Thursday, April 19, 2007

RACING TELEVISION SCHEDULES (ALL NETWORKS) - APRIL 19TH

To review today's TV Race Schedule please click http://www.theautochannel.com/link.html?http://www.tvracer.com/ HERE. ... Continue reading

Mobil 1 Motor Oil Wins People’s Choice Award, Voted Favorite Lubricant of 2007

FAIRFAX, Va.--The results from the second annual C16 Magazine People’s Choice Awards have been tallied, and Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil has once again been awarded top honors for the “Favorite Car Care – Lubricants” category. For the second consecutive year, Mobil 1 has been chosen by the readers of ... Continue reading

Shanghai Auto Show: Honda Forecasts China Sales

SHANGHAI, April 20, 2007; Reuters reported that Japanese carmaker Honda Motor Co. said on Friday it expected annual sales in China to increase to around 400,000 units. Sales in China for Japan's second-biggest automaker jumped 50 percent in January-February to 56,368 units, outperforming the overall market's 26 percent ... Continue reading

Piech Reelected Volkswagen Chairman

FRANKFURT, April 19, 2007: Reuters reported that Volkswagen AG's controversial board director Ferdinand Piech was reelected as chairman of Europe's largest carmaker, the company said late on Thursday. "Following the annual general meeting, the supervisory board of Volkswagen AG unanimously elected Prof. Dr. h.c. Ferdin ... Continue reading

Champion Parts, Inc. Reports Year-End and Fourth Quarter Results

HOPE, Ark., Apr. 19 -- Champion Parts, Inc. (BULLETIN BOARD: CREB) , remanufacturer of automotive parts, today announced net sales of $3,127,000 for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 2006, compared to $4,523,000 in the comparable period of 2005. The company reported a net loss of $269,000, or $0.08 per share in the qua ... Continue reading

Genuine Parts Company Reports Record First Quarter Results

ATLANTA--Genuine Parts Company reported record sales and earnings for the first quarter ended March 31, 2007. Thomas C. Gallagher, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, announced today that sales totaling $2.65 billion were up 4% compared to the first quarter of 2006. Net income for the quarter was $121.6 mi ... Continue reading

US Wind Energy Industry Applauds FERC Ruling on Transmission - VIDEO ENHANCED

Att. Editors and Reporters, The American Wind Energy Association today issued the following statement: U.S. WIND ENERGY INDUSTRY APPLAUDS FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION RULING ON NEW TRANSMISSION POLICY California policy serves as nationwide model and key to tapping nation's strategic wind resources The American ... Continue reading

Miles Automotive Announces, 'No Gas Required' Partnership With College Student Groups

Yale, Stanford, University of California, Cal Poly Already on Board With Miles 100% All-Electric, Zero-Emissions Vehicles LOS ANGELES, April 19 -- Miles Automotive Group announced today a nationwide program to partner with college student organizations to jointly promote existing 100% all-electric vehicle technology as ... Continue reading

ALMS (HOUSTON) - RISI HOPING FOR HAPPY HOMECOMING IN HOUSTON

Risi Competizione's Ferrari F430 GT has won four straight GT2 events including the first three of the 2007 season with Mika Salo and Jaime Melo. Click here for Hi-Res If the start of the 2007 American Le Mans Series is any indication, this weekend will be a very happy homecoming for Risi Competizione. The Houston-based ... Continue reading

ALMS (HOUSTON) - THE ROCKET AND McNISH TALK KARTING IN HOUSTON

Roger Clemens benefitted from karting tips given by Allan McNish on Thursday in Houston. One of baseball's best received some much-welcomed advice from one of the American Le Mans Series' best Thursday. Major league legend and Houston resident Roger Clemens got some pointers from reigning LMP1 champion Allan McNish in ... Continue reading

ALMS (HOUSTON) - PUMP PROMOTION: EPIC AND THE AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES

<I><B>From the Race Track to the Filling Station, Spotlight on Ethanol American Le Mans Series demonstrates the E10 benefits at Houston Area Pump Promotion</I></B> WHAT: Houston motorists can follow in the footsteps of the highly technical race cars of the American Le Mans Series and make a choice at the pump for energ ... Continue reading

Qashqai 2.0 dCi Goes Into Production

TRAPPES, France, April 19 -- Production began this week at Nissan's factory, situated in Sunderland, north-east England, of the new Qashqai compact crossover equipped with the state-of-the-art 2.0-litre dCi engine. Equipped with this engine, the Qashqai is available in both 2WD and 4WD drivetrains. The 2.0-litre dCi en ... Continue reading

GM Supports "Courageous Kids" Program

By Marty Bernstein, Marketing – Advertising Editor Even with current economic woes from Detroit these days, there is some feel good news about kids who don’t feel good. Hospitals across the United States will soon be adding child-sized, Hummer battery-operated vehicles to their pediatric units. The vehicles a ... Continue reading

BONDURANT DRIVING SCHOOLS (ARIZONA) - School Make Up Nine of the Top 12 Drivers in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Points

CHANDLER, Ariz., April 19 -- With the NASCAR Nextel Cup series coming to Phoenix, nine Bondurant School graduates are in the top 12 in points going into this weekend's race. The Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving continues to be the premier place to go for NASCAR drivers looking to improve their road raci ... Continue reading

IMS (INDIANAPOLIS) - INCREDIBLE 2008 SUMMER OF SPEED SWEEPSTAKES GOES ONLINE APRIL 23

INDIANAPOLIS, Thursday, April 19, 2007 – Indianapolis Motor Speedway fans can experience the 2008 “Summer of Speed” in unforgettable fashion by simply going online and registering for the Summer of Speed Sweepstakes. The Grand Prize winner and a guest will receive VIP treatment at the Indianapolis 500 an ... Continue reading

Ford Vehicles Largely Overlooked by Online Shoppers, According to Edmunds' AutoObserver.com

-- Edmunds.com: What: Ford's market share has declined nearly 22 percent since 2002. Under new leadership, the company is taking steps to draw attention to its vehicles and convince consumers to put Ford vehicles on their shopping lists. An analysis of March shopping consideration trends by Edmunds' AutoObserver.com sh ... Continue reading

USAC (BLOOMINGTON) - Chris Windom, the 16-year-old racing phenom, is ready to race!

After the weather caused a rough start to the 2007 racing season, Windom will get his share of sprint cars in during this weekend as he participates in three racing events in three days, kicking off with Friday's "Elliottbrand Clash" special event Sprint car race on the rich, red clay of Bloomington (IN) Speedway, cont ... Continue reading

INDYCAR (MOTEGI) - Fisher Picks Up Additional Sponsorship

Survey Shows 79% of Californians Concerned About Energy Security; Diesel Technology Viewed as Part of Environment, Emissions Solution

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--A significant majority of Californians are concerned about climate change and the state’s reliance on imported energy, and they view clean diesel technology a positive solution to both problems, according to the results of a public opinion poll released today. Most Californians believe their pe ... Continue reading

Toyota Motor Sales, USA Announces Top Management Changes

TORRANCE, Calif., April 19 -- Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) USA, Inc. announced top management changes for its Toyota and Lexus divisions. The following executive assignments are effective immediately: Bob Carter, group vice president and general manager of the Lexus Division, is appointed group vice president and general m ... Continue reading

Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. Signs Agreement For The Acquisition Of Jumpstart Automotive Media

Jumpstart Automotive Advertising Network to Assume Responsibility For Online Ad Sales for CarandDriver.com, RoadandTrack.com and CycleWorld.com The Network Will Reach 5 Million In-Market Car Buyers Monthly NEW YORK, April 19 -- Note: Today, Lagardere issued the following press release (see below) in Paris announcing th ... Continue reading

GM Announces Record First Quarter Global Sales of More Than 2.2 Million Vehicles

- Growth in China Fuels 20 Percent Asia/Pacific Region Climb - Brazil, Colombia, Argentina and Venezuela Growth Spurs A Sales Surge of 17 Percent In The Latin America, Africa and the Middle East Region - Russian Sales Increase More Than 127 Percent to Set European Record; Chevrolet Has Record European Q1, With Sales Ex ... Continue reading

Diesel Technology Forum to Unite Automotive Industry, Legislators, Media

--Diesel Technology Forum: Who: The Diesel Technology Forum (DTF), an association of companies that manufacture diesel engines, components, fuel and emissions control systems. What: An event -- The Clean Diesel Technology Tour, the largest-ever gathering of clean diesel executives, vehicles and technologies. Environmen ... Continue reading

Alternative Fuels and Hybrid Technologies to Assist in the Reduction of CO2 Emissions

LONDON, April 19 -- Across Europe, car manufacturers are experiencing tremendous pressure to reduce CO2 emissions from new passenger vehicles sold in the market. In 1998, all European original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) voluntarily agreed to reduce the fleet average of CO2 emissions to 140 g/km by 2008 and 120 g/km ... Continue reading

INDYPRO - CURRENT STANDINGS

INDYCAR (MOTEGI) - ANDRETTI NOTES AT MOTEGI

Marco Andretti, #26 NYSE Dallara/Honda/Firestone "We only worked on the race setup so far on the NYSE car but I think we're going to be pretty good based on our teammates' cars. ... Continue reading

INDYCAR (MOTEGI) - KANAAN NOTES AT MOTEGI

Tony Kanaan, #11 Team 7-Eleven Dallara/Honda/Firestone "We worked on race setup all day and I don't think we're missing anything in the Team 7-Eleven car. It's going to be a matter of choosing what you want to have. ... Continue reading

INDYCAR (MOTEGI) - FRANCHITTI NOTES AT MOTEGI

Dario Franchitti, #27 Canadian Club Dallara/Honda/Firestone "The Canadian Club car was pretty fast this morning. We changed the car for the second session and I think we've gone backwards. ... Continue reading

INDYCAR (JAPAN) - PATRICK NOTES AT MOTEGI

Motorola Practice Report Indy Japan 300 Driver: Danica Patrick Car: #7 Motorola Dallara/Honda/Firestone Danica Patrick, #7 Motorola Dallara/Honda/Firestone "It was a good, solid day for the Motorola team. We didn't make too many big changes. The team gave me a good car to start with and we just made some small changes. ... Continue reading

ESPN (INDIANAPOLIS) - ESPN CHANGES INDYCAR SERIES JAPAN EVENT TELECAST TIME

ESPN CHANGES INDYCAR SERIES JAPAN EVENT TELECAST TIME INDIANAPOLIS, Thursday, April 19, 2007 – ESPN has changed the telecast time for Saturday’s IndyCar Series event from Japan. The Indy Japan 300 will now start at 3 p.m. ET rather than noon as had originally been scheduled. A first-round game of the NBA Play ... Continue reading

TACH-TALK (MOTORSPORTS BLOG) - PATRICK "GOES FAST," FISHER GETS A BREAK

INDYCAR (JAPAN) - PATRICK TOPS OPENING DAY AT TWIN RING MOTEGI

MOTEGI, Japan, Thursday, April 18, 2007 – Danica Patrick continued her success in Japan, leading the opening day of preparations for the April 21 Indy Japan 300. Patrick, who used a strong run at Motegi to set up her breakthrough performance at the Indianapolis 500 in 2005, lapped the 1.5-mile egg-shaped oval in 2 ... Continue reading

GRAND AM (DAYTONA) - Quick Turnaround

While the drivers and teams of the 2007 Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series had a two-and-a-half month break between the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway in January and last weekend’s second round at Homestead-Miami Speedway, they have a quick turnaround this week as the KONI Challenge Series makes its i ... Continue reading

BIKES (LAUGHLIN) - 25th Anniversary Laughlin River Run Set for April 25-29, 2007

Proceeds From West's Largest Motorcycle Rally to Benefit Charities LAUGHLIN, Nev., April 18 -- The rumble will be loud and the chrome brightly polished when more than 70,000 motorcycle enthusiasts roar into Laughlin April 25-29 for the 25th annual Laughlin River Run. Started in 1983 with only 426 people, this annual ev ... Continue reading

IIHS: Redesigned Vehicles Boost Safety

WASHINGTON, April 19, 2007; Reuters reported that Ford Motor Co. redesigned the best-selling vehicle in the United States, the F-150 pickup, and cut its death rate in half, a leading safety group said in a study set for release on Thursday. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found in a study of fatalities betwe ... Continue reading

Toyota Announces Executive Appointments for Calty Design Research

First American President to Serve at CALTY NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., April 18 -- Toyota today announced executive appointments at Calty Design Research, Inc. (CALTY), the North American arm of Toyota's global design network. The organizational changes and promotions at CALTY, effective April 1, 2007, include the following ... Continue reading

US$79 Million Order for ZAP Electric Cars

SANTA ROSA, California, April 18 -- - ZAP is pleased to announce their largest order for consumer electric vehicles Electric car pioneer ZAP (OTC Bulletin Board: ZAAP) has received an order for US$79 Million from a Chicago-based start-up, The Electric Vehicle Company. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070130 ... Continue reading

AutoPacific Announces Automotive Brand Image Results

Hyundai Brand Image Skyrockets, Chrysler Group Plummets TUSTIN, Calif., April 18 -- A study released today by noted automotive consulting firm AutoPacific, Inc. summarizes the results of AutoPacific's Image and Consideration Tracking Study that will help manufacturers measure and manage their image. 1,254 VehicleVoice ... Continue reading

Cummins Announces Support For EPA SmartWay

COLUMBUS, Ind.--Cummins Inc. today announced that its 2007 clean and fuel-efficient on-highway engines are available in Class 8 tractors, which meet requirements for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay-designated highway tractors, part of the U.S. EPA SmartWay Transport Partnership (www.epa.gov/sma ... Continue reading

Cummins Displays Clean Diesels at Diesel Technology Forum Event

COLUMBUS, Ind.--Cummins Inc. today announced that it is displaying clean-diesel technology at the Diesel Technology Forum’s Clean Diesel Technology Tour being held in Sacramento, Calif., on April 18 and 19, 2007. The Cummins display showcases Cummins Emission Solutions retrofit products, including a truck retrofit ... Continue reading

National Female Ride Day - May 4

** *For Immediate Release* * * *National Female Ride Day **May 4, 2007*** *Thursday, April 20, 2007 (Toronto) --* Since last month's announcement of the first NATIONAL FEMALE RIDE DAY, women from across Canada and the United States have been contacting each other, as well as campaign organizer Vicki Gray, to make arran ... Continue reading

Exide Technologies Appoints Vice President of Global Procurement

ALPHARETTA, Ga.--Exide Technologies (www.exide.com), a global leader in stored electrical-energy solutions, has developed a new, global structure for its procurement organization and has appointed Douglas Gillespie as Vice President of Global Procurement. Mr. Gillespie will assume responsibility for Exide’s approx ... Continue reading

World Traffic Safety Symposium Awards Volvo Cars for Innovative Child Booster Cushion System

NEW YORK, April 18 -- Volvo Cars new booster seat helps protect children who have outgrown their toddler seat. In combination with an extended Inflatable Curtain and new, stronger side body structure, and load limiting seat belts this world's first two-step integrated booster cushion recently received international ack ... Continue reading