The Bosch Group and the MAHLE Group have decided to seek a buyer for their joint venture, Bosch Mahle Turbo Systems (BMTS). The joint subsidiary was founded in 2008.

With a total of around 1,400 employees, the joint subsidiary develops and produces turbochargers for manufacturers of passenger cars and commercial vehicles. Production is largely based in St. Michael, Austria and in Shanghai, China. BMTS also has a presence at two further locations in Stuttgart and Blaichach, Germany.


The international market for turbochargers is also expected to continue to grow in the years ahead as the trend toward smaller engines fitted with turbochargers, especially for hybrid drives, remains strong.

BMTS has already benefited from this market trend. However, the company is not yet large enough to achieve sustainable success in this market environment.

"Large production quantities and the associated economies of scale represent a critical competitive advantage," says Dr. Rolf Bulander, Chairman of the Business Sector Mobility Solutions at Bosch. "Despite bulk orders received from renowned customers, the associated high capacity utilization at our plants, and above-average growth rates, present sales volumes at BMTS are still too low in comparison with our larger competitors and must be further expanded."

For this reason, further investments are needed to achieve the company size required in the market. Bosch and MAHLE do not intend to drive forward the further expansion of BMTS themselves, because both parent companies need to focus their investments chiefly on new areas of development, according to a press release from BMTS.

"Thanks to our state-of-the-art locations and BMTS's good products, we are currently confident of finding a prospective buyer, who will successfully expand the business," states Wolf-Henning Scheider, Chairman of the MAHLE Management Board and CEO of the MAHLE Group.

Employee representatives and employees have been informed about the intention to sell the joint venture. Discussions are taking place with the relevant employee representatives to prepare the next steps in the sale process.


BMTS develops highly efficient solutions for gasoline and diesel engines. Exhaust gas turbochargers are a key component of modern, energy-saving, and low-emission combustion engines in passenger cars and commercial vehicles. The company's most recent achievement is the development of a variable turbine geometry for exhaust gas turbochargers in gasoline engines in large-scale production.

In recent years, alongside product development, the company has made considerable investments in production processes, including end-of-line testing. BMTS is the world's first company to test the perfect functionality of each individual exhaust gas turbocharger in a fully automated process at the end of the production line.

The SCCA Board of Directors announced that SCCA Enterprises and SCCA Pro Racing have been merged into one subsidiary entity of the Sports Car Club of America, named SCCA Ventures Inc.

The former subsidiaries will continue to operate as independent divisions within the SCCA Ventures structure.

The move allows a more structured oversight and reporting process for the for-profit arms of the Sports Car Club of America, and provides a number of administrative advantages for the businesses.

“To the outside world and for the customers and clients of the entities, this change will appear seamless,” Lee Hill, SCCA Inc. Chairman, said. “Pro Racing and Enterprises will continue to operate as before. Instead of each being SCCA wholly-owned corporate entities, they are now divisions of a single wholly-owned corporate entity, with some administrative tasks, such as accounting, combined.”

The oversight of Ventures is a five-person corporate board, which reports to the SCCA Board of Directors. Dan Helman, Vice-chair of the SCCA Inc. Board of Directors, serves as Chairman, with a slot for an at-large appointment (former SCCA Chairman John Walsh), SCCA’s senior finance employee (Mindi Pfannenstiel), and the respective Division presidents (Mike Collins and Roby Clark). Each division’s current board will remain active as a committee to guide the respective operations.

Making its return, the ASCS Mid-South Region has been revamped to sanction Sprint Car races across the state of Arkansas in 2017, according to ASCS.

For the series’ first year back since 2006, when Darren Stewart topped the final standings, the 2017 season currently has a dozen dates with two to five more in the works as tracks confirm their schedules. Each regular season event will pay $2,000 to win, $300 to start.

I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Arkansas. will be the focal point of the Mid-South Region with seven nights of competition, including the 30th annual COMP Cams Short Track Nationals, happening October 12-14. The series kicks off the 2017 season on April 1 at “Hammer Hill” and follows that with July 29. The other Little Rock dates are September 9 and September 30.

Texarkana 67 Speedway in Texarkana, Arkansas. will see two nights of competition on April 22 and July 22. To the opposite side of the state, Riverside International Raceway in West Memphis, Arkansas. shows two nights on the docket on June 10 and September 2.

Batesville Motor Speedway so far as a single night on June 9.

Terry Mattox will serve as the head of the ASCS Mid-South Region. Mattox can be reached by phone at (918) 417-0624 or by email at ascsterry@gmail.com. Further updates regarding the 2017 lineup for the ASCS Mid-South Region will be posted at www.ascsracing.com.

2017 ASCS Mid-South Region Lineup:

4/1/2017-I-30 Speedway - Little Rock, AR

4/22/2017-Texarkana 67 Speedway - Texarkana, AR
6/9/2017-Batesville Motor Speedway - Batesville, AR

6/10/2017-Riverside International Speedway - West Memphis, AR
7/22/2017-Texarkana 67 Speedway - Texarkana, AR

7/29/2017-I-30 Speedway - Little Rock, AR
9/2/2017-Riverside International Speedway - West Memphis, AR

9/9/2017-I-30 Speedway - Little Rock, AR
9/30/2017-I-30 Speedway - Little Rock, AR
10/11/2017-I-30 Speedway - Little Rock, AR (STN Practice)

10/12/2017-I-30 Speedway - Little Rock, AR (STN Night 1)

10/13/2017-I-30 Speedway - Little Rock, AR (STN Night 2)

10/14/2017-I-30 Speedway - Little Rock, AR (STN Night 3)

*Schedule subject to change without notice.

With more than 100 years of combined motorsports and performance automotive leadership, two iconic companies, MOMO and WELD Racing, join together to create a global portfolio of storied high-performance brands and product lines under the leadership and guidance of the Cisneros Corporation.

Both MOMO and WELD were founded through on-track performance. As a result, the companies’ products have yielded proven advantages for racers, street, and off-road enthusiasts. The combination of MOMO Automotive Group and WELD Racing creates a global design, performance, and manufacturing powerhouse with a passion for motorsports and a drive for innovation.

MOMO USA, headquartered in Detroit, is the leader in European and road racing focused products including road wheels, steering wheels and safety products reaching over 60 countries. WELD, headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is known for its domination of the North American motorsports wheel markets. Both companies’ investments in technology and engineering provide customers with cutting edge designs and measurable performance advantages.

Norm Young, President and CEO of WELD Racing, will continue to lead the company following the acquisition. “We are thrilled by the partnership. Since its inception in 1964, MOMO has been an innovator in the performance industry, and a pioneer in the development and expansion of automotive accessories. The experience and resources that MOMO and Cisneros Corporation bring will be instrumental in continuing our global growth,” said Young.

Henrique Cisneros, Chairman of MOMO Automotive Group, echoed Young’s comments. "WELD complements MOMO in terms of technology, products and solutions. Joining forces is a natural extension of the strategy we have been pursuing for several years. And as a top-tier manufacturer with extensive customer relationships, a strong brand, leading technology and a recognized portfolio of best-in-class products, WELD will immediately establish a strong foundation for MOMO to grow our wheel platform. This is an outstanding addition to the MOMO family and we are very excited to welcome them,” he said.

These two motorsports based companies combine to have one of largest portfolios of performance and motorsports brands, including: MOMO, WELD Racing, MOMO Heritage, ADV.1, WELD XT, Driven Motorsports, CCW Forged Performance, Reds, HiPer Technology and Tikore.

WELD was previously a portfolio company of Chicago-based investment group Granite Creek Capital Partners, L.L.C., which supported WELD’s decades-long commitment to dominate the highly competitive racing and maximum-performance wheel markets. Quarton International served as financial advisor to WELD and Granite Creek. MOMO and Cisneros Corporation were represented by Toro Advisors.

The transaction will not disrupt the operation of either the WELD or MOMO brands, and WELD will maintain its Midwestern manufacturing facility in Kansas City.

Motovicity Distribution announced the promotion of Brett Kinsfather to Vice President of Sales and Marketing, succeeding Brian Lounsberry who was recently promoted to CEO in December 2016.
 
“Having recently served in this same role myself, I am particularly aware of what it requires,” said Lounsberry. “Since joining our team, Brett has established a strong track record of success, and I know he will do the same as our new VP of sales and marketing.”
 
Since 2015, Kinsfather has served as Motovicity’s Sales and Marketing Manager where he has led Motovicity’s day-to-day sales and customer service activities while overseeing the company’s overall marketing efforts. Brett first joined Motovicity’s management team in 2012 as Marketing Manager, where he directed the company’s rebranding efforts and created a series of successful B2B sweepstakes and promotional campaigns featuring many of the industry’s leading brands.
 
In his new role as Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Kinsfather is responsible for leading Motovicity’s sales, customer service, and marketing strategies. “I am honored to lead an accomplished team of passionate individuals,” Kinsfather said. “As a team, and together with our manufacturer partners, I look forward to providing an unparalleled experience for our customers in the sport compact, modern muscle, and Euro markets.”

Summit Motorsports Park announced that Edelbrock has been named title sponsor of the park's popular Super Series.
 
Categories including Edelbrock Super Pro, Edelbrock Pro, Edelbrock Sportsman Delivered on Time by TFC Transportation, Wiseco/Cycle Tech Super Bike, Edelbrock Stock, NHRA Junior Street and Novice, Intermediate and Advanced Bear Motorsports Junior Dragsters presented by Wiseco will be part of the Edelbrock Super Series contested on select Saturdays April 22 through Oct. 7, 2017.
 
The series will see a total of $53,000 in payouts and contingency, and championships and other achievements will be celebrated at the 44th Annual Edelbrock Banquet of Champions in January. Additionally, racers who earn a first-time win in their class will receive a specially-designed Edelbrock jacket.
 
Edelbrock intake manifolds, which are already featured on a large number of cars at Summit Motorsports Park, will be the official intake manifold of the park, and the company's familiar red, black and white logo will be placed in prominent areas including the head of staging and the end of the grandstands. It also will be routinely used on the park's website, in its electronic newsletters and in its brochures.

"We at Edelbrock are extremely excited to be part of Summit Motorsports Park, and this sponsorship allows us to continue our tradition of working with grassroots racers who help make Edelbrock what it is today," said Cary Redman, national sales manager for Edelbrock, which opened in 1938, is headquartered in Torrance, California and is known for its impressive selection of intake manifolds, cylinder heads, superchargers, carburetors, waterpumps and more. "We're thankful for this opportunity.”
 

Twenty events align the Sands Chevrolet USAC Southwest Sprint Car schedule for the season with dates at traditional series venues throughout the states of Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico.

Arizona’s Canyon Speedway Park kicks off the docket with the Steve Stroud Memorial on February 11. A month-long break follows before the series returns with a bang in back-to-back nights of rapid-fire succession in conjunction with the USAC West Coast Sprint Cars for the Outlaw Showdown at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9-10.

Seven dates apiece are slotted for Arizona Speedway and Canyon Speedway Park. Arizona greets the series in the fourth race of the season on March 18 with additional dates set for April 29, May 20, June 10, September 9 and the season-enders at the 50th Western World Championships on November 3-4.

Canyon Speedway Park returns to the fold for the second of its seven dates on April 1 before returning on Memorial Day Weekend for the Salute to Indy on Memorial Day weekend on May 27-28. Back-to-back nights at Canyon close out the month of September for the series on Sept. 29-30 with the final trip taking place on October 21.

In addition, the Southwest Sprint Car make the trek to Central Arizona Speedway on two occasions, once early-on and again as the season winds down on April 15 and Oct. 28, respectively.

The annual Border Tour pits the best of the Southwest Sprint Cars against the New Mexico Motor Racing Association stars at Southern New Mexico Speedway in Las Cruces on Sept. 2-3.

The US Senate has joined the House of Representatives in reintroducing the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2017 (RPM Act). The bipartisan bill (S.203), introduced by Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), protects Americans’ right to modify street cars and motorcycles into dedicated race vehicles and industry’s right to sell the parts that enable racers to compete.



The RPM Act is cosponsored by 14 members of the US Senate. The bill ensures that transforming motor vehicles into race cars used exclusively in competition does not violate the Clean Air Act.
  
  

“SEMA extends its thanks to Senator Burr and the other cosponsors, and looks forward to working with Congress and the Trump administration to enact the RPM Act into law this year,” said SEMA President & CEO Chris Kersting. “We call on the entire enthusiast community to again reach out to their federal lawmakers to request support for the bill. The RPM Act is the only solution that will ensure that this time-honored tradition and livelihood for millions of Americans will be preserved for generations to come.”
 


To write a letter to your members of Congress, visit www.sema.org/rpm. 


O’Neal Industries (ONI) has announced the appointment of Kirk Moore as president and CEO of TW Metals (TW), a full-line specialty metals distributor and ONI affiliate, effective April 1, 2017.
 
“Kirk is an excellent leader, and we are thrilled about the opportunities ahead and the successes that will follow at TW,” said Holman Head, ONI president and COO. “The ONI Leadership Team has the utmost confidence in his ability to build on the solid foundation established by Jack Elrod.”
 
Current TW Metals president and CEO Jack Elrod will retire at the end of March after serving more than 15 years in his position, and will assume an advisory role within the company.
 
“We are pleased that Jack will remain with TW in an advisory role,” said Head. “His knowledge and exceptional leadership drove TW to become one of the most profitable companies and strongest teams in the industry.”
 
Moore joined TW in 2002, assuming the role of vice president, finance and chief financial officer in 2003. As a key member of the TW Leadership Team, Moore has contributed significantly to strategic initiatives and led the annual business process for sales, operations and supply chain. He is a member of TW’s Pricing Council and Supply Chain Council, and he participates in the business reviews of all of the TW branches, special business units and the European Region.

Elrod, a graduate of the University of North Georgia, earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration. With more than 30 years of senior executive experience in distribution and geographically dispersed service businesses, Elrod has held numerous leadership roles throughout the country.

For more information, visit www.twmetals.com.

NASCAR, in collaboration with industry stakeholders, has announced an enhanced competition format that will be implemented in all three of its national series—the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR XFINITY Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
 
Increasing the sense of urgency and emphasizing aggressive racing and strategy, the race format is designed to deliver more dramatic moments over the course of an entire race and season, with playoff point incentives on the line throughout.
 
The enhanced format consists of the following:
 
• Races will now consist of three stages, with championship implications in each stage.
 
• The top-10 finishers of the first two stages will be awarded additional championship points.
 
• The winner of the first two stages of each race will receive one playoff point, and the race winner will receive five playoff points. Each playoff point will be added to his or her reset total following race No. 26, if that competitor makes the playoffs.
 
• All playoff points will carry through to the end of the third round of the playoffs (Round of 8), with the Championship 4 racing straight-up at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the title.
 
• Championship points following the first two stages will be awarded on a descending scale, with the stage winner receiving 10 points, second receiving 9 points, and so on.
 
• The race winner following the final stage will now receive 40 points, second-place will receive 35, third-place 34, fourth-place 33, and so on.
 
"Simply put, this will make our great racing even better," said Brian France, NASCAR Chairman and CEO. "I’m proud of the unprecedented collaboration from our industry stakeholders, each of whom had a common goal—strengthening the sport for our fans. This is an enhancement fully rooted in teamwork, and the result will be an even better product every single week."
 
NASCAR also announced a playoff bonus structure that will see the regular season points leader honored as the regular season champion, earning 15 playoff points that will be added to the driver’s playoff reset of 2,000. In addition, the top-10 drivers in points leading into the playoffs will receive playoff points, with second place receiving 10 playoff points, third place will earn 8 points, fourth place will receive 7 points, and so on. All playoff points will carry through to the end of the Round of 8.

"These are enhancements that the NASCAR fan has long sought, and the entire industry has worked hard to develop a better racing format for our fans," said Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. "This format puts a premium on every victory and every in-race position over the course of the season. Each point can eventually result in winning or losing a championship."

Fast facts about NASCAR’s 2017 Race Enhancements can be found here.