Drivers competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ Quaker State 400 on July 11 at Kentucky Speedway will do so using a new rules package.

NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell announced the sanctioning body’s decision, which includes a reduced downforce package with a smaller spoiler and an extended splitter. The goal is to increase on-track lead changes and improve competition.

The first 15 races of the Sprint Cup season have averaged 20.1 lead changes per race, a steep decline from the 30.13 average 15 races into the 2014 season. There have been tweaks since then.

Horsepower reductions to the cars have resulted in higher corner speeds and an increase in the phenomena known as “aero push,” where the leading car on intermediate tracks has a significant horsepower and handling advantage over cars running in “dirty air” behind other cars.

The new rules package, O’Donnell hopes, can have a positive effect on that, which could lead to more passes for the lead. It will only be in effect for the Kentucky race weekend, which will have an extended practice session on July 8.

“We certainly want to see more lead changes on the race track,” O’Donnell said. “We’ll evaluate that and a number of other factors after Kentucky. This is a Kentucky-only package, but any options are available coming out of Kentucky. We wouldn’t implement this if we didn’t feel confident as an industry. Even in a test, there’s only so much you can learn. You validate it in a race, and that’s the direction we’re headed.

“I think it’s important to look back over the last 18 months and what we tested on track, one of which was this package for Kentucky. We feel like we’ve got a great deal of confidence in this package.”

NASCAR was expected to test a new rules package in the Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, but the sanctioning body nixed the idea prior to the race weekend.

“We took a pause and thought, ‘What’s the best thing to do going forward?'” O’Donnell said. “As we got through those discussions, Kentucky really seemed to line up as an avenue for us to implement this in a race.”

O’Donnell stressed the wide-open nature of what could come following the Kentucky race.

“You want to look at any feedback you get from the industry, so we’ve built in time for that,” he said. “We’ve built in time if it does rain and we lose Wednesday. From there, when you get to the race, this is still a specific Kentucky race package. We’re not building our entire rules package based off of one race.”

It will, however, play a significant role in determining how many rules packages could be added for 2016.

“It’s something we’re looking at,” O’Donnell added. “Maybe more than the one or two (rules packages) we have. All options are on the table as we look ahead to see what we might be able to implement.

“This is not an abandonment of any rules package. There’s many positives from the current rules package that shouldn’t be dismissed. We’ll never see any rules package being final.”

BLOODHOUND SSC (Supersonic Car) will make its world debut on Nov. 17 with a 200 mph trial at Newquay Aerohub, Cornwall, England.

The car will then be fitted with airbrakes and winglets as its prepared to commence high-speed testing in Hakskeen Pan, South Africa, in Summer 2016, when weather conditions will be optimal. A forward party will deploy in April/May next year to prepare the team’s desert base.

The results from the Summer 2016 tests will inform the Project’s ultimate speed goal of setting a new World Land Speed Record of 1000 mph.

Further details on the configuration of the car will be announced in August, when BLOODHOUND SSC will be shown in highly assembled form at the Team’s Technical Centre, Avonmouth.

Construction of the car is well advanced with its titanium floor fitted, two meter high tail fin nearly finished and carbon-fiber front monocoque painted to aerospace standards.

Nelson Piquet Jr. has signed a multi-year extension to remain with the NEXTEV TCR (Team China Racing) team in the FIA Formula E Championship.

Piquet is on the verge of clinching the inaugural championship title in London in two weeks.

“I am very happy to confirm that I will be racing with NEXTEV TCR in Formula E for the foreseeable future,” he said.

“We have had some amazing results together this season and as we build our experience together we are looking to grow as a force in this championship and be consistent championship contenders. I have loved racing in Formula E, I think it’s an exciting place to be in racing.”

Piquet is in the midst of a hectic schedule. He finished seventh and eighth in two Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires races in Toronto, filling in for Max Chilton at Carlin.

The week before that, he won the previous FIA Formula E race in Moscow. He’ll head to Daytona Beach this week to resume his commitments in Red Bull Global Rallycross with SH Rallycross, then head to London at the end of the month for the FIA Formula E season finale.

Motovicity Distribution, an automotive performance aftermarket distributor, is announcing the addition of Eaton Differentials to its line card.

With popular models such as the Detroit Locker and Eaton Posi, Eaton has made terms like “Positraction” (the GM branded version of the Eaton Posi) synonymous with limited slip differentials. They have been developing gear-driven rear axles since 1911 and are one of the largest OE suppliers to automotive manufacturers in the world.

“I am very pleased to add Motovicity as an Eaton distributor for the high performance differential line. Motovicity’s excellent customer base in the Modern Muscle marketplace can now get their horsepower to the ground with confidence,” said Chuck Jones, Eaton Aftermarket Sales.

When asked about adding Eaton Performance differentials to the Motovicity product line, Motovicity Sales Manager, Ryan Balicki said, “Eaton is a great addition to Motovicity’s performance offering. From better traction to added power, Eaton has been an industry leader in aftermarket performance for decades, and we are excited to offer their products to our customers.”

Eaton Performance differentials are now available for wholesale purchase through Motovicity Distribution. For product inquiries, call 888.SPEED.16 to speak to a representative.

NASCAR Senior VP of Marketing Kim Brink has joined Team Detroit, WPP's dedicated Ford agency, as COO, the company said.

Team Detroit's CEO, Satish Korde, had stepped in to manage the team during the search to fill the position after COO Mark LaNeve took a position with Ford in January as VP of U.S. marketing sales and service.

Brink has led all marketing initiatives at NASCAR since 2011, spearheading the launch of NASCAR's current Hispanic outreach efforts, as well as the development of its youth marketing platform, Acceleration Nation. She also led a review that resulted in the selection of WPP's Ogilvy & Mather as agency of record.

Jill Gregory, who currently oversees NASCAR's Industry Services department as a senior VP, will assume leadership of marketing, according to a NASCAR announcement.

WPP's Team Ford is the group of agencies dedicated to the Ford business. It includes Team Detroit, the Blue Hives, and Hudson Rouge, a boutique agency created in 2012 to support the Lincoln Motor Company.

Richard Childress Racing announced Monday that Richard "Slugger" Labbe would take over crew chief responsibilities on Austin Dillon's No. 3 Sprint Cup Series team, with Gil Martin moving into a role to lead the team's research and development program. The change is effective immediately.

Labbe had transitioned to the R&D department at the end of the 2015 season after turning over the role of crew chief for Paul Menard to Justin Alexander. This season, Labbe has served as the part-time crew chief on the No. 33 Chevrolet often driven by RCR's Ty Dillon and Brian Scott.

So far this season, Dillon has just one top-five finish and two DNFs. The sophomore driver currently sits 23rd in the driver standings after a 20th-place finish Sunday at Michigan International Speedway.

After seven weeks as executive director of United States Auto Club, Davey Hamilton is no longer associated with the motorsports sanctioning body. He said a difference of opinion with USAC President and CEO Kevin Miller led to the departure.

“I have a passion for short-track racing,” said Hamilton, who officially joined USAC on March 10. “USAC has a great name and has done a lot for me and my career, but after getting in there and really going into the deep end I was ready to go for it and get the racing side of it to where hopefully it once was.

“Unfortunately Kevin and I just didn’t see eye to eye on the direction he felt it needed to go and the direction I felt it needed to go as far as the racing component was (concerned). I think he felt everything I was doing was—I was working too much in the future and maybe not so much on today. But I didn’t know how to change things immediately.”

Miller said last week through a public relations representative that Hamilton had signed a 90-day contract and that contract was not renewed because certain expectations had not been met.

Hamilton admitted many of his plans were focused on long-term growth.

“All of my changes would have been more of a long-term plan,” the former Indy car driver added. “I had one-, three- and five-year plans in place. Unfortunately we just didn’t see eye to eye on the way either one of us thought that USAC should go.

“He (Kevin Miller) said he felt I was working on things that were just too far in the future,” Hamilton added. “I was working too far out. I was guilty of that. I have to say that he hit the nail on the head. I really was working on things in the future.

“I had some ideas on short-term things. He didn’t really like some ideas that I had on the short term,” Hamilton said. “I’m not sure what he wanted me to do exactly. I do think he felt that I needed to go to every race possible and I felt like I can’t go to every race and try to fix the long-term package at the same time. I went to plenty of races while I was there, trust me. I got input from the racers and promoters and evaluated what I felt we did right and what we did wrong and how we could make things better.”

At the end of the day, Hamilton said he felt like it was just easier to part ways with USAC now.

“It was much easier to sever the relationship seven weeks in rather than waiting a year from now,” he said. “I didn’t want to be the guy who heard, ‘Hey Davey’s been there a year and nothing’s changed.’ I didn’t feel that was a direction I wanted to go.”

Hamilton said he felt pressured to micro-manage each individual series, but that he didn’t agree with that philosophy.

“I felt that was a position that maybe they wanted me to take, but I’m not a micro manager at any point,” Hamilton said. “I’m a guy to come in and evaluate what’s going on and make sure that if there is anything we do differently or any changes, that we really evaluate them properly and make the right decisions. Don’t just make knee-jerk reactions.”

Hamilton discussed many of the things he had hoped to change, including finding a way to return the Honda USAC National Midget Series to a more prominent position within the industry. He also wanted to work on finding more national events for the USAC Silver Crown Series, as well as create a unified rules package for the USAC HPD Midget Series divisions around the country.

“One thing we needed to do is make events out of Silver Crown races, not just races,” Hamilton said. “We needed to get them back to where they use to be. I think Andy (Hillenburg, Silver Crown series director) did a really good job getting the participants back involved and activated. I felt it was my job to get the events kicked back up.

“If you look at the midget series across the country, none of them are super healthy,” Hamilton continued. “The engine cost is out of control in the midgets. You have to pay $55,000 for a Toyota to be able to win and you’re racing for $2,000 or $3,000 (to win) at the most. It just doesn’t make any sense. Most races are $1,000 to win.

“Most importantly, I met with all the engine manufacturers that are currently involved with the USAC midgets and some new ones to try to find an engine that can be competitive for much less of an investment. I was working on a program—and I’m not going to mention any manufacturers or people—they felt that they had an opportunity to have a 375 horsepower engine that cost $20,000 and that will last 1,500 miles. That is basically three years.

“It’s just unfortunate that the spigot got turned off before we really got going full bore,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton said he will continue to run his King of the Wing Sprint Car Series, which will no longer be a part of USAC. He is also working toward returning his Verizon IndyCar Series team to full-time status after only running the Indianapolis 500 this year through a partnership with Dennis Reinbold and Kingdom Racing.

“We already have a program put together for 2016’s 500, but we’d like to make it more of a full-time team,” said Hamilton, who will also continue to work as an analyst during IndyCar events on the IMS Radio Network.

Hamilton made it clear he holds no ill will toward USAC and wishes only the best for Miller, USAC and everyone involved with the sanctioning body.

“At the end of the day all I can say, without USAC I wouldn’t have had the career that I’ve had,” Hamilton said. “USAC has helped me get to the ultimate in motorsports for me, which is the Indy 500, and be an Indy car driver on a full-time basis. Without USAC, I don’t feel like I would have made it.

“I still have heart, passion and support for USAC completely,” he added. “I want nothing but the best for them. It’s just that unfortunately the ideas I had for USAC and the direction I felt it needed to go and the direction Kevin Miller felt it needed to go were obviously two different things.”

Maradyne High Performance Fans has launched an updated website at maradynehp.com to showcase the wide range of universal electric cooling fans available for cost-effective cooling power for high-performance vehicles or daily drivers.

Created to appeal to tech-savvy automotive and truck owners, the new website is a well-organized, easy-to-navigate presentation of Maradyne fan products and accessories. An educational technical/FAQ page provides information about fan engineering and how to choose an electric cooling fan, videos demonstrate fan selection tips and installation information.

In addition to product information, the website also features a gallery of high-profile racing team action images and customer vehicle installation images.

Hastings Manufacturing Company, a 100-year-old global piston ring manufacturer, announces the appointment of Ken Holbrook as President & CEO.
 
In Holbrook's previous role at Hastings as Senior VP Sales & Marketing, he had a significant impact in growing global sales and bringing a focus back to marketing for the company. Under Holbrook's direction, Hastings has revitalized the Hastings brand globally, created a new website, and will shortly be launching on TecDoc. With nearly 30 years in the automotive industry, including Magna International, Holbrook brings experience, energy and passion to his new role as President & CEO.
 
With Holbrook's promotion, Jeff Guenther has been promoted to Senior VP Sales & Marketing. Guenther comes to this position with over 30 years of experience at Hastings Manufacturing. During his tenure at Hastings, Guenther's roles have included marketing and global sales, which coupled with his dedication and strategic mindset, make him well suited for this new role.
 
Hastings Manufacturing Company designs and manufactures piston rings for the worldwide engine manufacturing and service industries. Hastings holds TS16949 and ISO14001 registrations, and is an approved piston ring supplier to OEMs and Aftermarket Specialists worldwide.

Kooks Headers and Exhaust has partnered with Stage 8 Locking Fasteners to offer customers header and exhaust packages that utilize the zero-failure technology of Stage 8’s locking fasteners.

“We are excited about the opportunity to partner with another premier performance manufacturer and bring our two products together. Our partnership with Kooks will mean a superior product for everyone from weekend warriors to professional drivers,” Robert Ahern of Stage 8 Locking Fasteners said.

Kooks Headers and Exhaust have been innovating header technology for more than 50 years. The company offers “custom” headers for many late model domestic vehicles while still building handmade custom race headers that are used in applications making more than 3000 horsepower.  

2015 marks Stage 8 Locking Fastener’s 30th anniversary of building locking fasteners for a myriad of industries including automotive, industrial, railroad and military. Since 1985, Stage 8 has consistently delivered measurable increases in equipment reliability and safety as well as dramatic reductions in maintenance costs and equipment failures, especially for the most critical fastener applications—like header and exhaust applications.