Martin Truex Jr. has been named the 2016 Eastern Motorsport Press Association National Driver of the Year. The award was voted on by members of the EMPA.

Driving the No. 78 Toyota Camry for Denver-based Furniture Row Racing, Truex’s stellar 2016 season in NASCAR’s premier division included four wins, five poles and a series’ leading 1,805 laps led, all career season highs for the native of Mayetta, N.J.

His dominating victory at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway set a NASCAR record for miles led (588) and an event record for laps led – 392 out of 400.

“Martin had an impressive season, winning two of the triple crown events – the Coca-Cola 600 and Southern 500 (Darlington, S.C.),” said Earl Krause, a veteran motorsports journalist, EMPA board member and lead announcer at Pocono Raceway. “He nearly pulled off NASCAR’s version of the triple crown but came up inches short of winning the Daytona 500. He also had exciting Chase victories at Chicago and Dover. I covered Martin since his early racing days at Wall Stadium in New Jersey, and like his father – Martin Truex Sr. -- he has always been a class act both on and off the track.”

This is the second time Truex will be the recipient of the EMPA Al Holbert Memorial National Driver of the Year trophy. He received the prestigious hardware after winning the 2004 XFINITY Series championship.

“My racing roots are in the Northeast and to be recognized by the EMPA takes on a special meaning for the entire Truex family,” noted Truex. “My family has spent many days and nights racing at Northeastern tracks, and that’s why I always feel like I’m going home when the NASCAR series competes at Dover, Pocono and New Hampshire.”

Truex added, “I want to thank the EMPA members for this humbling honor. The real heroes are my teammates at Furniture Row Racing for bringing fast race cars to the track on a weekly basis. I also want to thank our team owner Barney Visser, team president Joe Garone and our sponsors – Furniture Row, Denver Mattress, Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, TRACKER Boats, Auto-Owners Insurance and Visser Precision.”

Truex joins an elite list of drivers from different racing disciplines who have garnered the EMPA National Driver of the Year award, including Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Rusty Wallace, Tony Stewart and Terry Labonte from NASCAR; Mario Andretti, Michael Andretti and Mark Donohue from IndyCar; and Joe Amato and John Force from the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA).

-- Press release courtesy of Eastern Motorsport Press Association

In what has become a much-anticipated season kick-off event, NASCAR will offer FREE admission to the NASCAR Hall of Fame as part of NASCAR Fan Appreciation Day. That’s just one of the many exciting offerings during the day-long celebration of NASCAR’s passionate fans, scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 21 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

NASCAR stars past and present will participate in autograph and Q&A sessions throughout the day, in addition to free access to the Hall. Fans will be admitted into the Hall on a first-come, first-served basis in lieu of needing a ticket. Doors open at 8 a.m. ET.

However, tickets to the below autograph sessions featuring stars from all three NASCAR national series must be secured in advance. Tickets for these autograph sessions will be available for free on NASCARHall.com.
Each fan can secure up to two tickets for one of the seven autograph sessions (one ticket for an individual or two tickets for an individual and their guest).

The Toyota exhibit at the 2017 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), from January 8-22 in Detroit will feature more than 45 cars, trucks and SUVs including the global premiere of the all-new 2018 Camry.

Camry, the best-selling car in America for 15 consecutive years and Cars.com’s “Most American Made” for the past two years, has evolved into an eye-catching sedan with this new generation for 2018.

The Toyota exhibit in Detroit’s Cobo Center also showcases the new C-HR, which represents a leap forward in design, manufacturing and engineering for Toyota. Arriving for sale at dealerships this spring, C-HR has a bold, outgoing character with a diamond-shaped avant-garde physique and a modern, comfortable cabin for fashion-forward, trendsetting owners.

Ford Motor Company and Toyota Motor Company are forming SmartDeviceLink Consortium, a nonprofit organization working to manage an open source software platform with the goal of giving consumers more choice in how they connect and control their smartphone apps on the road.

Mazda Motor Corporation, PSA Group, Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI) and Suzuki Motor Corporation are the first automaker members of the consortium. Elektrobit, Luxoft, and Xevo join as the first supplier members. Harman, Panasonic, Pioneer and QNX have signed Letters of Intent to join.
 
SmartDeviceLink provides consumers easy access to smartphone apps using voice commands and in-vehicle displays. Adopting the open source platform gives automakers and suppliers a uniform standard with which to integrate apps. Developers benefit because they can focus on creating the best experience for customers by integrating one linking solution for use by all participating automakers.

Adient , a global automotive seating supplier, has unveiled its AI17 automated driving seating system to show how automated driving will impact the driver and passenger experience in a contemporary premium vehicle at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.

The interior of automated driving vehicles will play an important role as drivers and passengers spend more time on non-driving activities. Once vehicles have the capability to be computer-driven, occupants will demand far more flexibility from a vehicle’s seating and interior space than ever before.

"Our AI17 demonstrator shows how we are embracing the opportunities for innovation afforded by automated-driving vehicle technology,” said Bruce McDonald, chairman and chief executive officer of Adient. “The concept features innovations that increase interior flexibility, while also providing occupants with higher levels of safety, comfort and convenience.”

Adient, created when Johnson Controls’ automotive seating business was spun off as an independent company in 2016 and is sharing several concepts and production ready products at this year’s NAIAS.

Yanfeng Automotive Interiors, the world’s largest supplier of automotive interiors, unveiled its vehicle interior concept, called the Experience in Motion demonstrator 2017 (XiM17), at the 2017 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. With a focus on Experience in Motion, the concept features more than 25 innovations, offering new consumer experiences for future autonomous vehicles.

“We focused the concept design to meet the future needs and expectations of consumers when it comes to the interior of the vehicle, as well as to enhance the overall autonomous driving experience,” said Han Hendriks, chief technology officer, Yanfeng Automotive Interiors. “Representing our theme, Experience in Motion, the XiM17 offers leading innovations that provide flexibility in the vehicle, allowing for optimal capabilities and comfort for various situations.”

The XiM17 helps answer the question, “What will people do in their vehicle, if they no longer have to drive?”

Volkswagen has announced that it has reached an agreement with the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State of California, by and through the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the California Attorney General, to resolve civil claims regarding approximately 83,000 affected 3.0L TDI V6 diesel engine vehicles in the United States.

The agreement, in the form of a proposed Consent Decree, is subject to the approval of Judge Charles R. Breyer of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, who presides over federal Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) proceedings related to the diesel matter in the United States. The proposed agreement would allow Volkswagen to recall more than 75 percent of affected 3.0L TDI V6 vehicles to bring them into compliance with the emissions standards to which they were certified, if appropriate modifications are approved by EPA and CARB.