Compiled by SEMA Editors

	Tanner Foust, driver of the No. 34 Rockstar Energy Drink Volkswagen Beetle GRC, took his first win of the season.

Tanner Foust Wins First Race of Double-Header Weekend in Daytona

The Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team took home its second win and third podium finish of 2015 at GRC Daytona. Tanner Foust, driver of the No. 34 Rockstar Energy Drink Volkswagen Beetle GRC, took his first win of the season, and his fifth career win in the series. After starting sixth in the final, Foust evaded a first-lap scrum to score the victory, advancing him for the time being to the top of the Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship points. On Sunday, Foust finished fifth after suffering mechanical issues caused by contact while battling for third position, moving him to third in points. In two weeks, the team heads to North Carolina for a fourth round of the rallycross season.

Half of the NMRA championship categories crowned a winner at the 12th Annual McLeod Racing NMRA Ford SUPER Nationals.

12th Annual McLeod Racing NMRA Ford SUPER Nationals Race Wrap

Half of the NMRA championship categories crowned a winner at the 12th Annual McLeod Racing NMRA Ford SUPER Nationals, while the other half went down to the final round. The remaining classes, Flex-a-lite Open Comp, Detroit Locker Truck & Lightning, Exedy Racing Clutch Modular Muscle, Edelbrock Renegade, Strange Engineering Coyote Stock and American Racing Headers Factory Stock will complete the final elimination rounds during qualifying at the Nitto Tire NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street Legal Drag Racing at Route 66 Raceway, July 30–August 2, 2015.

VP Racing Fuels Street Outlaw: Phil Hines drove his ProCharger supercharged ’99 Mustang GT into the Aerospace Components Winner's Circle with a 4.61 at 164 mph.

ProCharger Coyote Modified: Johnny Wiker lost to Haley James, who took home her second win of the year with the Hellion Racing racecar.

ACT Pure Street: Jimmy Wilson defeated the defending class champion Teddy Weaver with a 9.77 at 137 mph to Weaver's 9.84 at 137 mph.

McLeod Racing Stick Shift Shootout: Casey Jones and his 351W-powered ’86 Mustang ran 10.49 at 132 mph to overtake Rick Coe who posted a 10.72 at 134-mph effort.

All-Female Shootout, presented by Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords: Nikki Frost went to the finals for the second year in a row with her Vortech supercharged ’13 Mustang GT, but lost to Janice Llewellyn in her ’14 Shelby GT500, who scored an 11.59 at 126 mph to Frost's quicker but losing 11.53 at 130 mph.

Roush Performance Super Stang: Dwayne Hickman rolled out for the win over Marvin Knack with his ProCharger-infused Coyote 5.0 Mustang.

HP Tuners True Street: Lonnie Tibbs topped the field of 120 cars with an 8.32 average.

The All-Female True Street, sponsored by HP Tuners: Janice Llewellyn finished with a three-run average of 11.74.

In bracket racing, Dan Snyder was crowned the Fast Ford/B1 winner while Todd Lauffer worked through six rounds of the Quick Ford/B2 category to stand on top. Daniel Imoff in his ’88 Mustang won the Street Ford/B3 bracket. Brian Merrick outran the competition in the Nostalgia Ford/B4 class as he drove his ’64 Thunderbolt into the Aerospace Components Winner's Circle. The final bracket-racing category was the Y-Block Shootout and the ’56 Mercury of Bob Martin ran low 15s to seal his trip to victory lane.

	Banning Motorsports scored a third-place finish in their new #855 Geiser TT-Spec truck at the 46th annual SCORE-International Baja 500.

Banning Motorsports Outruns 80% of TT-Spec Class to Finish the 2015 Baja 500 on the Podium

Banning Motorsports scored a third-place finish in their new #855 Geiser TT-Spec truck at the 46th annual SCORE-International Baja 500. The Arizona-based team featured drivers Lee Banning Sr., Gary Williams Jr., Lee Banning Jr. and Chris Godfrey.

Ford Gears Up for Fourth Round of Formula DRIFT

Compiled by SEMA Editors

	Tanner Foust, driver of the No. 34 Rockstar Energy Drink Volkswagen Beetle GRC, took his first win of the season.

Tanner Foust Wins First Race of Double-Header Weekend in Daytona

The Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team took home its second win and third podium finish of 2015 at GRC Daytona. Tanner Foust, driver of the No. 34 Rockstar Energy Drink Volkswagen Beetle GRC, took his first win of the season, and his fifth career win in the series. After starting sixth in the final, Foust evaded a first-lap scrum to score the victory, advancing him for the time being to the top of the Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship points. On Sunday, Foust finished fifth after suffering mechanical issues caused by contact while battling for third position, moving him to third in points. In two weeks, the team heads to North Carolina for a fourth round of the rallycross season.

Half of the NMRA championship categories crowned a winner at the 12th Annual McLeod Racing NMRA Ford SUPER Nationals.

12th Annual McLeod Racing NMRA Ford SUPER Nationals Race Wrap

Half of the NMRA championship categories crowned a winner at the 12th Annual McLeod Racing NMRA Ford SUPER Nationals, while the other half went down to the final round. The remaining classes, Flex-a-lite Open Comp, Detroit Locker Truck & Lightning, Exedy Racing Clutch Modular Muscle, Edelbrock Renegade, Strange Engineering Coyote Stock and American Racing Headers Factory Stock will complete the final elimination rounds during qualifying at the Nitto Tire NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street Legal Drag Racing at Route 66 Raceway, July 30–August 2, 2015.

VP Racing Fuels Street Outlaw: Phil Hines drove his ProCharger supercharged ’99 Mustang GT into the Aerospace Components Winner's Circle with a 4.61 at 164 mph.

ProCharger Coyote Modified: Johnny Wiker lost to Haley James, who took home her second win of the year with the Hellion Racing racecar.

ACT Pure Street: Jimmy Wilson defeated the defending class champion Teddy Weaver with a 9.77 at 137 mph to Weaver's 9.84 at 137 mph.

McLeod Racing Stick Shift Shootout: Casey Jones and his 351W-powered ’86 Mustang ran 10.49 at 132 mph to overtake Rick Coe who posted a 10.72 at 134-mph effort.

All-Female Shootout, presented by Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords: Nikki Frost went to the finals for the second year in a row with her Vortech supercharged ’13 Mustang GT, but lost to Janice Llewellyn in her ’14 Shelby GT500, who scored an 11.59 at 126 mph to Frost's quicker but losing 11.53 at 130 mph.

Roush Performance Super Stang: Dwayne Hickman rolled out for the win over Marvin Knack with his ProCharger-infused Coyote 5.0 Mustang.

HP Tuners True Street: Lonnie Tibbs topped the field of 120 cars with an 8.32 average.

The All-Female True Street, sponsored by HP Tuners: Janice Llewellyn finished with a three-run average of 11.74.

In bracket racing, Dan Snyder was crowned the Fast Ford/B1 winner while Todd Lauffer worked through six rounds of the Quick Ford/B2 category to stand on top. Daniel Imoff in his ’88 Mustang won the Street Ford/B3 bracket. Brian Merrick outran the competition in the Nostalgia Ford/B4 class as he drove his ’64 Thunderbolt into the Aerospace Components Winner's Circle. The final bracket-racing category was the Y-Block Shootout and the ’56 Mercury of Bob Martin ran low 15s to seal his trip to victory lane.

	Banning Motorsports scored a third-place finish in their new #855 Geiser TT-Spec truck at the 46th annual SCORE-International Baja 500.

Banning Motorsports Outruns 80% of TT-Spec Class to Finish the 2015 Baja 500 on the Podium

Banning Motorsports scored a third-place finish in their new #855 Geiser TT-Spec truck at the 46th annual SCORE-International Baja 500. The Arizona-based team featured drivers Lee Banning Sr., Gary Williams Jr., Lee Banning Jr. and Chris Godfrey.

Ford Gears Up for Fourth Round of Formula DRIFT

	Newspapers throughout the country have published stories highlighting automotive products that can help teen drivers stay safe behind the wheel.

• Los Angeles Times
• Queens Chronicle (Rego Park, New York)
• San Francisco Gate
• Houston Chronicle
• The Herald News (Fall River, Massachusetts)
• Canton Rep (Canton, Ohio)
• The Standard Banner (Jefferson City, Tennessee)

This camouflaged Jeep Cherokee prototype running on a test track provides a first look at the Cherokee's facelift due for the ’17 model year.

The prototype was heavily camouflaged, but it appears that the updated Cherokee will retain much of its polarizing design language that first debuted on the current model in spring 2013. The design was meant to be edgy in hopes that it would still look timely near the end of the Cherokee's expected six-year lifecycle. Since sales of the Cherokee have been suitably strong, it appears that Jeep stylists are sticking with that strategy.

The test vehicle had a placard that announced that "VRT: Electronic Throttle Control" was being tested. An online search shows that some Cherokee owners have experienced warnings about faulty electronic throttle control, and a technical service bulletin has been issued with a reported "2289 Software Update." If this is an ongoing problem, perhaps Jeep is looking to the midcycle refresh to offer a more comprehensive fix. It's unclear if the work being done on this Cherokee prototype has anything to do with the lessons learned during the recall and delay of the new Jeep Renegade, which uses the same nine-speed automatic transmission.

Photo credit: KGP Photography

This camouflaged Jeep Cherokee prototype running on a test track provides a first look at the Cherokee's facelift due for the ’17 model year.

The prototype was heavily camouflaged, but it appears that the updated Cherokee will retain much of its polarizing design language that first debuted on the current model in spring 2013. The design was meant to be edgy in hopes that it would still look timely near the end of the Cherokee's expected six-year lifecycle. Since sales of the Cherokee have been suitably strong, it appears that Jeep stylists are sticking with that strategy.

The test vehicle had a placard that announced that "VRT: Electronic Throttle Control" was being tested. An online search shows that some Cherokee owners have experienced warnings about faulty electronic throttle control, and a technical service bulletin has been issued with a reported "2289 Software Update." If this is an ongoing problem, perhaps Jeep is looking to the midcycle refresh to offer a more comprehensive fix. It's unclear if the work being done on this Cherokee prototype has anything to do with the lessons learned during the recall and delay of the new Jeep Renegade, which uses the same nine-speed automatic transmission.

Photo credit: KGP Photography

This camouflaged Jeep Cherokee prototype running on a test track provides a first look at the Cherokee's facelift due for the ’17 model year.

The prototype was heavily camouflaged, but it appears that the updated Cherokee will retain much of its polarizing design language that first debuted on the current model in spring 2013. The design was meant to be edgy in hopes that it would still look timely near the end of the Cherokee's expected six-year lifecycle. Since sales of the Cherokee have been suitably strong, it appears that Jeep stylists are sticking with that strategy.

The test vehicle had a placard that announced that "VRT: Electronic Throttle Control" was being tested. An online search shows that some Cherokee owners have experienced warnings about faulty electronic throttle control, and a technical service bulletin has been issued with a reported "2289 Software Update." If this is an ongoing problem, perhaps Jeep is looking to the midcycle refresh to offer a more comprehensive fix. It's unclear if the work being done on this Cherokee prototype has anything to do with the lessons learned during the recall and delay of the new Jeep Renegade, which uses the same nine-speed automatic transmission.

Photo credit: KGP Photography

Compiled by SEMA Editors

	Mark Korros

Covercraft Enters Recapitalization Agreement; Mark Korros Named CEO

Covercraft Industries Inc. announced a recapitalization agreement with Century Park Capital Partners. Century Park Capital Partners is a Los Angeles-based private equity firm specializing in facilitating owner liquidity and business expansion by supporting management and investing in infrastructure. Marty Lichtmann will welcome Mark Korros as the new CEO of the company effective immediately, and will remain actively involved in an operations and consulting role.

Korros is a member of the Century Park Capital Partners Executive Council and has more than 35 years of executive leadership experience. He has served in leadership roles for Pendleton Woolen Mills, C.C. Filson Company Inc., Franklin Covey Co., Samsonite, Reebok, Health-tex, Childrenswear and Levenger. 

DEI Hires Tim Musiek as New Account Manager

Tim Musiek

Design Engineering Inc., (DEI) has announced the addition of Tim Musiek as the company’s new account manager. Musiek previously worked as a market researcher for Tuff Stuff Performance in Cleveland, and served in a variety of positions for Prestolite/Mr. Gasket Performance. In his new position, Musiek will be responsible for direct customer communications and marketing and promoting all DEI-branded products. He will report direct to Tom Miller, vice president of sales and marketing.

JMPR Named Agency of Record for Beverly Hills Motoring Accessories

JMPR Public Relations has announced that it has been named agency of record for Beverly Hills Motoring Accessories (BHMA)—a supplier of accessories for both new and classic high-performance and quality cars and SUVs.

Miss Hurst Golden Shifter Corvette Funfest Guest of Honor

Linda Vaughn, the First Lady of Motorsports, will be a Guest of Honor at the 2015 Corvette Funfest. Vaughn will be available to fans to sign autographs and racing memorabilia. She will also be featured in seminars sharing her perspective on the world of drag racing. Registration for Corvette Funfest, September 17–20, at Mid America Motorworks' corporate campus in Effingham, Illinois, is available at www.corvettefunfest.com.

	Steffanie Savine

The Marx Group’s Steffanie Savine Elected New President of Automotive Communication Council

Steffanie Savine, marketing director and account executive for The Marx Group (TMG), was recently elected president of the Automotive Communication Council (ACC). Savine has been active in ACC for two years and has served on the association’s board since 2014. She has been a part of The Marx Group since 2013, where she is responsible for developing the company’s marketing strategies, recruiting new business and managing accounts. Her 18 years of professional experience include 12 years in the automotive aftermarket.

Savine becomes the third member of The Marx Group staff to serve as ACC president. Prior to her work with The Marx Group, Savine served as marketing and communications manager for Fras-le North America from 2012–2013. From 2010–2012, she served as the company’s marketing and sales coordinator. She began her career at Fras-le North America in 2003 as office coordinator.

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