Movers & Shakers: Legendary Companies Announces Inaugural Legendary Charity Cruise-In Event

Compiled by SEMA Editors

Legendary Companies Announces Inaugural Legendary Charity Cruise-In Event

Company CEO Wade Kawasaki and the team at Legendary Companies have announced the inaugural Legendary Charity Cruise-In, an exclusive car show held in conjunction with the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival, Saturday, October 16, from 5:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. All proceeds from the Legendary Charity Cruise-In will go to the Fifty Plus Foundation in support of CHI Memorial Hospital and the NeuroScience Innovation Foundation to help their extraordinary efforts in neuroscience research to find a cure for Alzheimer’s Disease.

The Legendary Charity Cruise-In offers participants a chance to showcase their collector vehicles in a premier location at the intersection of Riverfront Parkway and M.L.K. Blvd (875 West 9th Avenue, Chattanooga, Tennesee). The Cruise-In is just steps away from the Pace Grand Prix at the Bend where wheel-to-wheel will be happening featuring historic race cars, including open-wheel cars, CanAm cars, GT cars and more. Participants will receive a special ticket package, which includes entry for one collector vehicle and two spectator admission tickets that provide access to Saturday of the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival, including access to the Grand Prix Paddock and Mecum Auctions.

Space is limited to 400 cars. The entry fee is a donation of $100—a special value to encourage enthusiasts to drive their collector vehicles and take part in the event. Interested participants are encouraged to register early via Eventbrite.

Aeromotive Hires Phillip Vanbuskirk as New National Sales Manager

Aeromotive has announced the hiring of its new national sales manager, Phillip VanBuskirk, as of July 8. VanBuskirk brings 16 years of aftermarket automotive sales experience to Aeromotive, formerly working as a performance parts specialists for both ProCharger and WELD Racing. In his new role, VanBuskirk will be responsible for all Aeromotive sales functions, including managing both internal and external sales, overseeing sales representative agencies and communicating and executing new sales objectives that align with company goals.  

Atturo Tire Joins 2021 Woodward Dream Cruise as Gold Sponsor

Atturo Tire has committed to join the 2021 Woodward Dream Cruise—to be held August 21 in Michigan—as a Gold Level sponsor. Now in its 26th year, the Cruise runs along Metropolitan Detroit’s historic Woodward Avenue and is running through seven cities spanning a 16-mile route. More than 1.4 million people and 45,000 classic cars and hot rods attend annually, making it one of the largest events held in Michigan.

In addition to sponsoring the cruise, Atturo Tire will have several representatives, vehicles and their display trailer on-site in the Belle Tire parking lot located at 13 Mile and Woodward. Representatives will be available to answer any questions and help cruisers find the right Atturo Tire for their ride. This will be Atturo’s inaugural year attending and sponsoring the Woodward Dream Cruise.

Johnson’s Hot Rod Shop Purchases Walker Radiator Works

Johnson’s Hot Rod Shop has acquired the tooling, equipment and proprietary manufacturing techniques from Walker Radiator Works and will move forward as Johnson’s Radiator Works. Johnson’s Hot Rod Shop is committed to continuing the same standard of excellence set forth as each radiator will continue using the finest quality materials available, according to the company. The product line focus will be continuing on the legacy of Walker Radiator Works and developing into other markets for later-model car and truck applications.

Sara Correa Named Chief Marketing Officer for Bridgestone

Bridgestone Americas has announced that Sara Correa has been appointed chief marketing officer, effective July 26. Correa succeeds Philip Dobbs, who has announced he will retire from Bridgestone in October after a transition period to onboard Correa into her new role. As CMO, Correa will be responsible for the company’s marketing “Center of Excellence” and focus on driving enhanced coordination and marketing activation for the company’s tire and solutions businesses in the United States and Canada. This will include overseeing all brand and digital marketing efforts for the Bridgestone and Firestone brands, the company’s sports and engagement platforms, corporate communications, research and insights and the company’s training initiatives. Correa holds nearly two decades of experience identifying, developing, and commercializing B2B technology-based solutions in complex global markets. She joins Bridgestone from TE Connectivity, a publicly-traded company providing connectors and sensors for the transportation, medical technology, energy and data communications sectors.

McLeod Racing Welcomes Will “Mr. Clutch” Baty as Off-Road and R&D Specialist

McLeod Racing welcomes Will “Mr. Clutch” Baty as off-road and R&D specialist. Baty brings more than 30 years’ experience in research and development as well as engineering for the clutch and off-road markets. Baty will begin his journey with McLeod on July 26.

Brembo Opens First “Center of Excellence” in Silicon Valley

Brembo has announced its first “Center of Excellence” will be constructed in California’s Silicon Valley. The new facility, dubbed the “Brembo Inspiration Lab,” is expected to strengthen the company’s expertise in software development, data science and artificial intelligence. The Center of Excellence is slated to open in the fourth quarter of 2021 and will serve as a reference for technological and commercial development. It will also “welcome talent from various industries” to further Brembo’s braking solutions, according to the company. The Silicon Valley location joins Brembo’s North American manufacturing hubs in Michigan, New Jersey and Monterrey, Mexico. Its North American headquarters and R&D center is located in Plymouth, Michigan.

Lions Automobilia Foundation & Museum Opens to the Public

The Lions Automobilia Foundation & Museum has announced its schedule for 2021. Opening to the public for the first time since January 2020, Lions will be opened initially on Saturdays with pre-purchased tickets only. Lions Automobilia is located in Los Angeles County and will adhere to required COVID-19 protocols at the time of reservation. The foundation is the home of the Spirit of Lions Drag Strip and Gallery, which features more than 30 showcases of Lions Racing Legends and several original race cars, including the Stone, Woods, and Cook Swindler II Willys, Jack Chrisman’s ’29 Model A and more.

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