Sixteen-Year-Old Super Late Model Driver Jordan Ives Wins $50,000 'Search For A Champion' Sponsorship

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Sixteen-Year-Old Super Late Model Driver Jordan Ives Wins $50,000 ‘Search For A Champion’ Sponsorship

Third-generation driver won first race at age 4, dreams of NASCAR career.

Counterman Staff
By Counterman Staff
Published:

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — Jordan Ives won his first race at age four. Twelve years later, the Gladstone, Mich., high school student has landed what might be the biggest victory of his career: the $50,000 grand-prize sponsorship in the “Search for a Champion” contest from Federal-Mogul’s (NASDAQ: FDML) iconic Champion Spark Plug brand. Ives was one of 15 finalists from among nearly 400 grassroots racers who submitted videos describing how a Champion sponsorship would help them dominate the competition in 2014. More than 243,000 members of the “Performance Driven” Champion online community cast votes in the contest.

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“This is an unbelievable thrill – Champion is one of the racing world’s truly great brands, and being able to display their classic bow tie logo on our car will be an honor for our team,” Ives said. “Search for a Champion has generated a ton of excitement among the grassroots racing community, which includes thousands of drivers like me who are looking for a way to get to the next level.”

Reaching the next level has never been a challenge for Ives, who won his first “official” race on a Big Wheel trike at Norway (Mich.) Speedway at age four. He began racing dirt bikes on ice the next year and graduated to junior sprint car competition – winning all but one race – at 11. It was at that point that his parents, Angela and Steve Ives, realized Jordan had the makings of a champion. His family tree has helped as well: Steve Ives is a former Super Late Model driver and Jordan’s grandfather, Roger, was a driver and team owner.

“Anyone who watched Jordan’s video could see that he has the talent and commitment to be successful at any level of racing and his accomplishments back that up,” said Jessica Wynn, global digital marketing manager, Federal-Mogul Vehicle Components segment. “Our voters really responded to his story, and we are proud to provide the support he needs to take on new challenges in 2014.”

Ives won eight Late Model races and was Norway Speedway’s “Rookie of the Year” in 2012. He was selected “Most Improved Driver” after finishing in the top 10 in points in Super Late Model competition in 2013. He plans to campaign his 2012 Chevrolet Monte Carlo Super Late Model car throughout the midwestern U.S. this year.

In addition to the grand-prize sponsorship, Federal-Mogul also awarded $5,000 sponsorships to each of the 15 finalists, for a total of $125,000 in grassroots support from the Champion brand.

To see Ives’ video that led him to this win, visit http://alwaysachampion.com/search-for-a-champion. To learn more about Ives and to follow the success of his Champion-powered car, simply visit www.jordanivesracing.com, and connect with him on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/JordanIvesRacing) and Twitter (@IvesRacing).

For more information regarding “Performance Driven” Champion spark plugs, wipers and chemical additives, as well as the Search for a Champion contest, please visit www.AlwaysaChampion.com.

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Customer Service: How It’s Done

Customer service should be your number one priority, and it all starts with the greeting.

Eric Garbe
By Eric Garbe
Eric Garbe is a graduate of Columbus State Community College with a degree in Automotive Maintenance Technology. He has extensive independent and dealership field experience as a technician and shop owner and is an ASE Certified Master Technician and former Adjunct Automotive Professor. He has been professionally writing automotive technical articles and documents for many years and in his free time enjoys restoring old cars and creating custom interiors and upholstery.
Published:

This is always an important topic to discuss, because I consider excellent customer service one of the most important tools you can have to earn trust, respect and repeat business from the customers that come through your door. Whether that customer is do-it-yourselfer from across town or the professional repair shop across the street, your business depends on a solid relationship.It’s a subject that I am passionate about, and it’s one that many people are losing touch with. Whether you are communicating to someone in person, on the phone or using some type of social media, good customer service and bad can both exist. You can’t afford the latter, so this is the first in a series of topics which can and should be shared from the front of the shop to the back. No matter which role you hold, you represent the shop and yourself. Customer service should be your number one priority.First on the list is the greeting. From the second a customer walks in the door, they need to know you appreciate them coming in and how important they are to your business. First impressions are everything and here’s the correct way to do it each and every time: look them directly in the eye, smile and say hello!Of course, you can say “Good morning” or “Welcome to Joe’s Autocare,” but it should be a formal greeting and the most important thing is that you have smiled, looked them in the eye and recognized that they have walked through the door.You should always retain a formal greeting until you are on a first-name basis with a customer. Only once you have established that level of relationship is it OK to use the less formal greeting of “Hi,” followed by the person’s name.This greeting does more than just indicate respect and appreciation for someone walking through the door. Most likely there are customers both new and old who are in earshot of your conversation. For newer customers, this continues to build rapport and reinforce their positive view of your shop; they see that you demonstrate respect and treat everyone in the same manner. For repeat customers, even ones that have been coming for years, the greeting is important because the way you treat them is the reason they continue to come.And when a long-time customer comes in and you greet them with “Hi [First Name],” this indicates your appreciation for them and that you’re glad to see them as a person, more than just a customer. New customers that witness this will see that your repeat customers are comfortable enough to be on a first-name basis, another indication of the trust they have in you.

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