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FYI ARCHIVES
10-29-2000

K & P’s Tom Pierson Dies

Azusa, California - Tom Pierson, 76, of K & P Manufacturing passed away October 26, 2000 at 10:20 AM. Tom had been hospitalized since June 28th suffering from various infections including those of his lungs and liver. Tom and his wife Faye have been involved in karting since its beginning in 1956 and opened K & P Manufacturing in the 1957. K & P (which was derived from Karts and Parts) is the oldest existing kart manufacturing facility in the world with its brand-name kart line - BUG. It is also one of only a few kart company’s world-wide which produces all four types of karts - racing, fun, concession and indoor. Tom was still deeply involved in the operation of K & P Mfg. at the time of his illness. Faye, known to the karting world as “Lady Bug”, son Tom Jr. and family plan to continue to operate the Southern California-based business. Funeral arrangements at press time are pending. Send condolences to: K & P Manufacturing Co, 950 W Foothill Blvd., Azusa, California 91702.

ASTM To Standardize Ball Bearings

West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania - The American Society For Testing and Materials (ASTM) has formed a committee to standardize roller element bearings (ball bearings). According to “Standardization News”, the ASTM magazine, “Roller element bearings (AKA ball bearings) are used in a myriad of industrial and consumer products. Manufacturers and procurers that formally standardized roller element bearings under the aegis of a Department of Defense working group have come to the ASTM to meet their standards development needs. This shift highlights the benefits of the ASTM process and the importance of Public Law 104-113, which mandates the use of private sector standards development processes for government standard needs.” The new committee is the F-34 on Roller Element Bearings with many subcommittees in the fold.

Today, 10 companies account for more than 80% of the bearings on the market today, with Japan, the United States and Germany as the largest markets and manufacturing centers. For more information on the new F-34 Committee or the ASTM in general, contact ASTM, Post Office Box 700, West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania 19428-2959 USA. Telephone: 610-832-9598. (For a background story on the ASTM, see the archived Concession Corner column dated 9/1/00)

Former Karter Prevails

(A follow-up to 10/22 FYI story)

Bakersfield, California - Former karter and newly-crowned US F2000 champion Aaron Justus had an excellent first test in a CART Toyota Atlantic Championship car on November 26 at the 1.4 mile Buttonwillow Raceway near Bakersfield, California.

Justus, 27 of Crestline California, earned the full-day, 150 mile test session in an Atlantic car by capturing the 2000 US F2000 Championship title. He dominated the 2000 season where he scored 293 points towards his first championship beating 2nd place Ian Lacy by 49 points. Justus scored five wins in 13 starts and 4 podium finishes. He obtained eight poles in the season, tying the single season record. The 2000 campaign was Justus’ first full season in the series, with Jerry Forsythe, owner of the Player’s/Forsythe CART FedEx team, helping him compete for the Series title.

By his own admission, Justus said he thought the session went well and he was visibly impressed with his first drive in an Atlantic car. “It’s a race car that does what it’s supposed to do”, he said. “It’s got great power, more brakes, more tires, more wing, more of everything! It’s twice the race car I’m used to, but by the end of the day I felt very comfortable in the car and working with the Lynx team. My plans for next year are not quite firmed up yet, but I came away from this test with the sure knowledge that I can be competitive at this level. Running with a team the caliber of Lynx Racing was a great experience and I’d like to thank everyone who helped make it possible.”

Under warm sunny skies, with temperatures in the mid-70s, the 27-year old American showed what he could do in an Atlantic Car, turning lap times within a half-second off the baseline time set the previous day by Lynx Racing driver David Rutledge.

“Based on what Aaron achieved in the F2000 series this season, we expected him to do well in an Atlantic car, and he did,” said Lynx Racing team manager Steve Cameron. “He ran the test without making a single mistake, and he was very consistent, at one point running five consecutive laps within 5/100th of a second of each other. His feedback was so good we let him try some development parts that we didn’t have time to evaluate before the test. Aaron is definitely ready for Atlantic and it’s obvious he has the talent to make it all the way to CART.”

For more information about Lynx Racing, contact Peter Frey at 818-906-6997.

END

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