NHRA STARS PREPARE FOR BOBSLED CHALLENGE: Jeg Coughlin, Morgan Lucas, Shawn Langdon and a few yet-to-be-named NHRA drivers will once again head to Lake Placid January 8–10 for the upcoming fifth annual Lucas Oil Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge presented by Whelen Engineering. This yearly event on Mount Van Hoevenberg creates awareness and needed funding for the continuing evolution of the made-in-America Bo-Dyn sleds, now recognized among the world’s fastest.

Each year, Coughlin and a team of NHRA drivers take on a group of NASCAR stars in the Lucas Oil Bobsled Challenge to raise money to support the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project. Last year, Top Fuel pilot Lucas won the NHRA versus NASCAR portion of the event, posting the best time of the event, while Coughlin posted some of the quickest times during the practice sessions and finished fifth in the timed race and in the quarterfinal round of the NHRA versus NASCAR tilt.

“Racing bobsleds is one of the most unique experiences I’ve ever had,” said Coughlin. “In drag racing, we’re cinched in our cars as tight as can be, and we go straight down the track. It’s something I’ve done thousands of times. In bobsledding, you’re not strapped in at all, and when they feed you into that ice chute, you have no choice but to take it down the mountain. It’s going to the bottom of the hill. How it arrives is up to you.”

To follow Coughlin, Lucas and all the NHRA stars as they compete in the Lucas Oil Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge, visit www.NHRA.com.

USO-SPONSORED NHRA TOUR LIFTING SPIRITS ACROSS GERMANY: NHRA stars Morgan Lucas, Spencer Massey, Doug Horne and Erica Enders are hard at work spreading holiday cheer to U.S. troops in the European theater. Braving snowy conditions and chilly temperatures, the foursome has had an eventful trip so far, visiting Army and Air Force personnel at a variety of stops in southwest Germany.

Based out of the tiny village of Miesenbach, Germany, just outside the gates of Ramstein Air Force Base, the NHRA tour first visited the U.S. Army Garrison in Wiesbaden, Germany, where they were met by a welcoming party led by Col. Jeffery Dill, the base commander. Dill honored the NHRA drivers with a Commander’s Coin and Certificate of Appreciation during a brief ceremony. The drivers then met several soldiers and signed commemorative hero cards while posing for pictures and answering questions about life in the fast lane.

The next stop was the BOSS recreation hall, where single soldiers spend free time playing games, e-mailing home or watching television. Several members of the local media caught up with the drivers there and conducted interviews about NHRA Drag Racing and their visit to Germany.

The tour continued on to the 21st Operational Weather Squadron in Sembach, Germany, where the 603rd Support Group of Chiefs and Master Chiefs serving in the 3rd Air Force welcomed them.

The group will next spend a full day at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center and the USO Wounded Warrior Center. For more information, visit www.NHRA.com.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

Antron Brown

KRAGEN O’REILLY NHRA WINTERNATIONALS, AUTO CLUB RACEWAY AT POMONA, FEBRUARY 11–14: The 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series will kick off in sunny Southern California with the 50th anniversary of the Winternationals. Defending event winners include Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel); Ron Capps (Funny Car); and Jason Line (Pro Stock).

NHRA ARIZONA NATIONALS, FIREBIRD INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, FEBRUARY 19–21: The traditional second stop on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing tour, competitors will head to the Valley of the Sun for the second race in the 2010 season. Defending event winners include Antron Brown (Top Fuel); Ron Capps (Funny Car); and Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock).

HE SAID, SHE SAID

NOT ENOUGH: Top Fuel pilot Antron Brown on having one of his most successful seasons in NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing, but failing to win the world championship: “We had an awesome year in 2009, but we didn’t get what we wanted, which is the Full Throttle championship. We’re tired of being the bridesmaid. Our DSR Matco Tools team is very motivated to continue the strong performance we showed this season and get to the top of the mountain next year.”

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

74: That’s how many different drivers over the past 50 years that have won the season-opening NHRA Winternationals in the Full Throttle Series. NHRA legends Don Prudhomme, Gary Scelzi and Kenny Bernstein are the only three drivers to have won the event in both Top Fuel and Funny Car.

DID YOU KNOW…

…that though the first NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona was held in 1961, the first Top Fuel win didn’t occur until 1963. “Big Daddy” Don Garlits walked away with the first Wally in the Top Fuel category at the 1963 Winternationals.

	Jerry Wannarka

The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) board of directors selected Jerry Wannarka of Glenwood, Maryland, as its chairman for 2010. A Washington, D.C., region member currently in his third year as the director for Area Two, Wannarka joined SCCA in 1966, earning his competition license in 1967, which he still holds to this day. Wannarka has several regional and divisional championships to his credit. He has also been heavily involved behind the scenes, stewarding since the '80s, serving on the DC region board of directors and most recently acting as Secretary for the SCCA board of directors in 2009. Read the full story here.

The editors at Kelley Blue Book’s www.kbb.com have named the 2010 Ford Taurus as its 2010 Best Redesigned Vehicle. The Taurus was selected by the editors for its performance, passenger comfort, modern interior and long list of available technologies. This marks the second-consecutive year that a Ford model topped the list. Last year, Ford’s F-150 received the 2009 Best Redesigned Vehicle honor. Read more about the 2010 Best Redesigned Vehicle.

Cognex Corp. signed an agreement with BMW AG to supply DataMan handheld and In-Sight fixed-mount ID readers to BMW manufacturing plants worldwide. Also designated under the terms of the multiyear agreement is ongoing technical support for BMW personnel provided by Cognex.

Eibach Springs Inc. selected Schiefer Media Inc. as its agency of record. Schiefer Media will handle all forms of media, including television, print and interactive media buys, for the manufacturer.

The “Mickey Thompson: First American to 400 mph” exhibit opens Friday, February 12, 2010, at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum.

The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum exhibit, “Mickey Thompson: First American to 400 mph,” will open to the public on Friday, February 12, 2010, in conjunction with the 50th anniversary Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals. Presented by the museum and Gale Banks Engineering, the exhibit celebrates the 50th anniversary of Thompson’s milestone 400-mph run at the Bonneville Salt Flats on September 9, 1960.

LINE-X Protective Coatings announced the merger of Advanced Protective Coatings (APC) with LINE-X Franchising LLC. APC, a Master Franchisee for LINE-X in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic United States, has been an integral part of the LINE-X enterprise for more than 15 years. Kevin Heronimus, founder and owner of APC, was appointed to CEO for LINE-X Protective Coatings.

Atrend Enclosures has initiated a lineup of community events that started during Thanksgiving and will carry on through the Christmas holiday season. Atrend employees, in conjunction with the city of Chicago, have volunteered their time and services to the Salvation Army and the Pacific Mission Garden Shelter, known as the largest men and women’s shelter in the Midwest. The company has also begun organizing a large feed-the-homeless campaign set for February in the streets of Chicago in hopes of feeding nearly 1,500 needy individuals.

Ohio Technical College was awarded the Weatherhead 100 Award by Case Weatherhead School of Management and The Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE). The 2009 Weatherhead 100 Award recognizes the 100 fastest growing companies in Northeast Ohio based on their sales from 2004–2008. Ohio Technical College had a 91% growth rate 2009, placing 66 out of 100 companies on the list. To be eligible for the award, companies also must have net sales of more than $1 million and have a minimum of 16 full-time employees in 2009.

	Hurst, Chevrolet, and eBay joined to build this special edition Camaro, won at auction by Ernest Feist (left), with all proceeds benefitting the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund.

No matter what level, college is expensive. Tuition, fees, books, parking, housing costs: it can all add up and overwhelm. But SEMA can help.

If you know someone preparing for a career in the automotive industry, we’re ready to lend a hand. And if you know someone with outstanding student loans, we can help with those, too.

Through the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund, the association is dedicated to fostering the next generation of industry leaders and innovators, offering scholarships to today’s brightest students at universities, colleges and/or vocational schools in both the United States and Canada. Four-year, two-year, graduate and member dependent scholarships range from $1,000–$2,000, with $4,000 going to the top student.

The SEMA Loan Forgiveness Program, meanwhile, is dedicated to aiding recent graduates in getting their auto aftermarket careers off to a successful start, offering a minimum of $1,000 toward outstanding student loans for individuals employed by SEMA-member companies.

Applications and additional details are now available online. Click here to learn more and take advantage of this great benefit today!

	Hurst, Chevrolet, and eBay joined to build this special edition Camaro, won at auction by Ernest Feist (left), with all proceeds benefitting the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund.

No matter what level, college is expensive. Tuition, fees, books, parking, housing costs: it can all add up and overwhelm. But SEMA can help.

If you know someone preparing for a career in the automotive industry, we’re ready to lend a hand. And if you know someone with outstanding student loans, we can help with those, too.

Through the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund, the association is dedicated to fostering the next generation of industry leaders and innovators, offering scholarships to today’s brightest students at universities, colleges and/or vocational schools in both the United States and Canada. Four-year, two-year, graduate and member dependent scholarships range from $1,000–$2,000, with $4,000 going to the top student.

The SEMA Loan Forgiveness Program, meanwhile, is dedicated to aiding recent graduates in getting their auto aftermarket careers off to a successful start, offering a minimum of $1,000 toward outstanding student loans for individuals employed by SEMA-member companies.

Applications and additional details are now available online. Click here to learn more and take advantage of this great benefit today!

	Hurst, Chevrolet, and eBay joined to build this special edition Camaro, won at auction by Ernest Feist (left), with all proceeds benefitting the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund.

No matter what level, college is expensive. Tuition, fees, books, parking, housing costs: it can all add up and overwhelm. But SEMA can help.

If you know someone preparing for a career in the automotive industry, we’re ready to lend a hand. And if you know someone with outstanding student loans, we can help with those, too.

Through the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund, the association is dedicated to fostering the next generation of industry leaders and innovators, offering scholarships to today’s brightest students at universities, colleges and/or vocational schools in both the United States and Canada. Four-year, two-year, graduate and member dependent scholarships range from $1,000–$2,000, with $4,000 going to the top student.

The SEMA Loan Forgiveness Program, meanwhile, is dedicated to aiding recent graduates in getting their auto aftermarket careers off to a successful start, offering a minimum of $1,000 toward outstanding student loans for individuals employed by SEMA-member companies.

Applications and additional details are now available online. Click here to learn more and take advantage of this great benefit today!

	Hurst, Chevrolet, and eBay joined to build this special edition Camaro, won at auction by Ernest Feist (left), with all proceeds benefitting the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund.

No matter what level, college is expensive. Tuition, fees, books, parking, housing costs: it can all add up and overwhelm. But SEMA can help.

If you know someone preparing for a career in the automotive industry, we’re ready to lend a hand. And if you know someone with outstanding student loans, we can help with those, too.

Through the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund, the association is dedicated to fostering the next generation of industry leaders and innovators, offering scholarships to today’s brightest students at universities, colleges and/or vocational schools in both the United States and Canada. Four-year, two-year, graduate and member dependent scholarships range from $1,000–$2,000, with $4,000 going to the top student.

The SEMA Loan Forgiveness Program, meanwhile, is dedicated to aiding recent graduates in getting their auto aftermarket careers off to a successful start, offering a minimum of $1,000 toward outstanding student loans for individuals employed by SEMA-member companies.

Applications and additional details are now available online. Click here to learn more and take advantage of this great benefit today!

	Hurst, Chevrolet, and eBay joined to build this special edition Camaro, won at auction by Ernest Feist (left), with all proceeds benefitting the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund.

No matter what level, college is expensive. Tuition, fees, books, parking, housing costs: it can all add up and overwhelm. But SEMA can help.

If you know someone preparing for a career in the automotive industry, we’re ready to lend a hand. And if you know someone with outstanding student loans, we can help with those, too.

Through the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund, the association is dedicated to fostering the next generation of industry leaders and innovators, offering scholarships to today’s brightest students at universities, colleges and/or vocational schools in both the United States and Canada. Four-year, two-year, graduate and member dependent scholarships range from $1,000–$2,000, with $4,000 going to the top student.

The SEMA Loan Forgiveness Program, meanwhile, is dedicated to aiding recent graduates in getting their auto aftermarket careers off to a successful start, offering a minimum of $1,000 toward outstanding student loans for individuals employed by SEMA-member companies.

Applications and additional details are now available online. Click here to learn more and take advantage of this great benefit today!

	Hurst, Chevrolet, and eBay joined to build this special edition Camaro, won at auction by Ernest Feist (left), with all proceeds benefitting the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund.

No matter what level, college is expensive. Tuition, fees, books, parking, housing costs: it can all add up and overwhelm. But SEMA can help.

If you know someone preparing for a career in the automotive industry, we’re ready to lend a hand. And if you know someone with outstanding student loans, we can help with those, too.

Through the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund, the association is dedicated to fostering the next generation of industry leaders and innovators, offering scholarships to today’s brightest students at universities, colleges and/or vocational schools in both the United States and Canada. Four-year, two-year, graduate and member dependent scholarships range from $1,000–$2,000, with $4,000 going to the top student.

The SEMA Loan Forgiveness Program, meanwhile, is dedicated to aiding recent graduates in getting their auto aftermarket careers off to a successful start, offering a minimum of $1,000 toward outstanding student loans for individuals employed by SEMA-member companies.

Applications and additional details are now available online. Click here to learn more and take advantage of this great benefit today!

	Hurst, Chevrolet, and eBay joined to build this special edition Camaro, won at auction by Ernest Feist (left), with all proceeds benefitting the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund.

No matter what level, college is expensive. Tuition, fees, books, parking, housing costs: it can all add up and overwhelm. But SEMA can help.

If you know someone preparing for a career in the automotive industry, we’re ready to lend a hand. And if you know someone with outstanding student loans, we can help with those, too.

Through the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund, the association is dedicated to fostering the next generation of industry leaders and innovators, offering scholarships to today’s brightest students at universities, colleges and/or vocational schools in both the United States and Canada. Four-year, two-year, graduate and member dependent scholarships range from $1,000–$2,000, with $4,000 going to the top student.

The SEMA Loan Forgiveness Program, meanwhile, is dedicated to aiding recent graduates in getting their auto aftermarket careers off to a successful start, offering a minimum of $1,000 toward outstanding student loans for individuals employed by SEMA-member companies.

Applications and additional details are now available online. Click here to learn more and take advantage of this great benefit today!

	Hurst, Chevrolet, and eBay joined to build this special edition Camaro, won at auction by Ernest Feist (left), with all proceeds benefitting the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund.

No matter what level, college is expensive. Tuition, fees, books, parking, housing costs: it can all add up and overwhelm. But SEMA can help.

If you know someone preparing for a career in the automotive industry, we’re ready to lend a hand. And if you know someone with outstanding student loans, we can help with those, too.

Through the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund, the association is dedicated to fostering the next generation of industry leaders and innovators, offering scholarships to today’s brightest students at universities, colleges and/or vocational schools in both the United States and Canada. Four-year, two-year, graduate and member dependent scholarships range from $1,000–$2,000, with $4,000 going to the top student.

The SEMA Loan Forgiveness Program, meanwhile, is dedicated to aiding recent graduates in getting their auto aftermarket careers off to a successful start, offering a minimum of $1,000 toward outstanding student loans for individuals employed by SEMA-member companies.

Applications and additional details are now available online. Click here to learn more and take advantage of this great benefit today!