Lauren Manufacturing hired Mindy Marty as marketing fulfillment coordinator. Marty’s responsibilities are to fulfill marketing leads and sample requests and assist in developing collateral materials for marketing, internal communications and various public relations tasks.

LMI Custom Mixing LLC appointed Natalie Renee Brown to quality engineer for the company. Her responsibilities include overall improvement in product quality and process capability. Brown previously worked with the Ford Motor Co. as a gear manufacturing engineer for the past four years.

The co-founder of Detroit Speed & Engineering, Stacy Tucker, was named the Goodguys 2007 Woman of the Year during the Goodguys 10th PPG Nationals in Columbus, Ohio. Stacy, along with her husband, Kyle, opened Detroit Speed & Engineering in 2001. For more information about Stacy Tucker, visit http://www.good-guys.com/news/newsStory.aspx?newsid=780.

 
Stacy Tucker

The Marx Group announced that it will sponsor the Car Care Council Women’s Board for 2007. Supported by a number of industry organizations, the goal of the Women's Board is to encourage women to become active vehicle maintainers and to promote career opportunities for women in the automotive parts and service industry.

Toyo Tire (U.S.A.) Corp. extended its contract with Team Toyo off-road driver Robby Gordon through 2010. Gordon will continue to compete in SCORE-International off-road racing events—such as the Baja 1000 and Baja 500—as well as the international Dakar rally.
 
National Speed Sport News (NSSN) announced that it has chosen to support Championship Auto Racing Auxiliary (CARA) Charities for its 2007 charity initiative program. NSSN teamed up with GoMotorBids.com to maintain an exclusive online charity auction running July 12–December 16. The auction's central item will be a racing helmet autographed by multiple motorsports personalities, such as Chris Economaki, Richard Petty, Kasey Kahne, David Gilliland, Jeff Green and many more. NSSN will also furnish several items throughout the designated for the auction.

WyoTech, a division of Corinthian Colleges Inc., announced the availability of Armed Forces scholarships for all veterans and active duty military personnel of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard. Members of the National Guard and Reserves also qualify. The scholarships, which will be available July 1, 2007, range from $2,000–$5,000, depending on the school program selected, and are offered at the following WyoTech campuses: Boston; Daytona Beach; Fremont, California; Laramie, Wyoming; Oakland; and Sacramento. WyoTech offers degree and diploma programs in automotive, diesel, motorcycle, collision, aeronautical and watercraft technology, as well as construction trades.

NEWS NUGGETS

FULLER AND BECKMAN AMONG DENVER WINNERS: Rod Fuller raced to his second victory of the season at scenic Bandimere Speedway near Denver and in the process extended his lead in the POWERade Series Countdown to the Championship point standings. Fuller outran teammate Whit Bazemore in the Top Fuel final, while other Denver winners included Jack Beckman in Funny Car, Allen Johnson in Pro Stock and Matt Smith in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

FORCE CONTINUES COUNTDOWN CLIMB: John Force continued his rise in the Funny Car point standings with a semifinal effort in Denver. Force defeated Gary Scelzi and Tony Pedregon in the first two rounds before losing to Jack Beckman in the semis with a red-light start. Over the past few weeks, Force has moved from 18th to ninth in the NHRA POWERade Countdown to the Championship standings. He is currently 16 points out of the eighth position. There are three races remaining in the Countdown to the Championship’s regular season. Following the race at Reading, Pennsylvania, on August 19, the championship fields in each pro category will be reduced to eight and the point standings will be reset. The Countdown to Four begins at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis and continues for three more races through the event in Richmond, Virginia. Following that race, the fields will be reduced to four drivers in each pro category and points will be reset again for a two-race shootout at Las Vegas and Pomona, California, for the POWERade Countdown to the Championship Countdown to One.

NEW NHRA PLAYSTATION GAME COMING SOON: Official ship dates and a list of licensed racers and tracks for ValuSoft's new NHRA Countdown to the Championship PlayStation 2 and PlayStationPortable games have been released to NHRA.com, setting to itch thumbs and fingers for thousands of video-game-playing NHRA race fans. The game, the second produced by ValuSoft, comes on the heels of last year's well-received Quarter-Mile Showdown for the PS 2, will ship for the PS 2 console next week, July 17, and will be followed August 10 by the PSP version. Numerous other racers have been added in the other three Pro classes, including 2006's top rookie, J.R. Todd, and current Top Fuel points leader Rod Fuller, Tim Wilkerson, Jeff Arend, Warren and Kurt Johnson, Mike Edwards, and Erica Enders. Don Prudhomme and Jim Dunn reprise their roles as legends in the game. The Pro Stock Motorcycle category also has been added to the game. The number of licensed racers in the game now stands at 66, a whopping 30 more than in the last version.

LAS VEGAS XPLOD SPORT COMPACT SERIES RESULTS: Stephanie Eggum won her third straight NHRA Xplod Sport Compact Racing Series Hot Rod title at the fifth annual Las Vegas NHRA Sport Compact Nationals at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, defeating Kenny Tran, as she had in her prior wins. Eggum was joined in the winner’s circle by Gary White (Pro RWD), Jason Hunt (Pro FWD), Brent Rau (Modified) and Scott Kelley (Honda Tuning Magazine All Motor). Hunt’s win, sealed with a final-round victory over Gary Gardella, was his second in a row and third overall this season in Pro FWD while Rau scored for the second time this season after again defeating Paul Efantis. White’s Pro RWD was the second of his career while Kelley collected his sixth career win, but first this season, by defeating Leslie Armendariz.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

SCHUCK’S AUTO SUPPLY NHRA NATIONALS, PACIFIC RACEWAYS, JULY 20–22: This fifth race in the string of six-in-six-weeks was traditionally the second stop of the legendary Western Swing. It’s sure to be an emotional one for Brandon Bernstein, who shared the winner’s circle with his friend, the late Eric Medlen, here in 2005.

FRAM-AUTOLITE NHRA NATIONALS, INFINEON RACEWAY, JULY 27–29: A favorite with the POWERade Series for its scenic local and Northern California weather, this event will be the last in the six-in-six-weeks stretch, the anchor of the longest stretch of back-to-back races in NHRA history.

.INSIDE THE NUMBERS

2: Only two races remain in the grueling six-races in six weeks stretch that the NHRA POWERade Series has been embarked on starting with the race in Englishtown, New Jersey, in late June. The outcomes at the final two stops of the traditional Western Swing—Seattle and Sonoma, California—may go a long way in determining the eight qualifiers in each pro category for the POWERade Countdown to the Championship’s Countdown to Eight, which concludes with the Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals, August 16–19 at Maple Grove Raceway near Reading, Pennsylvania.

DRIVERS TELL ALL

BECKMAN MAKES BIG COUNTDOWN MOVE: With his victory Sunday at Bandimere Speedway, Jack Beckman moved into the top eight in Funny Car points, holding down seventh position with four races remaining in the 17-race POWERade Countdown to the Championship regular season. "We were lingering down there around 10th or 11th (in points) and with this [Countdown] format, I think it's three separate seasons: until Indy, four races after Indy and the last two. So, you do look at it slightly different, but the purpose is still the same. We want to win every race we come to.”

For more information, www.nhra.com.

NO GP: The United States Grand Prix, which has been held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for eight years, will not be held in 2008, as Formula One and speedway officials could not come to an agreement. However, the speedway has announced the MotoGP motorcycle tour will visit the track Sept. 14, 2008.

RIDE HUNTING: Veteran NASCAR drivers Sterling Marlin and Joe Nemecheck are ride hunting after being released from their jobs with Ginn Racing. Marlin will be replaced by rookie Regan Smith, while Nemechek’s No. 13 has been parked for financial reasons. The team also announced Aric Almirola has joined its operation and will share the U.S. Army Chevrolet with Mark Martin, replacing Smith in that capacity.

SIZZLING START: Jon Stanbrough got off to a stellar start in the annual Indiana Sprint Week event for non-winged sprint cars. Stanbrough won three of the first five races. The final three events will be held this week.

NO MICHIGAN: As reported in the July 11 issue of National Speed Sport News, Michigan International Speedway will not be on the Indy Racing League schedule in 2008.

NEW SITE: National Speed Sport News will debut its redesigned web site July 25. While the site will still offer the same password-protected information for subscribers that is offered in the hard copy of the nation’s oldest auto-racing publication, it will also offer daily news stories and features, along with reader interaction.

ROYAL FLUSH: Defending World of Outlaws champion and current point-leader Donny Schatz jumped to the top of the National Speed Sport News Power Rankings after a victory in the $50,000-to-win Kings Royal at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway. Previous number-one Dario Franchitti fell to second.

SUBSCRIBE: National Speed Sport News has been published weekly since 1934. To subscribe to National Speed Sport News, click on the following link for a special industry rate: http://www.nationalspeedsportnews.com/subscribe.html?pid=NQ%2BVfhkepT4%3D.

Filler for eNews

Filler for eNews

Dates and locations for several upcoming SEMA-sponsored shows and activities have been announced. Details are:

>> SEMA Webinar: Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS), July 12, 10 a.m. (PST)
>> Aftermarket eForum, Hyatt Regency O'Hare, July 16–18, Chicago
>> SEMA Webinar: Urban-Lifestyle Report, July 26, 10 a.m. (PST)
>> SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser, July 27, Irvine, California
>> SEMA Webinar: SEMA Show Case Study Review—How Exhibitors Create Success, August 7, 10 a.m. (PST)
>> MRC Rep Conference, September 26–27, Phoenix
>> SEMA Show, October 30–November 2, Las Vegas
>> MPMC Media Trade Conference, January 22–24, 2008, Los Angeles

For association-related travel, contact Manya Petropaki (manya.p@travelstoreusa.com) at Travel Store USA, 949/930-9268.

SEMA-members companies have posted several new listings for job opportunities at www.sema.org/classifieds. Working for a SEMA-member company has many advantages. In addition to working for a company that supports and contributes to the success of the overall industry, being employed by a SEMA-member company enable the employee to participate in webinars, access free market research, join SEMA committees and more. The newest classified listings posted under Positions Available include:

• National Account Manager, North Carolina
• Sales Executive, Signal Hill, California
• Sales Manager, Commerce California
• Graphic Design/Marketing Asst., Whittier, California
• Customer Service/Office Assistant, Huntington Beach, California
• Account Executive(s), Anaheim, Placentia and Los Angeles, California

SEMA members: Have a job opening that you need filled? Members are invited to post classified ads on www.sema.org/classifieds free of charge. Categories include Positions Available, Positions Wanted, Rep Opportunities, WD Opportunities, For Sale, Items Wanted, Business Opportunities and Internships. Visit the site for details.

As the Internet becomes an even more integral part of the car-buying experience, Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) has introduced a tool that will help consumers purchase a Mazda easier than ever before. According to PRNewswire, the Mazda Shopping Assistant program will be “the first in the industry to provide potential buyers with an actual quote—from the customer’s choice of dealer—for the vehicle they have chosen.”

The Mazda Shopping Assistant (MSA) program can be accessed through http://www.mazdausa.com/ and connects consumers with Mazda Personal Shoppers. The Personal Shoppers are able to answer specific products questions and provide personalized shopping experiences through web chat sessions. Potential buyers can configure a vehicle, select a dealership, search inventory, acquire a quote directly from the dealer, schedule a sales appointment and receive financing information. If the customer and dealer agree upon a price, the Personal Shopper will arrange an appointment time at the dealership for paperwork to be signed and vehicle delivery.

Mike Ray, director of customer satisfaction and loyalty for MNAO told PRNewswire that the program was designed “to help Mazda customers spend less time shopping and more time driving.” On average, a consumer will spend four hours at the dealership during the car-buying process. Each month, more than 1.5 million unique visitors log onto MazdaUSA.com to gather product information, locate dealerships or build vehicles, which prompted Mazda to create the MSA program. This program, as well as others that may likely follow, will create some unique opportunities for SEMA manufacturers to become involved. Consumers could not only build the car of their dreams using an Internet-based buying program, but they could add on all of the aftermarket parts they want right from their home.

Source:  (July 8, 2007). “New Mazda Internet ‘Personal Shopper’ an Industry First: Mazda Shopping Assistant Converts Internet Shoppers to Buyers.” PRNewswire. Retrieved July 9, 2007 from www.prnewswire.com.

According to Ward’s Auto, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars unveiled its new Phantom Drophead Convertible in France. It will be handcrafted at the automaker’s headquarters in Goodwood, United Kingdom. The first vehicles are expected to be delivered in late summer.

The Drophead will be a two-door, four-passenger vehicle, measuring 220.8 inches in length and 78.2 inches in width, with a wheelbase of 130.7 inches. It’s powered by a 48-valve V12 engine, putting out 453 hp and 531 lb.-ft. of torque at 5,350 rpm. 

Some of the other features include a rack-and-pinion, speed-sensitive, variable-rate steering system and ventilated disc brakes. The top-speed rating for the Drophead is 149 mph, governed. And it will travel from 0 to 62 mph in 5.9 sec. The Drophead will be available in nine different colors. The rear deck is made from teak, and a Rolls-Royce press release indicates that the vehicle “is a less formal interpretation of the classic Rolls-Royce design” and “combines a lightweight, extremely stiff aluminum spaceframe with the lean and elegant body of a Drophead Coupé.” Pricing has not yet been released for the vehicle.

Sources: Ward’s Staff. (July 11, 2007). “Rolls-Royce Unveils New Convertible.” Ward’s Auto. Retrieved July 11, 2007 from www.wardsauto.com. http://www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com.

You may be asking yourself how a quality system can be beneficial to you. Any company will benefit from greater consistency (repeatability) in its processes, identifying potential mistakes before they become an unwanted expense or result in the loss of a customer. A key component of a quality system is the concept of continual improvement. Continual improvement includes a corrective action plan that serves to remedy the current problem and changes the system (if needed) to prevent the mistake from reoccurring. Overall, this will raise the quality of your company’s products or services.

Quality assurance is important for your business to be both reputable and successful. The goal of your quality-assurance initiative is to create written procedures that will ensure full compliance with all contract requirements. Formal, written documentation provides the government and your other customers better assurance that there will be consistency in the process and that, if a mistake is made, the cause can be traced to a specific spot and then corrected. You need to specify the details: who is responsible, for what specific function, at what stage of the process, etc.

Many companies believe that having a quality-assurance program requires too much time to develop, or will be too costly, or both. However, it is relatively simple to develop your very own quality manual that will help guide you to make the best products possible.

Along with quality assurance, Total Quality Management (TQM) is very important. TQM should be present organization-wide, and empower managers and employees to continuously examine and improve every process in the organization. TQM can help everyone to better understand and meet the needs of internal and external customers, while at the same time reducing costs.

There are three main participants in a company’s quality: suppliers, your company and customers. All three should be carefully considered when implementing a quality system. 

This is a very small excerpt from the 2006 SEMA Quality Assurance Workbook. SEMA members can receive a complimentary copy of the 2006 SEMA Quality Assurance Workbook as another benefit to being a SEMA member. This and other published reports are available exclusively to SEMA members at www.sema.org/research. The workbook can also be obtained by contacting Shirley at shirleyp@sema.org.