With its heritage as a supplier of precision-engineered, US-made drag racing wheels, WELD Racing announced its sponsorship of the 2015 Goodguys Vintage Drag Racing Series.

“To be able to work with and promote a company such as WELD is exciting for us,” said Jason Bunker, Goodguys Vintage Drag racing director. “Their track record and product line is first class. The innovation, the quality and the dedication to the racers speaks volumes about their passion and commitment to the world of drag racing. We’re both thrilled and honored to partner with such a great group of people who truly stand behind what they do.”

In addition to its sponsorship, WELD will be an active participant in four of the 2015 Vintage Drag Racing Events. The events include the Goodguys 2nd Florida Nationals in Kissimmee, Florida, from April 24-26; the Goodguys 18th PPG Nationals in Columbus, Ohio, from July 10-12; and the Goodguys 29th West Coast Nationals in Pleasanton, California, from August 21-23.

For its final event in 2015, WELD will take part in the Goodguys 4th Nostalgia Nationals at historic Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky, from September 18-20. Marking the first time the event has been held since 2010, the multi-day vintage drag race, hot rod show and autocross will feature over 300 dragstrip competitors and thousands of show cars.

“We are enthusiastic supporters of Goodguys, an organization that has provided strong leadership in vintage drag racing competitions for more than 25 years,” said WELD president and CEO Norm Young. “With our commitment to produce the highest quality drag racing wheels, it was important for the WELD Racing brand to be associated with their enthusiastic fan base. We expect to be involved with Goodguys for years to come.”

The Goodguys Vintage Drag Racing Series is comprised of Friday night drag races catering to sportsman racers who race vintage vehicles up through 1972, as well as classes for modern drag racing machinery. According to Bunker, the events feature “gassers, super stockers and hundreds of popular quarter mile machines in vintage trim as well as earth-shaking, fire-breathing exhibition vehicles.”

Indianapolis 500 championship team owner Bryan Herta is proud to announce expansion into the Red Bull Global Rallyseries with the launch of Bryan Herta Rallysport (BHR). Along with partner Sean Jones of 7R, Inc., BHR will field two teams in the GRC Supercar series and one in the GRC Lites category. The team will field entries for Patrick Sandell and Austin Dyne in the Supercars category, with backing from Kobalt Tools and Castrol MAGNATEC respectively. They will also run a GRC Lites entry for rallycross newcomer Collette Davis through an association with River Racing and Rothenberg Ventures.



Herta has been looking into expansion and diversification outside of the Verizon IndyCar Series since the team won the 2011 Indianapolis 500.  The schedule and business plan of the Red Bull Global Rallycross series presented just the opportunity Herta and his business partners desired.



The team will be based in the Bryan Herta Autosport shop in Indianapolis, Indiana. BHR will campaign All Wheel Drive Rallycross M-Sport built cars capable of 650 horsepower. Longtime IndyCar engineer Brian Page will oversee the team’s technical development and day-to-day operations, and Nick Franzosi will be the crew chief.



Bryan Herta said about formation of BHR, “This is a very exciting day as we start a new adventure in motorsports. The Red Bull Global Rallycross Series has shown amazing growth over the last couple years, and we are excited about the first rate television package. The demographic for the series complements our existing efforts in the Verizon Indycar Series, and we now have a real one-two punch to offer our partners. I’m especially proud to welcome Sean Jones as a partner, we have been friends since we raced against each other almost 25 years ago.”


 
Sean Jones added, "I'm really looking forward to this new venture with Bryan. We started as competitors many years ago and now we've come full circle as partners in Bryan Herta Rallycross. I'm thrilled to bring my energy and experience to bear into this sport—I grew up in it both personally and professionally, and partnering with Bryan feels like the natural progression for me.


“The Red Bull Global Rallycross series is on the rise and its fast paced, high energy and action-packed formula resonates with the fans. While we're just now announcing our program, Don Lambert, Brian Page, Nick Franzosi and the rest of the gang at the shop have been working on this project for several months.


“Add to that our diverse, talented and motivated group of drivers, factor in our commercial partners, Lowe’s and Kobalt Tools and Castrol MAGNATEC- all with a rich history in Motorsports and we should have a winning formula on our hands. I can't wait for the 2015 Championship to kick off next month in Ft. Lauderdale!”

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) and Danville Community College (DCC) are the recipients of a $1 million grant from the Gene Haas Foundation, which has granted more than $11 million to entities that champion advanced manufacturing education.

The $1 million grant will be used to build the new Gene Haas Center for Integrated Machining on the IALR campus in Danville, Virginia, and support a third-year level of learning for students completing DCC’s Precision Machining Technology two-year degree program. The experience will provide students the opportunity to train in an authentic manufacturing workflow cell as part of the Capstone Integrated Machining Technology project being implemented for the first time in America through the IALR/DCC partnership.

In conjunction with the grant, a commemorative decal will adorn the decklid of Stewart-Haas Racing’s No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet SS that Kurt Busch will drive in the April 25 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway.

The Gene Haas Foundation, formed in 1999 by Haas Automation founder and Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner Gene Haas, awarded the grant to support the new workforce training initiative of the IALR and DCC. Students will be able to earn valuable, nationally-recognized industry credentials, building upon the Level I competencies taught in DCC’s coursework to enable students at the IALR to earn Level II and Level III certifications from such esteemed organizations as the National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS). 

“Haas Automation and the Gene Haas Foundation have been extremely generous throughout all phases of project development and implementation,” said Jerry Gwaltney, executive director, IALR. “In addition to this $1 million grant, Haas Automation has also provided $650,000 worth of high-end training equipment and has committed to upgrading the equipment every two years. This level of industry support ensures workers in Southern Virginia are among the best trained in the world. That’s what today’s employers are looking for.”

Providing scholarship funds to community colleges and vocational schools for students entering technical training programs, especially machinist-based certificate and degree programs, is of particular interest to the Gene Haas Foundation. Haas Automation, based in Oxnard, California, is the largest and most modern machine tool builder in North America.

“There are 318,000 manufacturing jobs unfilled due to a lack of skilled workers,” said Kathy Looman, administrator, Gene Haas Foundation. “That number is growing as so many people employed in this industry are baby boomers who are retiring. Manufacturing is a very promising industry that is vital to the U.S. and global economy. It offers high-paying, clean technology careers. It’s a win-win effort to help grow a local, qualified workforce for young people seeking career paths, and for local manufacturers who need qualified workers.”

A record number of certification-ready students have graduated one year into expansion of DCC’s Precision Machining Technology program. Of the 272 NIMS credentials that were awarded throughout Virginia in 2014, 96 attended DCC.

“With support from industry partners like the Gene Haas Foundation, that number will soon be doubling and even tripling,” said Bruce Scism, president, DCC. “This is a program that is going to bring the Danville region national recognition from employers and educators alike.”

USAC’s recent social media poll to complete the 2015 list of inductees into the USAC Hall of Fame has resulted in inductions for drivers Jimmy Caruthers, Sheldon Kinser and Larry Rice, and car owner Don Kenyon.
 
The four inductees received the most votes from a select list of 16 candidates and will join eight previously announced inductees in a ceremony that accompanies the July 25 “Tony Stewart Classic” Midget race at the Lincoln Tech Indianapolis Speedrome.
 
Previously announced 2015 inductees include (alphabetically) Clint Brawner, Butch Hartman, Lindsey Hopkins, Jim Hurtubise, Fred Lorenzen, Roger Penske, Shorty Templeman and Sleepy Tripp.
 
Caruthers excelled in USAC’s National Championship, Silver Crown and Midget series. He captured the National Midget title in 1970 and five years later (1975) won the Silver crown title before his untimely death due to cancer near the end of that year. He scored 21 Midget wins and made 43 Indy car starts, including four Indianapolis 500s. His best finish at Indy was a ninth in 1972.
 
Kinser became one of USAC’s most revered sprint car champions. Winning USAC titles in 1977, 1981 and 1982 he compiled 37 feature wins, including the 1981 Tony Hulman Classic in Terre Haute, Ind. The cousin of legendary Sprint driver Steve Kinser, he was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1992. He made a half-dozen starts in the Indianapolis 500 and was sixth in his final start in 1981. One of his keystone victories came in the 1985 Hoosier Hundred USAC Silver Crown race in Indianapolis, Ind. He died of cancer in 1988.
 
Larry Rice was one of USAC’s finest ambassadors, claiming National Championships in the Silver Crown (1977 and 1981) and Midget series (1973). A 1993 inductee into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame, Larry won 15 USAC Midget races in addition to five Silver Crown and three Sprint features. He passed away in 2009 after a bout of cancer. After a stint as a school teacher, he worked his way to the pinnacle of auto racing and in 1978 shared the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Race honors with Rick Mears after his 11th-place finish.
 
Kenyon owns nine USAC championships of his own as a championship car owner. His 92 victories as an owner stand third in the all-time USAC record book. The mastermind behind many of his brother Mel’s 111 USAC National Midget wins, Don has somewhat silently built a legendary career of his own and has earned the respect of the entire racing fraternity.

The Mazak Southeast Technology Center in Suwanee, Georgia, invites manufacturers working in the motorsports, aerospace, medical and other key regional industries to its Discover More With Mazak event on April 29 and 30 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
 
Registered attendees will be able to see the company’s latest machine tools and CNC technology in action as well as discuss total manufacturing solutions with ancillary machine tool equipment suppliers. Sprint Cup Series driver Brad Keselowski will also make a special guest appearance as part of Mazak’s technical sponsorship of Team Penske. 
 
During the event, Mazak will demonstrate advancements in multi-tasking, 5-axis, milling and turning technologies on its latest machine tools, which include the QUICK TURN UNIVERSAL 350MY, VERTICAL CENTER UNIVERSAL 500 5X and VERTICAL CENTER UNIVERSAL 400T.
 
Mazak will also run simulations of its new MAZATROL SmoothX CNC. Made for complex, multi-axis machine tools, the company engineered the CNC to offer maximum speeds that are four times faster than previous-generation controls. The CNC coincides with Mazak’s new SMOOTH TECHNOLOGY process-performance platform that spans the entire part-production landscape, from programming to metal removal to data collection. As a result, manufacturers can dramatically shorten machine cycle times, enhance simultaneous 5-axis operations and more — capabilities that will further enhance Mazak’s dominance in industries such as aerospace.     
 
A special kiosk on the company’s recently announced INTEGREX i-400AM HYBRID Multi-Tasking machine will explain how this forthcoming turnkey solution represents an innovative alternative to conventional part processing in terms of design and machining.
 
Mazak designed the INTEGREX i-400AM primarily for small lot production of very difficult-to-machine materials such as those used in the aerospace, energy and medical industries. With its additive capability, the machine can easily generate/clad near-net-shape component features then quickly complete them via high-precision finish machining operations. 
 
Throughout the two-day event, attendees will also be able to connect with several of the industry’s top suppliers of cutting tools, bar feeders, coolant systems, workholding solutions, 3D software and conveyor equipment to discuss total manufacturing solutions. Among the suppliers in attendance include Horn, Kennametal, Sandvik Coromant, LNS, Kurt, SolidWorks and Jorgensen Conveyors.  
 
And finally, Sprint Cup Series driver Brad Keselowski will stop by the event to meet with attendees and sign autographs. (Mazak Corporation and Team Penske have been strong partners since 1994.)
 
Registration for the Discover More With Mazak event at the Southeast Technology Center is now open at www.mazakusa.com/moresoutheast.

VIRginia International Raceway has announced Nissan as the official track auto partner. The major new sponsorship deal includes a multi-year partnership that builds on the auto manufacturer’s decades of motorsports passion and innovation.
 
“VIR is an exceptional track to test Nissan technology and performance,” said Rick Kulach, Senior Planner – Motorsports Marketing Communications for Nissan North America. “It is a beautiful, demanding, exhilarating road course unlike anywhere else, especially in the Mid-Atlantic.”
 
As the official auto partner, Nissan will have signage throughout VIR, as well as interactive fan experiences at many of its spectator events. Nissan hosted a large exhibit and fan zone during the 2014 Oak Tree Grand Prix TUDOR United SportsCar Championship at VIR, which exceeded expectations and ultimately helped influence the expanded track partnership.
 
“We’re thrilled to officially have Nissan on board as a sponsor and partner,” said Connie Nyholm, CEO and owner of VIR. “We’re looking forward to working together for new and exciting experiences with our fans, and continuing this relationship for years to come.”
 
The announcement comes as VIR gears up for the 2015 spectator season. For more information, visit www.virnow.com.

Fuelab recently launched Fuelab News, which provides exclusive fuel system planning technical information, “How To” articles and videos, interviews, and new product information to help readers increase their knowledge of high performance fuel delivery systems and better understand the benefits and application of Fuelab solutions.

To sign up for Fuelab News, visit the Fuelab website at www.fuelab.com, or sign up directly at http://tinyurl.com/FuelabNewsSignUp.

NASCAR’s diversity program is working and Ricky Rozier, a former fullback for Winston-Salem State, is a good example.

Rozier, who played on the 2012 WSSU football team that made it to the Division II national championship game, had a dream of playing pro football, but it never worked out. Instead, he showed up three years ago on campus for something called a pit-crew combine.

It’s structured like an NFL combine where athletes go through various drills to test their stamina and agility.

“To be honest, I didn’t know what the heck I was doing, but I was in good shape and I guess they liked what they saw,” Rozier said Tuesday during the combine, its third year at WSSU.

Rozier has found a steady paycheck, first on Kurt Busch’s pit crew where Rozier worked at the Daytona 500 last year, and recently for other pit crews in the NASCAR Truck Series and the Xfinity Series.

Rozier was back at WSSU at Whitaker Gym on Tuesday helping Phil Horton, the director of the combine who is a former athletics trainer and strength coach for the Milwaukee Bucks in the mid-1990s. Horton, who is the pit crew coach for the Drive for Diversity program, worked with four former WSSU football players and assistant WSSU track coach Austin Davis on Tuesday morning.

The five were timed in a progression of cardio workouts starting with jumping rope 100 times. They moved on to 25 knee raises over cones before doing five sets of ladder drills and then 20 pushups. After the pushups they had to do 25 abdominal rolls and then 100 crunches.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how I can do,” said defensive lineman Duvontae Covington, the CIAA defensive player of the year. “I’m using this as another chance for possible employment down the road. You can’t have too many options.”

Covington, who graduated in December and is 6-2 and 285 pounds, attended an NFL regional combine in Baltimore earlier this year and also worked out for NFL scouts at the Wake Forest pro day last month. There’s a chance he could sign as a free agent with an NFL team after the draft in May.

“I really believe it’s all about who you know, and Ricky went through this program already so if a job comes about because of this, I’m all for listening,” Covington said.

Running back Maurice Lewis, wide receiver Eric Wolff and defensive back Shaquan Manning all went through the drills.

“One of my passions is working on cars,” Covington said. “And when I was in high school (at Greensboro Dudley), we had to take an automotive technology class so I like being around cars.”

Lewis, a four-year starter for the Rams who is fifth in school history in rushing with 3,124 yards, will graduate in May and says joining the pit-crew program is a possibility.

“It’s a job opportunity, and we’ve seen Ricky kind of pave the way for us and started in that direction, and it’s worked out for him,” Lewis said. “It’s another opportunity that many of us who graduate in May are trying to attain.”

Horton says that if the athletes are serious about joining the development program they would come and train in Concord under Horton’s supervision. Rozier went through the program and says after he got his foot in the door working on Busch’s crew it led to other opportunities.

“This is a program to recruit drivers and pit-crew members into the sport,” Horton said. “This program is run by Max Ziegal and his Rev Racing team. He’s also the current president of USA Track & Field.”

Horton says the program has been well received. Other former college stars such as running back Kevin Richardson and quarterback Richie Williams of Appalachian State also went through the program and became employed by Rousch Fenway Racing.

“We’ve been doing this since 2009, and we’ve had roughly 70 individuals come through the program,” Horton said, “and about 40 who have went on to participate in one of NASCAR’s racing series.”

Horton said there are currently close to 30 who are working full time in racing that first went through his program.

“We look at their agility and their foot work and their core body,” Horton said. “We don’t tax them too much, and then we take them out to the car that we have outside and show them what we actually need to be done when the drivers pull into the pits.”

After the conditioning drills, Horton and Rozier showed the athletes what the pit-crew does. Outside of Whitaker Gym there was a race car set up where Horton and his assistants showed the athletes what happens during a race.

There are six pit-crew members who jump over the wall to attend to car — a Jackman , two tire changers, two tire carriers and one gas man. They all have to be in great shape and know where to go to make sure their driver gets back on the track as soon as possible.

“We’ve done these combines at Johnson C. Smith and Winston-Salem State and I’m based in Concord but we do it mostly at those two schools because they are local,” Horton said.

Lewis joked that after four years of getting hit playing football his body isn’t what it used to be. But he says getting into the sport of racing is something he might be interested in doing.

“This is a new door for us so we have to explore it,” Lewis said.

Lewis also praised Rozier, a 2014 graduate of WSSU, for helping get his former teammates involved.

“It’s always good to see somebody giving back like Ricky is doing,” Lewis said, “and one day I want to do the same thing.”

Charlotte Motor Speedway, the 30-year home of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, announced this year's four-wheeled donnybrook will feature more 200-mile-per-hour, nail-biting action than ever before, the most competitive lineup of the sport's best drivers, opportunities for fans to vote their favorite driver into the field and a huge array of pre-race entertainment.

New for 2015, the Sprint All-Star Race will feature four 25-lap segments (20 percent more racing excitement than ever before), followed by a mandatory four-tire pit stop and culminating with a white-knuckled, 10-lap shootout with $1 million on the line. The change in format means fans will get more entertainment value than ever.

Adjustments to the eligibility requirements for the 30th anniversary event mean 2003 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Matt Kenseth and 2002 All-Star Race champion Ryan Newman are automatically eligible to compete under the lights this year, making the already star-studded field even more competitive.

Additional drivers eligible to compete in the 2015 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race include Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart , AJ Allmendinger, Aric Almirola, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Jamie McMurray.

In addition, the two drivers who win a segment of the Sprint Showdown on Friday, May 15, will advance to Saturday night’s main event, as well as a driver voted in by the fans through the Sprint Fan Vote. Voting is open now and continues through May 15 at www.nascar.com/SprintFanVote.

The action heats up well before the green flag is waved, with the biggest All-Star pre-race entertainment lineup in the mega-event’s rich 30-year history. From interactive games, souvenir shops and vendor displays in the 10-acre Fan Zone to a rockin’ pre-race concert with country megastars Little Big Town, fans get hours of entertainment value for the price of their race ticket.

Fans can catch all the action from the Sprint Showdown and North Carolina Education Lottery 200 on Friday night to All-Star qualifying and the historic 30th anniversary of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, on Saturday with weekend packages starting at just $99. For just $20 more, fans can purchase a special Golden Ticket upgrade to secure a prime location with special early access to a reserved area directly in front of the stage Little Big Town pre-race concert presented by Rayovac. A limited number of Golden Tickets are available and can be purchased online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or by calling the speedway ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS (3267).

A high-performance automotive maintenance facility is scheduled to open this summer at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

Park officials announced Wednesday afternoon that construction has started on the new maintenance facility, located on the south side of the park near the intersection of Buckshutem and Dividing Creek roads.

The facility developers are Garrett Kletjian, a seasoned driver and member of the New Jersey Motorsports Park ownership group, and Robert Ilsley.

The business will provide performance and race car preparation and fabrication, as well as many other automotive services, motorsports park officials said in a press release.

"We are very excited to be moving forward with this project," Kletjian said, adding, "We are hoping to have the facility up and running by mid-summer."

The plans call for two buildings consisting of one 9000-square-foot service center along with a 6000-square-foot building located in the commercial corner of New Jersey Motorsports Park.

The automotive shop will also be open to the public for general vehicle repairs and upgrades, officials added. Ilsley will manage the day-to-day operations of the facility.

"This is a welcome addition to New Jersey Motorsports Park and will provide a service to our clients that we have previously been lacking," said Brad Scott, general manager and COO of NJMP. "Our goal is to get our drivers as much time on the track as possible during their track days, this maintenance facility will help us accomplish this goal."