Posted: 01 Feb 2010 12:53 AM PST

is a company in the auto world which is better identified with vehicle lamp performance. It is used for all sorts of vehicles used on roads, racing tracks, deserts, outback, streets etc. the company has received laurels in the field and has been much applauded by professional drivers, motorsports journalists, and due to its supreme and premium quality, it has made many connoisseurs all around.

www.blinglights.com is a venture of BlingLights LLC and deals with selling of the top notch performance parts for all sorts of vehicle types and models. Each product is thoroughly evaluated before sale to meet your standards. The motive here is to improve visibility, safety as well as the appearance. Thus the product selection is a lot of hard work as the selection must be the most precise to your needs. With BlingLights, the customer has an exclusive and unmatched opportunity to upgrade their vehicle with the very same technology which has been used in successful campaigns such as IMSA, SCCA and Indy Racing.

One may browse the lights according to the different categories listed on the website. These lights may be for cars, SUVs and minivans, trucks and 4x4 and vans, ATVs and snowmobiles, motorcycles, and dirt bikes. There are separate sections for navigation systems, cycling and running, activity outdoors, and gift certificates.

Under the category of car lights (as well as the other categories), there is a huge list to choose from depending on the car. Some of the cars to be mentioned here may be Audi, BMW, Bedford, Chevrolet, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, PORSCHE, Saab, Pontiac, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Mini, and many more. For instance, if one chooses BMW, then again there is a long list of the BMW models to choose from. One must click at the desired model for which one needs to purchase or inquire about the product. For e.g. if you click on M Coupe, all products along with their prices which are available for this model will be displayed; e.g. BLINGLIGHTS 10,000 K HID, BLINGLIGHTS 12,000 K HID etc.

BlingLights believes in complete customer satisfaction and is open to feedback. There is a customized search section which enables one to search the product one desires and check its availability. To know more details on each of the products and to purchase the products via phone or the website, log on to www.blinglights.com

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TC Firm Claims Breakthrough In Metal Alloys - WWJ Newsradio 950

Posted: 26 Jan 2010 01:03 PM PST

A Traverse City firm has produced a revolutionary breakthrough in metal alloys that could take hundreds of pounds of weight off automobiles -- and eventually other machinery.

Century 3 + LLC, a subsidiary of manufacturer Century Inc., made brake drums that could cut 250 pounds off whatever vehicle they're used in.

That's particularly critical for wheeled military vehicles such as the M-ATV, Stryker, and MRAP, which have been targeted in Iraq and Afghanistan with rocket propelled grenades and bigger roadside bombs.

The U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center has countered those threats with more armor and more weight. The result is a vehicle that is heavier than its original design, forcing the military to make tradeoffs between performance, payload and protection.

"A manager has to choose between operating at slower speeds, or carrying less gear, technology, food or fuel," said Randal Gaereminck, associate director of the engineering business group at TARDEC.

Century, a veteran-owned business, uses lightweight alloys of aluminum and magnesium to make its brake drums, which weigh 45 percent less than their cast iron equivalents.

Specifically, Century said it uses "metal matrix composites" along wear surfaces, ceramic reinforcement that signifcantly improves wear resistance but which is only applied to the wear surface of the drum. That leaves the rest of the drum manufactured of low-cost, lightweight aluminum.

Century has also made breakthroughs in the consistent manufacture of the ceramic portion of the drum.

Army officials said weight reductions in the wheel is more significant than weight saved elsewhere, because the weight directly on the wheels isn't supported by springs in the vehicle's suspension.

Other potential applications outside the wheels include engine parts and hatch covers.

For a national story on the breakthrough, visit this link. For a northern Michigan business publication's view, visit this link. And an industry view from the Society of Automotive Engineers is at this link.

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ANDY MCMILLIN LEADING OVERALL AND SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK POINT STANDINGS ... - Racing West

Posted: 22 Jan 2010 03:59 PM PST

LOS ANGELES, California — Opening the books on the 37th year of the World's Foremost Desert Racing Series with a major race victory at last weekend's 16th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge, third-generation Southern California desert racer Andy McMillin has also taken the early lead in the Overall and SCORE Trophy-Truck point standings for the five-race 2010 SCORE Desert Series.

Starting the 2010 SCORE season off with an impressive victory in Laughlin, Andy McMillin, 22, of National City, Calif., earned his first career class win in Laughlin and his third career race win in the marquee SCORE Trophy-Truck class for high-tech, 800-horsepower, unlimited production trucks in his No. 31 McMillin Realty Ford F-150. Leading six McMillin entries at Laughlin, Andy McMillin was the fast qualifier for the race, led after the first half of the race on Saturday (Jan. 16) and pulled further away from the prolific pack of 28 SCORE Trophy-Trucks on Sunday (Jan. 17) to record the fastest elapsed-time in the popular race.

Round 2 of the 2010 SCORE Desert Series will be the 24th MasterCraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250, March 12-14, in Baja California, Mexico. The computerized drawing for the 28 Pro and 7 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs will be held in SCORE's Los Angeles headquarters on Saturday, Feb. 13.

With just 22 points separating the top 20 overall point leaders after the opening round of the 2010 SCORE Desert Series, the McMillin family actually has four racers in the top 20 after the first race. Returning to the SCORE Desert Series on a fulltime basis for the first time in three years, the San Diego-based team had six entries and five drivers in Laughlin.

Mark McMillin, Andy's uncle, finished fourth in SCORE Trophy-Truck and is eight in SCORE Overall points with 50 in his No. 23 McMillin Racing Ford F-150. Mark's sons Daniel and Luke McMillin are also in the top 20 overall point leaders after solid performances in Laughlin.

Daniel McMillin, 22, finished third in Class 1 and is tied for 10th in overall points with 48 in the McMillin Racing Chevy-powered Jimco open-wheel desert race car. Luke McMillin, the youngest of the McMillin racers at 16, finished fifth in Class 1-2/1600 in the McMillin Racing AlumiCraft-VW and is 20th in the SCORE Overall point standings with 41 points after the Laughlin race.

"I've never won a SCORE Laughlin race so it really feels good," said Andy McMillin, whose late grandfather Corky McMillin first started racing in SCORE in 1976. "It was an awesome way to end last year (with a win in the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 with his father Scott McMillin) and a great way to start this year off. Hopefully we'll go down to San Felipe and win that one, too. I think it just counts for the team and just feeling confident. Every time I go to the start line, I know I have a chance of winning in this truck as long as I don't make a mistake. That says a lot about our team and the way they put this truck

together."

SCORE points are based on starting and finishing as well as the number of starters in each class and placement position in every race.

Second in SCORE overall points and leading the unlimited Class 1 is another third-generation Southern California desert racer. Kory Halopoff, 26 of Orange, has 58 points in the Letner Racing Tatum-Chevy following his class win in Laughlin.

Third in SCORE Overall points and second in SCORE Trophy-Truck is Las Vegas' Kory Scheeler who has 57 points in the No. 57 Real Tech Racing Chevy Silverado.

Las Vegas' Rob MacCachren picked up his seventh career class win in the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge in Class 1-2/1600 where he beat a strong field of 21 starters and his 56 championship season points in his AlumiCraft-VW.

MacCachren, who has eight career SCORE season class point championships, also raced in the featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division in Laughlin where he finished seventh and is 13th in overall points in the No. 20 MasterCraft Racing Ford F-150.

Three Mexican nationals were among the class winners in Laughlin, giving each the early lead in their respective classes. They are Francisco Villagomez, Col. Santa Rosa, who defeated a large field of 20 starters in SCORE Lite in a Pabloff-VW to put him in fifth in the SCORE Overall point standings with 55 points, along with Elias Hanna, Ensenada (Class 7SX, Ford Ranger) and Juan C. Lopez, Tecate, Mexico (Class 8, Ford F-150).

In addition to Andy McMillin, Halopoff, MacCachren, Villagomez, Hanna and Lopez, among the 2010 SCORE point leaders in car and truck classes following their class wins at the recent SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge are: Dave Caspino, Woodland Hills, Calif. (Class 6, Ford Ranger), Mike Lawrence, Sunset Beach, Calif. (Class 10, Lothringer-VW), Kevin Carr, San Deigo (Class 5, unlimited VW Baja Bug), Joe Bacal, Anthem, Ariz. (Stock Full, Lexus LX570), William Eriksen, Elizabethtown, Ky. (Class 2, PredatorX18-Chevy) and Reid Rutherford, Montrose, Colo. (Class 7-2, BajaLite-Chevy).

In addition to season point class point championships, drivers in the Pro car and truck classes are also racing to earn prestigious SCORE Toyota Milestone Awards given to all car and truck class drivers who complete every required mile of the five-race season. Being presented by Toyota Motorsports for the 25th consecutive year, a total of 59 drivers remain eligible after Round 1 of the 2010 SCORE Desert Series.

Current SCORE official annual sponsors are: BFGoodrich Tires-official tire, Volkswagen of America-official vehicle, Sunoco Race Fuels-official fuel supplier, Bilstein-official shock, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance-official Mexican auto insurance, Slime-official tire sealant and Red Bull-official energy drink. Associate sponsors are: Tecate Beer, Coca-Cola of Mexico, Las Vegas Events, Blue C Advertising, Off-Road, SignPros, P.C.I. Race Radios, McKenzie's Performance Products and Advanced Color Graphics.

Additional sponsors in Baja are the Secretary of Tourism of Baja California and ProTurismo de Ensenada.

2010 SCORE Desert Series - Overall Points (Top 20)
1. Andy McMillin, National City, Calif., Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy-Truck), 63 2. Kory Halopoff, Orange, Calif., Tatum-Chevy (Class 1), 58 3. Kory Scheeler, Las Vegas, Chevy Sivlerado (SCORE Trophy-Truck), 57 4. Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, AlumiCraft-VW (Class 1-2/1600), 56 5. Francisco Villagomez, Col. Santa Rosa, Mexico, Pabloff-VW (1) (SCORE Lite), 55 6. Nick Vanderwey, Phoenix, Chevy Silverado (SCORE Trophy-Truck), 53 7. Robert Ross, Loreto, Mexico, Racer-Chevy (Class 1), 52 8. Mark McMillin, El Cajon, Calif./Brian Ewalt, Bonita, Calif. (SCORE Trophy-Truck), Ford F-150, 50 9. Justin Davis, China Hills, Calif./Daniel Folts, La Habra, Calif., Seagrove-VW (SCORE Lite), 49 10. Bill McBeath, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado (SCORE Trophy-Truck), 48 10. Daniel McMillin, El Cajon, Calif., Jimco-Chevy (Class 1), 48 12. Gary Weyhrich/Mark Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore., Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy-Truck), 47 13. Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy-Truck), 46 13. Justin Smith, Capistrano Beach, Calif., Fraley-VW (Class 1-2/1600), 46 15. Brent Parkhouse, Long Beach, Calif./Brian Burgess, Riverside, Calif., Moulton-VW (SCORE Lite), 45 15. Jesse Jones, Litchfield Park, Ariz., Chevy Silverado (SCORE Trophy-Truck), 45 15. Sam Berri, Murphy's, Calif., Jimco-Chevy (Class 1), 45 18. Kyle Conlon, Campo, Calif., Jimco-VW (Class 1-2/1600), 43 19. Justin Smith, Capistrano Beach, Calif., SmithCo-VW (SCORE Lite), 42 20. Luke McMillin, El Cajon, Calif., AlumiCraft-VW (Class 1-2/1600), 41
SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK
1. Andy McMillin, National City, Calif., Ford F-150 (1), 63; 2. Kory Scheeler, Las Vegas, Chevy Sivlerado, 57; 3. Nick Vanderwey, Phoenix, Chevy Silverado, 53; 4. Mark McMillin, El Cajon, Calif./Brian Ewalt, Bonita, Calif., Ford F-150, 50; 5. Bill McBeath, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, 48; 6. Gary Weyhrich/Mark Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore., Ford F-150, 47; 7. Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 46; 8. Jesse Jones, Litchfield Park, Ariz., Chevy Silverado, 45; 9. Adam Householder, Orange, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 29; 10. Scott Whipple, Norco, Calif., Chevy C1500, 28; 11. Robby Gordon, Charlotte, N.C., Chevy CK1500, 27.
CLASS 1
1. Kory Halopoff, Orange, Calif., Tatum-Chevy (1), 58; 2. Robert Ross, Loreto, Mexico, Racer-Chevy, 52; 3. Daniel McMillin, El Cajon, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 48; 4. Sam Berri, Murphy's, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 45; 5. MaxThieriot, Petaluma, Calif., RPS-Chevy, 28; 6. Mark Weyhrich/Gary Weyhrich, Troutdale, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 27; 7. Damien Jefferies, Apple Valley, Calif., Jefferies-Chevy, 26; 8. Richard Boyle, HMS-Chevy, 25; 9. Dan Martin, Monrovia, Calif., Penhall-Chevy, 24; 10. Ronny Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 23.
CLASS 1-2/1600
1. Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, AlumiCraft-VW (1), 56; 2. Justin Smith, Capistrano Beach, Calif., Fraley-VW, 46; 3. Kyle Conlon, Campo, Calif., Jimco-VW, 43; 4. Luke McMillin, El Cajon, Calif., AlumiCraft-VW, 41; 5. Carlos Mantalvan, Chula Vista, Calif., Curry-VW, 40.
CLASS 5
1. Kevin Carr, San Diego, VW Baja Bug (1), 40.
CLASS 6
1. Dave Caspino, Woodland Hills, Calif., Ford Ranger (1), 43; 2. Robert Pickering, Las Vegas, Ford Ranger, 37; 3. A.J. Rodriguez, Perris, Calif., Ford Ranger, 33.
CLASS 7
1. Dan Chamlee, Carpenteria, Calif., Ford Ranger, 35.
CLASS 7SX
1. Elias Hanna, Ensenada, Mexico, Ford Ranger (1), 40.
CLASS 8
1. Juan C. Lopez, Tecate, Mexico, Ford F-150 (1), 40; 2. Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va., Chevy Silverado, 34.
CLASS 9
1. Robert Morton Jr., Alisio Viejo, Calif., DesertDynamics-VW (1), 40.
CLASS 10
1. Mike Lawrence, Banning, Calif., Lothringer-VW (1), 40; 2. Sergio Salgado, Mexicali, Mexico, Lothringer-Honda, 34.
SCORE LITE
1. Francisco Villagomez, Col. Santa Rosa, Mexico, Pabloff-VW (1), 55; 2. Justin Davis, China Hills, Calif./Daniel Folts, La Habra, Calif., Seagrove-VW, 49; 3. Brent Parkhouse, Long Beach, Calif./Brian Burgess, Riverside, Calif., Moulton-VW, 45; 4. Justin Smith, Capistrano Beach, Calif., SmithCo-VW, 42; 5. Matt Laughlin, Laughlin, Nev., Penhall-VW, 40.
PROTRUCK
1. Troy Vest, Molalla, Ore., Chevy Silverado (1), 40.
STOCK FULL
1. Joe Bacal, Anthem, Ariz., Lexus LX570 (1), 40.
CLASS 2
1. William Eriksen, Elizabethtown, Ky., PredatorX18-Chevy (1), 40.
CLASS 7-2
1. Reid Rutherford, Montrose, Colo., BajaLite-Chevy (1), 40.
SPT TRUCK
1. Nick Tonelli, Huntington beach, Calif., Ford Ranger (1), 40.
SPT CAR
1. Rory Ward, Mohave Valley, Ariz., Chenowth-Chevy (1), 40.