Ready to increase your car's horsepower and speed? Then it's time to update your exhaust system. Grand Bending's dedicated team has worked hard to create the highest-quality bends and components for custom and high-performance exhaust systems for race cars, plus car and truck restyling and restorations, for over 20 years. Its CNC bending and fabrication capabilities enable them to provide components of various configurations to meet even the most specific requirements. Product offerings include short bends ranging in size from 1 1/2" OD through 5" OD and in-bend radii from 2 1/2" through 7 3/4".  

The tubing material used in your exhaust system can make a difference in weight and speed, which is why Grand Bending offers an array of materials, including aluminized and galvanized carbon steel, carbon steel, aluminum, and stainless steel. Grand Bending also maintains a large inventory of straight sections of all these materials to satisfy your tubing and pipe requirements. Capabilities include compound bends, welded fabrications, expansion, swaging, and beading. 

Grand Bending's dedicated and knowledgeable team works with warehouse distributors, retailers, and individual race teams. If you're looking for a serious advantage over your competition, you won't find a group more obsessed with sweet bends than the one at Grand Bending. 

Need more info? Let's chat. Call or email Grand Bending today! 

Website: grandbending.com
Phone: 770-426-0734
Email: sales@grandbending.com
Address: 1092 West Atlanta Street, SE, Bldg. 1200
Marietta, Georgia 30060

Grand Bending is a division of Morris Coupling Company. 

Image courtesy of USRA, USMTS

Officials from the United States Modified Touring Series (USMTS) and United States Racing Association (USRA) have announced Erick Chesterman as the director of Track Operations. He will oversee communication between the dozens of race tracks operating under the Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series banner and serve as the lead announcer at USMTS events. 

“I can’t wait to be a part of the best weekly sanctioning body in dirt racing and the best Modified touring series in the country,” said Chesterman. 

Chesterman, who comes from 81 Speedway (Park City, Kansas) and Humboldt Speedway (Humboldt, Kansas), replaces Bryce Hall, now the general manager of the all-new Arrowhead Speedway in Colcord, Oklahoma. That track will host Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series events on Friday nights and the Summit USMTS National Championship presented by RacinDirt in November.

USRA’s 2023 season opens with the second annual Darty Smith Memorial at Thunder Valley Speedway (Glenmora, Louisiana) on February 24–25, followed by the USMTS season opener, the 13th annual Summit Spring Nationals at Rocket Raceway Park (Petty, Texas) on March 2–3.

For more information, visit usraracing.com or the USMTS Facebook page.

Penn Yan, New York-based fastener manufacturer OptiTorque Technologies has announced Brock White as vice president of Performance Sales & Marketing. Based in North Texas, he will support sales and marketing efforts to help increase reach to accounts and events throughout the US, the company stated. 

White brings over 20 years of high-performance and motorsports experience to the newly created role. His prior experience is diverse across high-performance and racing disciplines, including import vehicles, drifting, and budget endurance racing.  

For more information, visit optitorque.com.

Image courtesy of NHRA, JCM Racing

NHRA team owners Joe and Cathi Maynard have launched the JCM Racing Driver Development program and announced its 2023 lineup of drivers. 

Junior drag racer Waylon Bennett, 10; Super Comp driver Kayleigh Hill, 21; and Super Stock racer Wyatt Wagner, 21, make up JCM Racing’s inaugural class of developmental drivers, which was created “to offer young racers the opportunity to hone in and perfect their driving and sponsor relation skills as they work towards a career of competing in the NHRA’s professional ranks.”

Drivers will receive funding to help offset their operational costs, but the “true value” lies within the access to the JCM Racing team leaders, drivers, and resources. JCM Racing also campaigns two Camping World Drag Racing Series entries piloted by Tony Schumacher and Tim Wilkerson. 

“At any time, our developmental drivers can call upon Tim or Tony and receive guidance from two of the greats. They have a direct line to our front office staff and can consult with them on how to interact with sponsors or ask for advice on things such as putting a marketing deck together...” said Joe Maynard. 

Details for the 2024 program—which will be limited to Jr. Drag Racing League competitors, one driver per division—will be announced on the @JCMNitro Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages at a later date.

For more information, visit the announcement here or visit jcmnitro.com.

Officials with Sonoma Raceway—the road course and drag strip located in Sonoma, California and owned by Speedway Motorsports—have appointed NASCAR industry veteran Karen Davis as the vice president of Marketing and Events.

“I am thrilled to take on this new role at Sonoma Raceway as it rounds out my professional experience in motorsports marketing with the view of the promoter,” said Davis.

Davis joins Sonoma Raceway after a role at DoorDash as senior manager, Partnership Marketing, where she managed sponsor activation relationships with NASCAR and operations of team and driver marketing efforts. For 20 years prior, she worked in strategic partnership and marketing management in and around the NASCAR racing series. She was senior director, Partnership Marketing at Stewart-Haas Racing, and prior to that was the senior manager at NASCAR, where she oversaw partnerships with Fortune 500 companies managing large-scale VIP events for brands like NASCAR, NASCAR Hall of Fame, Sprint Nextel, and Winston.

Sonoma Raceway celebrates its 25th season this year and will feature the Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Cup Series event on Sunday, June 11.

For more information, visit sonomaraceway.com.

NASCAR has announced a new Campus Lab Program that will launch in the fall semester at Bethune-Cookman University based in Daytona Beach, Florida. This program targets students interested in pursuing careers in the fast-paced sports industry and will provide them with hands-on experience through a specialized curriculum.

“The NASCAR Campus Lab Program will provide B-CU students with direct access to NASCAR and the world of motor sports through experiential learning, mentoring, and professional support. We believe this kind of exposure will not only help our students further develop the skills and competencies they need to compete in the 21st century knowledge economy, but will open their minds to an industry that probably wasn’t previously in their consideration set,” said Dr. Lawrence M. Drake, interim president at Bethune-Cookman University.

Students selected for the new program will develop a marketing activation while managing a set budget provided by NASCAR, compete in a case study competition, get a behind-the-scenes view of careers throughout the industry, be paired with a mentor from NASCAR’s Black employee resource group, and receive resume and interview tips from human resources professionals. Upon completion, NASCAR will provide participating students with a scholarship prize, and at least one eligible student will earn a spot in the highly competitive NASCAR Diversity Internship Program for the upcoming summer. 

The NASCAR Campus Lab Program is open to sophomores and above at Bethune-Cookman University with a business major, minor, or concentration who have a demonstrated interest in working in the sports industry. Additional program details, including application information, are available through the Bethune-Cookman University College of Business and Entrepreneurship.

For more information, visit nascar.com. 

The North Carolina Motorsports Association (NCMA) has announced Greg Walter has been named chairman of the NCMA Board of Directors. Walter is the executive vice president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina.

Walter will step into the role previously held by Greg Fornelli, president of Stock Car Steel & Aluminum/SRI. 

During his three-year term, Walter will lead the NCMA in its mission to promote and protect the motorsports industry in North Carolina, build connections between key stakeholders, and foster strong relationships to help provide legislative and regulatory representation at both the state and local levels.

A longtime industry veteran with more than 20 years of experience in motorsports, Hendrick Motorsports Chief Financial Officer and Vice President Scott Lampe will serve as the Board’s vice chair.

For more information, visit the announcement here or visit northcarolinamotorsportsassociation.org.

DeatschWerks—the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma-based high-performance fuel systems manufacturer—has appointed Matt Patrick as its technical director. 

In this newly created role, Patrick will lead the company’s product development, product management, engineering, and technical support functions.

“Matt’s extensive engineering and product development experience will enable DeatschWerks to launch more innovative and impactful products both in aftermarket fuel systems and beyond,” said David Deatsch, founder and president of DeatschWerks. 

Patrick, with 25 years of industry experience, most recently served as the vice president of Product Development at Edelbrock, based in Olive Branch, Mississippi. Prior experience also includes positions like Zex Product Manager, Lunati Commercial Manager, FAST Product Manager, and COMP Cams Group Director of Product Development. 

Patrick has also been awarded several patents related to nitrous oxide injection and engine valve train technology, according to the company. 

For more information, visit deatschwerks.com.

Mechanix Wear—the Valencia, California-based designer and manufacturer of high-performance work gloves—has announced Jesse Spungin has been promoted from president and chief operating officer (COO) to chief executive officer (CEO). Former CEO Michael Hale will transition to the position of vice chairman of the board. 

“My journey with Mechanix Wear has been incredibly rewarding, and I’m extremely proud of what we have all built together. I look forward to remaining actively engaged in the brand and advancing M&A activities, while working alongside the Board and supporting Jesse as he takes on his new responsibilities,” said Hale. 

Spungin first joined Mechanix Wear in 2019 and has been responsible for leading global sales, marketing, and operations. Prior to joining the company, he was president at K&N Engineering.

Mechanix Wear was founded in 1991 by Jim Hale and is a portfolio company of Gryphon Investors, a leading middle-market private equity firm.

For more information, visit mechanix.com.

Michelle Lackey Maynor, co-owner and president of Alaska Raceway Park in Palmer, Alaska, has announced that the first-ever Alaska Speed Week is set for June 11–16.

Dubbed the “toughest and most scenic Drag-And-Drive event,” Alaska Speed Week will be supported by Sick the Mag, which hosts the iconic Sick Week at venues across Florida and Georgia. The announcement occurred on the final day of this year’s Sick Week at Orlando Speedworld in Orlando, Florida. 

Alaska Raceway Park is an NHRA-sanctioned 1/4-mile drag strip owned and operated by Earl and Karen Lackey and the aforementioned Lackey Maynor. In 2016, the facility also debuted a 1/3-mile asphalt oval track sanctioned by the NASCAR weekly racing.

More details are expected to be announced at a later date.

For more information, visit raceak.com or visit the Alaska Speed Week Instagram here.