Poway, CA – October 27, 2017 – There is no greater punishment on a vehicle’s suspension than off-road racing, and short course racing is even more intense. Short course takes the punishment experienced in miles of off-road racing and condenses it onto a track where fans can witness the spectacle. Cars and trucks race door to door at breakneck speeds over terrain that is purposely designed to upset the vehicles. When they are not traversing uneven bumps or negotiating tricky corners, racers are flying through the air off of huge jumps. It’s in this crazy world where BILSTEIN chooses to compete. Not only does BILSTEIN’s shock absorber technology survive in short course racing, it excels. Darren Hardesty Jr., who’s Pro Buggy runs BILSTEIN M 9200 Bypass and Coilover shocks, is a third-generation racer who has carried on the championship tradition. His Father Darren Sr. won in the desert on BILSTEIN shocks. BILSTEIN has been a part of the Hardesty family for a long time. “We were 100% committed to winning another championship this season” Hardesty Jr said. “We worked really hard to be the fastest car on the track. You have to be fast and smooth to stay out front. During the final points race of the season, I got the holeshot and just ran my own race out front. We took the win and my spotter Matt came over the radio to tell me we won our second championship; it was incredible! Driving up to the podium, the fans lined up to give us high fives as we drove by. It was the most high fives I’ve ever seen, the fans are amazing! My eyes welled up with tears of joy. Our first championship felt amazing but the second one is beyond words. We worked so hard to achieve it and BILSTEIN is a huge part of our success.” Jerett Brooks took his second straight Pro Lite championship title this season running on BILSTEIN M 9200 (Bypass) and M 9200 (Coilover) shocks. He did it by being consistently out front. “We try to stay out front and run clean,” Brooks said. “If you get back in the pack, there is no time to wait; you have to move people out of the way. It’s important to qualify in the front and get great starts.  BILSTEIN has been a big help to us for both of our championships. They helped us to set up our shocks and give us killer service between races.” Brooks also races in the Pro-2 class; full-size, 2-wheel drive trucks with 700-900 horsepower engines. After winning back to back championships in the Pro Lite class, Brooks will be moving up into the Pro-2 class full time next season. BILSTEIN racer Ryan Beat travelled to Crandon International Raceway in Crandon, Wisconsin, the birthplace of short course racing, to compete for the 48th annual World Championships. More than 54,000 fans showed up to witness the best off-road racers in the world competing for the World Championship title. It was Beat’s first trip to Crandon, but he left a huge impression. One of the most unique features of the track in Crandon is the land rush start. Beat and his fellow competitors lined up door to door and at the drop of the green flag; charged across an open field filled with bumps, mud, and slick grass towards turn one. Turn one is taken at full throttle as the trucks head to a jump before making a sharp left turn. “Getting the land rush start right is the key to winning in Crandon,” Beat said. “We qualified fastest so we started on the pole. At the drop of the green flag it’s a drag race into turn one. My BILSTEIN shocks gave me the traction I needed to get off the line, and allowed me to stay on the throttle through the big holes off the start. We got the holeshot and never looked back; we led the race from flag to flag. Winning a Crandon World Championship is like winning the Daytona 500. It was a great experience, and I am grateful for BILSTEIN’s support and everyone else who helped us to achieve it. We made a few minor rebound adjustments to our 2.5-inch BILSTEIN external bypass shocks and our truck was perfect.” BILSTEIN has been on the podium in off-road racing since the sport was invented. They continue to define the performance and durability necessary to win races and championships in the most demanding racing conditions in the world. Congratulations go out to Ryan Beat, Jerett Brooks, and Darren Hardesty Jr., three current BILSTEIN racers who, through hard work and determination, have added their names to the record books.

Poway, CA – October 27, 2017 – BILSTEIN Shock Absorbers will be making their annual debut atSEMA with a completely redesigned booth (#23057). The back walls feature vibrant oversized landscapes that capture the emotion of driving on and off road with legendary BILSTEIN shock absorbers. These Landscapes set the stage for this year’s featured vehicles, a 1972 Toyota FJ-40 and a 2017 Audi RS3 LMS. BILSTEIN will also be unveiling ten new products and applications at the show, as well as an all new Online eCatalog. The rebuilt 1972 Toyota FJ-40 is truly “the crawler Toyota would have built.” A departure from the usual rock crawler builds, this vehicle is “All Toyota” and is as true to the brand as possible. It was completely engineered and built by Proffitt’s Resurrection Land Cruisers. They restored the FJ to the original Toyota color code, explaining its iconic mint green color. The entire vehicle has been rebuilt with 100% Toyota parts. The original 1972 FJ-40 was cut in half and stretched 13 inches to help make room for some additional upgrades including: bigger brakes, 40 inch tires, lights and the addition of a custom three link front and four link rear suspension featuringBILSTEIN B8 8125s and M 9100 Bump Stops. The 2017 Audi RS3 LMS is engineered by Audi Sport for an emerging TCR category, the RS3 LMS is equipped with a four-cylinder TFSI engine that delivers up to 350 horsepower through a SADEV 6-speed sequential transmission. All four corners utilize BILSTEIN MDS coilovers featuring independent rebound and compression adjustment for precise optimization of suspension characteristics on any track. Driven by JT Coupal, this Audi RS3 LMS was raced during the 2017 Pirelli World Challenge season and most recently raced at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for the final round of the Pirelli World Challenge series. He is supported by Micro Precision Components Inc., Berg Racing, and Redcom. Additionally, BILSTEIN has partnered with ECS Tuning, Liqui Moly, StopTech, Mann, Rotiform, Milltek, Carista, 034Motorsport, Wagner Tuning, and Tire Source to give away a fully wrapped, 2016 Audi A3 Quattro S-Line equipped with BILSTEIN B16 (PSS10) suspension. The vehicle will be on display at the show and the winner will be announced immediately after SEMA. BILSTEIN will have three other featured vehicles in the show; the full list of sponsored vehicles and their locations can be found in the BILSTEIN booth number 23057. BILSTEIN will be debuting their new eCatalog featuring improved navigation and functionality and an enhanced Year-Make-Model product lookup. Additionally, customers can now search for custom, non-vehicle specific BILSTEIN products in Custom Light Truck, Heavy Duty and Motorhome, Motorsports, and Off-Road Motorsports categories. Custom attributes can be selected to search product by length, mount type, extended and collapsed measurements, chassis type, and more. These features will help users further navigate the product pages, including those featured in this year’s new product showcase. The SEMA New Products Showcase includes ten new products from BILSTEIN spanning multiple segments, including light truck and off-road, tuning, and motorsports.

• B8 5100 (Dual Steering Damper) | 2013-2017 RAM 2500/3500 4WD | Part #53-264817
• B8 6112 | 2015+ Ford F-150 2WD | Part #47-258075
• B6 4600 | 2017+ Ford F250/F350 4WD | Part #24-274937
• B8 6112 | 2005-2017 Nissan Frontier/Xterra | Part #47-266711
• B8 6112 | 2000-2006 Toyota Tundra 4WD | Part #47-260337
• B8 5162 | 2014+ RAM 2500 4WD | Part #46-263889
• B6 Performance | 2014+ Nissan Rogue | Part #22-251534
• B8 Performance Plus | 2016+ Fiat 124 Spider/Mazda Miata MX-5 | Part #24-249607
• BILSTEIN Clubsport® | 2016+ BMW M2 | Part #48-268721
• B16 (PSS10) | 2017+ Audi A4/A4 Quattro | Part #48-262316

Be sure to visit the BILSTEIN booth (#23057) to learn more about the cart and the new products on display. The BILSTEIN Sales, Marketing, Motorsports and Product Management teams will be there to answer any questions you may have.

 

TECUMSEH, MICHIGAN: Corvette enthusiasts asked, and ididit listened. The newest tilt floor shift column from the Michigan manufacturer is engineered to perfection for 1969-76 Corvettes.

After fielding numerous requests to design an ididit-quality column for the popular 1969-76 Chevrolet Corvette, the company began research and development on a collapsible tilt floor shift. In-demand features include: eight-position tilt, self-canceling turn signals, four-way flashers, knobs and levers, 3-7/8- and 4-1/4-inch wiring plug, 3/4-inch DD extendable lower shaft, pre-welded under-dash mount, model-specific floor mount, and ignition with relay pack.

“The Corvette is an American icon,” Marty Waterstraut of ididit said. “By bringing new technology to classic design, this column is crafted with the attention to detail and high level of quality ididit is known for.”

ididit offers the column in paintable steel (Part No. 1520710010), chrome (Part No. 1520710020), or a black powder-coat (1520710051).

Three separate installation kits are also available: Manual Stock Box (Part No. 3000054949) that includes 3/4-inch -36 X 3/4-inch DD rag joint; Power Box (Part No. 3000054940) that includes 3/4-inch DD X 13/16-inch -36 rag joint; and Rack & Pinion (Part No. 3000014949) that includes U-joint.

STATESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA: Custom vehicle builders and race teams can now create their own headers with the new DIY Weld Up Header Kits from Kooks Headers & Exhaust.

The new kits come with everything needed to build custom headers, including twelve J-Bends, two slip-on collectors (available in 3-inch or 3.5-inch), and two engine specific flanges.

 

Available steel options for the DIY Weld Up Header Kits include corrosion-and rust-free 304 Grade Stainless Steel ($799 per kit), and cost-effective Mild Steel ($599 per kit). High-quality 304 Grade Stainless Steel provides longevity, withstands high heat and can be repaired, whereas Mild Steel is geared for race teams constantly changing their setups. Both varieties include 1-3/4-inch, 1-7/8-inch or 2-inch primary tube sizing options. Kooks ensures the quality of its steel by sourcing it locally from a manufacturing plant in its hometown of Statesville.

The 3/8-inch thick flanges are laser cut in-house by Kooks with their new State-of-the-Art Mitsubishi Laser Machine. The tubing is Mandrel bent, which allows air to flow through more smoothly and unrestricted, allowing more power to push through, a clear benefit in headers. 

“These new Do-It-Yourself kits provide builders with the quality, American-made materials we use at Kooks and the freedom to design and install their own set of headers specific to the needs and goals of their project,” Chris Clark of Kooks Headers said. “We are excited to see the custom set ups created by the talented fabricators and builders out there.”

For more information, call a Kooks Headers and Exhaust representative at 866-586-5665 or visit kooksheaders.com.

ABOUT KOOKS HEADERS AND EXHAUST: For the past 55 years, Kooks Headers & Exhaust has built a sterling reputation in the performance aftermarket and racing industry for their relentless dedication to quality, performance and innovation. Products produced by the company have been made in the USA since 1962. For more information, call Kooks Headers & Exhaust at 1-866-586-5665 or go to http://www.kooksheaders.com.

Rapid City, SD – Performance Business Media (PBM) has hired Michael Murray in a new role as Brand Manager. Murray will facilitate editorial opportunities and product placement for PBM’s growing list of clients.

A demonstrated expert in automotive aftermarket media, Murray brings a wide array of knowledge and skill to PBM. As associate publisher of The Shop, a trade magazine dedicated to the aftermarket industry, Murray focused on comprehensive marketing strategies and long-term partnerships with top manufacturers and providers. As Brand Manager for PBM, Murray will continue to foster relationships between manufacturers and media; arranging original content opportunities, project builds and editorial outreach.

 

“We are thrilled to welcome Mike to PBM,” Kent Bradley of PBM said. “Mike has an immense amount of industry experience, so his insight and perspective is a valued addition to our team. We look forward to helping our clients further reach the influencers and grassroots advocates who use and test performance parts every weekend.” Hiring Murray is part

of PBM’s overall dedication to optimizing earned media for its clients. After conducting market research, PBM identified missed opportunities between manufacturers and the weekend warriors wh

o use and trust their products. Murray will work to bridge the gap between advocates and manufacturers in an ever-evolving world of social media and trends.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to team up with the PBM,” Murray said. “PBM has garnered a reputation for providing clients with thoughtful and effective marketing strategies, and I look forward to using my experience and knowledge in the aftermarket industry to further assist our clients reach new markets and customers.”

Performance Business Media represents the marketing interests of top aftermarket and motorsports companies. With more than 20 years of experience in motorsports media, PBM specializes in strategic media placement, impactful creative and powerful brand storytelling to deliver results for clients. For more information, visit www.performancebusinessmedia.com

TECUMSEH, MICHIGAN:

More than 500 classic vehicles came out to enjoy an end-of-summer tradition, the ididit Car Show & Open House. Held on September 16, hundreds enjoyed a warm, sunny day of tours, prizes and surprises.

Established in 1991 as a way to thank customers for their support and allow owners one last opportunity to drive and display their hot rods before winter. It’s held annually rain or shine, and open to vehicles model-year 1985 or older.

“The show offers a chance for the public to tour the ididit facility and see how we craft the best steering columns and accessories on the market,” says Megan Lunsford of ididit. “And we are never disappointed by the amazing cars that come out for the car show. It’s a great way to say thanks to the community and our customers.”

A highlight of the ididit Car Show & Open House is always the coveted Pro’s Pick award, presented to vehicles in eight categories by a panel of guest judges. This year’s winners include:

• Restoration – Jeff Miller, 1949 Buick Super
• Truck – Dwayne Fietzer, 1955 F-100 Ford Truck
• Best Interior – Don House, 1950 Ford Woodie
• Best Paint – Chuck & Val Tuttle, 1939 Mercury 99A
• Street Rod ’48 & Older – Greg Tobias, 1932 Ford Roadster
• Muscle Car ‘’49 & Newer – John Mamayek, 1963.5 Ford Galaxie Fastback
• Most Radical – Fred Clark, 1947 Chevy Fleetline
• Best Engine – Ron Beck, 1955 Chevy 210 Sedan

Attendees also enjoyed goodie bags and door prizes donated by some of the biggest companies in the industry –including an ididit steering column gift certificate—as well as a live DJ and vendor tent. Rudy Rivas and Joe Ray from Lowrider Magazine were on hand, as were NSRA officials, available to conduct free vehicle safety inspections.