HARRISBURG, NORTH CAROLINA – Hot on the heels of a successful 2011 season for Hawk Performance® and Cragar Wheel® Corvettes, CRP Racing is announcing exciting changes for the 2012 Pirelli World Challenge GT series. A new partnership between CRP Racing and Nissan North America will see the debut of two Hawk Performance Nissan GT-Rs this season.

Both CRP Racing and Nissan are excited to be entering a new era with the Nissan GT-Rs in World Challenge. “Nissan is looking forward to partnering with CRP Racing to campaign the Nissan GT-Rs in the 2012 Pirelli World Challenge GT class,” said Ron Stukenberg, Senior Mgr., Motorsports Marketing Communications at Nissan. “Both CRP Racing and the Nissan GT-R have a long history of winning races and we anticipate that success will carry over to the Pirelli World Challenge series.”

Nicholas Short, owner of CRP Racing, agrees. “We’re very happy with this new collaboration between CRP Racing and Nissan North America to develop the Nissan GT-Rs into a race winning package. We now have two great partners in the Hawk Performance Group and Nissan, which will allow CRP Racing to show its true potential as a car builder and a race team.” The Nissan GT-Rs are currently being built at CRP’s Harrisburg, NC, shop.

Hawk Performance Products and Cragar Wheels are owned by Carlisle Companies Inc., a diversified manufacturing company headquartered in Charlotte, NC. Carlisle’s Chairman, President and CEO, Dave Roberts, recently spoke of the CRP/Nissan partnership. “Nicholas Short approached me about teaming with Nissan to run the GT-Rs in World Challenge for the 2012 season. After two successful seasons, with Ron Fellows, Mike Skeen and Patrick Lindsey driving the CRP Racing prepared Hawk and Cragar Corvettes, I told Nick that if he thought the Nissan GT-Rs would provide our drivers the opportunity to compete for a series championship, we would support the change. While we enjoyed competing with the Corvettes, the Nissan GT-Rs provide us the opportunity to attract Performance Sports Import owners to our new and expanding line of Hawk wheels and brakes. Everyone at Carlisle, and especially everyone within our Hawk Performance Products Group, looks forward to the season opener in St. Petersburg on March 24th and 25th.”

Back for the 2012 season is Mike Skeen, who will pilot the #2 Hawk Performance Nissan GT-R. Skeen had an impressive debut in World Challenge, having already scored four wins in the series and finishing third in the Driver’s Championship in his first full season of competition. “I am excited to be back with CRP in World Challenge for 2012,” says Skeen. “Our performance with the Cragar Wheels Corvette was always strong, and hopefully gave the fans something to look forward to at each event. The move to the Hawk Performance Nissan GT-R is an exciting challenge, and I am looking forward to it and have no doubt that we will be successful.” A second driver for the CRP Team will be announced in the near future.

CRP Racing is a leading edge race car engineering company with a winning pedigree that offers full service race car prep, full track set-up, restoration and custom fabrication, and shock, dyno and design services. Owner Nicholas Short has made a career out of motorsports with experience in IndyCar, NASCAR, Trans-Am, Group C Endurance Racing, Baja desert racing, Vintage SVRA and HSR and the World Challenge series.

CRP Racing plans to not only have a winning team, but one that is fan-oriented as well. Updates from the track, videos (including exciting in-car footage), and photos will be posted each race weekend at www.CompetitionRaceParts.com and the CRP Racing Facebook page. The team invites fans to stop by the transporter at all World Challenge races to meet the team and to check out the Hawk Performance Nissan GT-Rs up close.

Sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing and managed by WC Vision, the World Challenge Championship will offer four categories this year – GT, GTS, Touring Car, and Touring Car Spec-B. The series will feature 12 races at eight different venues, beginning with the doubleheader weekend at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg March 23-25, 2012. It promises to be an exciting, fun-filled weekend for all race fans.

CONTACT: Jenny Short
RaceResearch1@aol.com
www.CompetitionRaceParts.com

Anaheim Hills, CA – Well known Pro Lite and desert racing competitor, Casey Currie will join forces with Hawk Performance Products Group at a new level beginning this year. In his continued partnership with Hawk Performance, Casey will also work closely with Black Rock wheels to develop his very own Casey Currie designed and tested signature line of wheels.

“We are very happy about forming a long term partnership with Casey Currie for 2012 and beyond,” noted Managing Director of Hawk Performance Products Group, Bob Williams. “Our relationship began last year with Casey and we are thrilled that we have the opportunity to outfit his race trucks with more of our products. Hawk Performance Products Group will not only provide braking products, but we are excited about the opportunity to work with Casey in developing his signature line of Black Rock wheels. Casey is a proven champion and we are proud of the trust that he has shown in our brands.”

Hawk Performance Product Group has entered into a multi-year partnership with Casey Currie Racing and will support all of Casey’s racing efforts. He will not only run Hawk Brake pads throughout the season, but will utilize the competition Black Rock wheels in the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series in the Pro Lite class.

“I’m super excited to be working with Hawk Performance again this year and to now be adding Black Rock Wheels to the mix,” stated Casey. “There is an awesome team of guys behind this product and they have the experience and technology to make a top-of-the-line wheel. I am even more excited about introducing my very own line of wheels, to be released later this year.”

Casey will design the Casey Currie Signature Line of wheels, including the following:
16” high positive offset beadlock wheel for Pro Lite competition, 17” low offset beadlock wheel for Pro 2, Pro 4, and desert racing competition, 17” positive offset beadlock wheel for Pro 2, Pro 4, and King of the Hammers competition, and also a 14” beadlock ATV/UTV wheel geared for King of the Hammers Competition as well.

“It’s a huge undertaking,” beams Casey, “one which I’m honored and excited about. Building this relationship with Hawk Performance and being involved in the development of products is important to improving and expanding this sport.”

ABOUT CASEY CURRIE

Racing dirt bikes at age five and off-road trucks by age 16, it becomes more than a coincidence that Casey Currie is one of the youngest-ever team owners and drivers on the off-road circuit. Now involved with the Lucas Oil Off-Road Series, Currie runs the Pro Lite 2WD Truck class, scoring his first Championship in 2010, and driving toward many more. Currie’s off-road resume is lined with wins on motorcycles, trucks and buggies in the desert—this one is no stranger to dirt sports.
In 2012 Casey will race for the championship in the Lucas Oil Off-Road Series in his No. 2 Monster Energy/General Tire/Nissan Pro Lite truck, while mixing it up with UTV races and public appearances in between. When he’s not on the road, building off-road vehicles and drumming up side projects, he’ll take to the dirt with friends—dirt bikes, UTVs, or mountain bikes, he does it all. For more information on Casey Currie, visit CaseyCurrie.com. Keep up with him on Facebook and Twitter at Facebook.com/OfficialCaseyCurrie and Twitter.com/caseycurrie

ABOUT HAWK PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS GROUP

We are excited to announce the creation of the Hawk Performance Products Group. In an effort to broaden our mission of serving the Performance Products Markets, we look forward to leveraging the power of our brands in order to meet serious performance minded customers’ expectations of new products, unrivaled performance, unique styles, and overall value. The Hawk Performance Products Group includes Hawk Performance, Cragar Wheels, and the Black Rock Wheel Collection. For more information visit www.hawkperformance.com or www.blackrockwheels.com.

Media Contact: Ashley@bakermediarelations.com

SOLON, OH: Hawk Performance Products Group (HPPG), a division of Carlisle Brake and Friction (CBF), the global leader in disc brake friction technology, has launched “Hawk OES,” a line of premium replacement disc brake pads for the daily driver.

Drawing from Hawk’s superior technology, the Hawk OES ceramic brake pads are specifically engineered to maintain an ultra-quiet, low dust, lasting pad without high rotor wear. The pads’ OE-grade shim technology boasts a noise-dampening friction formulation and they are 100% chamfered and slotted for optimal brake performance

Hawk OES pads produce elevated stopping power, which combined with their smooth engagement and exceptional durability generates less dust and keeps wheels cleaner. The result is less wear and tear for the driver and a longer-lasting ceramic brake pad along with a lifetime warranty.

Hawk Performance Products Group is a leading supplier of severe duty and high-performance products manufactured in ISO-certified facilities for the motorsports and performance automotive aftermarket. HPPG products are engineered to allow users to control, command and conquer the terrain for which their vehicles are designed. Decades of experience in developing friction materials for aerospace, industrial, military, automotive and motorsports applications give HPPG an advantage over the competition: In the past decade, HPPG friction products have won more motorsports championships than any other friction manufacturer.

From NASCAR to the weekend racer, HPPG products provide any driver a true competitive edge.

ENSENADA, Mex. (November 19, 2011) – The Hawk Performance and Black Rock Wheels sponsored No. 1803 Sportsman UTV and No. 120 Class 1 car were sidelined by mechanical difficulties during this year’s 44th Annual SCORE International Baja 1,000 race.
This year, Hawk Performance and Black Rock Wheels supported two cars in the famed race: the No. 1803 Kawasaki-powered Hawk Performance-sponsored Sportsman UTV and the No. 120 Chevrolet-powered Black Rock Wheels-sponsored Class 1 car.
SCCA Pro World Challenge driver Mike Skeen took a break from driving his Cragar-sponsored Corvette this weekend to try his hand behind the wheel of the No. 120 Chevrolet-powered Class 1 car. Along with car-owner Todd Romano, who started the race and delivered the car safely to race mile 210, Skeen drove the C1 car with precision. Romano and Skeen were able to drive through the field, having started 21st in their class, to the sixth position before the car’s fuel delivery system began to fail. The team was forced to withdraw in the early hours of the morning on the second day of the race. The No. 120 Black Rock Wheel car was on its way to a Class victory at the world-famous race.

The No. 1803 Hawk Performance UTV started the race a few hours after the C1 car, and fourth in its class. Despite receiving a mid-class starting position through a random draw, driver Chris Koch quickly overcame the distance between the starting line and his competitors. As Koch neared the summit outside Ensenada, he was stretching his lead, and closing the gap to Romano in the C1 car only about ten miles ahead. Due to the tight, technical nature of the first 100 miles of the course, the UTV had the advantage there and Koch took advantage of the UTV’s agility.
At race mile 110, Koch and co-driver Shannon Rippe suffered a steering rack failure while miles ahead of their next competitor. After repairing the steering rack with a tie-down strap the driving pair had on board, Koch suffered a brake-line malfunction and was forced to withdraw from the race before they could deliver the car to the next pit stop area for repairs. The duo had opened a healthy lead in their class before they were forced to withdraw.
The race, known as one of the most difficult races in the world, usually claims 50% of its entrants before the conclusion of the race. This year’s “1,000” was unusually brutal to competitors. The courses of the Baja 250 and Baja 500 races run earlier in the year combined to create the “loop” for the 44th running of the Baja 1,000. Due to the heavy traffic earlier in the year and rain storms leading up to the race, the racing course was especially rough. Only 10 of the 40 Trophy Trucks, SCORE’s premier class, entered in the race were able to finish. Of SCORE’s second-tier class, the Class 1 cars, only five of the 24 entrants were able to complete the race. None of the nine cars vying for the Sportsman UTV class title finished, including the Hawk Performance team.
Every year, simply finishing a SCORE International Baja race is an accomplishment in itself. In an especially trying year, the Hawk Performance DTC pads and rotors held up effortlessly through the race and proved once again to provide reliable stopping power even in the most extreme environments. The Black Rock Wheels fitted to the C1 car conquered the challenges put forth by the Baja desert, and they will continue to be “desert-tested” in the years to come.

***

November 21, 2010

Hawk Performance Products Group (HPPG) is pleased to announce that Bob Williams will be joining Carlisle Brake and Friction as the Director of HPPG. As Director, Bob will be responsible for creating and executing the vision and strategy for HPPG. He is charged with growing sales and making HPPG a larger part of CBF by building a portfolio of products in the performance market and leveraging the CRAGAR, Hawk and Black Rock brands. Our value to the performance market is the design and creation of highly engineered products that meet the needs of serious, performance-minded customers. We will offer new products, unrivaled performance, unique styling, and overall value.

Bob has been in the automotive aftermarket industry and has led both operations and commercial groups for more than 20 years. Bob worked for NI Industries from 1983 to 1994 where he held positions in Quality, Purchasing, Materials, Plant Management and Business Development. In 1993, Bob helped lead the design, manufacturing and sales of the first closed-die forged center blank that is now used in most multi-piece aluminum wheels. Also while at NI Industries, Bob helped lead a new business group that created closed-die aluminum suspension components for the automotive market and one-piece forged aluminum wheels for both passenger vehicles and heavy trucks.

In 1994, Bob joined Titan International, where he was the Director of Sales for all High Speed products, which included steel wheels for an OEM, the automotive aftermarket, and OEM trailer manufacturers. One of Bob’s accomplishments in this role was the collaborative partnership created between Titan and CRAGAR. Bob was successful in putting a program together where Titan made all of Cragar’s steel wheels. In 1995, Bob joined Boyds Wheels, the premier custom billet wheel manufacturer, as East Coast Sales Manager and was soon promoted to Director of Sales. In 1998, Bob became Vice President of U.S. Wheel Corporation, where he remained until 2007. Under Bob’s leadership at U.S. Wheel, the company launched a line of premium custom billet wheels named Bonspeed. Bonspeed wheels are forged alloy wheels designed for hot rod, muscle car, sport truck and pro-touring car applications. Also while at U.S. Wheel, Bob lead the creation of the USW Forged line of wheels. USW Forged wheels are premium forged multi-piece aluminum wheels targeted to car enthusiasts looking for a performance wheel with unique styling options.

Bob joined Carlisle in 2007 as the Director of Sales for the Styled Wheel business and soon became the General Manager of California operations. In 2008, Bob was promoted to Vice President of Manufacturing for the global tire and wheel group. From 2008 to 2010, Bob led three manufacturing plant consolidations and was instrumental in the kickoff of their COS journey in the tire and wheel division. In January of 2011, Bob returned his focus to California as Vice President and General Manager of the California operations and has been working on growth strategies for the CRAGAR, Unique, and Black Rock brands.

Bob studied Business Administration at the University of Phoenix.

Hawk Performance Products Group is a leading supplier of severe duty and high performance products for the motorsports and performance automotive aftermarket. HPPG products are engineered to allow users to control, command and conquer whatever type of terrain their vehicle is designed for. Decades of experience developing friction materials for Aerospace, Industrial, Military, Automotive and Motorsports applications give us an advantage over the competition. Over the past decade our friction products have won more motorsports championships than any other friction manufacturer. From NASCAR to the weekend racer, our products provide a true competitive edge.

Carlisle Brake & Friction (CBF) is a leading solutions provider for high performance and severe duty brake, clutch and transmission applications to OEM and aftermarket customers in the mining, construction, military, motorsports, renewable energy, industrial and aerospace markets. CBF’s brands, which include Hawk Performance Group, Wellman Products Group, Carlisle Industrial Brake & Friction, Japan Power Brake, VelveTouch, Cragar, Black Rock, Unique and Field Pro, offer a diverse range of the most highly engineered braking and friction products available today.

Elkhart Lake, WI
Julie Sebranek, Communications Director
(920) 893-4206 jsebranek@roadamerica.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Road America Partners with Hawk Performance Products Group

ELKHART LAKE, WI, September 27, 2011 – Road America, Inc. has announced an expanded partnership with Carlisle Brake & Friction (CBF) that will focus on their recently-formed Hawk Performance Products Group. The group, which includes the brands Hawk Performance, Cragar, and Black Rock, will enhance its presence at the legendary circuit through two opportunities: entitlement of Road America’s renowned July vintage racing event, and naming of the landmark tunnel into the paddock. Road America’s partnership with CBF began in June of 2011 with the naming of the Hawk Performance Bridge, a pedestrian walkway which spans the track from the Briggs & Stratton Motorplex to the outside of Turn 12, just past the exit out of the Carousel Turn.

Road America’s 2012 season schedule will feature the track’s signature vintage gathering under the title The Hawk with Brian Redman (The Hawk). The Hawk will carry on every tradition of the International Challenge, which draws thousands of vintage enthusiasts and car owners each summer for racing, touring and the Road & Track Magazine Concours d’Elegance. In 2012, The Hawk at Road America will be held July 12-15.

The landmark paddock tunnel will be named the Hawk Tunnel. The tunnel serves as the main entrance into the infield and runs under the track near Turn 13. At 36’ wide and 168’ long, the impressive structure features massive exterior sign faces that are visible from the main competitor gate and several spectator viewing areas.

George Bruggenthies, Road America track president and general manager, welcomes the developing partnership with the Hawk Performance Products Group. “Our customers, whether race fans or competitors, are focused on high performance. This is going to be a strong partnership with great marketing potential,” Bruggenthies said, “we’re looking forward to showcasing Hawk Performance brands before our active audience.”

Chris Koch, President of Carlisle Brake & Friction, commented, “We are excited to announce our expanded partnership with Road America, one of the most iconic names in motorsports. Through this partnership, we look forward to continuing to meet serious performance minded customers’ expectations of unrivaled performance, unique styles, and overall value.”

Carlisle Brake & Friction (CBF) is a leading solutions provider of high performance and severe duty brake, clutch, wheel, and transmission applications to global OEM and aftermarket customers in the mining, construction, military, agricultural, motorsports, industrial and aerospace markets. The strength of CBF’s brands, including Wellman Products Group®, Carlisle Industrial Brake & Friction®, Hawk Performance®, Cragar, Black Rock, Japan Power Brake®, VelveTouch®, and Field Pro(tm), gives customers access to a diverse range of the most highly engineered brake, clutch, friction, hydraulic actuation, and wheel products available to the market today.

Established in 1955, Road America is located midway between Milwaukee and Green Bay in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Its legendary four-mile, 14-turn road circuit has challenged the world’s best racers for over five decades. The 640-acre, park-like grounds offer amazing viewing opportunities, fantastic concessions and high-speed excitement to thousands of fans each year. In addition to public race weekends, Road America offers Group Event Programs, the Briggs & Stratton Motorplex for karting and supermoto, and the Road America Motorcycle and Advanced Driving Schools. For more information, visit http://www.roadamerica.com or call 800-365-7223.
# # #

Official Vehicle
of Road America

Hawk Performance, a brand of Carlisle Brake & Friction, is proud to announce a sponsorship agreement with the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch. Hawk Performance will become “the brake pad supplier of choice for the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School.” Hawk Performance will supply brake pads for use on the School’s Corvette Z0-6, Grand Sport, and Camaro SS fleets. Chris Koch, President of Carlisle Brake & Friction, said, “We are excited to align the Hawk Performance brand with the one of the most iconic names in motorsports, Ron Fellows. Ron’s dedication to excellence on the track is consistent with our mission as a supplier of high performance brake pads to the motorsports industry.”

Ron Fellows (www.ronfellows.com/) is a 4 time Le Mans champion. During his storied career, Ron has won various NASCAR Series races, 19 Trans-Am Series races, 2 Craftsman Truck Series races, and has been a 4-time recipient of the ALMS Most Popular Driver Award. He is a 2011 Inductee to the Corvette Hall of Fame.

Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch (www.springmountainmotorsports.com/) is a state-of-the-art racing facility and exclusive motorsports country club located just 45 minutes west of downtown Las Vegas. With over 4 miles of challenging racetrack and an array of resort-style amenities, Spring Mountain delivers a world-class motorsports experience to driving enthusiasts of all levels. It is home to the renowned Ron Fellows Performance Driving School and the Radical Racing School. Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch offers a variety of services, including performance driving instruction, track rentals, team building activities.

Carlisle Brake & Friction (CBF) is a leading solutions provider of high performance and severe duty brake, clutch and transmission applications to OEM and aftermarket customers in the mining, construction, military, agricultural, performance street, motorsports, industrial and aerospace markets. The strength of CBF’s brands, including Wellman Products Group®, Carlisle Industrial Brake & Friction®, Hawk Performance®, Japan Power Brake®, VelveTouch®, and Field Pro™, give our customers access to a diverse range of the most highly engineered brake, clutch and transmission friction products and industrial brake systems available to the market today.

Hawk Performance Logo Rides with the #2 Penske Dodge
BROOKLYN, Mich. (June 19, 2011) – Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS), finished 25th in the Heluva! Good Sour Cream Dips 400 at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday afternoon. A promising start to the event – Keselowski passed 15 cars over the first two laps – was derailed after the Penske Racing driver and Michigan native cut down a right front tire following contact with the outside wall.

Keselowski began the 400-mile event from the 41st position after he posted a lap of 39.093 seconds, or 184.176 miles per hour, during Saturday’s qualifying session. As the green flag flew to start the race, Keselowski quickly made it known that his starting position was not indicative of how strong the Miller Lite Dodge was capable of running. By the third lap of the race, Keselowski had moved up to the 26th spot, an improvement of 15 positions. He radioed to crew chief Paul Wolfe that his car was handling too tight in the center of the MIS corners, but his entry and exit of the turns were perfect. A quick caution on lap 8 gave Wolfe an opportunity to make a right-side air pressure adjustment in the Goodyear radials on a two-tire pit stop. The NASCAR official assigned to the No. 2 pit stall was unaware that the Miller Lite crew was performing a two-tire stop and he didn’t clear the front of the No. 2 Dodge before Keselowski left the stall. The slight contact with the official resulted in a dent in the right-front fender.

Despite racing his way inside the top 20, Keselowski still had to deal with a tight-handling condition on the Miller Lite machine. Wolfe and the team continued to make changes that would free the car up, including an adjustment to the track bar on the second pit stop of the day. Each adjustment made a small change in the handling, but Keselowski’s car was still too tight to run on the top side of the racetrack, which was the preferred line of many of leading cars.

On lap 81, while attempting to run the high groove, Keselowski made contact with the outside wall in the middle of Turns 1 and 2. While the damage was mainly cosmetic, it further exacerbated the right-front fender damage from the first pit stop. Just three laps later, Keselowski cut down his right-front tire while entering Turn 1. Additional contact with the outside wall damaged the toe of the No. 2 Dodge and forced Keselowski down pit road twice for repairs before restarting the race from the 31st position on lap 89.

In trying to give his driver the best opportunity for a good finish, Wolfe kept Keselowski on the racetrack for an extended run following the restart, in hopes of gaining valuable positions. After making his penultimate stop at lap 125, under the green flag, Keselowski fell one lap down to the race leaders. He immediately began to race his way into position for the “Lucky Dog” award to get back on the lead lap, but the race leaders’ fast pace kept putting other cars a lap down that were in front of the Miller Lite Dodge.

A yellow flag pit stop at lap 160 gave the Miller Lite crew another opportunity to repair the toe of the No. 2 Dodge. Following the stop, Keselowski restarted the race in the 25th position and with the improved handling it looked as though he could race his way into the top 20. However, upon restarting the event at lap 196 after the final caution period of the day, Keselowski radioed that he had lost a cylinder in the power plant of the Miller Lite Dodge. He eventually crossed the finish line in 25th place.

Penske Racing teammate, Kurt Busch, finished 11th in the Heluva! Good Sour Cream Dips 400.

Following Saturday’s result, Keselowski and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge team are currently positioned 22nd in the Cup Series driver and owner point rankings.

“Obviously we had a poor qualifying effort that forced us to start at the rear of the field,” said Keselowski. “Once the green flag flew, our Miller Lite Dodge was a rocket. We were able to make our way up the field and raced as high as 18th. I was just trying to move around on the race track, trying to get us to where we needed to be. I just pushed too hard and hit the wall and that led to a flat tire that totally changed our day. From there, our day went downhill and we just had to battle. Later in the day, we started to make our car right and had an opportunity to make a good run out of it and get a good finish, but we had some engine issues on the restart. It’s tough. This track and race means so much to me. I really wanted to have good run and we just didn’t make it happen today.”

Keselowski and the No. 2 Miller Lite team will next compete at the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway on Sunday, June 26. Coverage will be seen live beginning at 3:00 pm ET on TNT. The race will also be heard on the Performance Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite Radio Channel 90.