Compiled by SEMA Editors
 Brian Reese (left), Race Winning Brands CEO; Richard Maskin (center), Dart Machinery’s founder; Bob Romanelli (right), Race Winning Brands chairman of the board. |
Race Winning Brands Acquires Dart
Race Winning Brands Inc. (RWB) has announced the acquisition of Dart Machinery Ltd. Dart’s founder, Richard Maskin, will continue to play a leading role within the organization as a partner and chairman of research and development. Maskin founded Dart Machinery in his two-car Oak Park, Michigan, garage in 1981. The 2015 Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee has earned multiple NHRA Pro Stock world championships as an engine builder. In addition to retaining the current Dart management team, including Vice President Dave Tratechaud, former Dart General Manager Ted Keating returns to the organization in a new role as president.
Brian Hatano Joins Team Edelbrock
The newest member to join the Edelbrock Performance team is Brian Hatano, who takes on the newly created role of digital content creator in the company’s marketing department. Hatano comes from the motorcycle industry, where he was digital editor for Motorcyclist magazine, and social media specialist for all 11 of the Bonnier Motorcycle Group’s brands. In his new role with Edelbrock, Hatano will be responsible for producing specialized content about the company’s line of high-performance products and keeping its website blog active with stories about featured vehicles, custom installations and engine build-ups in the Edelbrock Garage. Hatano previously worked as editor of several automotive publications, including Car Craft, Petersen’s Drag Racing and Sport Compact Car. His work as a fabricator and custom painter first put his name in print with editors from Hot Rod, Custom Rodder and Popular Hot Rodding. Some of Hatano’s high-profile builds include cars from The Fast and the Furious and 2Fast 2Furious, Vin Diesel’s GTO in XXX, Sylvester Stallone’s ’50 Merc in the movie Cobra, the hazmat van in ET, the life-size Lightning McQueen, Sally Carrera and Tow Mater for the Pixar movie Cars and the official Mystery Machine seen on the Universal Studios Hollywood Tour, to name a few.
 Marko Ibrahim |
Automotive Aftermarket Charitable Foundation Appoints New Board Trustee
Lynn Parker, president of the Automotive Aftermarket Charitable Foundation (AACF), has announced the appointment of Marko Ibrahim to its Board of Trustees. Ibrahim is the vice president of store operations at Bridgestone Retail Operations (BSRO), and has served as an executive for many large retail chains during the past 18 years.
 BG Products Inc. broke ground for what will be a 145,000-sq.-ft. facility near its existing distribution center. |
BG Products Inc. Breaks Ground on New Distribution Facility
BG Products Inc. broke ground for what will be a 145,000-sq.-ft. facility near its existing distribution center. The structure will house its warehousing and distribution operations while a portion of production operations transition to the existing distribution facility. In response to product demand in the marketplace, the added space is designed to increase efficiency. Last week’s groundbreaking follows the current construction of a new 34,000-sq.-ft. BG Technology and Training Center at BG corporate headquarters in Wichita, Kansas.
Turn 14 Distribution Announces Expansion Into New Distribution Center
Turn 14 Distribution has announced the opening of a third strategically located distribution center. Operational as of August 24, this 272,000-sq.-ft. facility is located at 931 W. Bardin Rd., Arlington, Texas. All of the logistics and technology that the East and West Coast facilities utilize are also implemented in the Arlington distribution center to simplify and streamline Turn 14 Distribution’s entire operation.
 E3 is a sponsor of a ’40 Dodge truck custom-built by Cool Hand Customs, which will make its debut at the 2018 SEMA Show. |
E3 Spark Plugs Sponsors ’40 Dodge Truck Restoration by Cool Hand Customs
E3 is a sponsor of a ’40 Dodge truck custom-built by Cool Hand Customs of Middleton, Wisconsin. The truck will be the centerpiece attraction at E3’s booth for the 2018 SEMA Show, booth #71000, and will be entered into SEMA’s Battle of the Builders. The modified Dodge truck built by Amy and EJ Fitzgerald, owners of Cool Hand Customs, will feature three E3 high-performance ignition products (E3 billet distributor, race spark plugs and race wires), and will be equipped with a 440 big-block and a ’70s-style torsion bar Dodge Challenger suspension. The truck’s paint scheme will be an exterior satin white with green and black accents with the frame painted silver and the short-block painted in E3’s green logo color. The ’40 440 truck will make its first public appearance at the 2018 SEMA Show. Additional sponsors include: Federal-Mogul, FelPro, Trick Flow, Eagle Specialties, COMP Cams, Mr. Gasket, Proform, Edelbrock, Carter, Holley Performance, Powermaster, Summit Racing, Steele Rubber, KBS Coatings, XSPower, Thermo-Tec, Be Cool Radiator, Driven Performance, Eaton Performance, Grote Industries, AMSOIL, DCM Classics, Painless Performance, Classic Performance, PRP Seats, Wheel Vintiques, QA1 and Flowmaster.
 Malerie Gwin |
Skyjacker Names Malerie Gwin Marketing Manager
Malerie Gwin has been named the new marketing manager at Skyjacker Suspensions, and will be responsible for growing the Skyjacker brand in the suspension aftermarket.
 Robert Anderson’s ’36 Pontiac was named the 2018 BASF America’s Most Beautiful Street Rod at the 32nd West Coast Nationals, presented by BASF in Pleasanton, California. |
“Pindian” Crowned BASF America’s Most Beautiful Street Rod at the Goodguys 32nd West Coast Nationals
Robert Anderson’s ’36 Pontiac was named the 2018 BASF America’s Most Beautiful Street Rod at the 32nd West Coast Nationals, presented by BASF in Pleasanton, California. Built by Legends Hot Rod Shop in Martin, Tennessee, Anderson’s Pontiac, named “Pindian,” was a Great 8 finalist for the Ridler Award at the 2018 Detroit Autorama and made the Top Five for Goodguys Street Rod of the Year last month in Columbus, Ohio. The sedan rides on a custom Roadster Shop chassis with a supercharged LT4 engine and one-off wheels from Evod Industries. The custom interior is highlighted by a globe-shaped instrument cluster built by Dakota Digital.
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