Mt. Gilead, Ohio-based Lubrication Specialties Inc. (LSI), manufacturer of Hot Shot’s Secret fuel and oil additives, has named Carmen Fiordirosa as the company’s new director of e-commerce.

In the newly created role, Fiordirosa, who is based in Chicago, Illinois, will collaborate with cross-functional partners to grow e-commerce sales for multiple markets by ensuring a consistent brand message, robust content and online account support. Responsibilities will include business development and strategy, website and social media content and development, promotional campaigns, online marketing, website design, customer service, web analytics and technologies.

Prior to joining LSI, Fiordiorsa served as the director of marketing for CleanTools, Inc. in Westmont, Illinois, where she was responsible for developing brand strategy and content marketing, as well as providing account management for distributors and suppliers across the automotive aftermarket, marine and pet markets.

For more information about Lubrication Specialties Inc., visit ubricationspecialties.com.

Grand Rapids, Michigan-based ACL Distribution has named Larry Berger Jr. product manager for the company’s new line of Ajusa-brand gaskets.

In his new role, Berger will be responsible for the gasket line’s distribution—including selling, marketing and procurement—in the US and Canada, and will also oversee the sales activities of ACL’s sales rep force.

Berger joins ACL from Heartland Sales, a manufacturers representative firm specializing in the marketing of engine parts in the Midwest.

Ajusa is a Spanish gasket manufacturer and a top supplier of gaskets for Asian and European engines in Europe. The manufacturer has designated ACL as its master distributor for the US and Canada; its gaskets are currently available from ACL’s distribution center in Grand Rapids, and will soon be distributed throughout its warehouse network.

For more information on ACL Distribution, visit aclus.com.

The MAHLE Group is set to acquire the Behr Hella Service GmbH, its current joint venture with Hella.

Upon the acquisition, MAHLE will distribute Behr Hella Service products via its own aftermarket organization.

A transitional period is scheduled to take place through the end of 2019, with MAHLE fully managing the spare parts business for thermal management products on its own beginning in 2020.

Still subject to approval by antitrust authorities, MAHLE and Hella’s agreement means MAHLE will take over Hella’s 50 percent share in the joint venture.

The Behr Hella Service GmbH joint venture was established in 2005 to market and distribute cooling and air conditioning products for the automotive aftermarket. MAHLE’s takeover of business activities allows it to offer all thermal management products from a single source to wholesalers and workshops.

The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) has announced that Jeff Conley is now NHRA director of techinical services, moving on from his previous position as NHRA's North Central (Division 3) director; Atlanta Dragway General Manager William Tharpe subsequently takes over the role of Division 3 director.

Conley joined the NHRA in 2007 as a member of the certi cation team. In 2013 he became operations and track manager at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, Indiana. Before joining the NHRA, Conley held a number of positions in motorsports including event coordinator and national tech director for NMCA and NMRA.

As Division 3 director, Tharpe has moved to Indianapolis and is serving NHRA tracks in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio. Prior to managing NHRA-owned Atlanta Dragway, he served as general manager for Kil-Kare Raceway, a Division 3 track in Xenia, Ohio, for almost 20 years.

For more information, visit NHRA.com.

Performance Open Wheel Racing, Inc. (POWRi) has announced a new asphalt open wheel series for the West Coast, the POWRi Pacific Racing League (PRL).

Sanctioned by POWRi, PRL is among the first open wheel pavement series west of the Mississippi, and the second pavement race series for POWRi. It will feature competition for both sprint cars and midgets.

Tracks currently partnered with the series include Irwindale Speedway, the Speedway at Willow Springs International, Havasu 95 Speedway, Madera Speedway and Shasta Speedway. PRL races will also include coverage from POWRi's in-house production company, POWRi TV.

For more information on the new series, contact POWRi Pacific President Jeff Trout at 805/380-8106 or via email at jtrout@powripacific.com.

S.B. International Inc. (SBI), a supplier of cylinder head and valvetrain components, has appointed Joel Terry as president.

In his new position, Terry will oversee the expansion of the SBI and K-Line brands. Terry is a 34-year veteran of SBI, working as both representative and manager of multiple company departments including customer service, warehousing and distribution, sales and marketing, technical services, and research and development.

Prior to his appointment as president, Terry had worked as the company’s senior vice president and COO since 2008.

For more information on Nashville, Tennessee-based SBI, visit sbintl.com.

Race Winning Brands, Inc. (RWB) has announced the acquisition of Dart Machinery, the Warren, Michigan-based manufacturer of high-performance engine blocks, cylinder heads, and intake manifolds.

In addition to retaining the current Dart management team, including Vice President Dave Tratechaud, former Dart General Manager Ted Keating returns to the organization in a new role as a company president.

Dart’s founder, Richard Maskin, will continue to play a leading role within the organization as a partner and chairman of research & development. Maskin founded Dart Machinery in his two-car Oak Park, Michigan, garage in 1981. The 2015 Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee has earned multiple National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Pro Stock world championships as an engine builder.

“The Dart team has built a new manufacturing center of excellence in Warren, Michigan, to power the brand with leading-edge products. We plan to leverage Richard Maskin’s championship engine building expertise across RWB’s portfolio of race winning products,” said RWB Chief Executive Of cer Brian Reese. “This strategic acquisition helps drive our mission of leading racers to victory and enthusiasts to enjoyment, while extending RWB adjacently into new engine parts categories.”

Race Winning Brands, Inc. (RWB) is a portfolio company of Kinderhook Industries, LLC, and headquartered in Mentor, Ohio. Its brands include JE Pistons, Wiseco Performance Products, K1 Technologies, Diamond Pistons, Trend Performance, Rekluse Motor Sports and ProX Racing Parts.

Performance Racing Industry (PRI) is proud to present a panel of highly accomplished and influential racing professionals for our 3rd Annual “Opportunities for Women in Motorsports” seminar program at the 2018 PRI Trade Show in Indianapolis.

Taking center stage for this year’s all-female session will be PWC Touring Car driver Shea Holbrook; IndyCar pit reporter Katie Hargitt; veteran racer and driving instructor Dr. Karen Salvaggio; and Cara Adams, chief engineer and manager of race tire engineering for Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations/Firestone Racing.

The program, which focuses on the mentorship mindset and encouraging/inspiring advancement for ambitious female motorsports professionals, will be moderated by none other than racing legend Lyn St. James.

Industry members of all generations and genders are invited to hear the panel share experiences, perspectives, and invaluable advice on how to thrive in various capacities, whether behind the wheel, in the pits, on a crew, or in any number of other roles. The session is scheduled from 8–9 a.m. on Friday, December 7, in Rooms 241 and 242 of the Indiana Convention Center.

After 10 years of impressive on-track racing accomplishments, Holbrook has become a nationally recognized race car driver. Her diverse racing experience ranges from SCCA Club Racing, NASCAR Late Models, and IndyCar’s developmental ladder series Skip Barber Racing to professional sports car racing in the Pirelli World Challenge and the IHRA Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series. Her pursuits aren’t limited to the track, however, as Holbrook is an entrepreneur with interests in motorsports coaching, driver brand development, public speaking, OEM driving events and social media marketing, among others.

Hargitt is a pit reporter for IndyCar on NBCSN, but her motorsports roots run deep. She began racing quarter midgets around Indiana at age 9, attended Lyn St. James' "Women in the Winner's Circle" and Driver Development, and graduated to USAC midgets. While attending Ball State University, Hargitt got out of the driver's seat and in front of the camera. She joined the IndyCAr on NBCSN team during the 2015 season and has been a regular presence on their broadcasts. In spring, of this year, Hargitt founded "Fuel the Female," an organization aimed at helping girls archieve their dreams through motorsports.

Adams is chief engineer and manager of race tire engineering for Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations/Firestone Racing. She has more than a decade of racing experience after joining the Race Tire Engineering team at Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) in 2007, and has developed tires for road/street courses and the Indianapolis 500. In addition, Adams also serves on the boards of several community organizations, including the Akron section of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Akron Council of Engineering and Scientific Services, and Akron Public Schools’ Project Lead the Way, a pre-engineering program for high school students.

Salvaggio began her racing career in 1985 at a NASCAR Winston dirt track event in California. From stock cars she made the move to road racing with the Vintage Auto Racing Association, followed by performance driving Corvettes in high- and low-speed events with the SCCA and National Council of Corvette Clubs (NCCC). In 2000, she joined the American Le Mans Series, competing in the Women’s Global GT Series. Salvaggio serves as an instructor driver at NCCC, NASA, and Track Guys driving school events, and has secured more that 200 top finishes in driving competitions. She is owner and editor-in-chief of Thunder Valley Racing, and a tireless advocate for women in racing.

Named one of the “Top 100 Female Athletes of the Century” by Sports Illustrated, St. James has set 21 national and international speed records, and achieved unparalleled success in the sport of auto racing. As a competitor in the Indy 500, St. James earned Rookie of the Year honors in 1992, and competed in 15 IndyCar races, including seven Indy 500s. She’s competed all over the world, including the 24 Hours of LeMans twice (1989, 1991) with victories in the IMSA Series at Watkins Glen, Road America, Daytona, and Sebring. She continues to race in vintage races and, most recently, at the Bonneville Salt Flats.

PRI’s “Opportunities for Women in Motorsports” seminar is free to registered Show attendees, exhibitors and media. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information or to register for the 2018 PRI Show, visit pri2018.com.

ProMedia Events and Publishing has announced veteran journalist, book writer and photographer Steve Turner, is joining its staff as editor of Fastest Street Car magazine, in addition to the promotion of Steve Baur to the digital content editor.

Turner becomes the fourth editor in Fastest Street Car’s 18-year history. Baur’s Digital Content Manager position is a new title to enhance the quickly growing digital division that ProMedia formed last year.

“Bringing Turner into the editor chair at Fastest Street Car magazine proves our commitment to our print magazine,” ProMedia Director of Content and Marketing Michael Galimi said. “Fastest Street Car has grown to be the largest drag racing/street-strip magazine with an average package size of 174 pages.”

The successful launch of ProMedia’s Digital Content division in late 2017 included the formation of the web-based magazine Race Pages Digital, new video production crew, and an expanded presence on social media. The quickly growing demands of the digital division led to the position of the Digital Content Manager to keep it organized and moving forward.  

Turner is a veteran in the automotive enthusiast editorial segment for over 25 years, rising to be the editor of 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords magazine, a title he presided over from 1999 through 2014. Following that position, Turner helped launch digital content products at two prominent web-based magazines. Turner is also the recipient of the prestigious NMRA Decade Award in 2008 for outstanding contributions and commitment to the all-Ford motorsport event series.

Baur most recently served as the editor of Fastest Street Car magazine, a position he held for four years. He’s celebrating 20 years in the editorial business as a journalist and photographer. Prior to joining the ProMedia team he was the editor of Modified Mustangs & Fords and held senior editorial positions at Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords, GM High-Tech Performance, and High Performance Pontiac.

Carteret County Speedway in Swansboro, North Carolina, has announced that Bob Lowery will serve as the 4/10-mile track’s interim general manager for the remainder of the 2018 season.

The remainder of the track’s 2018 season—which features Limited Late Models, street stocks, mini stocks, and more—was in question after track owner Bobby Watson was hospitalized in early September. The track also sustained damage during the recent Hurricane Florence.

Watson has since returned home and is reportedly improving every day. Repairs to the facility and structures are have been overseen by Lowery, who has been a part of Carteret County Speedway’s management since the track opening in 2015.

“Racing is our number one priority,” Lowery said.  “We’re keeping Carteret County Speedway in the direction of which we have been going, which is growing, and offering the best short track racing in the country. I am honored and privileged to work with the fellow members of management.  We will carry on the tradition that Bobby Watson has set forward as he continues to recover.”

Carteret County Speedway will be ready to race on Saturday, October 27, for the Solid Rock Carriers Race for Recovery presented by C&S Paint Center and Sportsman’s Wholesale.