 Gary Bowers' ’65 Mustang. |
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 Dave Walsh's ’32 Ford Victoria. |
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Gary Bowers, Dave Walsh Collect Top Awards at Goodguys 15th PPG Nationals
Pennsylvania’s Gary Bowers and Georgia’s Dave Walsh drove off with the top two awards at the Goodguys 15th PPG Nationals
in Columbus, Ohio. Bowers’ bright orange ’65 Mustang won the Goodguys
2012 Optima Batteries Street Machine of the Year crown while Walsh’s
jet-black ’32 Ford Victoria collected the Goodguys 2012 Classic
Instruments Street Rod of the Year title.
Bowers’ high-tech, ground-hugging Mustang, named “Producer” and built by Ringbrothers, represents the latest in track-ready, show-quality super musclecars while Walsh’s Victoria, built by Bobby Alloway, represents the time-tested appeal of a smoothed-out early Ford.
For their victories in Columbus, both Bowers and Walsh will receive customized toolboxes from Snap-on and accommodations to the Goodguys 15th Southwest Nationals, November 16–18, to exhibit in the “Champions Arena.”
The top five finalists for the Goodguys 2012 Optima Batteries Street machine of the Year award were Dave Leisinger (’71 Camaro), Dana Irvin (’65 Mustang), Steve Keefer (’69 Camaro), Dale Boesch (’69 Camaro) and Bowers.
The top five finalists for the Goodguys 2012 Classic Instruments Street Rod of the Year award were Gary Crawford (’40 Chevy), Pete Datino (’32 Ford Coupe), Joe Stuban (’37 Ford Coupe), William Shores (’32 Ford Roadster) and Walsh.
 Firestone's Ride-Rite brand will be featured on an episode of the PowerBlock TV show "Trucks!" |
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"Trucks!" TV Show to Highlight Firestone Ride-Rite Air Helper Springs and Accessories
Firestone Industrial Products Co. LLC has announced its Ride-Rite brand will be featured on an episode of the PowerBlock TV show "Trucks!" July 21–22, 2012, on Spike TV at 10:00 a.m. (EDT/PDT). The episode can also be viewed online by going to www.powerblocktv.com.
During the episode, "Trucks!" hosts Kevin Tetz and Ryan Shand
will install Firestone's Ride-Rite air helper springs kit on a ’12 Ram
2500 4WD truck. According to Firestone, the Ride-Rite kit, which mounts
between the truck's frame and suspension, uses air pressure to maximize
the truck's safe load-carrying capacity and improve vehicle stability
and braking.
"Trucks!" will also highlight Firestone's Heavy Duty Remote Air Command
air accessory system, which, according to the company, is designed to
provide an instant air source to Firestone's complete line of suspension
solutions.
 Rich Gengo of Piscataway, New Jersey, was named the third of four 2012 Mopar "Top Eliminator" winners for his ’51 Dodge pickup truck at the Carlisle Chrysler Nationals in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, July 6–8. |
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Rich Gengo of Piscataway, New Jersey, was named the third of four 2012 Mopar “Top Eliminator” winners for his ’51 Dodge pickup at the Carlisle Chrysler Nationals in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, July 6–8. Gengo was recognized in the Dodge Showcase display area during the three-day event.
The Mopar “Top Eliminator” program shines a light on passionate and dedicated Mopar enthusiasts who display unmatched skill in modifying or preserving a classic or modern-day Mopar vehicle. Gengo will be honored by having his ’51 Dodge pickup showcased in the Mopar display area at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, October 30–November 2, 2012.
Gengo devoted five years to restoring the ’51 Dodge pickup, which he purchased for $75, from an ad in the newspaper. One of the major modifications he made to the truck was to shorten the bed in order to put longer fenders on the frame. The truck, painted in Intense Blue, has a butterfly hood, which is the feature of the truck that originally caught Gengo’s attention when he was a teenager. On the interior, Gengo rearranged the original gauges and added air conditioning.
While working on his ’51 Dodge pickup, Gengo found many of the parts and pieces he was looking for at swap meets. He utilized numerous Mopar parts when completing the Dodge truck, including a Mopar 400 engine, a Mopar 727 transmission, Mopar electronic ignition, valve covers and an air cleaner. The final Mopar “Top Eliminator” winner of 2012 will be selected via an online competition, with details released at a later date.
 Goodridge moved to a new 17,000 sq.-ft. facility located in Mooresville, North Carolina. |
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Goodridge Moves to New 17,000 sq.-ft. Facility in Mooresville, North Carolina
Goodridge, a supplier of high-performance fluid transfer systems,
recently moved to a new 17,000 sq.-ft. facility located in Mooresville, North
Carolina. To celebrate the move, the company held a Grand Opening May
22 featuring facility tours, food, drink, live music, iPad and NASCAR
Hall of Fame ticket raffles and vehicle displays.
The event was attended by more than 140 people from local race teams,
trade organizations, customers, local and national press, members of the
North Carolina Motorsport Association (NCMA) and local and international members of the
UK Motorsport Association Industry Association (MIA) who were welcomed
by Jamie Ramsden, vice president commercial North America, and Bill Ray, group managing director, among others.
Proceedings were kicked off with a ribbon cutting by the local Mooresville/South Iredell Chamber of Commerce. Then, guests were shown Goodridge products on numerous vehicles in different racing classes both inside and outside the building, as well as engines for NASCAR, Sprint Car Series and the NHRA.
All vehicles showcased Goodridge’s new G-Flex and G-Max hose offerings with accompanying single-piece crimp fittings and patented reusable ends. Guests were shown the dedicating machining center, which will take 6,000 ft. of the new factory floor and allow Goodridge to manufacture components in-house. In addition, this will allow Goodridge to manufacture hardline and flexible prototypes for OEM customers in North America, according to the company.
 John Apogée |
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Prolong Super Lubricants has appointed Jon Apogée to the position of marketing manager. Apogée will be responsible for all aspects of brand management, strategic marketing, website design and enhancement as well as search engine optimization. His duties include providing direction and implementation for social media marketing and Prolong's domestic sales.
With more than 30 years of experience, Apogée has worked with Prolong since 2007 as an advertising and marketing consultant for his own company, Marketing Matters Inc. Prior to joining Prolong, Apogée was the vice president of DuBois Advertising in Ontario, California, and director of marketing for SEMA.
Apogée also created the Motorsports department for Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America, where he guided the company into the U.S. racing circuit and led Mitsubishi to become the first manufacturer to win the "Class 7" (Mini Pick-up Truck) championship in both the High Desert Racing Association (HDRA) and Southern California Off Road Enterprises (SCORE) Championships.
 Dylan Kwasniewski |
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Royal Purple Launches Outperformer Series
High-performance synthetic lubricant manufacturer Royal Purple has launched a new branding
campaign on its website—The Royal Purple Outperformer Series. The three-part video series focuses on individuals who have prevailed over
adversity to reach the top of their respective fields.
Royal Purple’s first Outperformer video features
the recently turned 17-year-old NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Driver
Dylan Kwasniewski of Las Vegas. Kwasniewski was selected in part because of his success on the track as he moved through the ranks of Bandolero
Bandits, U.S. Legends, ASA Speed Truck and late-model circuits. In 2011,
Kwasniewski became the youngest winner in the history of the NASCAR
K&N Pro Series West, and was honored as the Series’ Sunoco Rookie of
the Year. He was also selected as one of NASCAR’s Next 9 for the
class of 2011 and 2012, representing the next wave of young drivers who
are expected to make an impact on the national series scene.
Kwasniewski has committed himself to focusing on the 2012 K&N Pro
Series West season this year. In eight starts, he has recorded
two wins, three second-place finishes and eight finishes in the top five to lead the NASCAR K&N
Pro Series West point standings.
Two additional mini-documentaries featuring other Outperformers will air
in August and September respectively. The videos, which average five
minutes in length, will be promoted with 15-second clips on broadcast
television and online.
Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels launches New Company Facebook Page
Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels has announced the launch of a new company Facebook page featuring all the latest company, product, racing and event news with photos, access to video and YouTube, fan postings, industry news and fun facts. The new Facebook page launched at the end of June. Watch for breaking news about new products, coverage of this season's drag racing and off-road racing events, updates on the Challenger 2.5 Project, preparations for the company’s 50th anniversary celebration and more.
 Butch Kummer. Photo: SCCA. |
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SCCA Tabs Kummer As Director of Club Racing
The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) has announced an addition to its full-time staff, naming Butch Kummer to the newly created director of club racing. Kummer’s role with the organization will focus on the national office-operated programs, specifically the 2013 rollout of the Majors program. Kummer will work closely with the regions to put together those events and will oversee and guide the club racing technical department.
A 30-year member of SCCA, Kummer has worked with the Southeast division and Atlanta region in a variety of leadership capacities, and has helped to restore the American Road Race of Champions to one of the premier events on the schedule. Kummer is also a long-time racer, with wins behind the wheel of both SCCA Club Racing and Solo cars.
In his position, Kummer will report to Terry Ozment, vice president of club racing. Initially, Kummer will split time working from both the national office in Topeka and his Woodstock, Georgia, home.
 Bestop has launched a new mobile website. |
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Bestop Launches Mobile Website
Bestop.com is now more readily accessible on smart phones, offering a focused, quicker experience for mobile device users, according to the company. The custom mobile site is designed for all mobile phones, and provides tablet users with an option of using the mobile site or the full site. The mobile site is automatically accessed by smartphone and tablet users.
Edelbrock Launches Mobile Website
Edelbrock has launched a brand-new mobile-friendly website optimized for hand-held smart phones. This new website has been designed and optimized specifically for use on mobile devices. According to the company, the site features an all-new look and utilizes the latest in HTML coding for quick download speeds.
The website will include sections focused on new products, Edelbrock videos and a complete calendar of events that Edelbrock will attend throughout the year. One of the key features on the mobile website is a search-engine database for more than 3,000 Edelbrock and Russell installation instructions. Digital versions of various Edelbrock and Russell catalogs will also be available for viewing on any smartphone. It will also give the viewer the option to download the complete catalogs in a PDF format.