Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/679587
www.PowersportsBusiness.com NEWS Powersports Business • May 23, 2016 • 5 Manheim Specialty Auctions to sponsor Power 50 PSB dealer awards program continues to grow Powersports Business announced that Manheim Specialty Auctions has been named a sponsor of the 2016 Power 50 dealer awards program. The Power 50, the only program of its kind in the industry, annually selects the 50 most outstanding powersports dealerships in North America. Manheim Specialty Auctions oper- ates 21 branded dealer auctions dedicated to specialty vehicle types, including motorcycles and powersports. "We're proud to have a longtime industry supporter like Manheim Specialty Auctions join the Power 50 as a sponsor," said Powers- ports Business editor in chief Dave McMahon, who also manages the Power 50 program. "Pre- owned unit sales continue to drive dealership profitability, and the Power 50 dealers will ben- efit from Manheim's knowledge and expertise." "Manheim Specialty Auctions is excited to sponsor the awards program and celebrate success with the amazing folks that make the powersports industry enjoyable for everyone — our dealers," said Kevin Cooper, director of Sales, Manheim. The Power 50 application deadline for dealers is June 1. The online application can be found at www.powersportsbusiness.com/ power-50. Power 50 winners will be announced at the Power 50 Awards Dinner held in October during the American International Motor- cycle Expo (AIMExpo) in Orlando. Among the highlights of the celebration is the announce- ment of the Top 5 dealers in North America. In addition, awards are presented to dealers in a variety of Best in Class categories. PSB agricultural purposes — they go to powersports dealers to buy these vehicles. So that's where we're setting up our dealerships," Johnson said. NEW BRANDING With the release of the Stampede, Bad Boy Off Road also unveiled new branding. "Off Road" has replaced the previously used "Buggies." And a new winged logo has been introduced. "We're launching a brand new logo, a brand new identity; everything is different," Johnson explained. The new branding represents Bad Boy's new direction, coming six years after Textron acquired the electric side-by-side company. The Stampede and Onslaught are just the first of new vehicles to come from Bad Boy. A four- door Stampede 900 XTR is expected to be released in October, and Johnson revealed that more side-by-side models are in development. "There's a lot more cool things coming," he said. But Bad Boy is starting to push the new branding and the Stampede immediately. Bad Boy-sponsored NASCAR racers Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick were on hand at the April dealer meeting, riding the Stampede. Stewart's Twitter post from the event gained more than 90 retweets and more than 830 likes, and Har- vick's earned more than 20 retweets and more than 300 likes. In total, Bad Boy had more than 2 million social shares the first day of the dealer meeting, Johnson reported. The Stampede is being marketed to ag con- sumers, including farmers and ranchers, along with recreational side-by-side riders and hunt- ers. Bad Boy has scheduled a demo ride event at Durhamtown in Georgia over Memorial Day Weekend, and the company plans to host demos at Brimstone, the Hatfield-McCoy Trails and at other ATV and side-by-side riding loca- tions and events this summer. Production of the Stampede began in April, with units scheduled to arrive in dealerships in mid-May. PSB BAD BOY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 Bad Boy Off Road has unveiled a new logo and a new name, removing "Buggies" from its former name and replacing it with "Off Road." See video of PSB managing editor Liz Keener riding the Stampede 900 4x4 in Moab, Utah, at youtube.com/powersportsbusiness1. u LIZ TAKES THE WHEEL