Paul McCarthy: This Is a Historic Moment for Consumer Choice
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By Counterman
link hidden, please login to view proudly presented link hidden, please login to view (GPD) with the 2026 Receiver’s Choice Award at the Auto Care Association’s Automotive Content Professionals Network (ACPN) Knowledge Exchange Conference, held May 11–14 in Atlanta. The award recognizes GPD’s commitment to delivering high-quality, accurate and complete product content, along with its dedication to continuous improvement and industry best practices. The Receiver’s Choice Award honors organizations that provide exceptional content, including ACES, PIES, digital assets, and customer-specific formats. Recipients are selected by content receivers who support ACPN and are evaluated based on accuracy, timeliness, completeness, consistency, and overall data integrity.
The 2026 award was presented by Lance Brierley, director of technology solutions, and Jimmy Golden, director of eCommerce solutions at Alliance Headquarters.
“GPD’s commitment to maintaining clean, accurate, and timely content has made a measurable impact across our data ecosystem,” said Jimmy Golden. “Their team consistently demonstrates a strong understanding of the standards and responsiveness required to support our distribution and sales efforts.”
“What set GPD apart is not only the quality of their data, but also their proactive approach to collaboration and continuous improvement,” added Lance Brierley. “They’ve shown a clear dedication to advancing content excellence in a way that benefits the entire network.”
Global Parts Distributors was recognized for its outstanding performance in content delivery and for playing a key role in strengthening the digital foundation of product representation across the Alliance network.
link hidden, please login to view congratulates Global Parts Distributors on this well-deserved recognition and looks forward to continued collaboration and success. Pictured from Left to Right: Lance Brierley, John Johnson, Kassandra Dore, Natalie Houseman and Jimmy Golden.
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By NAPA
Ron Capps and the
link hidden, please login to view Funny Car team delivered a standout performance Sunday at the NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, racing to the final round of the milestone 1,000th NHRA Funny Car event before a narrow loss to Matt Hagan. After qualifying No. 2, Capps ran a series of passes in the 3.80-second range, including low E.T. of the event, on the way to his 159th career final round. With the runner-up finish, Capps is now tied for the Funny Car points lead with Hagan following race three of the 20-race NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
Funny Car’s first qualifying session on Friday was a challenging one for Capps and his fellow competitors, but with Dean ‘Guido’ Antonelli turning the knobs, he charged to a 4.007-second pass at 314.17 mph in the second session. That was the third-quickest performance of the round, rewarding Capps with one championship bonus point and the provisional No. 3 position. By reaching the semifinals at the NHRA Arizona Nationals, which he ultimately won, Capps earned a spot in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge during Saturday qualifying. Capps left the line first against Paul Lee, but he started to lose traction and backed off the throttle. He then rebounded to a 3.919 E.T. at 330.88 mph in the final session to grab two more bonus points and climb up to the No. 2 position in the final qualifying order.
In the first round of eliminations on Sunday, Capps left the starting line ahead of young gun Dylan Winefsky, and though he lost traction, pedaled, dropped cylinders, and shut off early, he crossed the finish line first with a 4.977 E.T. Capps came back stronger in the quarterfinals, where he fired off low E.T. of the round, a 3.884-second pass at 332.34 mph, to defeat Alexis DeJoria. Capps and Antonelli lowered the boom yet again in the semifinals with a 3.863 E.T. at 330.31 mph – low E.T. of the event – to hold off rookie Jordan Vandergriff and his 3.889 E.T.
Following a quick turnaround to race under the lights in the 1,000th NHRA Funny Car final round, Capps lined up next to fellow multi-time world champion Matt Hagan for the 85th time in eliminations. The NAPA Auto Care machine moved off the starting line first, but Hagan pulled ahead at the finish line, with Capps recording a 3.893 E.T. at 334.32 mph to Hagan’s winning 3.876 E.T.
“You really couldn’t ask for a better final in a lot of different ways,” Capps said. “It was really mano a mano with both teams – ‘Stretch’ (Mike Knudsen, Hagan’s crew chief) and Guido and then Matt and me. I get up for racing Matt. He was a teammate of mine for a long time and I know how good he is. To me, that’s like a ‘Snake’ and ‘Jungle Jim’ race back in the day. You’ve got a great car, you get up there and you throw down, then you add the fact that it’s Pomona on a late Sunday night under the lights and the 1,000th win in Funny Car is on the line. There’s so many cool things about it. I’m bummed it didn’t go our way, but at the same time, we have a good hot rod, and we moved up in points. I’m just so proud of Guido and the guys.”
Capps will look to solidify the points lead at the next stop on the NHRA Mission Foods Series schedule, the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals, April 24-26, at zMAX Dragway in Concord, North Carolina.
Start / Finish: No. 2 / def. in final round
Points Standing / Total: No. 1 / 251 pts. (tied)
Next Race: April 24-26, NHRA 4-Wide Nationals, Concord, NC
How to Watch or Listen: FS1,
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By Counterman
link hidden, please login to view appointed Jeff Paul executive vice president, effective Jan. 1, 2026, following a vote by the VIPAR Heavy Duty Board of Directors. The promotion was first announced by president and CEO Chris Baer to the network’s heavy-duty aftermarket distributors at the company’s IMPACT Conference in October. “Jeff and I have worked together for 23 years, and in that time, he has consistently demonstrated an exceptional level of commitment, drive, and integrity. He is among the most principled and capable leaders I have had the privilege to work with. Jeff’s future within this organization is extremely bright, and our organization is fortunate to have him to guide the ship in future years,” said Baer.
Leadership Scope and Distribution Strategy
Paul most recently served as vice president of marketing and sat on the executive management team. He oversaw data and market research, marketing strategy, corporate branding, corporate communications, public relations and corporate event management.
In his new role, Paul’s responsibilities expand to long-term organizational objectives, development and maintenance of strategic relationships, and oversight of innovation and expansion efforts tied to aftermarket distribution and supplier strategies. He will also provide executive oversight for major initiatives, including the reconstruction of the National Accounts program.
“Jeff has started his journey, and we have a comprehensive timeline that will guide us to a smooth transition 24 months from now,” said Baer.
Digital Platforms and Data Strategy
Paul has led major digital and data initiatives for
link hidden, please login to view, including the PARTSPHERE PIM & DAM and the Nucleus Knowledge Center, supporting product data quality and supplier connectivity across the supply chain. He has also led the IMPACT Conference program, with a focus on distributor and supplier engagement. Industry Engagement and Governance
Paul serves on multiple industry boards and committees, including the AWDA Board of Governors, CVSN Board of Directors, MEMA Heavy Duty E-Commerce Committee and the Joint Operating Committee for Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week (HDAW). His involvement aligns with market trends in heavy-duty aftermarket distribution, data standards and e-commerce.
“I’m grateful to our Board of Directors and to Chris for their confidence and support,” said Paul. “I look forward to expanding my contributions as we continue to strengthen our family of companies and our impact across the industry, delivering true group value for our stockholders, members, and supplier partners. And, I’m proud to do this work alongside an exceptional team whose dedication continues to move our organization forward.”
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