NHRA Tour de Force Storms Detroit
Legendary hot-rodder and storyteller John Force wants a major drag racing strip in the Detroit area, and he’s willing to invest time and money to make it happen. Force, the king of funny cars and one-liners, was in town last week for the Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress at Cobo Center, in Detroit. His job: to chat with engineers and shake hands with backers, including Ford Motor Co. executives, who support his passion to go fast over a quarter-mile.
Bendix Brakes Expands Partnership with Pedregon Racing
Honeywell’s Bendix brakes has renewed its associate sponsorship with former Funny Car champion Cruz Pedregon for the 2004 NHRA POWERade drag racing series season. The brand has also expanded its involvement with the team by becoming an associate sponsor on 2003 Funny Car Champion Tony Pedregon’s Quaker State Funny Car.
Federal-Mogul Changes its Plan, Shareholders to Be Offered New Stock
Federal-Mogul Corp. has amended its plan for emerging from bankruptcy to guarantee current shareholders the right to buy new shares in the reorganized auto supplier at a predetermined price. Under both the former and amended plans, current shares would be voided once the company exits bankruptcy and new shares would be issued. In an unrelated matter, Federal-Mogul announced Friday that a fire had extensively damaged its Smithfield, Tenn., distribution facility. All employees were evacuated safely. The company is working on a plan to resume operations elsewhere late this week. The center employed 225.
Maxxis Announces Sports Sponsorships
In conjunction with its global branding efforts, international tire manufacturer Maxxis International has become the “The Official Tire of the Houston Rockets.” The sponsorship agreement remains in effect for the balance of the 2004 NBA season. Maxxis has also announced its sponsorship of LPGA Tour Golfer Candie Kung for the 2004 LPGA season.
2003 Indy 500 Winner Gil de Ferran to Speak at SAE World Congress
Two-time CART FedEx Series Champion and Winner of the 2003 Indianapolis 500, Gil de Ferran, has been confirmed as a speaker in the SAE 2004 World Congress, to be held at Cobo Center in Detroit, Mich., March 8-11. The charismatic Brazil native will join an all-star group of racing experts in a session entitled “Passion for Performance” – The Transfer of Technology from Racing to High Performance Cars, to be held on Tuesday, March 9, 2004 at 1:30 p.m. in the Dana Technical Innovation Forum, part of the SAE World Congress Exhibition.
NASCAR Driver Bill Lester to Give Keynote Address at GAAS
Bill Lester, driver of the No. 8 BHR Dodge in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, will be the luncheon speaker on Tuesday, May 18, at the ninth annual Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS). GAAS 2004 will take place on May 18-19, at the Hyatt Regency, Chicago, Ill.
Advance Auto Parts Hopes to Maintain Fast Pace of Earnings, Expansion
Roanoke, Va., is home to an automotive parts retailer that keeps pushing the pace. Advance Auto continues to expand, stretching itself across many markets. By the end of 2003, it had 2,546 stores in 39 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands with plans to open up to 135 in 2004. But how long can it keep up this speed?
DENSO Increases Motorsports Sponsorships for 2004
Japan-based DENSO Corp. has announced it will co-sponsor two new teams for the 2004 racing season — Panasonic Toyota Racing team in Formula One (F1), and Subaru World Rally team. DENSO will also continue to support the Panasonic Toyota Racing team as a technical sponsor.
Shell Racing Solutions Announces Distribution Agreement
Shell Racing Solutions has signed an agreement with Performance Products LLC to distribute Shell Racing Fuels to the U.S. motorsports industry. Performance Products has 15 years of experience in the U.S. race fuels business. Performance Products has serviced professional race series such as Indy Racing League (IRL) and Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) and will distribute Shell Racing Solutions race fuels to top tier, as well as grassroots and club racing circuits.
Snap-on Extends Long-Time Partnership With Pedregon Racing
Snap-on Tools has expanded its partnership with Pedregon Racing, serving as associate sponsor of the Funny Cars of Cruz Pedregon and Tony Pedregon of Pedregon Racing, Troy, Mich. Snap-on began its relationship with Pedregon Racing during Cruz Pedregon’s 1992 championship season. The agreement continues Snap-on’s sponsorship of Cruz Pedregon, while celebrating defending Funny Car champion Tony Pedregon’s move to Pedregon Racing with a second Snap-on Tools associate sponsorship.