NASCAR to showcase program at AAPEX

August 29, 2001
3:08 PM EDT (1908 GMT)

Based on the popularity of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, NASCAR Busch Series, Grand National Division and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, NASCAR will showcase its Automotive Aftermarket Program and 32 licensed brands at the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) held Oct. 30-Nov. 2 at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas.

“AAPEX is an ideal venue for our program and our licensees to exhibit and showcase the power of the NASCAR brand,” said Odis Lloyd, director, NASCAR Automotive Aftermarket. “The trade show also gives us an opportunity to show support for the industry as a whole.”

NASCAR will set up a complete studio on the show floor to broadcast NASCAR TECH TV with hosts Ned Jarrett and Stephanie Durner. The weekly program airs on FOX Sports Net prior to live NASCAR Winston Cup racing.

Outside the convention hall, Ford's “Pit Stop Challenge” will allow trade visitors the opportunity to try their skill at beating the quick reaction time of a NASCAR Winston Cup crew servicing a vehicle while in pit row.

Visitors will also experience the excitement of NASCAR Winston Cup racing through two NASCAR interactive games and attractions. DAYTONA USA, a one-of-a-kind interactive motorsports attraction designed with a variety of hands-on activities, captures both the advanced technology and historical elements of traditional and super speedways. And The Ultimate Video Arcade, featuring Daytona SpeedPlay, will let attendees test wheel-to-wheel action in virtual racing.

AAPEX is the annual trade show representing the $250 billion North American retail and service aftermarket, and features nearly 2,000 exhibitors. In conjunction with AAIW, it is attended by more than 83,000 trade visitors from around the world.

It is jointly sponsored by the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) and the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA). For more information, visit www.AAPEXShow.com.

FIRST DIRT THROWN

Throwing symbolic shovelfuls of dirt, officials from the racing community and the automotive aftermarket joined local business leaders in waving the green flag on a 12-month race to next May, when the grand opening of the NASCAR Technical Institute will take place in Mooresville, N.C.

NASCAR Technical Institute is the first technical training school to combine automotive and NASCAR technology. The $12 million, 140,000-sq. ft. school is an extension of NASCAR’s Officially Licensed Automotive Aftermarket Program and will be operated by Universal Technical Institute Inc. (UTI), the nation’s leader in automotive technology training.

It’s not just coincidence that NASCAR Technical Institute is located in Mooresville. With dozens of race teams in the immediate area, NASCAR hopes to draw automotive enthusiasts who want to take their passion for racing and turn it into a rewarding career.

“It is well known that there is a critical shortage of automotive technicians today,” said Steve Boguski, vice president of strategic marketing and licensing for NASCAR. “UTI, the recognized leader in this field, has been addressing this issue since it began operations in 1965. NASCAR will join UTI in drawing some of the top students into the field of automotive technology. Not only will this school help the automotive industry as a whole, it will provide a place for NASCAR race teams to look for qualified, trained technicians.”

To better involve the racing community, top NASCAR Winston Cup Series Crew Chiefs will assist with the development of NASCAR Technical Institute coursework. Curriculum will focus on core entry-level automotive technology, while allowing students to train in a NASCAR-specific environment.

Students will learn about performance engines, electrical systems, drive trains, chassis and body fabrication. To support the number of technicians needed in the auto body industry, a 50,000-sq. ft Collision Repair Technology Program will also be added in a later phase.

Completion of the campus is expected in spring 2002, with the first classes for the 57-week course beginning in the summer. The campus will sit upon 19 acres at the Talbert Pointe Business Park and will employ approximately 135 staff members. NASCAR Technical Institute will train as many as 1,800 automotive and collision repair students annually.

For more information about enrolling in NASCAR Technical Institute, call 800-859-1202 and ask for the admissions office.

THERMAL DYNAMICS INKS LICENSING AGREEMENT

The NASCAR Officially Licensed Automotive Aftermarket Program has just gotten a lot cooler, as Thermal Dynamics Corporation’s FLUIDYNE Division is the supplier of NASCAR’s Officially Licensed oil cooler.

“It’s a perfect fit,” explained Gary Johnson, president and CEO of Thermal Dynamics. “FLUIDYNE provides outstanding products and services to many NASCAR race teams in the garage area. Now we can aggressively market our products as such.”

For more than 40 years, TDC has designed and manufactured heat transfer equipment for cars, trucks, heavy-duty and off-road vehicles. Today, the Automotive Group of TDC is an OEM supplier, which currently ships more than 50,000 coolers a week to Ford, GM and Chrysler.

Among the pioneer projects in high-performance cooling applications were the original Ford Cobra engine oil coolers and the first production application of an auxiliary transmission cooler on a production model pick-up truck.

“We are extremely pleased to announce this agreement and look forward to working with NASCAR and its race team members,” said Johnson. For more information, visit www. fluidyne.com

RAYBESTOS UPDATES PROGRAM

Raybestos Brakes has updated its successful Brake & Safety Center Rewards Program for 2001, according to Maria Pisczor, brand manager.

The Brake & Safety Center Program supports installers throughout the entire sales and service process, providing them with promotional incentive items that clearly identify their business as having the best staff to install Raybestos Brakes.

Installers can join or renew their membership in the Brake & Safety Center Program by choosing from three packages. These contain new items such as a small wall clock with the vintage 1902 Raybestos logo, a countermat with all the Raybestos product lines, a new Quiet Stop poster and banner, a Mitchell On Demand CD-ROM, a paper shredder and a Brother fax machine.

Brake & Safety Center members will be listed on the Raybestos web site to enable consumers to locate installers who use Raybestos Brakes.

Brake & Safety Center members will also be granted unlimited access to the Raybestos hotline, technical training and service for an entire year.

Raybestos Brakes, a part of the Dana Automotive Aftermarket Group, is located in McHenry, Ill., and is the leading manufacturer of braking systems and components for the automotive industry. For more information on the Brake & Safety Center Program or Raybestos Brakes, contact Raybestos Brakes, 4400 Prime Parkway, McHenry, IL 60050; 815-363-9000; www.raybestos.com.