Shortly before the green flag waved to start the 63rd Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida, officials from the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) and the Automobile Club l’Ouest (ACO) announced a six-year extension of their strategic alliance to advance sports car racing in North America and around the world. The extension runs through the 2020 racing season.

IMSA and the ACO will introduce new Prototype regulations in 2017 that will govern the top class in IMSA’s TUDOR United SportsCar Championship and the LM P2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the World Endurance Championship (WEC), European Le Mans Series (ELMS) and the Asian Le Mans Series. The extension carries the partnership through the first four-year cycle of the Prototype regulations.

Next year, IMSA and the ACO will introduce new specifications for their top GT classes: GT Le Mans (GTLM) in the TUDOR Championship and GTE at Le Mans, FIA WEC, ELMS and Asian LMS. Additionally, the TUDOR Championship will shift its GT Daytona (GTD) class to full FIA GT3 technical regulations in 2016. Those GT regulations will be in effect through the 2019 season.

“Since announcing our original strategic partnership here at Sebring two years ago, the bond between IMSA and the ACO has gotten stronger,” said IMSA Chairman Jim France. “This partnership will make it easier for our top teams to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and for top international teams in Prototype and GT racing to join us for our marquee events such as the Rolex 24 At Daytona and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.”

The partnership will continue to provide automatic entries for the 24 Hours of Le Mans to TUDOR Championship competitors. The licensing agreement allows IMSA to continue to utilize the Le Mans name for its GT Le Mans class and the Petit Le Mans event.

“We are very delighted to strengthen even more our partnership with IMSA,” said ACO President Pierre Fillon. “It was essential for the ACO to rely on this strategic alliance to implement the harmonization for LM P2 and LM GT categories that we can guarantee a long-term visibility for the endurance teams. With Jim France, we share the same values and commitment.”

For me, it was a place of legend. I had heard for years about the museum Speedy Bill built in Lincoln, Nebraska. And so, finally, this year, my first business trip was to Speedway Motors headquarters in Lincoln, Nebraska.

The history of Speedway Motors and PRI goes back to 1989 when the company’s wholesale division exhibited in a small, new racing trade-only show in its second year of business, and hoping for a long run at it. Visiting with the Speedway Motors team this year was great fun. The brilliant founder Bill Smith, and his wife and true partner Joyce, have passed away, but the company has as much energy as ever with the Smith brothers at the helm—Jason, Clay, Craig and Carson. Walking through the 540,000-square-foot headquarters, one marvels at how amazing the journey has been for the company identified as America’s Oldest Speed Shop. It’s one of the great stories in the racing industry, as this pioneering organization continues to innovate 63 years after its founding. A most recent new venture from Speedway Motors is crate engines for IMCA competition.

Once the business side of our visit was completed, Greg Nicol and Damon Lee generously volunteered to give myself and PRI Sales Manager Eric Jurado a personal tour of the Museum of American Speed next door. It’s three stories, and 135,000 square feet.

The first thing I should say is, “Go.”

This is a museum right at the top of any museum when it comes to the strength of artifacts on display and the quality of the presentation. It’s Speedy Bill’s dream, and a testament to how big the man could dream, and how effective he was at making dreams real.

Anyone with an interest in the history of auto racing can easily spend a full day here. From speedsters from the 1920s to more recent vintage Indy Cars, jalopies to classic midgets, this museum is a phantasmagoria of outstanding race vehicles. It is an experiencing of standing before a presentation that immediately triggers a big smile, only to walk over to another presentation that triggers the same big smile. This is a happy place!

For aftermarket professionals, one presentation particular strikes home. There is an extensive display of aftermarket parts that could be purchased for a Model T. Growth in the aftermarket and the introduction of the first big production vehicle went hand in hand right from the start.

Before going, check the schedule. Days that the museum is open are limited. October through April, for example, it is open only on Friday for 2 p.m. tours. May through September, it is open Monday through Friday, starting at 2 p.m.

Thank you, Greg and Damon, for the extraordinary opportunity to thoroughly enjoy this incredible museum. And thank you, Speedy Bill, for building it.




















Having fun in Lincoln, Nebraska, with a personal tour of the extdraordinary Museum of American Speed, built by Speedy Bill Smith next to the Speedway Motors headquarters.  Greg Nicol, left, and Damon Lee, far right, provided PRI’s Eric Jurado (second from left) and John Kilroy with a pretty amazing tour.

Earl Baltes, the founder and longtime promoter of Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, passed away this morning at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. He was 93.
 
He is survived by Berneice, his wife of 67 years; daughter, Starr, and her husband, Joe Schmitmeyer; son, Terry, and his wife, Dee; beloved sister, Susie Barga, and six grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
 
Baltes built Eldora in 1954, first as a quarter-mile before shaping the track into its popular high-banked, half-mile oval configuration in 1958. Since then, it has become the premier dirt track in the United States. Under Baltes, the facility began hosting the highly successful Famous World 100 for Dirt Late Models, now the largest dirt race in the world, and the Dirt Late Model Dream, the richest dirt late model race in the world. A fan of sprint car racing, Baltes took great pride in his fabled Kings Royal Weekend for World of Outlaws Sprint Cars and many United States Auto Club (USAC) events, including the Four Crown Nationals.
 
Races at Eldora were shown on ABC’s “Wide World of Sports” with Keith Jackson and Al Michaels as broadcasters. ESPN, CBS and TNN also televised events that helped put Eldora on the map. Despite the track’s growing popularity, Baltes kept ticket prices affordable and concessions costs low, which continued to attract fans from around the world.
 
Baltes built the track, nestled in rural west-central Ohio off Route 118, into a showplace for dirt motorsports, increasing the seating capacity to more than 20,000. Baltes was beloved by many fans and seemed to know all by name. He also was a great storyteller who always had a joke to tell. And he always had wild ideas that made them wonder: “What will Earl do next?” He hosted three sprint car races in the 1960s that featured 33 cars and were 500 laps. He ran a season-long promotion featuring a series of skits with a family of randomly appearing apes eventually married in a ceremony presided over by legendary driver Duane “Pancho” Carter.
 
In 2001, Baltes posted a remarkable $1 million payout to the winner of the “Eldora Million” Dirt Late Model race and followed that with the “Mopar Million” in 2003, which had a purse of $1 million and paid $200,000 to the winner of a non-winged sprint car race.
 
The pioneering promoter developed a relationship with the late Bill France Sr., assisting the founder of NASCAR with recruiting cars for the inaugural event at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Baltes and Eldora also maintained close ties with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. IndyCar legends, whose barnstorming schedules at fearsome tracks like Eldora earned them their shot at the Brickyard, and Tony George, former Speedway president and CEO, were frequent visitors during Baltes’ tenure.
 
Fond of saying, “If we could sell just one more hot dog, we’d break even,” Baltes worked on all measures of Eldora during his time. He also promoted other speedways in Ohio, including those in Dayton, New Bremen, Limaland, Millstream, Mansfield, Pleasant Hill and Powell, while also promoting one in Salem, Indiana. He also promoted World of Outlaws events in Florida and founded Ohio Sprint Speedweek for the All Star Circuit of Champions.
 
He was inducted into many Halls of Fame, including National Sprint Car, National Dirt Late Model, USAC, Dayton Auto Racing Fans and Hoosier Auto Racing Fans, and was named USAC Race Organizer of the Year in 1984 and 1997. He was named Auto Racing Promoter of the Year in 1993, and fellow iconic promoter H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler recognized him with the Charlotte Motor Speedway Promoter of the Year Award in 2001. The state of Ohio named Route 118 “Earl Baltes Highway” from Ansonia to the south to St. Henry to the north.
 
In 2004, Baltes began to think about selling Eldora. Despite several suitors, he reached out to a driver whose style he had always admired, three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion and former Eldora driver Tony Stewart. The sale was completed in the fall of 2004.
 
Baltes continued attending Eldora’s events with Berneice, often receiving the loudest ovation of the evening when introduced to the crowd. Thanks to Stewart, there is a life-size statue of the two founders at the entrance of the facility.
 
Baltes was much more than a race promoter. He was born in Versailles, Ohio, and served in the U.S. Army during World War II. Before he started in racing, he was big into the music business. Before WWII, he formed and led the Melody Makers, a 16-piece band that rose to regional prominence. And then in the later 1940s, he built Crystal Ballroom near Versailles while continuing to perform.
 
The purchase of Ma Shoe’s by Baltes in the early 1940s got Eldora started. He bought the dance hall before he even saw an auto race. One day he caught a race at New Bremen and, without any knowledge of the sport, decided he was going to build a track in the natural amphitheatre that separated the dance hall and the Wabash River. The now named Eldora Ballroom is still there, while the racetrack has grown into national treasure.
 
Baltes and author Dave Argabright documented his memoirs in the book “Earl!” published in 2004.
 
Tony Stewart, Owner, Eldora Speedway, said, “Earl was the yardstick other track promoters measured themselves by. He constantly raised the bar, and he did it by creating events everyone else was afraid to promote. He did them himself, too. Not as a fair board, or a public company, or with major sponsors or millions of dollars in TV money. He put it all on the line with the support of his family. He and his wife, Berneice, created a happening at Eldora. They turned Eldora into more than just a race track. They made it a place to be. They were integral to the evolution of dirt-track racing and the sport as a whole. Earl will be missed, but he won’t ever be forgotten because of his devotion to auto racing.”
 
Services are being planned by the family, and information will be distributed by Eldora Speedway when complete.

The United States Auto Club (USAC) has confirmed the addition of the historic Tulsa Quarter Midget Club as its newest member of the Honda .25 Midget Program.  

The club, established in 1958, has been in the same location for over 50 years, and has seen many youth start racing at the small concrete oval.
 
The 2014 USAC Amsoil National Sprint Car Champion Brady Bacon, 2013 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Champion Daryn Pittman, and two-time ASCS Sprint Car Champion Shane Stewart, both current World of Outlaws drivers, all started their racing careers at the little track in Tulsa.  

The Tulsa Club prides itself on member involvement, helping promote the club and the sport by participating in Christmas Parades, car shows and hosting ‘Arrive and Drives’. The most recent Arrive and Drive event held in March recorded 77 participants. Because of these efforts, the club
boasts a Rookie/Novice Class of 13 this year; more drivers than were at Opening Day in 2014.

Opening Day at the Tulsa Quarter Midget Club will be April 12, and the Tulsa leg of the TnT Series will be held May 30.

For more information and upcoming events, visit www.tulsaquartermidgets.com.

Second-generation racer Mike Kappmeyer has become the new promoter at his home track.

Kappmeyer takes charge at Santa Maria Raceway, where IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds return and Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods are new to regular Saturday programs.

Opening night on the 1/3-mile dirt oval is April 11.

“The IMCA cars are fun divisions. My grandson (Christian Copley) drove one and I owned one,” said Kappmeyer, a former off-road competitor. “IMCA has been around for a while and they’re a good sanctioning body. Their rules make it easier for me as a promoter, and I learned a lot working for Jim Naylor at Ventura Raceway.”

Concessions have been remodeled, and work on updating restrooms is underway.

Also of note, the pit area was moved from the infield to a portion of the parking lot, and Kappmeyer added a smaller oval for classes designed for younger drivers.

“We are diversifying,” he added. “We’ll put on a couple sand drags this year and will hold two concerts. We can make use of the facility in more ways and hopefully get those people interested in coming back for the races.”

Santa Maria Raceway in Nipomo, California, has been part of IMCA’s Larry Shaw Racing Western Region for Modifieds since 2005. The Budweiser-sponsored Nationals are May 23-24, and the weekly point season continues through Sept. 26.

NASCAR has reached a five-year agreement with K&N Filters to continue as the entitlement sponsor of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series through 2021.

The renewed deal ensures that K&N Filters will own exclusive rights as the title sponsor for a total of 12 consecutive years. Additionally, K&N Filters acquires the designation as the “Official Automotive Filters of NASCAR.”
 
The extended agreement is the latest in a number of landmark partnerships and renewals recently signed with the sanctioning body. In recent history, NASCAR has announced momentous 10-year deals with series entitlement sponsor XFINITY; broadcast partners FOX and NBC; and international broadcast rights partner IMG. NASCAR also announced a seven-year extension with series entitlement sponsor Camping World in 2014.
 
The NASCAR K&N Pro Series is universally recognized in the racing industry as the top rung in NASCAR’s developmental ladder – notable alumni include Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick, both finalists in last year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, as well as rising stars like Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott and Darrell Wallace Jr. The series introduces NASCAR fans and industry stakeholders to the next generation of stars, and the diverse mix of short tracks, road courses and national series speedways appeals to a broad range of motorsports fans.
 
K&N Filters is a leader in reusable filters, high flow oil filters and high performance intake systems. In addition to its series entitlement, K&N Filters’ Contingency Sponsorship extends to the NASCAR Whelen All American Series and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour as well as the three national series.
 
The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West will kick off the 2015 season at Kern County Raceway Park with the running of the NAPA Auto Parts 150 on March 28.

The HANS Pro Ultra Lite, Medium 20 is now approved by The Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), making the device the lightest weight HANS Device available to FIA sanctioned racers. The FIA approval comes on the heels of approval by the US-based SFI sanctioning body in 2014.

The HANS Pro Ultra Lite is the lightest weight HANS Device ever made. The device uses aerospace grade carbon to achieve the weight savings while still providing a solid rear billboard area for optional sponsor recognition. Defined winglets securely guide restraints with ease. A low profile for easy entry and exit to the race car and abbreviated front legs get the job done with finesse.

Chuck Davies, CEO for Simpson Performance Products stated, "Simpson continues full speed forward to provide the best HANS Devices in the world at prices that are affordable to all racers. We pledge to continue to invest heavily in product development, research and testing.  Improving our FIA product line is a key initiative that we have focused heavily on in recent years."

As the first head restraint, the HANS Device has a long history of success and technical breakthroughs. The HANS Device was first used in racing in 1986 by HANS Performance Products co-founder Jim Downing, a five-time IMSA champion. In 1988 actor and racer Paul Newman was the second driver to use the HANS Device in competition. In 1991, shortly after sales began, power boat racer Andy Anderson became the first to testify that the HANS had saved his life. In 2001 CART mandated the device on ovals and in 2003 the FIA mandated the HANS Device in Formula 1, and mandated it for all FIA international championships in 2009. If you are going to purchase a frontal head restraint, go with the "Original" with years of history and technology on your side. 

Chip Ganassi is expanding into Global Rally Cross this season with a two-car team that includes 13-time X Games medalist Brian Deegan.

It will be the fourth major American motorsports series for the Ganassi organization. The successful team owner fields cars in IndyCar, NASCAR and the United SportsCar Championship, and has wins in every major American event from the Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500 and Rolex 24 at Daytona.

GRC counts two-thirds of its fan base from the 18-to-29 demographic, which would make the average fan more than 10 years younger than those from other racing series.

"We are a team that relies solely on outside sponsorship, so we need to tap that, and hopefully it's a two-way street with that demographic and our sponsors," Ganassi said. "That's the youngest demographic of all motor racing series, and a demographic all series are trying to attract.

"We're trying to grow. All these series are not static. they are growing, shrinking and you never know which way they are going," he added. "To some extent you are hoping to get on a wave. Once you get your surfboard stabilized on a wave, you can start to look at look at other waves."

Ganassi, who attended last year's GRC finale at Las Vegas, said he found the series to be a lot like "4-wheeled SuperCross."

He said his organization also looked at SuperCross, which also attracts a younger demographic, but Ganassi didn't feel he had much to offer to motorcycle racing. But a four-wheeled series, he understands. And when he looked around the Las Vegas event, he liked the product.

"It's exciting racing, it's short, it's heat races held in good venues, the racing is close to the crowd," Ganassi said. "I like that you can sit in one place and see the whole race. I like that it attracts younger people. That's what we need to be doing in motorsports—if we are going to attract a younger demographic to NASCAR and IndyCar, we need to first to understand the client. The best way to understand the client is to get involved."

Ganassi will field two cars, one for Deegan and one for dirt champion Steve Arpin. Deegan will compete in seven races in the No. 38 RockStar Energy Drink Ford Fiesta ST. Arpin will run all 12 in the No. 00 ENEOS Ford Fiesta ST.

Both drivers will compete in the X Games in June.

Ganassi has also partnered with energy and construction company Loenbro, which serves clients throughout the Rocky Mountain region and beyond, in the GRC expansion. Founding brothers Paul and Jon Leach have longtime personal interest in motorsports.

"Loenbro is thrilled to partner with Chip Ganassi Racing and to do great things with Steve and Brian behind the wheel," said Paul Leach, the president. "My brother and I have had a passion for racing since we were kids, and many Loenbro employees are big fans of the sport."

The teams will be based out of the Concord, North Carolina, shop that houses Ganassi's NASCAR Sprint Cup and Xfinity Series programs.

Ganassi president Steve Lauletta noted the organization has been ahead of the curve in courting a younger audience. The team fields cars for millennials Kyle Larson, and has Sage Karam and Dylan Kwasniewski in its driver development program.

They've utilized the trio in several ways to attract new fans, and last year threw a concert with singer Cassadee Pope in which invitations did not go out to the core racing fan, but to local millennials influential in social media.

"Chip has been one of the biggest and best innovators in the sport," Lauletta said. "Whether it's the series, the teams, the companies, he's always been trying to figure out how to talk to this younger generation, how to get them to be race fans. Getting involved in GRC fits in as his challenge to us to always look ahead of the curve."

Bryan Herta Autosport (BHA) has confirmed the extension of its associate partnership with Castrol EDGE for the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series season.

The Castrol EDGE brand will be prominently displayed on the No. 98 Bowers & Wilkins/Curb Dallara-Honda, which will be driven by 2014 Indy Lights champion Gabby Chaves.

“We are very pleased to continue our association with the Castrol EDGE brand, which includes promotion of Castrol EDGE to customers in our great new car dealer network” says BHA owner Bryan Herta. “IndyCar racing and BHA are all about gaining a performance edge, and Castrol EDGE can do the same for IndyCar’s many fans in the cars they drive every day. With Castrol’s support, 2015 is shaping up to be our best yet. We’re working closely with Castrol engineers to develop products that we can use in our IndyCar that outperform anything we can find.”

“Castrol EDGE is our most advanced motor oil, providing superior motor oil strength for engines that work harder due to higher engine pressures, helping vehicles to maximize performance. Our partnership with Bryan Herta Autosport gives us a tremendous platform to showcase that performance and to connect with IndyCar fans,” said Dan Hanson, Castrol’s OEM workshops director.

A favorite isn’t always the winner—as the Sprint Fan Vote’s history suggests. In the last 10 seasons, fans have voted 10 different drivers into the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, including names like Danica Patrick, Kasey Kahne and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

You never know who will win. That’s what makes voting so important. Polls are open for the 2015 Sprint Fan Vote—and unpredictability will take center stage until the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on Saturday, May 16. Fans can vote their favorite Sprint Fan Vote-eligible driver into the All-Star Race by casting ballots daily. Voting closes at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, May 15, one day before the green flag.

For the first time in program history, votes shared via Facebook and/or Twitter will count as double towards a driver’s total. Fans can vote daily with a maximum of one vote per day per unique email address by downloading the NASCAR MOBILE application or visiting NASCAR.com/SprintFanVote. Eligible voters can also enter into the Sprint Fan Vote sweepstakes, in which one lucky Sprint Fan Vote participant will win a trip for two to any 2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race.

The winner of the Sprint Fan Vote will be announced in victory lane following the conclusion of the Sprint Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday, May 15.

To date, 32 drivers are eligible for the 2015 Sprint Fan Vote. Eligibility for participation is restricted to those drivers who have been approved by NASCAR for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition and have met all other eligibility requirements. Amongst those eligibility requirements, drivers must have attempted to qualify for the 2015 Daytona 500 and race in the Sprint Showdown.

Any eligible Sprint Fan Vote candidate who wins a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race during the 2015 season will automatically earn a spot in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and the driver’s name will be removed from the Sprint Fan Vote ballot with their existing votes voided.

Josh Wise won the Sprint Fan Vote in 2014 to earn a place in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.