VIP Parts, Tires & Service offers digital gift cards
LEWISTON, Maine (March 9, 2010) — VIP Parts, Tires & Service has begun offering CashStar digital gift cards that can be sent by e-mail and redeemed for any products or services at the Lewiston-based dealership’s 56 stores.

ESP adds specialized techs to service equipment
EAST GRANBY, Conn. (March 9, 2010) — Environmental Systems Products (ESP), a vehicle emissions testing equipment provider, is expanding its garage equipment service by adding specialized technicians who will offer technical support and service for the company’s newly expanded lines of garage lifts, tire changers, wheel balancers and other equipment.

Alliance phases out car, truck tire capacity in Israel
RAMAT-HASHERON, Israel (March 9, 2010) — Alliance Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd. has sold equipment for passenger and truck radial production at its Hadera, Israel, plant to complete the phase-out of these production lines, according to Pelmar Engineering Ltd., which bought the equipment.

TGI adds Cosmo premium truck tire line
MIAMI (March 9, 2010) — Tire Group International Inc. (TGI) is adding a Cosmo-brand premium radial truck tire line to its exclusive Cosmo private label.

Toyota: Fixes are working on recalled vehicles
LOS ANGELES (March 9, 2010) — Toyota maintains that the fixes being made to correct unintended acceleration in millions of recalled vehicles are sufficient.

Wheel importer settles in Montana product liability case
BUTTE, Montana (March 9, 2010) — Custom wheel and tire importer MKW Alloy Inc. has settled a product liability lawsuit with a Montana couple involving the death of their son in a 2006 traffic accident allegedly linked to a defective wheel MKW had imported from South Korea.

Bridgestone brand marks second year as hockey awards sponsor
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 8, 2010) — Bridgestone Americas’ Bridgestone brand will continue for the second year sponsoring the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award.

Becker Tire receives Bridgestone Bandag service award
GREAT BEND, Kan. (March 8, 2010) — Becker Tire & Treading Inc., a Bridgestone Bandag retreading franchisee, received the Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions’ 35-year Service Award as a franchisee during the company’s executive symposium in Marco Island, Fla., Feb. 6.

TBC, Pep Boys announce tire recalls
WASHINGTON (March 8, 2010) — TBC Corp. and Pep Boys—Manny, Moe & Jack have announced recalls of sport-utility vehicle tires, all size 245/70R17, which apparently came from the same batch that Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. and Hercules Tire & Rubber Co. previously recalled.

Drayson Racing picks Michelin as tech partner
GREENVILLE, S.C. (March 8, 2010) — Drayson Racing, the United Kingdom-based team owned by Elspeth, Lady Drayson and Paul, Lord Drayson, has selected Michelin North America Inc. as technical partner for their #8 Lola-Judd prototype in the 2010 American Le Mans Series (ALMS) and 24 Hours of Le Mans.

University of Aftermarket offering 19 online courses
MIDLAND, Mich. (March 8, 2010) — The University of the Aftermarket at Midland-based Northwood University is offering a record 19 online “distance learning” courses during its spring term, which begins April 12.

OPINION: It is a global, not just U.S., recession
DETROIT (March 8, 2010) — Last week, along with many folks from Detroit, I had a quick trip to Europe with stops in England and Switzerland.

GM seeks to reinstate 661 rejected dealerships
DETROIT (March 8, 2010 — General Motors Co. said March 5 it plans to reinstate 661 of the 1,160 rejected car dealerships that applied for arbitration to get their franchises back, scrapping a nine-month plan to reduce its showroom network by 40 percent.

Conti nabs OE fitment on Ram medium-duty trucks
FORT MILL, S.C. (March 5, 2010) — Chrysler Group L.L.C. has selected Continental HSR and HDR truck tires for OE fitment on its Ram medium-duty Chassis Cab trucks, starting with the 2011 model-year, according to Continental Tire the Americas L.L.C. (CTA).

Feb. unemployment rate essentially unchanged; NFIB says job outlook still bleak
WASHINGTON (March 5, 2010) — The U.S. unemployment rate in February remained essentially unchanged at 9.7 percent, according to the latest figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).