar Nationals, March 30–April
1, at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Pink, known worldwide as one of the
premier engine builders in all racing platforms will have a booth on the
midway showcasing Ed Pink Racing Engines as well as his red ’29 Ford Hiboy roadster, “Old Master” top fuel dragster and other Pink-powered
hot rods. Iskenderian, better known as the “Camfather,” is still going
strong at 90 years old. Isky’s iconic ’27 Ford hot rod roadster will be
on display throughout the weekend.
Both icons will be available for autographs and bench racing all three
days. They will headline a special “Meet & Greet” with fans on
Saturday, March 31, beginning at 11:30 a.m. inside the Mission Tower at the
Del Mar Fairgrounds. For more information, visit www.good-guys.com.
RK Motors Charlotte Named Primary Sponsor on Michael Waltrip Racing’s No. 55 Camry
RK Motors Charlotte will be the primary
sponsor on Michael Waltrip Racing’s No. 55 Toyota Camry this Sunday,
April 1, during the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at
Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia. Brian Vickers will
pilot the No. 55 Toyota in his second race of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series. RK Motors Charlotte will not only be present on the race track,
but also in Martinsville Speedway’s Midway. “This is the first time in
history RK Motors Charlotte will be the primary sponsor of a NASCAR
competitor,” said Joseph Carroll, RK Motors Charlotte’s president/CEO.
“NASCAR is enjoyed by millions of passionate fans who love cars as much
as we do. We want to connect with those fellow enthusiasts and share the
NASCAR excitement with them this weekend through our sponsorship of
Michael Waltrip Racing’s No. 55 Toyota.”
Atlas Copco Compressors Appoints Tom Poot to Business Line Manager
Atlas Copco Compressors appointed Tom Poot as business line manager for oil-free products in the United States, a role he began during the first quarter of 2012. Poot joined the company in 1998 as a project engineer, and he was promoted to project leader within the same group in 2002 before serving as engineering manager, oil-free air from 2004–2008. He returned to Oil-Free Air marketing in 2008 as the product marketing manager for Atlas Copco's line of large Z compressors.
Publication Founders Reacquire RACER Magazine and Racer.com
Paul Pfanner and Bill Sparks have acquired RACER Magazine and Racer.com from Haymarket Media Inc. The purchase returns the magazine to its founding management team after 11 years of majority ownership by Haymarket. RACER celebrates its 20th anniversary in April with the release of the May issue. The acquisition also includes the company's custom publishing arm, which produces SportsCar magazine for the Sports Car Club of America and the Racer Special Projects Division, which creates collateral, advertising materials, publications, websites, custom content and editorial management solutions.
Carlisle Brake & Friction Announces Senior Leadership Changes
Carlisle Brake & Friction announced two organizational leadership changes. Chris Koch, president of Carlisle Brake & Friction since 2009, is assuming the newly created role of group president, diversified products, which consist of Carlisle Transportation Products, Carlisle Food Service and Carlisle Brake & Friction. Koch will work with the president of each of the businesses to ensure continued growth of Carlisle's revenues in these segments. Matt Dietrich was appointed president of Carlisle Brake & Friction as of March 1. Dietrich joined Carlisle in 2010 as vice president of sales and marketing after more than 20 years of significant commercial and managerial experience in other industrial businesses, including Timken and Ingersoll-Rand.