Vin Paladini of Great Falls, VA, considered himself “the luckiest man in Las Vegas” this week, as he was publicly announced as the winner of the Raybestos ’32 Roadster Pickup from the summer 2010 national promotion. Paladini’s name was drawn as winner from more than 45,000 entries received. He was flown to Las Vegas and shuttled directly to the SEMA show, where the one-of-a-kind hot rod was presented to him in the Ford Motor Company booth by Raybestos brand representatives, Troy Ladd and the build team from Hollywood Hot Rods, and other build partners involved in the project.
“I love it, and I’m stunned that in mere months I’ll be its driver and caretaker,” said Paladini. “I’m not going to mind a bit reconfiguring the garage this winter to make room for the new member of our family!” Paladini will ultimately be given the keys to the hot rod during the Indianapolis 500 weekend in May 2011, taking possession in Gasoline Alley at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Until then, the Raybestos ’32 Roadster Pickup is being photographed for several high profile magazine and web features, and will tour the car show circuit. Planned appearances for the hot rod already include competing at the OPTIMA Batteries Ultimate Streetcar Invitational, drag racing at an upcoming PINKS All Out event, and being displayed at the 2011 Detroit Autorama.
The Raybestos Roadster Pickup has been called the ultimate parts hauler & shop truck, and its design was directly inspired by vintage Indy roadster open wheel race cars of the late 1950s and early 1960s. “Troy and the guys really got excited about the Raybestos legacy in racing, and the performance delivered by our products. They went absolutely wild demonstrating their talent, essentially engineering and building a full-on race machine that was cleverly disguised as an early 60s era hot rod,” said Josh Russell, dir. sales & marketing at Affinia Global Brake and Chassis, manufacturer of Raybestos Brakes & Chassis.
During the sweepstakes, a new interactive web site, RaybestosGarage.com, offered a behind-the-scenes view of the entire build process. Visitors got the inside scoop on everything from design inspiration, to chassis and suspension fabrication, powerplant selection, brake package engineering, custom paint and finishing work.
The Raybestos brand consistently offers sweepstakes and promotions that have captured industry-wide attention, increased sales, and celebrated its racing heritage. In 2011, DIYers, hotrodders, mechanics and race fans will be energized once again as the several exciting new Raybestos brand promotions and programs are announced.
Raybestos brand brake parts are produced by affiliated companies in Affinia’s Global Brake & Chassis Group, the leading manufacturer of braking systems in the transportation industry. Including everything from brake drums to rotors, pads, shoes and hydraulic parts, Raybestos brand brakes are the official brakes of NASCAR and the only brakes used by Joe Gibbs Racing in competition. In addition, the Raybestos brand is the preferred brake friction of the IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights.
For more information about Raybestos brakes, visit Raybestos.com.