John M. Stropki, Jr., the former Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc., passed away on Saturday, May 11, at the age of 68.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors and the entire Lincoln Electric family worldwide, we extend our deepest condolences to John’s family at this difficult time,” Christopher L. Mapes, current Lincoln Electric Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer said. “John was not only an icon at Lincoln Electric, but was one of the most respected leaders in our industry. His relentless passion for the company, its customers and the industry left an indelible mark that will continue to live on forever.”

Stropki had a successful career at Lincoln Electric for 41 years and served as the company’s seventh CEO from 2004 to 2012. Stropki started at Lincoln Electric as a summer intern while attending college and rose through the sales organization to become Executive Vice President and President, North America in 1996. He joined the Board of Directors in 1998 and was promoted to Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer in 2004.

During his tenure, Stropki transformed operations, oversaw numerous acquisitions and product innovations, and expanded Lincoln Electric’s global footprint.

Stropki served on the Boards of The Sherwin-Williams Company, Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, Inc. and Rexnord Corporation. He also dedicated his time and efforts to support numerous industry associations and non-profit organizations, including University Hospitals.
 
Stropki earned a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from Purdue University and an MBA degree from Indiana University.

For more information on Lincoln Electric, visit the website here.

Registration for the 2019 Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show is now open at prishow.com. With links to Indianapolis-area hotel rooms at exclusive discounted rates as well as a sign-up page for PRI’s expanded educational program, the online application makes it easy and convenient for motorsports professionals to prepare for the Three Biggest Business Days in Racing, December 12-14 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.  

By registering early, buyers and exhibitors will receive their credentials before the Show — beginning in October — allowing them to bypass lines at the registration desk and save time on site. Journalists covering the PRI Show will be able to pick up their credentials on site in the PRI Trade Show Media Center. Located in the Convention Center’s Green Hall, the Media Center is available exclusively to credentialed media and offers Wi-Fi, printer access, and work tables, among other amenities.
 
“The 32nd annual PRI Show will feature every type of racing discipline in a single location, with over 1,100 companies exhibiting in more than 3,300 booths,” said PRI Trade Show Director Karin Davidson. “Attendees are encouraged to register and book a hotel today to see the latest products, services, machinery, simulation and testing technologies, and trailers available for the racing industry.”

New for this year, the online application includes an integrated sign-up page for PRI Education. Taking place before and during Show hours, PRI’s educational programming has more than tripled for 2019, with over two-dozen seminars broken out into tracks like Sales & Marketing, Business Operations, International, and more. The lineup of expert presenters and industry will be unlike anything that’s ever been offered at PRI.
 
Also new in 2019, trailer exhibitors will have more space indoors to display their product lineups and conduct business as they move onto the field of Lucas Oil Stadium. The Lucas Oil Exhibit Area, where trailer exhibitors showcased their products last year, will continue to house PRI’s Featured Products Showcase, a high-traffic display that gives exhibitors and attendees unprecedented product access and exposure for the hottest products in racing and performance.
 
“The industry-exclusive PRI Show attracts tens of thousands of attendees from all 50 states and over 70 countries, including professional race teams, retail shops, warehouse distributors, engine builders, fabricators, dealers, installers, jobbers and media,” said Davidson. “It is the perfect place for attendees and journalists to connect with industry experts and companies serving all types of motorsports.”

Numerous conferences and seminars, among them the Race Track Business Conference and International Council of Motorsport Sciences’ Annual Congress, offer unlimited business opportunities and provide invaluable insight on the latest technologies and how to apply them throughout the racing world. Furthermore, special features like the Grand Opening Breakfast and Machinery Row make PRI the ideal event for motorsports pros to connect and discover what’s trending ahead of the new racing season.
 
Known as Race Industry Week, the days leading up to and including the Show will offer a range of motorsports-related activities in and around the Indiana Convention Center beginning on Monday, December 9.
 
To register for the 2019 PRI Trade Show, secure hotel reservations, and sign up for free business seminars, log on to prishow.com.

NHRA officials have announced the 24-race 2020 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule, which will again feature races at tracks across the country.

Throughout the season, NHRA will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of Pro Stock class. Fans will experience special features along the tour to commemorate this important category and honor its history.

A special highlight on the 2020 tour will be the 60th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals, which will kick off the 2020 season at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, Calif. Feb. 6-9. and the 40th annual NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta will take place May 15-17.

Other milestone events include the 20th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals June 19-21 in Bristol, Tenn., the 35th annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals at fan-favorite Texas Motorplex Oct. 15-18 and the 20th annual Dodge NHRA Nationals Oct.29-Nov.1 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

As always, the 2020 season will conclude with the Auto Club NHRA Finals, Nov. 12-15 at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona.

Competition schedules for individual categories will be released this summer.  

For the NHRA Mello Yello Series Regular Season 2020 Schedule, visit the NHRA webpage here.

Image courtesy of NHRA

After a 35 year absence, the Dutch Grand Prix at the Zandvoort track in the Netherlands will return to the Formula One calendar in 2020 at Circuit Zandvoort.

An agreement was recently signed between Formula One officials and the Dutch Grand Prix—a partnership formed by SportVibes, TIG Sports and the Circuit Zandvoort—which will see the race run through at least 2023.

Heineken, a longstanding global partner of Formula One, will be the title sponsor of the event.

“From the beginning of our tenure in Formula One, we said we wanted to race in new venues, while also respecting the sport’s historic roots in Europe. Next season, therefore, we will have a brand new street race that will be held in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi, as well the return to Zandvoort, after an absence of 35 years; a track that has contributed to the popularity of the sport all over the world,” Formula One Chairman and CEO Chase Carey said.

Circuit Zandvoort has a long history as a Formula One venue, and over the coming months, the facility will be rebuilt with help from Zandvoort town council and several other partners. The track and the infrastructure will be modified to meet the standards laid out by the FIA in order to host a Formula One event.

When the 2020 race takes place, it will be the 31st Dutch Grand Prix to count as a round of the World Championship.

For more information, visit the Formula 1 website.

Photo courtesy of Formula 1

Vegas Superkarts (VSK) by Exotics Racing has opened a brand-new karting attraction in Las Vegas.

Enthusiasts can now drive the new fleet of 4-stroke, gas-powered Sodikart SR5 270 CCs at the new track near Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Individual sprint and endurance races with multiple rounds and formats take place Friday evenings at 6 p.m. A winter and summer seasonal series will also award one champion a $500 racing credit for Exotics Racing.

“This experience is nothing like you’ve seen before—our fleet of go-karts reach top of speeds of over 40 MPH around a track with a variety of straightaways and technical turns,” David Perisset said, who is the co-founder of Vegas Superkarts by Exotics Racing.  

The vehicles with Sodikart SR5 4-stroke gas engines feature a full floor covering with 2D adjustable pedals so that drivers can easily adjust the pedal distance.

The 2,100-foot long outdoor asphalt track, which was explicitly designed for karts, includes 14 turns and sharp hairpins, fast acceleration straightaways and professional safety barriers. Up to 12 karts can simultaneously race on the track.

Guests may also download the Vegas Superkarts app, which features online registration and live rankings, enabling guests to compare their times and ranks against past drivers’ records.

For more information, including special Las Vegas resident and US military pricing, visit the Vegas Superkarts website. For more on the Friday night races, visit here.

Image courtesy of Vegas Superkarts by Exotics Racing

The United States and China have embarked on a trade war following a break down in negotiations. The 10% tariffs imposed last September on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports rose to 25% on May 10, 2019. However, the tariff hikes will not take effect until June 1, 2019, for products shipped before the deadline on May 10 but still in transit to the US. 
 
The so-called “List 3” group of Chinese imports includes many auto parts, from engines and metal fasteners to tires, steering wheel components, rubber gaskets, transmission belts, brake pads, windshields and suspension springs. The Trump Administration had already imposed 25% tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese imports in July and August 2018. “List 1” and “List 2” goods include some miscellaneous metal and rubber parts for auto equipment, machinery, tools and measurement devices.
 
China had already imposed retaliatory tariffs in the amount of 5% and 10% on $60 billion worth of US goods. Most of these levies will increase to 10%, 20% and 25% and include many agriculture products. The tariffs will stay at 5% for a few categories including vehicle parts.
 
US/Chinese negotiations continue despite the tariff wars, with the June 1 effective date allowing a little hope for a truce. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet at the G20 summit on June 28-29, 2019.
 
The trade talks were reportedly nearing completion until a disagreement on how to end the practice of forced technology transfers whereby US companies are coerced into sharing technology trade secrets with their Chinese business partners. There is also a dispute on how to enforce the agreement, with the US wanting to keep some tariffs in place for at least six months while compliance is demonstrated.
 
US and Chinese officials are reportedly drafting six separate agreements covering agriculture, services, non-tariff barriers, currency, intellectual property rights and forced technology transfers, and cybersecurity. If talks break down further, President Trump has threatened to impose 25% tariffs on the remaining $325 billion worth of “List 4” Chinese products as soon as the end of June. Public comments on the List 4 tariffs are due June 17, 2019.
 
For more information, visit the SEMA website or contact SEMA’s Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

Image courtesy of Auto Care Association

Penrite Oil will become the naming-rights sponsor of one of the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship's flagship events, the Penrite Oil Sandown 500, this season.

The two-year deal covering 2019 and 2020 was announced today at the historic Melbourne circuit, which will host the final stop of the PIRTEK Enduro Cup on November 8-10, and Supercars' annual retro round.

As part of the deal, Penrite continues as the official Oil and Lubricant partner of the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 and will have significant brand presence and activations at both events.

"Penrite Oil has a strong pedigree in motorsport and has provided unwavering support of Australian-based teams, drivers and organizations from a raft of motorsport disciplines over the past 90 years," Supercars General Manager – Commercial Jamie Black said.

"As a company entrenched in Supercars it is a logical step to add naming rights to one of the biggest races in Australia’s biggest category to its brand portfolio.

"We’re proud to continue to build a strong partnership through today’s announcement of the Penrite Oil Sandown 500."

The 100 percent Australian family-owned company's commitment at the Penrite Oil Sandown 500 follows its expanded backing of Erebus Motorsport in 2019.

A partnership that started late in the 2015 season now includes both of the team's Holdens, for Bathurst winner David Reynolds and Anton De Pasquale, under the Penrite Racing banner.

"Our family grew up with a great interest in all forms of motorsport and our staff share our passion," Penrite Oil General Manager Toby Dymond, above with Supercars CEO Sean Seamer, said.

"Many of us have even raced at this track and so our association with Melbourne's home of motorsport, Sandown, makes sense to us.

"Penrite has grown from humble beginning to today, being a leading Australian oil brand.
"We are proud to employ over 250 people, export to more than 35 different countries and continue to manufacture right here, on Australian soil."

Sandown moves from the first to third and final leg of the Enduro Cup this year, following Bathurst and the Vodafone Gold Coast 600 in October.

As part of the shift to November, the 2019 Penrite Oil Sandown 500 will support Movember, including a 'retro barber bar' at the event, where a gold coin donation will go towards the charity.

The bulk of the Enduro Cup seats have been locked in, headlined by Craig Lowndes and Garth Tander taking on co-driver roles at the Red Bull Holden Racing Team.

Michael Caruso has joined Tickford Racing, while Steven Richards has switched to IRWIN Racing after winning the 2018 Great Race with Lowndes.

Last month, it was revealed that the 2020 edition of the Dakar will take place in Saudi Arabia, marking a shift away from the South American continent for the first time since 2007.

It will also signify the second year in succession that the rally-raid has taken place within the borders of one country, after this year's event was held entirely within Peru.

Although Saudi Arabia has a five-year agreement to host the Dakar, Castera says the rally's organizers, the ASO, are already looking into which other countries could join the route in 2021.

Jordan—which borders Saudi Arabia to the northwest—is considered the main contender, although Egypt is another possibility.

"[The agreement with Saudi Arabia] is five years, but in the second [year] it will open to other countries," Castera told selected media. "Only the first year will be 100 percent in Saudi Arabia, and then we will evaluate other countries, too.

"For example, there is Jordan. I've been talking with their representatives these days and they've asked me to go there. In other words, there are countries that want to enter and we have the opportunity to do so. Egypt is very close [to Saudi Arabia].

"It is true that it is not so simple, but it is clear that there are other countries that can enter,” Castera concluded.

Hosting stages in Egypt would involve the Dakar crossing the Gulf of Aqaba to reach the Sinai region, or crossing the Red Sea to the south.

Egypt previously hosted the rally in 2000, when the rally began in the Senegalese capital that gave it its name and ended in Cairo, and in 2003, when Sharm el Sheikh temporarily replaced Dakar as the event's finishing point.

Solon, Ohio-based Permatex, a supplier of chemical technology for automotive maintenance and repair, has announced the reorganization of its Traditional Sales Force. The new alignment was driven by the evolving needs of the marketplace and puts Permatex in a better position to service its traditional channel partners and keep them up to date with the company’s latest programs, promotions, and new product offerings, the company noted.

Recently appointed Director of Sales, Daniel Clarke, made the announcement and will oversee the new organization. “Over the past two years, we have been assessing our approach to the traditional channel and determined that it was time to make some changes based on market trends we noticed,” Clarke said. “To that end, we put a new organization in place that is in the ideal position to meet and exceed the goals of our channel partners and ensure our continued success.”

Permatex’s new Traditional Sales Channel Organization will be handled in four key segments: OE and Aftermarket Parts Manufacturers, Automotive Distributors, Heavy Duty Distributors and Service Providers, and Specialty Distributors.

OE and Aftermarket Parts Manufacturers and Specialty Distributors
Doug Johnson, National Account Manager, will oversee the OE and Aftermarket Part Manufacturers and Specialty Distributors. This includes Marine and Powersports. Johnson has been with Permatex for 19 years and has served as Regional Manager for the Traditional Aftermarket, Sales Manager Groups & Special Markets, and Account Executive Key Accounts.

Automotive Distributors
The Automotive Distributors segment will be handled by Jeff Morgan, newly promoted National Account Manager of Automotive Groups and Eric Dutra, National Account Sales Manager. Morgan has worked at Permatex since 2000, serving in a variety of roles including Account Manager–Southeast US, Account Manager–Key Accounts, and National Sales Manager–Groups and Key Accounts. He will be responsible for major automotive parts groups as well as independent automotive buying groups. Dutra has over 20 years-experience in the automotive aftermarket. Previously, he was Director of Sales for Justice Brothers Inc., Channel Sales Manager for Pace Edwards Company, and Western Regional Sales Manager for Berryman Products.

Heavy Duty Distributors and Service Providers
The heavy duty group will be led by Ben Patterson, National Account Manager–Heavy Duty Segment. Patterson has worked for Permatex for over 30 years in a number of capacities including District Manager, Senior District Manager, and National Account Manager. He will handle all heavy-duty customers, while managing dealer direct programs and implementing an aggressive marketing campaign throughout all levels of distribution. He will also oversee buying groups and guide the rep agencies.

All of the teams will be supported by Curtis Haines, Inside Technical Sales Support, and Caitlin Hendrix, Inside Sales Representative.

For more information, visit permatex.com.

Mike Mittler, a longtime team owner in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series, has died after a battle with cancer. He was 67.

Mittler’s MB Motorsports team was heralded as a launching pad for many aspiring drivers, some of whom reached the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski, Jamie McMurray and Regan Smith were among the 49 drivers on MB Motorsports’ all-time roster under Mittler’s watch. Many paid tribute to their former team owner Friday evening as the news spread of his passing.

Mittler is credited with 301 career starts as a team owner in the Gander Trucks circuit, dating back to the inaugural season in 1995. His closest brush with victory came with dirt-track ace Bobby Pierce, who won two straight pole positions at Eldora Speedway and finished second driving Mittler’s No. 63 in the midsummer event on dirt in 2015.

That 2015 race at Eldora was Pierce’s first career Gander Trucks start. He chased dirt ace Christopher Bell—then a prospect, now a burgeoning superstar—all over Eldora’s half-mile dirt oval before bringing his battered truck across the line second.

“I thought if it stayed green, we’d have every opportunity to work (Bell) and get by him, but it just didn’t go that way, “Mittler told NASCAR.com after that race. “I just thought, ‘Wow, what a phenomenal opportunity after 20 years, to be in position to finally have an opportunity to win a race.’

“That’s why you’re in this sport, to be in contention to win. It wasn’t a fluke. We were there all day. It was no fluke at all. The kid’s the real deal. He said this is a dream come true for him, and it is for me, too.”

In addition to his career as a team owner, Mittler was a prominent supplier of racing equipment through his Mittler Brothers company. Mittler Brothers—which provides metal working tools, metal fabrication equipment, race car scales and other related auto equipment—is a longtime PRI Show and SEMA Show exhibitor.

Among those offering memories and well-wishes over the weekend were Brad Keselowski, Kenny Wallace, Jamie McMurray, Clint Bowyer and David Ragan.

Photo courtesy of @jamiemcmurray