I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Nebraska, has confirmed the nightly purse and bonus for sweeping the 2015 edition of the Fall Brawl with the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by MAVTV American Real.

Slated for Sept. 18–19, each night of competition will feature a $5000-to-win, $40-to-start A-Feature with a $20,000 check awaiting any driver who can sweep both nights of action.

ASCS draw and passing point format will be utilized both nights with one change from 2014. The top-four from Friday night will not lock into Saturday’s championship event as both nights offer teams an identical payout. This fall in compliance with ASCS rules and regulations, and will be a full points paying event for teams chasing the National Tour Points Fund.

Jason Johnson grabbed the first Fall Brawl victory in 2012, a win worth $2500. Pouring a barrel of Menthol on the event the following year, the first bonus was offered with Nebraska’s Jack Dover putting the weekend’s $20,000 check in his pocket.

Taking the event up a notch with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour joining the Midwest Region in 2014, the bonus of $50,000 was one no one thought would be claimed, but Wayne Johnson dropped jaws with a stirring performance that notched the Oklahoma driver over $60,000; marking Wayne’s biggest payday of his career.

To date, the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series has seen 10 events at the I-80 Speedway since 1996.

The Petersen Automotive Museum announces several new partnerships with some of the world's most prominent brands, including BMW, Maserati, Ford Motor Company and Lucas Oil. These companies join Microsoft's Forza/Xbox brands, the Automobile Club of Southern California, and Belkin's Linksys division as valued supporters of the museum's re-birth. When the totally transformed museum reopens to the public in December 2015, its world-class partners and innovative use of state-of-the-art connectivity and multi-media will set a new international standard for automotive museums.
 
Lucas Oil, a manufacturer of petroleum additives and oils for high performance engines, will sponsor the Petersen Motorsports gallery. With a tremendous presence in motorsports, as well as owner of MAVTV—a television network with its roots in the automotive world—the motorsports gallery will benefit from a strong partner who will bring content and a motorsports programmatic approach to the Petersen.

Italian company Landi Renzo, a maker of eco-friendly engines best known for its compressed natural gas (CNG) powerplants, will sponsor the Petersen's Alternative Fuels gallery in its opening year.
 
Since 1994, The Petersen has been the benchmark for automotive museums. Its diverse vehicle collection, diorama-based Streetscape, and educational-outreach programs effectively communicated how the automobile impacted life in Southern California and beyond for over 20 years. As technology and visitor expectations evolve, the museum has reinvented itself to deliver a new experience. The New Petersen will meld the art and engineering of history's fastest and most beautiful automobiles with cutting-edge technology, including augmented reality and realistic simulators to redefine the 21st century museum experience. The Petersen is currently on schedule to complete its year-long total transformation in December 2015. The Wilshire Boulevard building, the western entrance to "museum row," promises to be one of the truly iconic architectural designs in Los Angeles.
 
Select partnership opportunities still remain for The New Petersen. For more information about The Petersen Automotive Museum, please visit www.petersen.org or call 323/930-CARS.

Motovicity Distribution, an automotive performance aftermarket distributor, is announcing the addition of FedEx SmartPost as a shipping option for its customers.

The addition of FedEx SmartPost provides Motovicity customers with a new low-cost shipping option by taking advantage of FedEx’s partnership with the United States Postal Service. When customers select FedEx SmartPost as their shipping choice, products will be picked up by FedEx and delivered to the final recipient’s local post office. From there, the USPS will deliver the package to the customer.

The new delivery method offers Motovicity customers significant savings on shipping when having smaller, low-weight packages delivered or when having orders drop-shipped to its customers. Because USPS also delivers on Saturday, this also provides the opportunity for Saturday delivery in some cases without an extra charge.

The FedEx SmartPost shipping option is now available to Motovicity customers. To utilize this new shipping method, select FedEx SmartPost when placing an online order at Motovicity.com.

The Sportscar Vintage Racing Association has delivered on its promise of a field of 33 Indianapolis 500 veterans for the June 13 Indy Legends Pro-Am at the second annual Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational hosted by Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Completing the field are five additional entries: Eric Bachelart, Donnie Beechler, PJ Chesson, Dennis Firestone and Dick Simon. Simon and Chesson competed in the event last year while the other drivers are new to the contest.

The “Indy Legends” Charity Pro-Am for Indy 500 veterans is a 40-minute race of American muscle cars on the Speedway’s 2.43-mile Grand Prix road course. All veterans will have 1963 to 1972 vintage 355 cubic inch Corvettes, Camaros and Mustangs of the “Group 6″ SVRA class. Professionals will be paired with amateur drivers, splitting stints at the wheel at their discretion.

“The number 33 is magic at IMS,” SVRA President & CEO Tony Parella said. “This is just one more example of how the Brickyard Invitational has expanded. In addition to the 33 Indy 500 veterans we will present the Unser family reunion, the Motostalgia car auction, a Jimmy Clark homage, Tom Sneva and Janet Guthrie as event stewards, the A.J. Watson and Sir Jack Brabham Trophies, high-speed oval exhibitions and hundreds of great car club machines in the infield. We have over 500 vintage race cars competing wheel-to-wheel for three solid days. Fans are going to love it, there is something for everyone.”

Bachelart is a former champion of the Indy Lights series (1991) and a two-time starter in the Indianapolis 500 in 1992 and ’95, competing in numerous Indy car races during those years. Belgian-born, he was a star in that country’s touring car series, PROCAR, competing in races for Audi and Peugeot. He has also competed in sports car endurance racing, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Daytona 24 and finished third in the French Formula Three championship. He is the owner of Indianapolis-based Conquest Racing that has fielded entries in IndyCar, Indy Lights and American Le Mans racing.

Beechler is a four-time starter in the Indianapolis 500 and drove for the great A.J. Foyt in his final appearance in the race. He had 36 career starts in Indy car races, finishing on the podium twice. Beechler is a longtime midget and sprint car driver competing in the USAC Silver Crown series and at prestigious events such as the Chili Bowl midget car classic.

Chesson started the 2006 Indianapolis 500. Cutting his teeth at age 12 in go-karts he quickly proved his potential and graduated to sprint cars in 1998. He demonstrated his talent in the World of Outlaws series, scoring three feature wins and 28 top ten finishes in the span of two seasons. He also won Australia’s South Pacific Sprint Car Championship in 2004. A force in the Indy Lights series, Chesson won three races in 2004 and finished fourth in points despite not completing the entire season. One of the more colorful characters in racing, Chesson is remembered for acquiring a tattoo of the event logo at the Indianapolis 500 after qualifying for the race.

Firestone is a five-time starter of the Indianapolis 500 with a top-ten finish in 1981. He was Rookie of the Year for the Indy car series in 1980, finishing in the top five twice. On his way up the ladder he competed in the American Super Vee series, USAC Gold Crown and the USAC Mini-Indy series where he won the 1979 championship.

Simon is one of the most wonderful characters of Indianapolis 500 history. Brimming with personality he saw the promotional value for his sponsors of being the first car to take to the track when practice opened in May. A veteran of 17 Indianapolis 500s, he scored a best finish of sixth in 1987. He was a highly respected car owner and team manager, helping to launch the careers of such notables as two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Arie Luyendyk and 1992 Rookie of the Year Lyn St. James.

Ryan Hunter-Reay’s 0.06-second margin of victory in the 2014 Indianapolis 500 underscored something all racing fans should know by now—every second (or even tenths of a second) counts in IndyCar.

All it takes is one miscommunication or miscalculation to ruin a driver’s chances come race day. And drivers rely heavily on in-car technology and radio communication to give themselves the best chance at taking the checkered flag.

Correspondence between driver, spotter and crew members is essential, made possible by the steering wheel’s radio button and an in-helmet ear piece. Tony Kanaan may not have been able to win the 2013 Indy 500 without it.

“The radio system is essential for racing, especially at oval races where you need your spotter at all times telling you what’s happening on the track,” Kanaan said.

The ear piece also protects racers from engine noise and is one of the most critical pieces of equipment in the car for Kanaan.

“I normally listen to the radio a lot more than I talk,” Kanaan said.

While certain innovations help drivers perform, others help protect them. The SAFER barriers, installed on all four turns at each of the IndyCar Series oval tracks, lessen the impact on cars and promote driver well-being.

“IndyCar revolutionized safety when they came up with the soft wall,” Kanaan said.

IndyCar has also revolutionized the fan experience in recent years, with in-car cameras accessible via Verizon’s INDYCAR 15 mobile app.  The cameras provide 360-degree views, allowing fans to see exactly what lies ahead on the track with their favorite drivers—or who’s behind them.

That type of access wasn’t available when Bobby Rahal won the Indy 500 in 1986. But fans can now place themselves inside the car with his son, Graham Rahal, who has one of the most popular in-car camera feeds on the circuit.

“Technology is just advancing so far over the last two years,” Rahal said. “The biggest thing is for the fans. I think about what fans have access to now and (even) I use the Verizon app. … When I’m here in the bus waiting for practice, I’ve got the app open and you can see everything. It’s incredibly impressive. That sort of thing has advanced quite far.”

That ear piece Kanaan relies so heavily on? Fans can hear exactly what he’s hearing during driver-pit crew talks with the Verizon app as well.

New technology in racing has helped provide a fun spectator experience, but Rahal said it now plays a key role in his preparation.

“As a series, it’s pretty lucky to have Verizon on board with everything they do for us,” Rahal said. “We’re taking sports to a new level with the access. I look at what I keep track of on the app, how I can watch steering, how I can watch throttle percentage. It’s absolutely incredible to see.”

The heritage of great racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will be on display at the world’s largest gathering of motorsports professionals—the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show (PRI 2015).

Courtesy of the Hall of Fame Museum, located on the grounds of the Speedway, an exhibit at PRI 2015 of six cars that were raced in the Indy 500 over past decades will provide a dramatic perspective on the evolution of the IndyCar in design and engineering. The museum will also display historic IndyCar motors, and the Borg-Warner Trophy will make a one-day appearance on the first day of PRI 2015.

PRI 2015 is the annual trade show for the global racing industry, taking place in the Indiana Convention Center, December 10–12, 2015. The event features exhibits by 1200 racing companies, and attracts motorsports professionals from all 50 states and 70 countries. Members of the racing trade go to the PRI Trade Show each year to shop and buy the latest advances in racing technology in order to stock new racing products for the next race season.

Ellen Bireley, director of the Hall of Fame Museum, said, “PRI 2015, as always, will be the ultimate showcase for automotive engineering and innovation, and the IMS Hall of Fame Museum is proud to be able to share some of the most amazing and technologically advanced cars to race in the Indianapolis 500 over the last 100 years as part of the PRI Trade Show.

“With 2016 being the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, PRI 2015 is a great way for racing and automobile enthusiasts to be able kick off and share the timeline of racing machines that shaped the Memorial Day weekend classic through the decades,” continued Bireley. “We are extremely proud of our collection and happy that attendees from all over the United States and the world will be able to see our cars, take photos, and share their experiences with friends and family. We’re very honored to be included in PRI 2015.”

“We’re excited to work with Ellen and the Hall of Fame Museum team to make this special exhibit an important part of the worldwide racing industry’s trade show this year,” said John Kilroy, producer of PRI 2015. “Indianapolis is a natural location for PRI 2015 because of the tremendous history of racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Indy 500 continues to provide spectacular racing, as it has for decades. As Ellen mentioned, the 2016 Indy 500 will be the 100th running of the race. So, Indianapolis is a perfect host city for the annual epicenter of new racing technology.”

Few people can appreciate the incredible advances in technology that were first introduced at Indianapolis Motor Speedway better than the participants in PRI 2015. Exhibiting companies manufacture the speed parts that keep everybody racing today, and attendees represent racing retailers, race engine builders, race car builders, motorsports engineers and top race teams. PRI 2015 is a trade-only event, and is not open to race fans.

Kilroy urges everyone to visit the Hall of Fame Museum at Indianapolis Motor Speedway at least once in their lives. “It’s an amazing experience,” he said. “I’ve spent hours in the Museum. Just as the Indy 500 creates a sense of awe in spectators during the race, the Museum does the same thing in its extraordinary presentation of the storied history of the greatest spectacle in racing.”

The late Tony Hulman and Karl Kizer, the Museum’s first director, established a museum in 1956 to display race vehicles and memorabilia, principally associated with the Indianapolis 500 race. During 1975, Hulman built the larger, more modern Museum facility within the Speedway oval. Approximately 75 vehicles are on display at all times, including about 30 winners of the Indy 500.

Making its debut in 1936, the Borg-Warner Trophy was first presented to race winner Louis Meyer. Made of 110 pounds of sterling silver, the Borg-Warner Trophy originally cost $10,000 and is currently valued at $3.5 million. The trophy clearly reflects the “art deco” period of its creation during the 1930s, and displays images of the faces of 80 Indianapolis 500 winners.

Participants in PRI 2015 will be able to purchase tickets for a Day at the Speedway, on Wednesday, December 9, where attendees and exhibitors will take a bus to the Speedway, explore the grounds and the Museum, and have lunch at the Brickyard Crossing.

Admission to the exhibit at PRI 2015, titled, “Evolution Of The IndyCar,” is free of charge. Only attendees and exhibitors with trade show credentials will be admitted. The exhibit will be open all three days of PRI 2015.

For more information on PRI 2015, go to www.pri2015.com. For more information on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum, go to www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/at-the-track/museum.

Champion drivers Don Kreitz, Jr., of Pennsylvania and Danny Smith of Ohio, builder Roger Beck of Indiana, owner Gil Sonner of Iowa, and media members Mike Arthur of California (who contributes to PRI magazine) and Bruce Ellis of Pennsylvania each ‘took a bow’ May 30 as they were officially inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame (NSCHoF) in Knoxville, Iowa.

Emcees Dave Argabright and Dr. Pat Sullivan, and a crowd of 230 guests, enjoyed the three-hour ceremony, which honored the exceptional careers of eight inductees.   

The families of deceased inductees “Tiger” Gene Brown (daughters Kelly Tornquist and Sherry McComb) and Charlie Wiggins (niece Rochelle Wiggins-Morton) were on hand to accept their relatives' honors. 

National Sprint Car Hall of Famers in attendance included Dave Argabright, Ralph Capitani, Shane Carson, Lanny Edwards, Rickey Hood, Jean Lynch, John Mahoney, Gene Marderness, Lynn Paxton, Steve Stapp and Bob Trostle. Also in attendance in the Dyer-Hudson Hall on the Marion County Fairgrounds were family members of the following NSCHoF inductees: Bud Carson (son Shane Carson), John Gerber (son Jim Gerber), Clarence “Hooker” Hood (son Rickey Hood) and Elbert “Babe” Stapp (son Steve Stapp). 

The program was dedicated to the memory of deceased National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductees Earl Baltes, Jerry Blundy, Bruce Bromme, Jr., Don Shepherd and “Speedy” Bill Smith, and recently deceased past museum board president Louis Bredesky.

National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum Foundation board president Jeff Savage presented the 2015 President's Award to museum volunteer Dennis Johnson of Knoxville. This year’s 26th NSCHoF induction banquet again featured dual large-screen televisions showing photos organized by videographer Kris Krohn. 

Next year's NSCHoF induction weekend is tentatively scheduled for June 4–5, 2016.

Fremont Speedway will roar back to life June 6, and not only will the racing action be exciting, but the induction ceremonies for the Fremont Speedway Hall of Fame will make the day truly special.

Eleven individuals will be inducted into the Fremont Speedway Hall of Fame during the seventh annual ceremonies. Gates will open at 2 p.m. with the induction ceremonies taking place at 3 p.m. Paid admission to the Fremont Speedway Hall of Fame ceremonies also includes the racing on Vision Quest Night.

The racing action not only features the Kistler Racing Products Fremont Attica Sprint Title (FAST) Championship Series Presented by KS Sales and Service, but the second annual Race of Legends which pits former drivers ages 50 and up who have not competed in regular competition for at least two years.

Also in competition will be the AAA Ohio Auto Club Dirt Trucks and the McCullough Industries 602 Late Models.

The following inductees were nominated and voted on by the members of the Fremont Speedway Historical Club and membership is open yearly for a minimal donation. The inductees’ plaques will adorn the walls of the Fremont Speedway Hall of Fame building which is not only open for race fans during the racing season to browse and look at the thousands of pictures and other memorabilia but is open during the Sandusky County Fair and for many special events throughout the year.

Following is brief information on each of the Class of 2015:

Robert (Bob) Berkley. Bob Berkley was a car owner for many years from the 1950s through the 1970s. He gave many drivers the opportunity to race and the familiar “skunk” as well as the 4JR were well known at the track.

Some of Berkley’s drivers include hall-of-famer Harold McGilton; Ron Van Delear; Bud Merkel; John Fernbaugh; Ken Stuckey; Bob Van Allen; Otie Clymer; Frankie (Kaye) Kwiakowski; Rich Root; Chuck Ritter; Wayne Meyers; Dick Domanski; Dick Nitschke; and Bill Hammond.

Berkley also owned a Cadillac motor in Chuck Stroup’s Flying S. He raced at Fremont, Tiffin, Sandusky, Findlay, Lorain County, New Bremen, Attica, Toledo Raceway Park and Columbus Fairgrounds. Hall-of-famer Donnie Linton called Berkley “The Carburetor Man” as he worked on many to help racers.

Berkley passed away before he could see his grandson, Dan Hammond, race a 305 sprint car.

Bill Cicanese. Bill Cicanese was not only a skilled sprint car driver – piloting cars for the hall-of-fame Van Ness Family and hall-of-famer Jim Ford, he was a master craftsman, designing and building sprint car chassis. Cicanese built and raced cars over a span of 56 years – from 1959-2015.

After a near fatal crash at Limaland in the early 1970s, Cicanese would spend countless hours in his shop, designing cars and other race car parts. Cicanese came back to racing in 1976 with the famous red, white and blue No. 200, his own creation.

Cicanese built and repaired championship sprint car chassis for Jim Linder, Rick Ferkel, Harold McGilton, Alvin Roepke, Robert Smith and Johnny Beaber to name a few. Besides designing innovative sprint car parts – he built one of the first all aluminum sprint car radiators which speed shops sold from coast to coast. Cicanese was also active in manufacturing parts for the aircraft industry.

Tom Drusbeck. Tom Drusbeck’s racing involvement began at Fremont Speedway in 1952 as a crew member of the Johnny Red Caldwell and Foos Boys racing teams. He was an integral part of the famous Four Mile Racing Team with the No. 8 ball and No. 6 ball cars driven by hall of fame drivers Johnny Cook and Gene Notestine along with Merlin Eversole.

After serving his country Drusbeck came back home and became part of the X-15 team with driver Jim Linder. Tom and Jim had a racing relationship for nearly 50 years. In the early 1980s Tom would own the No. 3 that Jim Linder would drive to three Fremont Speedway sprint car championships.

Jack Gordon. Jack Gordon started racing at Fremont in 1963. He would claim the track’s 1976 Six-Cylinder Sportsman Lightning Rod championship.

Always a fan favorite because of his smile and willingness to always greet everyone in the pits, Gordon also drove sprint cars and late models – including for hall-of-famer Joe Sabo – and recorded 9 career Fremont feature wins.

Mike Holman. Mike Holman was a long-time flagman at Fremont Speedway and was respected by every driver. He and his wife Chris also were part of the track maintenance crew at one time and spent countless Friday nights behind the wheel of a water truck. Holman also volunteered to help and flag at many area go-kart events. Holman lost his life while flagging at Fremont Speedway.

Chris Kiser. Chris Kiser joins his dad, Ken, as an inductee into the Fremont Speedway Hall of Fame. Kiser Sound has provided the sound system at the track since its inception and Chris Kiser can be found in the “little white hut” in the infield manning the sound system every Saturday.

Besides his tireless work around the track and fairgrounds, Kiser also was an exceptional race car driver. He claimed the Fremont Speedway Enduro Championship in 1989 and 1992 and drove 305 sprint cars at one time. Chris recorded 16 career wins at Fremont Speedway.

Fritz Meyer. For many race fans Fritz Meyer was “the wrecker guy” at Fremont Speedway. But he was so much more. Meyer helped when the track was built. Meyer’s Garage also sponsored the No. 100 race car driven by hall-of-famer Johnny Auxter, Dick Willey, Red Root and Floyd Slater.

Meyer’s family was also deeply involved in Fremont Speedway. His uncle Carl was a former track flagman and his son, Freddie drove a hobby stock at the track while his daughter Sharon ran the ambulance the track.

John Naida. John Naida started his career in 1968 at a midget race at the Hart Fairgrounds. He moved into sprint cars in 1970 and was voted the Rookie of the Year at Fremont Speedway. The next year he received the track’s most improved award. He went on to drive a sprint car he built, to the track championship at Fremont in 1978.

Naida joined his dad, Bill, as a member of the Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1996. He began the sanctioning organization Sprints On Dirt (SOD) in 1980 and not only ran the series but won the SOD championship in 1980 and 1981. He still owns SOD and his daughter, Adrianna Irwin is the series director while his son, Dain, continues to drive sprint cars. He was also the 1991 Butler Motor Speedway track champion.

Naida began Naida Racing Organization (NRO) in 1978 and built cars and racing water pumps and power steering units which he designed, through 2000. Naida’s cars won championships in Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri and Colorado.

Lee Potter. Lee Potter started racing in 1966 in the Fremont Speedway Hobby Stock Division. He would move to the super modifieds/sprint division and eventually the 305 sprint division where he earned the track championship in 1990.

During his driving career Potter racked up 5 career wins at Fremont Speedway. His son Jared would also drive a sprint car and his son Mikey was a fixture in the front stretch bleachers every week.

Fran Steinmetz. The Hobby Stock Division was created at Fremont Speedway in 1963 and Fran Steinmetz became the division’s first champion. He recorded three feature wins in his career at Fremont. Besides owning his own car, Steinmetz drove for Charlie Huber and Bobby Albright and a Kear’s Speed Shop backed machine.

After his driving days were over, Steinmetz owned cars driven by his son Mark in the Enduro Division and Street Stock Division. Jeff Miller also drove a street stock owned by Fran.

Howard “Moe” Thompson. Moe Thompson has been around Fremont Speedway for more than 40 years. Thompson has been one of the track’s “handymen,” doing all sorts of jobs around the facility including clean-up, maintenance and most recently as the pit gate steward and still helps with the clean-up following each night’s races.

Ferrari and Honda are poised for a mid-season engine upgrade after it emerged that they had both used development tokens.

With the two engine manufacturers looking to make improvements, there had been suggestions that they would both wait a while before upgrading their power units.

However, a document sent to all teams on Monday by motor racing's governing body, revealed that the two had already used up tokens.

The note said that Ferrari had used three tokens and Honda had used two tokens from their allocation.

It is understood Ferrari has used up some tokens in improving the design around the cylinder head of the engine.

It remains to be seen, however, if Ferrari will elect to use the new power units at the Canadian Grand Prix.

At Monaco, team principal Maurizio Arrivabene suggested that the outfit would hold fire on introducing the tokens just yet.

"In Canada we will not use the tokens," he said. "But do not ask me when we will do it, because I do not want to give the information to the Germans [Mercedes]. I want a bit of [Italian] nationalism..."

However, he could also have deliberately said his outfit was not introducing upgrades in a bid to not let Mercedes know of his team's plans.

Honda said at the Monaco Grand Prix that it was holding fire on its decision on when to use the tokens in a race engine for the first time.

Motorsport chief Yasuhisa Arai said, "We don't have any plan yet—we don't decide when we use the tokens.

"It depends on our strategy. We will discuss with McLaren and decide which race."

Despite having used the tokens for its engine, it is believed to favor introducing an upgraded engine for the Austrian Grand Prix.

So it could use its current engines for the Montreal weekend before introducing an upgrade at the Red Bull Ring.

Mercedes and Renault have already confirmed that they will not be using any engine tokens just yet.

The remaining tokens for the manufacturers are as follows:

Mercedes: 7
Ferrari: 7 (3 used)
Renault: 12
Honda: 7 (2 used)

Throughout much of my career, working at places like AutoMeter and K&N, I was typically the youngest guy in the room. Then, when I joined Motovicity Distribution about three years ago, I suddenly became one of the older guys.
 
It was to be expected, as Motovicity is a distributor focused on the sport compact and modern muscle markets—markets crawling with the ever appealing 18- to 34-year-old demographic.
 
After reality’s swift kick to the shin, I realized it’s actually pretty cool being the newly minted “older guy.” For one, I’m in a position to mentor—people actually listen to what I have to say! And second, I’ve gained a new perspective on being a first-time enthusiast, something that has helped me to better connect with the industry’s next generation of customers.
 
So, if you ever find yourself in a similar position, where understanding the next generation of builders, racers, tuners and business owners is beneficial, consider a few points that I’ve found to be particularly effective.

1. Withhold judgment. It’s easy to see a group of young guys hanging out and showing off their cars that you couldn’t give a damn about. But just like watching a movie, try to suspend disbelief for just a few moments. Engage, talk, and LISTEN to what they have to say. Chances are that person is at least more knowledgeable that you may have thought.

2. Look for common ground. Two years ago I attended the Japanese Classic Car Show (JCCS) in Long Beach, California. Not knowing what to expect and just getting into imports, I was shocked to see a bunch of things I knew all too well—engine swaps, primer finishes, exposed mechanicals, etc. Surrounded by old Toyotas, Hondas and Nissans, I saw the same craftsmanship and style that I’d seen at a number of Goodguys events and vintage races. Familiarity, as it were, comes in many forms.

3. Build your own version. If you’re a drag racer, and you meet a kid who’s trying to drag race his Honda Civic, put yourself in his shoes and build his car utilizing your knowledge. If you take the time to do this, you’ll not only help him out, but you may just gain a customer who can grow with your business…not to mention your acceptance of something totally new to you.

Keeping the above in mind should help you to better identify with the next generation of enthusiasts and customers, but it will only take you so far. Never forget that most of us want the same things out of this industry, and we’re driven by similar, if not identical, types of motors. Remember that, and chances are you’ll have an easier time relating to each new generation of customer and enthusiast.
 
Brett Kinsfather is the marketing manager at Motovicity Distribution in Madison Heights, Michigan. His specialties include brand development and positioning, business and consumer promotions, event management, and email marketing, among others. Previously, Kinsfather was president of Naked Marketing, Inc., and has held sales and marketing positions within JC Whitney, K&N Engineering and Sigma Autosport. He can be reached at brett.kinsfather@motovicity.com.