Motorsports Authentics cuts 40

Motorsports Authentics, a joint merchandising venture by the country's two largest speedway owners, laid off 40 employees Wednesday, said Joe Mattes, the company's new interim president.

The cuts represent about 15 percent of the Charlotte-based company's workforce, and between 250 and 300 employees remain, Mattes said.

Named interim president last week, Mattes said he and senior managers spent recent days analyzing the company's workforce and processes before cutting the 40 positions – 33 of them full-time.

"It was from the manager level to the customer service level," he said of the layoffs. “Every facet of the organization was reviewed."