Elliott Skeer has secured a full-season drive in the 2015 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama, in part through a scholarship from the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) and supported by Porsche and Yokohama.

Skeer, from Carlsbad, California, will make his series debut in the season-opening rounds March 18-20 at Sebring International Raceway during the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida. He will drive the No. 14 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car fielded in the Platinum Cup class by championship-winning team Wright Motorsports.

The IMSA Scholarship is awarded to a driver without prior Porsche GT3 Cup experience and is designed to attract and recognize new talent that desires to race in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama. This scholarship represents a vital first step in building the necessary budget required to race in this highly competitive championship, one of 20 similar Porsche single-make series worldwide.

“It has been a goal of mine to competitively race Porsches at this level, and I am both humbled and grateful for all the help that I have received to make that goal come true,” Skeer said. “Without the help of Jens (Walther) and everyone at Porsche, IMSA and Yokohama Tire, this would have not been possible.

“I cannot wait for the season to kick off at Sebring and to begin this new chapter of my motorsports career. I hope to not only be successful in 2015 but to continue to grow as a driver alongside Porsche and IMSA long after 2015.”

Skeer made his IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge debut in May 2014 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, winning the Street Tuner class pole in his series debut and teaming to finish second in class. He also served as test and reserve driver for CJ Wilson Racing’s Continental Tire Challenge program last year.

Long Island native Skeer is a multiple race winner in entry-level single-make North American sports car competition. He finished second in Mazda MX-5 Cup championship in 2013 with five victories and nine podium finishes. Skeer recorded one victory and five podium finishes in Mazda MX-5 Cup in 2012, earning a factory ride after winning the MX-5 Cup Shootout in 2011, his first year in racing after competing in karting since age 6.

He also has competed in Porsche Club of America events in a GT4-class Porsche Boxster, with multiple podium finishes.

“The equally prepared Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car provides an ideal platform for young drivers to develop and receive exposure during TUDOR United SportsCar Championship events in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama,” said Randy Hembrey, senior series manager, IMSA Development and Single-Make Series. “Elliott demonstrated terrific potential during the Porsche Young Driver Academy, and we’re pleased with his decision to focus his racing effort in the IMSA paddock.”

Skeer was one of five talented drivers invited to participate in the third annual Porsche Young Driver Academy in October 2014 at Barber Motorsports Park near Birmingham, Alabama. He excelled under the eye of Porsche factory drivers and officials from Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA) and Porsche Cars North America (PCNA).

2014 IMSA Scholarship recipient Michael Lewis finished a close third last season in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama, earning four victories.

Haas F1 Team is on schedule to make its debut in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship in 2016, becoming the first American-led Formula One team in 30 years.
 
Getting a start-up team to the grid is a massive logistical and technical undertaking, but under the leadership of team principal Guenther Steiner, Haas F1 Team has many vital pieces already in place despite the 2016 season being a year away.
 
Augmenting Haas F1 Team’s United States home in Kannapolis, North Carolina, is the recent purchase of a facility in Banbury, Oxfordshire, U.K. The 3.655 square-meter (39,350 square-foot) building will serve as Haas F1 Team’s European base, allowing for easier and quicker access to the team’s overseas suppliers and streamlined logistics for when the team travels to Formula One venues in Europe.
 
Construction of the team’s equipment, from transporters to the pit apparatus to garage setup, is well underway. Upon completion, all will be housed at Haas F1 Team’s Banbury location.
 
Key personnel have also been added, notably Dave O’Neill as team manager, Rob Taylor as chief designer and Ben Agathangelou as chief aerodynamicist.
 
O’Neill came to Haas F1 Team from Marussia F1 Team, joining what was originally Manor GP in 2009. O’Neill’s experience is quite valuable to Haas F1 Team, for his task upon joining Manor was to set up a Formula One team in six months. Recruitment of personnel, the purchase of equipment and infrastructure, oversight of car design and supplier selection were just a few of O’Neill’s many duties. O’Neill was the team manager for Jordan Grand Prix from 1998 through 2005 before joining A1GP, a racing series promoted as the “World Cup of Motorsport.” As the chief technical coordinator for A1GP, O’Neill set up the series and track testing of cars. During this time, he also served in the role of team manager for A1GP’s Team Ireland, winning the A1GP championship in the series’ fourth season (2008-2009).
 
Taylor also joined Haas F1 Team from Marussia, where he held the post of deputy chief designer. Prior to Marussia, Taylor was the senior design team leader at McLaren from April 2006 through December 2010. Before McLaren, Taylor was head of vehicle design for Red Bull Racing, Toro Rosso and Jaguar beginning in 2002. Senior design roles at Arrows (1997-2002) and Scuderia Ferrari (1992-1997) were achieved after stints at Cosworth (1987-1989) and Benetton (1989-1992). Taylor’s role with Haas F1 Team marks his 28th year in Formula One, a tenure that has provided a range of experience in all disciplines of Formula One design.
 
Agathangelou paired with Haas F1 Team from Scuderia Ferrari where he managed the upgrade of the team’s wind tunnel and testing systems in Maranello, Italy, in March 2012. Prior to that, Agathangelou was with Dallara, serving as an engineering consultant for a number of projects the Italian racecar manufacturer had dating back to 2009, which included the technical lead for the Campos F1 project, 2012 technical upgrades for GP2 and the World Series Renault, design and development of the DW12 Indycar chassis, and management of the Alfa Romeo 4C “low cost” sports road car project. Agathangelou has a wealth of Formula One experience, for he was the head of aerodynamics for Jaguar and later Red Bull Racing from 2002 through 2007. Agathangelou held the same role with Renault F1/Benetton from September 1999 to March 2002. Agathangelou began his Formula One career in 1994 with McLaren as an aerodynamics analyst, moved to Tyrrell in August 1997 as senior aerodynamicist and then joined Honda Racing Development in April 1998 as chief aerodynamicist to prepare Honda’s 2000 Formula One entry.
 
Agathangelou and Taylor have already designed the 60-percent scale model of the car Haas F1 Team will race in 2016. The duo has logged numerous hours in the wind tunnel it shares with Haas F1 Team technical partner Scuderia Ferrari. By working diligently to develop the scale model now, Haas F1 Team will be ready to go racing in 2016.
 
“While there is still a lot of work to do, a lot has already been accomplished for Haas F1 Team to be competitive when we join the F1 grid in 2016,” said Steiner, a Formula One veteran who was originally recruited by three-time Formula One champion Niki Lauda to join Jaguar in 2001 as the team’s managing director. “Our technical partnership with Ferrari has allowed us to develop our car and our people at an exceptional pace. The way we’re going about our F1 team is new and different, but it’s working. We’re committed to our plan, we’re committed to F1 and, most importantly, we’re on schedule. This time next year, our cars will have already been tested and we’ll be readying them for Melbourne.”
 
Melbourne, Australia, serves as the kickoff race for the Formula One season. It’s where Haas F1 Team will make its debut following preseason testing. Haas Automation, Inc., the CNC machine tool builder Haas F1 Team chairman Gene Haas founded in 1983, will serve as the team’s primary sponsor.
 
In addition to Haas F1 Team, Haas’ motorsports holdings include Stewart-Haas Racing and Windshear.

MSDP Group LLC, a global manufacturer of aftermarket performance vehicle ignition and tuning technology, announced the decision to merge two leading companies in performance automotive ignition—MSD and Mallory—by the end of the first fiscal quarter of 2015. The two storied brands bring together more than a century of innovation and expertise.
 
As part of the merger, all fuel and ignition system products will be manufactured exclusively under the MSD brand. MSD will honor warranties for all existing Mallory products as well as offer service and repair. MSD will also continue to make available Mallory distributor replacement parts such as caps, rotors, points and nearly 100 other components.
 
"We are incredibly grateful for our loyal, performance-focused customers, and proud of our dedicated employees who work tirelessly to help the MSD brand consistently reach new heights," said MSDP Group LLC CEO, Rick Ruebusch. "We plan to keep on developing new ideas and look forward to seeing how we can apply what we've learned to the rest of the company as we continue to bring great products and experiences to our customers. MSDP is committed to continuing the 90 year legacy of Mallory and would like to thank Mallory customers for their continued loyalty during this transition."
 
MSDP is committed to executing against its long-term strategy of driving profitable top line sales, powered by its premium brands and innovative ability to reach customers in new and differentiated ways. Going into the new fiscal year, the company will focus on its portfolio of nine brands: MSD, Racepak, Superchips, Edge, ACCEL, Mr. Gasket, Hays, Lakewood and QuickTime.

Sebring International Raceway has announced a multi-year partnership with VP Racing Fuels, Inc. as the Official Fuel of America’s oldest sports car racing facility. Activation of VP’s sponsorship will begin when Sebring International Raceway hosts the 63rd running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida on Saturday, March 21, the second round of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.
 
As part of its agreement with VP, Sebring will have VP’s Motorsport 93, C9, VP110 and C12 racing fuels available on site year-round, with equipment, logistics and service provided by VP Southeast in Ft. Lauderdale. Sebring’s fuel station canopy and pumps will carry the VP brand and illuminated VP Racing Fuels signs will mark the entrance and exit of pit row. In addition to its position with the track, VP will provide trackside fuel service for the Twelve Hours of Sebring in its position as the Official Fuel Supplier of the Tudor United SportsCar Championship.
 
With the agreement, Sebring joins a growing number of high profile road race facilities in North America that have embraced the switch to VP Racing Fuels, including Lime Rock Park, Watkins Glen International and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
 
“We’re incredibly proud to be selected as the Official Fuel of Sebring International Raceway,” said Alan Cerwick, President of VP Racing Fuels. “As VP Racing Fuels observes its 40th anniversary this year, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than to partner with one of racing’s most iconic venues.  Sebring and its patrons maintain demanding standards, and we embrace the trust they’ve placed in the quality and performance of our race fuels.
 
“Sebring provides a great platform to promote the VP-branded gas stations and convenience stores we’re rolling out across the U.S., particularly with the VP signage fans and viewers will see at the track’s fuel station and along pit row. We’ll also activate promotions in support of our growing line of best-in-class consumer products including VP Small Engine Fuel, VP Madditive performance chemicals, VP PowerWash and more. We’re looking forward to a long and mutually beneficial partnership with Sebring International Raceway.”
 
“We look forward to partnering with VP Racing Fuels,” stated Sebring Raceway President and General Manager Tres Stephenson. “VP has a long history of supporting the racing industry and a proven record of quality and performance, and we are proud to be associated with them.”
 

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing announced that D-A Lubricant Co., a heavy duty and industrial lubricant compounder/blender, will be the primary sponsor of the No. 15 Honda driven by Graham Rahal in the inaugural Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana April 10-12 at NOLA Motorsports Park in Avondale, La. In addition, D-A Lubricant Co. has joined the team as a multi-year, major associate sponsor.

The partnership marks a return to Indy car racing for D-A Lubricant Co., based in Lebanon, Indiana, which sponsored entries in the Indianapolis 500 from 1955-58 with a highest finish of sixth in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in 1956 with driver Bob Sweikert. D-A-sponsored cars also ran in the USAC Championship Car series during that period, earning one win in 1957 and four wins in 1958.

"I am incredibly pleased to bring D-A Lubricant Co. back to IndyCar and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway after a 50-year absence through our partnership with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing,” said Mike Protogere, chairman and CEO of D-A Lubricant Co. “This is a prime example of a business-to-business relationship that will allow us to immediately identify and open new business channels, and get our name in front of IndyCar audiences in markets throughout North America. RLL is comprised of talented individuals, and I can't wait to see them perform this season carrying the D-A Lubricant Co. name."

Added team co-owner Bobby Rahal, the 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner and three-time CART champion: “Those who are familiar with the history of Indy car racing know that D-A’s involvement goes back to the 1950s. I certainly remember their car with its distinctive livery so it’s wonderful to be able to welcome them back to Indy car racing. In meeting with them, I was so impressed with how they go about their business. Their expertise in the lubricants area will help us get a technical advantage and we look forward to working closely with them during this process. We’re excited to have them on board.”

The relationship provides a business-to-business opportunity with the LANCO Group of Companies, whose president is RLL co-owner Michael Lanigan.

“I am happy to welcome D-A Lubricant Co. to the team,” Lanigan said. “I also look forward to using their products in all of our heavy equipment and to promote their vast selection of oils, lubricants and other products in the industries the LANCO Group of Companies are involved in.”

WELD has renewed its sponsorship of the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Engine Challenge program. WELD has been a sponsor of the organization since 2013.  

Hot Rodders of Tomorrow is a nationwide high school engine building competition that challenges youth to pursue an automotive career. Regional competitions are held across the country where high school teams compete against the clock in a total engine rebuild.

“Hot Rodders of Tomorrow provides youth in our industry with the chance to further their education through an exciting competition format,” said Norm Young, president CEO of WELD. “We are enthusiastic supporters of programs like this that encourage the youth of tomorrow to become a part of the automotive industry. Hot Rodders of Tomorrow is a fantastic organization that helps instill a passion for motorsports and the automotive industry in general.”

Last year, Hot Rodders of Tomorrow reached over 770 high school students. During the past six years the organization has impact over 3,114 students. The 2015 season consists of 14 events that includes the Dual Championship at the SEMA Show and the PRI Tradeshow.

WELD offers high-quality forged race wheels for dirt, oval and drag racing, along with wheels for performance street cars and trucks. Each WELD wheel is precision engineered for maximum performance on the street, off-road, and at the track.

WELD wheels are engineered, produced, and tested at WELD’s facilities in Kansas City, Missouri, using only aircraft grade aluminum alloys and state-of-the-art manufacturing processes.

Honda has debuted the package of aerodynamic upgrades and components its teams will use in the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series, as the manufacturer seeks to add to an already impressive list of accomplishments in American open wheel racing.

The 2015 Honda Indy car “aero kit,” produced by Honda Performance Development, Honda’s racing arm in North America, includes nearly 200 individual pieces that can be fitted to the existing Honda-powered Dallara Indy car chassis. All are intended to give Honda’s six IndyCar Series teams the ability to maximize performance at each of the 15 circuits that make up the 2015 championship schedule.

“We’re excited to reveal our aero kits as Honda welcomes this era of enhanced competition in the Verizon IndyCar Series,” said Art St. Cyr, president of HPD and vice president, auto operations, for American Honda. “Coupled to our proven Honda Indy V6 engines, these aero kits are the products of literally thousands of hours of research, development and testing, as we seek to give our drivers and teams the tools they need to win races, the Indianapolis 500 and the IndyCar Series championship.”

Following in the proven path of the successful Honda-powered prototype sports racers—winners of 74 American Le Mans Series, TUDOR United SportsCar Championship and World Endurance Championship races and multiple titles since 2007—the Honda Indy car aero kits were developed by utilizing the latest in Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) technology.

Concepts for the Honda aero kit were validated using Driver-In-Loop (DIL) Simulators, minimizing waste at the prototype stage and allowing aerodynamic direction to be determined prior to the creation of full-size components.

Components were then tested in a full-scale wind tunnel to confirm actual aerodynamic performance characteristics, and create aero maps to be used during on-track testing. Final proof-of-concept correlation then took place in a series of on-track tests, totaling six days at various circuits, conducted by HPD with the assistance of the Honda-powered Andretti Autosport team.

The complete kit provides Honda drivers and teams with a significant range of available configurations to tune the cars to their desired characteristics and provide additional visual variety to engage fans at all IndyCar Series circuits.

In addition to improving performance, aerodynamic safety was a primary consideration in aero kit development. Working with INDYCAR, Honda has a well-established record of utilizing its development resources to produce a safer racing environment, including the design and development of the fuel safety interlock system, now standard on all Indy cars, and more recently the 2015 chassis floor and other future safety developments to be fitted to the Dallara chassis.

“We’ve been encouraged by the performance of the new Honda aero kits in testing, but of course the end goal is to win races, the Indy 500 and the championship,” said St. Cyr. “We believe we have a superior aerodynamic and engine package. We’re looking forward to the start of the 2015 season on the streets of St. Petersburg, and taking on the battle for the Manufacturers’ Championship.”

Honda’s Indy car aero kits will make their public debut next week at the Verizon IndyCar Series open test, March 16-17 at Barber Motorsports Park near Birmingham, Alabama. The 2015 season opens March 29 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Florida.

As foreseen since the Automobile Club de l’Ouest has taken charge of the Asian Le Mans Series, the organization of this championship has been reshuffled, and Cyrille Taesch-Wahlen has been named as operations manager.

Taesch-Wahlen took up his post on March 1, 2015. From the middle of the month onwards he will be based in Hong Kong. Under the presidency of Pierre Fillon, he will be in charge of the global organization of the Asian Le Mans Series operations in 2015 working in close collaboration with the organizing committee chaired by Frédéric Lénart, the ACO General manager, Frédéric Henry-Biabaud, ACO Board Member, Vincent Beaumesnil, ACO Sport manager and Philippe Joubin the ACO Communications manager.



In 2015 the Asian Le Mans Series will comprise three rounds. The first two will share the weekends of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) at Fuji (Japan) and Shanghai (China) on October 10–11 and October 31–November 1 respectively, and the Sepang circuit in Malaysia will host the last round in December.



These races will be open to the following four categories: LM P2, LM P3, Group CN (up to 2017 inclusive) and GT (GTE and GT3).


The winners of the 2015 Asian LMS in the LM P2, LM P3 and GT categories will receive an invitation for the 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours.


The technical and sporting regulations are those of the ACO, and the rounds of the Asian LMS will be placed under the sporting and technical responsibility of the ACO. In the wake of the nomination of Taesch-Wahlen the entry details for competitors, with whom he will be in close contact, will be announced.



The Top Speed Company, installed in Shanghai since 2005, managed by Davide De Gobbi will remain in charge of the logistics of the championship.

The United States Auto Club has hired 11-time Indianapolis 500 starter Davey Hamilton to serve as USAC Racing Executive Director, effective immediately.

USAC’s business structure will now encompass three main business segments for reporting and management purposes; USAC Racing, USAC Sanctioning, and USAC Properties & Promotions.

“I’ve known of USAC and been involved in it for such a long time, really all of my career,” Hamilton said. “Racing is difficult at its best in all divisions and I think they have done a really good job. Kevin Miller, the CEO of the company, has done a really good job marketing the series and getting sponsorships.

“It just seemed like they were … I shouldn’t even say, behind on the racing side. I just think we have opportunity to take it to the next level by sanctioning some other divisions within USAC and even looking at some race tracks and some different things to put under the USAC shield.”

Hamilton has already begun the process of bringing new divisions under the USAC banner. The King of the Wing Sprint Car Series, which is owned and operated by Hamilton, will now be sanctioned by USAC as will the Michigan-based Auto Value Super Sprints. Both series feature winged sprint cars racing on asphalt.

“We made a good business decision on both sides to do that. Once I started making some calls it just seemed there was a need for that,” Hamilton said about bringing the two series into USAC. “Auto Value Super Sprints has always been a good friend of King of the Wings and Tom Hartsell has been growing that series since he has he owned it. When we laid out the business plan and what advantages it would be to have USAC and what the opportunities it would be for him having the USAC sanction, he really liked it, so we chose to go that way.”

Hamilton will report to USAC President and CEO Kevin Miller, who will step away from the racing side of the business to focus more on sanctioning and sponsorships.

“Kevin is still CEO of the company and that is who I report to,” Hamilton said. “He is going to remove himself from the racing completely. He is going to go do what he feels he needs to do and what he feels he can do best, which is some sanctioning things and sponsorships for the company.”

Hamilton said the first thing he wants to do is look at USAC’s current product and see what improvements can be made. He also said he wants to put extra focus on the midget division in an attempt to revitalize that class of racing.

“We need to find out what our exact strengths and weaknesses are,” Hamilton said. “I think Andy (Hillenburg) has done a really good job of growing the Silver Crown Series. It is coming back to fruition. I think that has been a big challenge but it is getting better. You can tell that by the car count and the facilities we are going to.

“Under Jason (McCord) the sprint car deal runs pretty good, but there are always improvements that can be done. (We need) to continue to work with promoters to try to get more fans in the seats, to try to make it feasible to go to.

“I think the biggest challenge we have at USAC is the midgets and that is not just a USAC issue,” Hamilton continued. “That is every midget (sanctioning) body in the country. There is not a midget series that is strong and I have my ideas of how to fix that and strengthen that back up and to really get midgets going again.”

The goal according to Hamilton is to grow USAC’s racing product while also bringing in additional partners and sponsors to help facilitate the growth and expansion of the sanctioning body.

“My job also here is to make sure that we get some more funding into USAC and sponsorships and start growing things,” Hamilton said. “I’d love to see the Copper (World) Classic come back now. That is a stretch, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that could ever happen again, but it was such a successful event and those sort of things need to happen again.

“I’m working really hard on some ideas within the sprint cars to help everybody be involved in the national championship, not just the Midwest guys. There are a lot of things on my plate. I’m going to crawl before I can walk. I’ve already talked to a lot of owners and manufacturers and we’re just trying to grow where we think it (USAC) can grow.

“We just need to streamline it a little bit and not only make it bigger and better, but make it more sexy and more streamlined.”

Formula E Holdings has announced that Liberty Global plc, and Discovery Communications Inc. are to become part of the group of shareholders in the company.

The arrival of these two global media companies represents an important step in the long-term development of the series. Their strategic vision and strong financial backing are expected to provide stability, as well as creating a solid base from which the company can expand in the future.

“It is a significant step forward for Formula E to receive the backing of two major global media companies when we are barely halfway through our first season,” commented the CEO of the company, Alejandro Agag. “The experience and knowhow they bring will provide a significant boost to Formula E. We look forward to creating new opportunities together to develop and promote premium content for a global audience.”

Sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), Formula E is the highest class of competition for one-make, single-seater, electrically powered race cars. The series' inaugural championship started in Beijing, China, in September 2014.