Longtime motorsports ambassador and popular fan favorite Linda Vaughn has been named the first recipient of an honorary Jim Chapman Award for excellence in motorsports public relations.

The award was announced last week by the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association (AARWBA).

Known as “The First Lady of Auto Racing” and “Miss Hurst Golden Shifter,” Vaughn, a Georgia native, has been a fixture at all forms of motorsports events, including IndyCar, NASCAR and NHRA for more than 50 years.

The award honors the memory of Chapman, who died in 1996 at the age of 80 and has long been acknowledged as one of the most innovative pioneers in sports PR.

Chapman spent his career working with the likes of Babe Ruth, as well as motorsports legends Mario Andretti, Bill France Sr., Dan Gurney and Bobby Unser, among others.

Sheryl Kammer, Chapman’s daughter, said in a statement, “I know Dad liked and respected Linda. She would also have to be much more than pretty to win Dad’s approval. This first honorary Jim Chapman Award is a terrific idea.”

Michael Knight, a longtime fixture in motorsports in both writing and PR, as well as chairman of the selection committee and one of Chapman’s closest friends, made the presentation.

“Linda went from being Miss Atlanta Speedway and Miss Pure Firebird to learn and become an accomplished public relations representative and marketer for Hurst,” Knight said. “She became a friend and confidant to drivers and their families.

“She helped the media and introduced many journalists, including me, to drivers, owners and executives. She probably has been in more victory lanes than anyone on Earth. And she remains one of racing’s greatest international ambassadors, making fans for the sport everywhere she’s traveled.”

JIM CHAPMAN AWARD HONOREES:

1991 – Michael Knight

1992 – Tom Blattler

1993-94 – Deke Houlgate and Hank Ives

1995 – Kathi Lauterbach

1996 – Marc Spiegel

1997 – Mike Zizzo

1998 – Tamy Valkosky

1999 — Carol Wilkins

2000-2003 – (Award not presented)

2004 – Doug Stokes

2005 – Susan Arnold

2006 – Kevin Kennedy

2007 – Dave Densmore and Bob Carlson

2008 – Judy Stropus

2009 –  (Award not presented)

2010 — Jim Hunter

2011 — Bill York

2012 — Judy Kouba Dominick and Nancy Wager

2013 — Anne Fornoro

2014 — Jon Edwards and Elon Werner

2015 – Linda Vaughn

WELD has developed a new certified dealer program to help counter the importation of knockoff and counterfeit overseas products that claim to be genuine WELD wheels.

“WELD is pleased to partner with dealers that value the WELD legacy of providing high-quality, made in the USA product," said Norm Young, president and CEO, WELD. "We are very protective of our quality manufacturing heritage and have put measures in place so consumers know when they purchase product from one of our certified dealers that it is our genuine branded product."

Young said only genuine WELD wheels are built using the company’s approved materials, construction techniques, and quality standards. He points out that imitation wheels may not perform as well, with the potential for premature failures and safety issues.

Consumers can use the WELD dealer locater to find the closest WELD certified dealer near them at: www.WELDwheels.com/dealer-locator, or call 800-788-9353.

All WELD wheels are engineered, produced, and tested at WELD’s facilities in Kansas City, Missouri, using only aircraft grade aluminum alloys and state-of-the-art manufacturing processes.

Motovicity Distribution, an automotive performance aftermarket distributor, has announced the addition of several manufacturers to its line card, including WELD Racing Products, McLeod Racing, H3R Performance Products, Holley Performance Products, Bilstein Shocks and ADVAN Racing Products.

WELD Racing is well known for quality performance aftermarket wheels. Its premium micro-forged aluminum wheels are used throughout the motorsports industry. Three product lines are offered from WELD Racing—Street & Strip wheels, REKON Off-Road & Truck series, and original WELD Racing wheels.

Motovicity’s addition of WELD Racing products will not only help grow the WELD Racing brand, but also give Motovicity customers the ability to get lightweight forged wheels for their customers quicker and easier.

Motovicity’s Sales Manager, Ryan Balicki said, “We’re excited to give our customers an even larger selection of in-stock lightweight forged wheels and provide them with a quality product we can stand behind.”

McLeod Racing has a rich history of producing high-quality and innovative clutches. As a supplier of clutch and driveline components capable of handling over 3000 horsepower, the brand has proven itself to be one of the top choices for drag racers looking to get high horsepower engines down the drag strip reliably.

According to Balicki, “McLeod Racing is one of the premier clutch and driveline manufactures for drag racers and modern muscle enthusiasts.” He continued by saying, “We’re excited to expand our line card and offer our customers more top quality brands like McLeod.”

H3R Performance’s fire extinguishers are portable units that can be easily secured in a race car or daily driver. Unlike many fire extinguishers, H3R products use an electrically non-conductive Halotron extinguishing agent that makes them safe for automotive use. They are also UL tested, meet FAA requirements, and are USCG and EPA approved.

Balicki said, “We’re glad to offer H3R Performance products to our customers. It allows us to provide our customers with products they need to keep them safe on and off track. At the end of the day, safety should always be the top priority for any car enthusiast or race car driver.”

Holley Performance is a well known brand for American muscle. Although most famous for its high-performance carburetors, Holley has more recently extended its line of EFI systems. Motovicity will also be offering products from the Hooker Headers and Nitrous Oxide System lines from Holley Performance as well.

Holley’s long history of fuel management on domestic vehicles has helped them to develop their EFI systems and they are now used on all NASCAR Sprint Cup Series vehicles. Holley also hosts the Holly LS Fest, an annual event to bring together GM LS enthusiasts. Most recently, Holley has had four of their products inducted into the Hot Rod Magazine Speed Parts Hall of Fame.

“Holley Performance Products is extremely excited to be working with Motovicity. We believe the experience, customer service, inventory support, and overall business determination exhibited by Motovicity in the global performance aftermarket has provided them with a solid foundation for successful growth in the V8 street and performance aftermarket,” said Jason Bruce, VP of Business Development at Holley. “We are looking forward to an excellent relationship,” he continued.

When asked about the partnership with Holley, Motovicity’s Balicki said, “Adding Holley to our line card will help provide our modern muscle customers with a greater number of EFI options, and help our customers make the power they are looking for.”

Bilstein is well known in the motorsports industry for developing the first monotube gas-pressure shock absorber in the 1950’s. Since then, its reputation as a performance shock manufacturer has continued to grow with unique technologies that make them a preferred choice in motorsports.

Those technologies include things like Bilstein-Triple-C-Technology, a 3-layer zinc alloy coating that protects against corrosion, mono-tube gas pressure technology designed to retain fluid damping power under extreme stress, and aluminum spring plates and lock nuts that ensure maximum stability at a minimum weight.

Balicki is excited to add Bilstein to Motovicity’s extensive line card. According to Balicki, “Motovicity is pleased to make the Bilstein brand available to its customers. The partnership allows us to provide our customers with some of the highest quality performance shocks available.”

ADVAN, the performance wheel division of Yokohama, is a premier performance wheel manufacturer from Japan. All ADVAN wheels are engineered and designed with the latest manufacturing techniques and are built with the highest quality materials available. They are all either cast using flow-form techniques, or mold-forged creating the strongest and lightest wheel possible with today’s technology.

Balicki was eager to make ADVAN available to Motovicity's customers. “We are excited to offer ADVAN wheels to our customers. They offer a high quality wheel that is a great addition to any race vehicle, maximizing performance and style,” he said.

Whenever I see a particularly hard crash in one of NASCAR's national touring series, I get to thinking about how far safety has come at the top levels of racing. Changes range from the new soft walls and head & neck restraints to improved seat belts and driver seat designs.   
 
In my own late model race car, I like to think I take advantage of all the new safety technology available to me. But when I look around at some of the other teams at my local tracks, I see a huge lack of emphasis on safety. 
 
Why is that? Why does top-level racing have the latest and greatest in safety equipment and the bottom-level guys don’t?  
 
I believe the answer is a lack of knowledge. You have to know what is available before you can make an educated decision on the purchase of safety gear and equipment.  
 
So whose responsibility is it to make sure local racers know how to be safe? If team owners will not do it themselves, then I believe it becomes the track's job. 
 
With that said, two questions arise: Why are the tracks responsible, and what can they do about it? 
 
Let's address the second question first. For the last year and a half I have worked in industrial supply sales. One strategy we often use is to bring in sales reps from different companies to help sell their products to the customers. This is something track promoters can do at the local level—and it doesn’t matter what kind of racing you are promoting. For example, it wouldn't be hard for a track promoter to set up a free safety training seminar to educate its race teams.  
 
I would love to see track promoters bring in safety equipment vendors, have them display their products, and let them educate race teams on how to use them properly. They could even bring along products to sell at a nice discount. 
 
But safety does not just start and stop in the race car. It starts the moment you unlock the door to the race shop. As someone who owns a business, drives the car and works on his own equipment, I have to be safety-conscious at all times. This includes at the race track, at the race shop, and traveling both to and from the race track. I am potentially liable for the safety of myself, my crew, and anyone else that may be involved in the business. 
 
I am even liable for the safety of visitors to the race shop—so there are legal issues that race team owners could be better educated about.  
 
For track owners and promoters, it would be great to see them take a personal interest in ensuring that the revenue generators that race at their track, week in and week out, are at least educated, and even encouraged to use the latest and greatest safety equipment available. 
 
For team owners, one significant legal issue or, God forbid, a crash, could put you right out of business. You know the old saying, "Safety is everybody's business,” so why not make it part of yours. 
 
Hammer Time Racing, LLC is a father and son race team with 10 years of experience building and racing dirt and asphalt cars in upstate South Carolina. Bryan and Daniel Alvarez are presently competing in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Racing Series LMS Division. Driver Daniel Alvarez also is founder of The Hammer Motorsports Foundation, a non-profit that helps other charities raise funds and promote their causes through motorsports.

Bahrain-based Mrk1 Consulting announced that it has signed an exclusive consultancy agreement with Canadian Motor Speedway (CMS).

“Mrk1 Consulting is recognized within the industry for optimizing and commercializing race circuits to the highest standards, they have truly raised the bar as a result of their work on some of the most modern and revolutionary tracks globally. We are delighted that Mrk1 Consulting will be a strategic partner with us and assist us in taking the planning, construction and operation strategy of CMS forward.” said Mr Azhar Mohammad, CMS Partner & Executive Director.

Canadian Motor Speedway (CMS) will be the first World Class oval speedway to be constructed in Canada and the first multi-racing platform circuit and entertainment complex of its kind in North America.

The development sits within Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada and is 15 minutes from iconic Niagara Falls and minutes from the Buffalo, New York border. The full development is over 823 acres and as well as the oval race circuit there will also be a road course, 65,000 seat grandstand, connected commercial and retail development, a technology park, activity zones and a hotel.

Mark Hughes, Mrk1 Consulting founder and managing director said, “This is an extraordinary project to be involved with. I’ve been closely associated with the CMS executive team for 7 years and to now start integrating with the core management team as we move into the next stage of the project is thrilling. This development will trigger huge job creation, increase tourism and have an enormous economic impact on the Town of Fort Erie, the region of Niagara Falls and the Province of Ontario.”

Mrk1 Consulting is a motorsport venue consultancy based in the Kingdom of Bahrain with clients in China, Thailand, Russia, the UK, the US and Azerbaijan.

The AAM Group honored Competition Specialties, Inc., as its 2015 Warehouse Distributor of the Year at its Annual Membership Meeting, held May 11–14 in St. Louis. Each year AAM makes this selection based on five key metrics of member participation: Product Line Compliance, Marketing Participation, Growth As a Percentage, Active Participation and Participation in Group Buys. Ken Woomer, CSI president, accepted a custom-made billet aluminum trophy and an exclusive painting commissioned from automotive artist Jim Caswell on behalf of his company.

Woomer remarked, “We are humbled to receive this award because of our great respect for AAM’s WD members, who we believe represent the industry's best.  I’m also grateful to all of CSI’s devoted, resourceful and intelligent employees who work tirelessly to achieve—and sometimes exceed—AAM’s most valued standards. On behalf of everyone at CSI, I am truly thrilled to accept this award.”

AAM President Tim Odom said, “We are very pleased to honor Competition Specialties with this year’s award. Ken Woomer and his team have fully embraced AAM’s program elements and taken them to market. In just two years as a member, they have demonstrated a desire to lead within AAM by example, and I’m certain their business and their customers’ businesses have benefited as a result.”

The AAM meeting also saw awards given to the individual winners in each of the aforementioned categories. Recipients included Earl Owen Company (Product Line Compliance), Tri-State Enterprises, Inc., (Growth As a Percentage and Participation in Group Buys), National Performance Warehouse (Active Participation) and CSI, which took home the Marketing Participation award in addition to its overall win.

Automotive Accessories Marketing USA, Inc., (The AAM Group) is the largest distribution group in the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) marketplace. Now in its 28th year, the corporation was founded by eight high-performance warehouse distributors that sought to achieve cooperative scaled purchasing and marketing advantages. The AAM Group now counts 20 member-companies operating 33 distribution centers throughout North America.

WELD Racing has announced its sponsorship of the third annual WELD Racing Go-Kart Spectacular at the 2015 FVP Knoxville (Iowa) Nationals on August 12, 2015. The event is held in conjunction with the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation, which also supports the fourth-annual Tony Stewart Kick-it Cup to be held that week. To honor Jeff Gordon's long and illustrious racing career, which included winged and non-winged sprints from 1985 to 1990, the week's events will be old-school with a reference to the 1980s.

Events begin at Slideways Karting Center in Knoxville on Wednesday, August 12, with an all-star lineup of NASCAR and former sprint car drivers racing their biggest fans. NASCAR champions Gordon and Stewart, as well as 17-time Sprint Cup winner, Kasey Kahne, and Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year Kyle Larson, will race against 50 race fans in Slideways' fastest winged karts. The 50 spots available for race fans, at $400 per person, sold out in less than two hours. Fans can still attend the event and get more information when they visit: http://www.kick-it.org/games/2015/08/third-annual-weld-racing-go-kart-spectatular.

"Last year, we certainly had a lot of fun and raised a tremendous amount of money for Kick-It and pediatric cancer research," said Gordon. "It was pretty darn cool battling Tony Stewart, Kyle Larson and Kasey Kahne on a slick go-kart track. I can't wait for this year's event."

All proceeds from the week's Kick-It events will go to Kick-It, a program and partner of the Jeff Gordon Children's Foundation, which raises money for pediatric cancer research.

“WELD Racing is excited to partner once again with the Jeff Gordon Children's Foundation to sponsor this fun-filled go kart race that helps raise money for the serious cause of battling children's cancer," said Norm Young, president and CEO, WELD. "We are longtime supporters of sprint car racing and thank the loyal fans and racers for the many ways they have supported this important cause."

Other events during the week include a celebrity kickball game and a live and silent auction. For more information on the kickball game and auction, including confirmed players and auction items as they are listed, please visit http://www.kick-it.org/games/2015/08/4th-annual-tony-stewart-kick-it-cup.

Champion Oil has announced its new distributor program that allows engine builders to offer the complete line of Champion products to their customers.

“Champion’s motor oils for passenger, racing, collector and vintage cars, as well as diesel applications, and our hydraulic and gear oils, greases, additives, chemicals and aerosols can be packaged to meet each engine builder’s unique needs. We can start wherever the engine builder wants and help build a small pipeline of inventory,” explained Champion spokesperson Karl Dedolph III. “We will offer, upon request, a suggestion of inventory specifically designed for their particular market and offer resources designed to help them build mixed inventories to maximize   pricing and freight costs."

Interactive product catalogs can be found at www.championbrands.com/interactivecatalogs.html.

Minimum orders are one pallet, which can be mixed. Every full pallet order gets free freight. Payments are done by credit card, wire transfer, or open account net 30 for approved accounts. Orders are normally filled and shipped within 48 hours.

“In addition, Champion will do a series of press releases, web information, social media, etc. announcing your engine building business to your customers and to a data base of prospects within a 1000 mile radius. ,” Dedolph said. “Technical Support, banners, pop-ups, POP and collateral material will also be supplied. Champion will forward all leads and incentive promotions, as well as training materials, PowerPoints, scheduled events, as well.”

Champion Racing Oils are built specifically to meet the lubrication demands of hot rod, street rod, classic and muscle car engines, especially those using flat tappet and roller cams operating at high RPMs and requiring high-pressure valve springs. To meet these demands, Champion utilizes its premium ZDDP anti-wear protection package, which contains a unique balance of chemistry that includes high levels of zinc and phosphorus.

In addition, all Champion Racing Motor Oils contain an exclusive TVS (Thermal Viscosity Stabilizer) technology. This proprietary technology is formulated to deliver film strength at high temperature, better piston ring seal for maximum compression, and increases horsepower and torque in most engines.

Jeff Gordon will join Fox as a full-time analyst in 2016, teaming with Mike Joy and Darrell Waltrip in the three-man booth.

Gordon is retiring at the end of this season and signed a multi-year contract with Fox. The four-time NASCAR champion is in 23rd full-time year in the Sprint Cup Series.

"NASCAR has provided me so many incredible memories, experiences and opportunities throughout my 23 years as a driver, and I can't wait to start a new chapter in racing with this new relationship with Fox," Gordon said. "I feel so lucky to be a part of a sport that I'm very passionate about, and now I get the opportunity to share that passion to millions of race fans from a whole new perspective."

Gordon has already been an analyst in the Fox booth for three Xfinity Series races this season. He will begin his new job later this year by giving in-race reports during select races.

Gordon qualified 18th for Sunday night's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He said he wanted to stay involved in NASCAR and the view from the booth is a good way to do that.

"Kind of like the best of both worlds," Gordon said. "I can step away as a driver and still be a part of it."

Gordon's first race in the booth will be next February from Daytona International Speedway. He will replace Larry McReynolds, who will move to an in-race analyst role alongside Michael Waltrip and host Chris Myers.

Eric Shanks, president of Fox Sports, believes adding Gordon to the booth gives viewers a perspective they haven't seen in some time. He noted how Gordon won the pole for the Cup race at Talladega earlier this month, then immediately went to the booth to comment on the Xfinity Series race.

"The things that you see and are able to tell the fans and observe for the fans, when you are that close, and that relevant, from getting out of the car, is really unique," Shanks said. "It's great to be able to get somebody who will be able to tell you exactly what it's like to try to pass Kevin Harvick or hold off Kevin Harvick."

Gordon's reach expands far beyond racing. He's largely credited with bringing NASCAR to a mainstream audience, and he's the only driver to ever host "Saturday Night Live." He's been a co-host on "Live! With Regis and Kelly" more than 10 times, and has appeared as himself on "The Simpsons," ''Spin City" and "The Drew Carey Show."

Gordon said he's grown more comfortable after each race he's called and is ready to do the work necessary to make a good broadcaster.

"There was an adrenaline being in the booth," Gordon said. "It's exciting."

Kyle LeValley has been named Director of Corporate Sales for the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), announced Gary Darcy, NHRA senior vice president of sales and marketing.

LeValley joins the NHRA after serving as the director of development for OTT Communications in Louisville, Kentucky, where he negotiated sponsorship agreements for a variety of clients. Prior to that, LeValley’s work experience includes sponsorship and sales roles at Churchill Downs, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Anheuser-Busch Sales Company of Denver, among others.

In his new position, LeValley will be responsible for driving new corporate partnership sales opportunities across all NHRA racing series and sponsorship platforms.

“We are pleased to welcome Kyle to the NHRA sales force,” Darcy said. “He brings a great mix of skills to the team through his past work experiences and has a reputation for being very creative in his sales efforts. I am confident he will be able to add value to our sales initiatives right away.”

LeValley received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Northern Colorado and holds a master’s degree in Hospitality Administration with a concentration in Sports Management from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). He recently relocated to the Southern California area from Kentucky.

“I am looking forward to this opportunity with NHRA,” LeValley said. “My focus will be centered on developing quality business relationships by generating results-oriented sales programs, with the end goal being to provide a great return on investment for our sponsorship partners while at the same time increasing sales revenue for NHRA.”