Motor State Distributing has announced the addition of GRYPMAT to its product line up.

GRYPMAT is a tool and parts tray designed with polymer-silicone that is said to increase workflow efficiency, safety and productivity.

GRYPMAT rubber mats, available in three sizes, are non-slip, non-magnetic, chemical resistant and anti-static and are designed for placement within a shop, race trailer, pit cart, or any related work area. The mats are also made with a flexible material, allowing them to contour to curved surfaces, fold up and retain their original shape.

For more information, visit the Motor State Distributing website.

Motovicity Distribution, one of the leading wholesale-only automotive aftermarket distributors, announced the addition of Peter Martz as its new Chief Financial Officer. Martz will be responsible for the financial reporting, accounting and treasury aspects of the company as well as helping to expand the business.

Martz has more than 20 years of experience in the automotive and services industries, holding roles in financial and operational positions. Most recently, Martz served as corporate controller for Fisher Dynamics, an automotive seating supplier. He joined Fisher Dynamics after spending seven years at AGS Automotive, an automotive supplier focusing on impact systems, where he served as the financial director for the US Division.

“What a massive score for Moto, his expansive financial knowledge, vast professional experience, peer network and impressive education are just what this company needed,” CEO Brian Lounsberry said. “Honestly, we are bringing a gun to a knife fight with Pete. Shake in those boots competition, because a new Moto is just around the corner.”

Martz holds an MBA in Finance from The University of Notre Dame and an undergraduate degree in accounting from Michigan State University.

“Motovicity, while already an industry leader, has many opportunities to continue to grow and expand their presence within the industry, and I am excited to be a part of this endeavor,” Martz said. “I look forward to being a part of the dynamic team that makes this growth a success.”

Leavine Family Racing (LFR) will hold the team’s inaugural Fan Fest on Friday, May 25, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the team’s facility in Concord, North Carolina.

LFR driver Kasey Kahne and crew chief Travis Mack will sign autographs from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Those interested in an autograph must have a wristband. Officials will release 100 wristbands beginning at 1 p.m. the afternoon of the event. (No overnight camping is permitted.)

The Fan Fest will also feature a 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado, Harley Davidson motorcycles, a few U.S. Legends and Bandolero cars, as well as several of the LFR team’s show cars, including the team’s entry from the Monster Energy All-Star Race.

Also on display that afternoon will be Brad Sweet’s No. 49 car from the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series (WoO) which is one of Kasey Kahne Racing’s entries in the series.

iHeart Radio will be broadcasting live from the event as well that afternoon with WKKT 96.9 “The Kat” and morning show personality, Paul Schadt. LFR will also have team merchandise available for purchase at a pop-up store which will be set up on the property for the day.

Food trucks will also be on-site serving barbeque as well as ice cream.

The event is free to attend.

The team’s shop is located at 6007 Victory Lane, Concord, NC 28027.

Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) officials have released the 2018 SCCA National Championship Runoffs, race, qualifying and test schedules.

The six-day event is set for October 16–21 at Sonoma Raceway in California.

Runoffs race days are Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 19-Oct. 21, with the first race beginning at 8:30 a.m. Pacific Time each day. The race schedule for car classes that will battle for 20 laps or 40 minutes, whichever comes first, is as follows:

Friday, Oct. 19

GT1, FC, GTL, FV, HP, FM, AS, FE/FE2

Saturday, Oct. 20

STU, P2, GT2, FF/F500, SM, T1, FP, T4/B-Spec

Sunday, Oct. 21

T3, EP, P1, STL, SRF3, T2, GT3, FA/FB

Test Days will occur Saturday, Sunday and Monday, October 13-15, with multiple run groups each day. Qualifying will be held Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, October 16-18. Each car class will get 20 minutes of qualifying time on course each day.

The 55th running of the SCCA Runoffs will again crown national champions in 28 separate classes. For 2018, SCCA will use Sonoma Raceway’s traditional 12-turn, 2.52-mile course layout. The configuration is the same that made Sonoma a favorite of drivers, starting with the venue’s first-ever race, an SCCA enduro held Dec. 1, 1968.

Since 1964, the SCCA has crowned Road Racing’s National Champions at the winner-take-all, single race Runoffs format through dozens of separate races over three days. As host of the 55th Runoffs in 2018, Sonoma Raceway will become the third California track to host the SCCA’s National Championship, joining Riverside International Raceway and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

For the full 2018 Runoffs Qualifying/Race schedule, as well as the Test Days schedule, visit here. 

This Saturday night, Speed Shift TV will air exclusive live coverage of the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car stop at Plymouth Speedway in Plymouth, Indiana.

This event will be the series’ second ever visit to the northern Indiana 3/8-mile dirt oval, which comes one year after its initial appearance at the track in 2017.

The drivers meeting for Saturday’s race begins at 5:30 p.m., while cars hit the track at 6 p.m. Adult tickets, are $25 at the gate and just $20 pre-sale through the track. Tickets for children age 6-12 are $8, while kids age 5 and under are free. Pit passes cost $35.

Fans can watch the race live on SpeedShiftTV.com or listen live on the USAC app. Fans can also rewatch all of the evening’s race with flag-to-flag coverage on Loudpedal.TV a day later.

For more information, visit the USAC website.

Revchem Composites announced plans to expand its service capacity in the Pacific Northwest region by consolidating its Tacoma, Washington and Tualatin, Oregon locations into one large distribution center in the city of Tumwater, Washington.

Strategically located between the Seattle and Portland metropolitan areas, the new and expanded facility will combine two smaller satellite locations into a regional hub for the region.

The new Tumwater location will offer customers increased service capabilities, extensive inventory, improved delivery performance, and an expanded fleet of vehicles according to Revchem. The new Tumwater location will also feature an on-site training classroom and materials lab for educating customers and staff on the latest in composite materials and application techniques.

"This move will offer an expansion of resources and far superior support to all customers including better service, more extensive stocking inventory, and more frequent deliveries for all of Washington, Oregon, and parts of Idaho," Revchem Composites Director of Operations Andy Schuchman said.

The first step towards this new regional facility will be the transition of the Tualatin location to Tumwater beginning in May 2018. The Tacoma location will follow later in the year.

Meyer Distributing President and CEO Mike Braun, middle, is competing in a tightly contested primary May 8 to be Indiana’s Republican nominee for US Senate in 2018.

Braun started working for Meyer Body Co. in 1981, and transitioned its business from manufacturing to distribution, forming Meyer Distributing.

Over the following decades, Braun has helped to grow the business into a national distribution and logistics company with 65 locations in 38 states. Braun has also shown a commitment to public service as a member of the Jasper School Board (2004–2014) and as an Indiana State Legislator (2015–2017).

Braun will face off against two current members of the US House of Representatives, Rep. Luke Messer (R-IN) and Rep. Todd Rokita (R-IN), in the Republican primary.

Now in his third-term in Congress, Rep. Messer previously served as an Indiana State Legislator (2003–2006), was president and CEO of a non-profit organization and a partner at two law firms.

Rep. Rokita is a four-term Congressman and previously served as Indiana Secretary of State from 2003–2011. The winner of the Republican primary will face US Senator Joe Donnelly (D-IN) in the general election, November 6, 2018.

To learn more about the upcoming elections in your state and how to register to vote, visit the SEMA Action Network (SAN) website.

Brake Parts Inc. (BPI) was named a 2017 GM Supplier of the Year by General Motors (GM) during its 26th annual Supplier of the Year awards ceremony in Orlando, Florida.

GM recognized 132 of its best suppliers from 17 countries who have consistently exceeded GM’s expectations, created outstanding value, or brought new innovations to the company. The announcement represented the most suppliers GM has recognized since debuting the Supplier of the Year event in 1992.

This is the second time Brake Parts Inc. has received the award.

GM’s Supplier of the Year award honors companies for meeting performance metrics for quality, execution, innovation and total enterprise cost. Award winners represent companies who provide products and services to General Motors in the areas of vehicle components, supply chain and logistics, customer care and aftersales and indirect services.

Events at Spokane County Raceway in Airway Heights, Washington, have been canceled until further notice.

While the K&N NASCAR Series event will still take place July 14–15, track operator Craig Smith announced that track promoter Rick Nelson had canceled the remainder of this season’s races on the half-mile “Super Oval” track.

Stock cars, sprint cars, Late Models and Sportsman classes highlighted the track’s 2018 schedule with weekly racing.

Smith had enlisted in Nelson’s help in promoting the Super Oval in 2014, according to The Spokesman-Review. Smith is said to be confident that another promoter will step in and seize the opportunity to host races.

The motorsports facility also features a 1/4-mile drag strip and 2.3-mile road course, both of which still have complete 2018 schedules.

For more information, visit spokanecountyraceway.com.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) performed routine maintenance ahead of the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil and after listening to feedback from several Verizon IndyCar Series drivers.

Following testing last October, IMS President Doug Boles had contacted drivers James Hinchcliffe and Scott Dixon about the track surface’s condition.

“They both highlighted a couple of areas in the track that they felt like had changed over the summer a little bit,” said Boles. “So we did some core samples last fall and really started driving around the track and trying to understand some of the issues that were out there.

There were a total of 16 locations where there were bumps grounded down, particularly at the exit of Turn 2, the entry of Turn 3 and the exit of Turn 4.

“The top three lanes are almost perfect, almost as if we had laid it last year,” said Boles. “The bottom two lanes are the ones we’re most concerned about and right now we believe with the sealing we’ve done and the grinding we’ve done, we’ve got at least another 3-5 years out of this surface.”

IMS also reached out to Firestone, the exclusive tire supplier of the Verizon IndyCar Series.

“The track grinding has had no effect on tire performance thus far,” Chief Engineer for Firestone Cara Adams said. “Firestone’s tire specification for the Indy 500 is very similar to last year, with only minor modifications.”

Practice for the INDYCAR Grand Prix on the IMS road course begins Friday, May 11. The race will take place May 12, at 3:30 p.m. ET and will be aired on ABC and the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network. Practice for the 102nd Indianapolis 500 starts on May 15, with race day on May 27.