American Speed Festival at M1 Concourse to Honor Richard Petty
The American Speed Festival, set to take place Oct. 4-6 at M1 Concourse in Pontiac, will recognize NASCAR racing legend Richard Petty with its 2024 Master of Motorsports Award at the Checkered Flag Challenge Ball. American Speed Festival also will be recognizing the 75th anniversary of the Petty family in racing as part of the Petty’s year-long celebration.
Richard Petty, nicknamed The King, competed as a driver in NASCAR stock car racing from 1958 to 1992, most notably driving the No. 43 Plymouth and Pontiacs for Petty Enterprises.
Dubbed “the King” after his dominance of the 1967 season, he retained the title by continuing his on-track success and is one of the most accomplished drivers in the history of NASCAR. He is, without a doubt, stock car racing royalty.
Following the success of the Vintage Indy class at the American Speed Festival over the past three years since the launch of the event, ASF is introducing a Classic Stock Car class this year, which will be in collaboration with the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
The American Speed Festival event begins Oct 4 with a driving tour that will include visits to two private car collections. The day will conclude with the Motor Grille event at M1 Concourse along with the welcome reception for the competitors. Visit here for tickets.
Friday and Saturday are Speed Ring on-track action days with 10 classes of historic race and performance cars taking to the M1 track for speed runs and demonstration laps. The Friday, Oct. 5, evening Garage Reveal event is an opportunity for guests to visit some of the private garages inside M1 Concourse. On Saturday evening, Oct 5, the Checkered Flag Ball takes place with this year’s Master of Motorsports honoree, Richard Petty.
Speed & Style Sunday is the car show event during ASF that showcases race and performance cars along with classic and styling cars, with awards in twenty-four classes.
Also added to this year’s American Speed Festival will be a special class for the on-track days Friday & Saturday and Speed & Style Sunday show for Ferrari Challenge Cars. 2024 will mark over three decades since the launch in North America of the unique Ferrari Challenge Series, single-marque motorsport championship that was created to allow gentleman and lady drivers to race their Ferraris in wheel-to-wheel competition.
Allison Forms Partnership with Chinese Company to Expand Global Mining Presence
Indianapolis-based Allison Transmission, which has an electrification engineering center in Auburn Hills, has formed a new partnership with Lingong Heavy Machinery Co. Ltd. (LGMG), a prominent Chinese mining equipment manufacturer, to provide mining vehicles to customers across the globe.
As a next step in the companies’ long-term partnership, LGMG has integrated Allison 6625 Wide Body Dump Series (WBD) transmissions into 136T wide body mining dump trucks, which will be delivered to international customers for hauling overburden and ore in mine sites. Allison’s latest collaboration with LGMG marks the first time that the company has integrated an Allison fully automatic transmission into the larger 136T crossover vehicle, which has been fielded for trials in Chile, China, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
Oakland County Launches Student Debt Relief Initiative in Partnership with Savi
Oakland County is helping to alleviate the financial burdens of student debt for Oakland County residents with the Oakland County Student Debt Relief Initiative, established by the Board of Commissioners in collaboration with County Executive Dave Coulter’s administration.
It is being done in partnership with Savi, a social impact company dedicated to lowering student loan payments and facilitating the loan forgiveness process for borrowers.
The Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution at its July 18 meeting to allocate up to $500,000 for the program, which is led by Chair David T. Woodward and Commissioner Brendan Johnson. This agreement is designed to ensure that all county residents and employees with student loan debt will have access to Savi’s services for one year at no cost.
Savi’s platform is designed to help borrowers throughout the entire journey of their loan, from assisting them in finding new repayment or forgiveness options to enrolling them into the plans and providing ongoing support if they run into any issues with their student loan servicer. Today, Oakland County has 172,000 residents who collectively carry $6 billion in student debt. Through Savi’s platform, residents can potentially save thousands of dollars in student loan payments.
To date, Savi has identified over $3 billion in loan forgiveness, with an average forgiveness amount of $25,553 for qualifying borrowers.
A public dashboard will be developed and made accessible on the county’s website. It will showcase the benefits and impact of the Oakland County Student Debt Relief Initiative for residents and employees.
University of Michigan Health-Sparrow Earns Top National Honors for Stroke, Diabetes Care
University of Michigan Health-Sparrow Lansing and its Comprehensive Stroke Center have received the highest level of recognition for stroke care nationally and for treating Type 2 diabetes patients who have had strokes from the American Heart Association.
“This award is a confirmation of the hard work and dedication provided by the University of Michigan Health-Sparrow and Michigan State University faculty to this community for the treatment and prevention of stroke,” says Dr. Anmar Razak, medical director of the University of Michigan Health-Sparrow Comprehensive Stroke Center.”
Friends for Animals in Dearborn is Over Capacity, Running July Adoption Specials
Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit in Dearborn says it’s over capacity and needs people to adopt its residents. To do so, in partnership with Bissell Pet Foundation, the group is participating in the Summer National Empty the Shelters initiative that includes $25 adoption specials on all animals until July 31, including kittens, puppies, and small breed dogs.
Friends for Animals currently has more than 300 animals in its care, with over 80 of those animals in foster homes. Adopting an animal offers one animal the opportunity for a second chance in a new home and another animal the chance to find one.
Friends for Animals is located at 16121 Reckinger Rd. in Dearborn. It’s open Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. Walk-ins and same-day adoptions welcome. People also can schedule a meet-and-greet or apply for an animal online.
Adoption fees include microchip, age-appropriate vaccines, and spay/neuter.
Crystal Mountain Brings Back Dual Alpine Slide
Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville, south of Traverse City, announces the grand reopening of the Crystal Coaster Alpine Slide.
The Crystal Coaster boasts two, 1,600-foot-long tracks that wind down the mountainside, featuring high bank turns and tunnels. Riders control the speed with a hand brake on their individual sleds, making it a thrilling adventure for all ages.
“The alpine slide has been one of our most popular summer attractions for years,” says Brittney Primeau, director of communications at Crystal Mountain. “We’re excited to bring back the dual experience, offering double the fun for our guests.”
The Alpine Slide is perfect for families and individuals seeking an adrenaline rush, as well as some great views from the chairlift and the top of the mountain.
Life Remodeled Partners with Gardner White to Provide 120 beds to Families in Need
Life Remodeled, the Detroit-based nonprofit organization, has partnered with Gardner White to provide 80 queen beds and 40 twin beds — including mattresses, platforms, and frames — to families in need in the Denby neighborhood on Detroit’s eastside. The community is home to the future site of Anchor Detroit, Life Remodeled’s latest neighborhood hub of opportunity for Detroit residents, on the site of former Dominican High School.
“We believe that everyone deserves a good night’s sleep as it’s no secret how important it is for overall well-being,” says Rachel Stewart, CEO of Gardner White. “We are inspired by the incredible impact Life Remodeled has made in the Durfee community and are proud to support families in the future Anchor Detroit opportunity hub.”
Life Remodeled is dedicated to transforming vacant schools into neighborhood hubs of opportunity and recently announced plans for (and invited residents to inform its scope and help name) Anchor Detroit in the Denby neighborhood on Detroit’s eastside, similar to the organization’s Durfee Innovation Society on Detroit’s westside.
Life Remodeled acquired a 7.55-acre site, formerly the Winans Academy of Performing Arts after it was the home of Dominican High School from 1940 to 2005. The building, located at 9740 McKinney St., offers nearly 90,000 square feet, including more than 59,000 square feet that will be leased by Life Remodeled’s nonprofit partners to bring after-school youth programs, technology workforce development initiatives, arts and culture programming in the auditorium and health and wellness resources to the Denby community.
To learn more, visit liferemodeled.org.
