Modest updates are in store for the F-150 SVT, and the shooters at Brenda Priddy and Co. have grabbed some recent shots of a Raptor test vehicle flaunting its new LED daytime running lights. The move to front LED daytime running lamps mirrors Ford’s lighting design used in its cars, such as the Ford Taurus sedan and Ford Fiesta compact, which feature the durable, bright lights that use less power than conventional incandescent bulbs.

The white light strips on this test truck supplement the existing LEDs, with unique placement between the front bumper and fenders. Priddy says that the Raptor is Ford’s only half-ton pickup that uses LED marker lamps because its extra track width. It has to adhere to federal regulations mandating illuminated markers. There are three, bright-orange LEDs right in the Raptor’s grille, three in the center high-mounted stoplight and two each at the corners of the front and rear bumpers.

It’s possible the new LEDs could appear on 2011.5 “Job 2” Raptors, but they are most likely slated for the ’12 model year.

According to Priddy, a possible future improvement to the Raptor may include an electronic locking front differential for increased capability in low-speed off-road maneuvers. A front e-locker is available for the limited-edition Ford Racing Raptor XT pre-runner. The 411hp 6.2L V8 is expected to remain the sole engine choice.

Photo Credit: Chris Doane/Brenda Priddy & Company

Marty Furman Hired as Toyo Tire COO
Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. hired Marty Furman as its chief operating officer (COO) to manage all functional departments of the company, including technical services, sales, marketing and pricing. Furman has extensive management experience with well-known companies, including Procter & Gamble, Avery Dennison and Trojan Battery Co. In his recent role as COO of Pentel of America, he led the company to significant internal performance improvements and progressive market share gains. His senior executive responsibilities over the years have included all facets of the organization, including finance, business development, marketing, sales, product development, plant management, manufacturing and engineering.

Red Line Partners With Al-Anabi Racing
Red Line Synthetic Oil Corp. has partnered with the Al-Anabi Racing team for the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing season. Red Line Oil will provide oil and lubricants for the Al-Anabi Racing Top Fuel entries driven by Del Worsham and 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Top Fuel champion Larry Dixon.

AutoStream Announces Record Month, Company Milestone
AutoStream announced that the company experienced a record month in 2010, with 5,700,000 views of "Fastlane Daily" current and back catalog of shows. The company also recently experienced a historic milestone: Since its creation in 2007, "Fastlane Daily" has served 102,000,000 views through YouTube alone.

AAIA's Lee Kadrich Retires
Lee Kadrich, vice president of government affairs and trade for the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA), has retired after 29 years. Kadrich served as staff liaison to the AAIA Government Affairs Committee and as executive director of two AAIA membership segments, the Auto International Association (AIA) and the Heavy Duty Distribution Association (HDDA). Kadrich received the Auto International Association (AIA) Person of the Year Award in 2006. He also was the recipient of the 2006 Northwood University Automotive Aftermarket Management Education Award.

Federated to Sponsor Ken Schrader Racing
Federated Auto Parts will sponsor the Ken Schrader Racing ARCA team in 2011. The Federated car will be driven by Tom Hessert, who finished third in the final ARCA points standings with one win, 10 top-five finishes and 15 top-10 finishes.

Petersen Museum Celebrates the '32 Ford With Deuce Week
The Petersen Automotive Museum will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the ’32 Ford during Deuce Week in March 2012. The four-day event begins Wednesday, February 29, 2012, and will include two driving tours that include visits to local hot-rod builders and private collections. On-site events at The Petersen include Thursday evening's "Hot Rod Round Table; Past, Present and Future" panel discussion featuring distinguished hot-rod builders and historians, a Friday night gala and a Saturday "Deuce Day" car show featuring more than 400 ’32 Fords. All proceeds raised during Deuce Week will help fund educational programs and exhibits at the Petersen Automotive Museum.

NEW HOME: Mike Conway will return from injuries suffered during the 2010 Indianapolis 500 to drive for Andretti Autosport throughout the IZOD IndyCar Series season.

HE’S BACK: Former Champ Car World Series champion Cristiano da Matta will return to full-time racing this year as part of the Jaguar RSR American Le Mans Series team. Bruno Junqueira and P.J. Jones will also drive for the Jaguar team.

CHANGES: NASCAR will implement a new 43-1 point system this season in all three of its national touring divisions. Officials also announced that the final two positions in the Chase will be awarded to the two drivers with the most victories who are outside the top 10. Follow this link for more information.

SITTING OUT: NHRA Funny Car competitor Ashley Force Hood is pregnant with her first child and will sit out the 2011 racing season. Mike Neff, who last drove a Funny Car in 2009, will replace her.

TIME WARP: Scott Pruett, Memo Rojas, Joey Hand and Graham Rahal led a one-two sweep for Ganassi Racing during the Grand Am Rolex Series Rolex 24 at Florida’s Daytona International Speedway.

WESTERN ALL-STAR: Jason Bowles held off D.J. Kennington to win the NASCAR K&N Pro Series Toyota All-Star Showdown at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale in California Saturday night.

JERSEY GAMBLER: Ted Christopher bested Matt Janish to win the Gambler’s Classic for three-quarter midgets Saturday night at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, for the second time in his career.

PICK YOUR PARTNER: MillerCoors and Beer Capitol Distributing will join together to be a prominent sponsor of the Milwaukee 225 IZOD IndyCar Series event at The Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wisconsin, June 18–19.

SUBSCRIBE: National Speed Sport News has been published weekly since 1934. To subscribe to National Speed Sport News, click here for more information.

NEW HOME: Mike Conway will return from injuries suffered during the 2010 Indianapolis 500 to drive for Andretti Autosport throughout the IZOD IndyCar Series season.

HE’S BACK: Former Champ Car World Series champion Cristiano da Matta will return to full-time racing this year as part of the Jaguar RSR American Le Mans Series team. Bruno Junqueira and P.J. Jones will also drive for the Jaguar team.

CHANGES: NASCAR will implement a new 43-1 point system this season in all three of its national touring divisions. Officials also announced that the final two positions in the Chase will be awarded to the two drivers with the most victories who are outside the top 10. Follow this link for more information.

SITTING OUT: NHRA Funny Car competitor Ashley Force Hood is pregnant with her first child and will sit out the 2011 racing season. Mike Neff, who last drove a Funny Car in 2009, will replace her.

TIME WARP: Scott Pruett, Memo Rojas, Joey Hand and Graham Rahal led a one-two sweep for Ganassi Racing during the Grand Am Rolex Series Rolex 24 at Florida’s Daytona International Speedway.

WESTERN ALL-STAR: Jason Bowles held off D.J. Kennington to win the NASCAR K&N Pro Series Toyota All-Star Showdown at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale in California Saturday night.

JERSEY GAMBLER: Ted Christopher bested Matt Janish to win the Gambler’s Classic for three-quarter midgets Saturday night at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, for the second time in his career.

PICK YOUR PARTNER: MillerCoors and Beer Capitol Distributing will join together to be a prominent sponsor of the Milwaukee 225 IZOD IndyCar Series event at The Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wisconsin, June 18–19.

SUBSCRIBE: National Speed Sport News has been published weekly since 1934. To subscribe to National Speed Sport News, click here for more information.

NEW HOME: Mike Conway will return from injuries suffered during the 2010 Indianapolis 500 to drive for Andretti Autosport throughout the IZOD IndyCar Series season.

HE’S BACK: Former Champ Car World Series champion Cristiano da Matta will return to full-time racing this year as part of the Jaguar RSR American Le Mans Series team. Bruno Junqueira and P.J. Jones will also drive for the Jaguar team.

CHANGES: NASCAR will implement a new 43-1 point system this season in all three of its national touring divisions. Officials also announced that the final two positions in the Chase will be awarded to the two drivers with the most victories who are outside the top 10. Follow this link for more information.

SITTING OUT: NHRA Funny Car competitor Ashley Force Hood is pregnant with her first child and will sit out the 2011 racing season. Mike Neff, who last drove a Funny Car in 2009, will replace her.

TIME WARP: Scott Pruett, Memo Rojas, Joey Hand and Graham Rahal led a one-two sweep for Ganassi Racing during the Grand Am Rolex Series Rolex 24 at Florida’s Daytona International Speedway.

WESTERN ALL-STAR: Jason Bowles held off D.J. Kennington to win the NASCAR K&N Pro Series Toyota All-Star Showdown at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale in California Saturday night.

JERSEY GAMBLER: Ted Christopher bested Matt Janish to win the Gambler’s Classic for three-quarter midgets Saturday night at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, for the second time in his career.

PICK YOUR PARTNER: MillerCoors and Beer Capitol Distributing will join together to be a prominent sponsor of the Milwaukee 225 IZOD IndyCar Series event at The Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wisconsin, June 18–19.

SUBSCRIBE: National Speed Sport News has been published weekly since 1934. To subscribe to National Speed Sport News, click here for more information.

NEW HOME: Mike Conway will return from injuries suffered during the 2010 Indianapolis 500 to drive for Andretti Autosport throughout the IZOD IndyCar Series season.

HE’S BACK: Former Champ Car World Series champion Cristiano da Matta will return to full-time racing this year as part of the Jaguar RSR American Le Mans Series team. Bruno Junqueira and P.J. Jones will also drive for the Jaguar team.

CHANGES: NASCAR will implement a new 43-1 point system this season in all three of its national touring divisions. Officials also announced that the final two positions in the Chase will be awarded to the two drivers with the most victories who are outside the top 10. Follow this link for more information.

SITTING OUT: NHRA Funny Car competitor Ashley Force Hood is pregnant with her first child and will sit out the 2011 racing season. Mike Neff, who last drove a Funny Car in 2009, will replace her.

TIME WARP: Scott Pruett, Memo Rojas, Joey Hand and Graham Rahal led a one-two sweep for Ganassi Racing during the Grand Am Rolex Series Rolex 24 at Florida’s Daytona International Speedway.

WESTERN ALL-STAR: Jason Bowles held off D.J. Kennington to win the NASCAR K&N Pro Series Toyota All-Star Showdown at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale in California Saturday night.

JERSEY GAMBLER: Ted Christopher bested Matt Janish to win the Gambler’s Classic for three-quarter midgets Saturday night at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, for the second time in his career.

PICK YOUR PARTNER: MillerCoors and Beer Capitol Distributing will join together to be a prominent sponsor of the Milwaukee 225 IZOD IndyCar Series event at The Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wisconsin, June 18–19.

SUBSCRIBE: National Speed Sport News has been published weekly since 1934. To subscribe to National Speed Sport News, click here for more information.

NEWS NUGGETS

NHRA UNVEILS ITS 60 GREATEST MOMENTS; FANS TO DETERMINE GREATEST MOMENT: From a simple signature March 13, 1951, by NHRA Founder Wally Parks to a championship-clinching comeback by John Force November 14, 2010, NHRA has experienced its share of great moments in its first 59 years. And as the world’s largest motorsports sanctioning body prepares to celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2011, NHRA officials have narrowed the many hundreds of memorable moments to a list of 60 Greatest Moments that was unveiled this past week. Such memories in NHRA history as Don Garlits’ debut of the rear-engine dragster in 1971, Shirley Muldowney’s groundbreaking first win by a woman in Top Fuel in 1976 and Kenny Bernstein breaking the 300-mph barrier in 1992, just to name a few, are found among the list of 60 Greatest Moments. NHRA fans can relive each of the moments via a soon-to-be-released DVD, and they can participate in a yearlong program to determine the 20, 10 and five greatest moments before ultimately identifying the moment that they believe is the greatest in NHRA history. Beginning Monday, March 7, which opens race week for the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals that will serve as the official kick-off party for NHRA’s 60th Anniversary celebration, NHRA will post each of the 60 Greatest Moments (two to three per week) on its Facebook page, and fan "likes" will be tallied to determine the 20 fan favorites. After the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, the top 20 moments will be identified just as the top 10 moments will be determined at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil. To see a complete list of the 60 Greatest Moments, visit NHRA.com.

TOP FUEL PILOT DAVE GRUBNIC TO FLY ROCKY BOOTS COLORS, PRO STOCK BIKE RIDER CHIP ELLIS TO DEBUT KURYAKYN BUELL IN 2011: Kalitta Motorsports announced that Rocky Boots has returned as a primary and associate sponsor for the team for the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing season. The premium footwear and apparel maker will serve as primary sponsor on the Top Fuel dragster driven by Dave Grubnic for the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals in Houston; The Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals in Sonoma, California; and the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals in Charlotte, North Carolina. Also announced this week was the return of Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Chip Ellis, who will team up with veteran crew chief Harry Lartigue for the 2011 season aboard the Lartigue Racing Buell, sponsored by Küryakyn, a chrome and performance accessories company. The team plans to compete at all 16 Pro Stock Motorcycle events beginning with the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals, March 10–13 at Gainesville Raceway. For more information on either of these teams, visit NHRA.com.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

KRAGEN O’REILLY AUTO PARTS NHRA WINTERNATIONALS, AUTO CLUB RACEWAY AT POMONA, February 24–27: The 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series and 60th anniversary season of NHRA kicks off at historic Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California, at the 51st running of this event. Defending event winners include Larry Dixon (Top Fuel); John Force (Funny Car); and Mike Edwards (Pro Stock). For tickets, call 800/844-NHRA or go online at NHRATIX.com. For media credentials, please contact Director of Public Relations Michael Padian at mpadian@nhra.com.

TIRE KINGDOM NHRA GATORNATIONALS, GAINESVILLE RACEWAY, March 10–13: The second stop in the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series and first race for the Pro Stock Motorcycle class, this showdown in the swamplands of Florida will bring added excitement as the NHRA celebrates its 60th anniversary. Defending event winners include Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel); Tim Wilkerson (Funny Car); Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 800/844-NHRA or go online at NHRATIX.com. For media credentials, please contact Senior Communications Manager Scott Smith at ssmith@nhra.com.

HE SAID, SHE SAID

60 YEARS IN NHRA HISTORY

1965, A SNAKE IS BORN: In February 1965, NHRA Legend Don “The Snake” Prudhomme won his first of 49 NHRA National event titles at the NHRA Winternationals in the Top Fuel category. Amazingly, the entire event was run in a single day, due to inclement weather.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

7: Of the 12 wins he has at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Pro Stock legend Bob Glidden has won the season-opening Kragen O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals seven times—the most of any driver in NHRA history.

DID YOU KNOW…

…that to help launch the 60th anniversary of the NHRA, the 51st Kragen O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals will include a special Track Walk with legendary driver Don “The Snake” Prudhomme prior to the beginning of Sunday Eliminations, as well as a special Snake Pit car show featuring Prudhomme’s historic collection of race cars that will be set up in the pits during the entire event? To get your tickets for the Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals, visit NHRATIX.com.

For more information, contact NHRA Media Relations at 626/914-4761 or visit the NHRA Media Center online.

NEWS NUGGETS

NHRA UNVEILS ITS 60 GREATEST MOMENTS; FANS TO DETERMINE GREATEST MOMENT: From a simple signature March 13, 1951, by NHRA Founder Wally Parks to a championship-clinching comeback by John Force November 14, 2010, NHRA has experienced its share of great moments in its first 59 years. And as the world’s largest motorsports sanctioning body prepares to celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2011, NHRA officials have narrowed the many hundreds of memorable moments to a list of 60 Greatest Moments that was unveiled this past week. Such memories in NHRA history as Don Garlits’ debut of the rear-engine dragster in 1971, Shirley Muldowney’s groundbreaking first win by a woman in Top Fuel in 1976 and Kenny Bernstein breaking the 300-mph barrier in 1992, just to name a few, are found among the list of 60 Greatest Moments. NHRA fans can relive each of the moments via a soon-to-be-released DVD, and they can participate in a yearlong program to determine the 20, 10 and five greatest moments before ultimately identifying the moment that they believe is the greatest in NHRA history. Beginning Monday, March 7, which opens race week for the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals that will serve as the official kick-off party for NHRA’s 60th Anniversary celebration, NHRA will post each of the 60 Greatest Moments (two to three per week) on its Facebook page, and fan "likes" will be tallied to determine the 20 fan favorites. After the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, the top 20 moments will be identified just as the top 10 moments will be determined at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil. To see a complete list of the 60 Greatest Moments, visit NHRA.com.

TOP FUEL PILOT DAVE GRUBNIC TO FLY ROCKY BOOTS COLORS, PRO STOCK BIKE RIDER CHIP ELLIS TO DEBUT KURYAKYN BUELL IN 2011: Kalitta Motorsports announced that Rocky Boots has returned as a primary and associate sponsor for the team for the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing season. The premium footwear and apparel maker will serve as primary sponsor on the Top Fuel dragster driven by Dave Grubnic for the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals in Houston; The Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals in Sonoma, California; and the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals in Charlotte, North Carolina. Also announced this week was the return of Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Chip Ellis, who will team up with veteran crew chief Harry Lartigue for the 2011 season aboard the Lartigue Racing Buell, sponsored by Küryakyn, a chrome and performance accessories company. The team plans to compete at all 16 Pro Stock Motorcycle events beginning with the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals, March 10–13 at Gainesville Raceway. For more information on either of these teams, visit NHRA.com.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

KRAGEN O’REILLY AUTO PARTS NHRA WINTERNATIONALS, AUTO CLUB RACEWAY AT POMONA, February 24–27: The 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series and 60th anniversary season of NHRA kicks off at historic Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California, at the 51st running of this event. Defending event winners include Larry Dixon (Top Fuel); John Force (Funny Car); and Mike Edwards (Pro Stock). For tickets, call 800/844-NHRA or go online at NHRATIX.com. For media credentials, please contact Director of Public Relations Michael Padian at mpadian@nhra.com.

TIRE KINGDOM NHRA GATORNATIONALS, GAINESVILLE RACEWAY, March 10–13: The second stop in the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series and first race for the Pro Stock Motorcycle class, this showdown in the swamplands of Florida will bring added excitement as the NHRA celebrates its 60th anniversary. Defending event winners include Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel); Tim Wilkerson (Funny Car); Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 800/844-NHRA or go online at NHRATIX.com. For media credentials, please contact Senior Communications Manager Scott Smith at ssmith@nhra.com.

HE SAID, SHE SAID

60 YEARS IN NHRA HISTORY

1965, A SNAKE IS BORN: In February 1965, NHRA Legend Don “The Snake” Prudhomme won his first of 49 NHRA National event titles at the NHRA Winternationals in the Top Fuel category. Amazingly, the entire event was run in a single day, due to inclement weather.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

7: Of the 12 wins he has at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Pro Stock legend Bob Glidden has won the season-opening Kragen O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals seven times—the most of any driver in NHRA history.

DID YOU KNOW…

…that to help launch the 60th anniversary of the NHRA, the 51st Kragen O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals will include a special Track Walk with legendary driver Don “The Snake” Prudhomme prior to the beginning of Sunday Eliminations, as well as a special Snake Pit car show featuring Prudhomme’s historic collection of race cars that will be set up in the pits during the entire event? To get your tickets for the Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals, visit NHRATIX.com.

For more information, contact NHRA Media Relations at 626/914-4761 or visit the NHRA Media Center online.