The new Kenny Wallace Dirt Racing Experience gives race fans a chance to see for themselves what makes dirt racing so fun. This unique driving experience allows the average racing aficionado to get behind the wheel of a dirt modified, late model or sprint car, or take a thrilling ride around the track in a two-seat sprint car with an experienced driver.

“There is nothing like driving a high-horsepower dirt car sideways through the turns,” Wallace said. “It’s one of the purest forms of racing, and it’s a whole lot of fun. That’s why I spend so many nights each year racing at local dirt tracks around the country.”

The Kenny Wallace Dirt Racing Experience will kick off on March 6 at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Florida, and then plans on offering over 50 events at close to 30 different dirt tracks across the US throughout 2015. This aggressive schedule will give thousands of race fans the chance to strap into a dirt race car for the first time, and see why Kenny Wallace gets so excited about playing in the dirt.

Wilwood Disc Brakes has partnered with Ultimate Performance, a North Carolina-based suspension tuning and performance product supplier, to enhance support to drivers at race events.

As part of the partnership, Ultimate Performance owner JJ Furillo will travel to pro-touring events across the country providing technical support and guidance to competitors on tuning suspensions to match their driving style. Additionally, Furillo can recommend the best braking application setup to create the complete performance package.

“JJ has continually proven himself as an expert at optimizing suspension performance both on and off the race track since his early years at Penske Shocks to founding JRi Shocks,” said Bill Wood, owner of Wilwood Engineering. “Pairing his insight with the leader in performance brakes makes for a winning combination.”

Furillo founded Ultimate Performance in 2014 and has partnered with a number of industry-leading performance-enhancing companies to help drivers create their ultimate performance racing machine.

“From the time I started my racing career, Wilwood has always set the bar when it comes to performance brake systems,” said Furillo. “When I created Ultimate Performance my goal was to represent the best brands and Wilwood continues to exemplify what it means to be a leader in the industry.”

Pro All Stars Series (PASS) President Tom Mayberry and Greenville-Pickens Speedway promoter Anthony Anders announced that the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) super late models will return to Greenville-Pickens Speedway on Saturday, October 24 for the final race of the PASS National Championship Series.

Although PASS has competed at the legendary Greenville-Pickens Speedway in recent years, this will be the first time the popular “Howler” event has returned to the series schedule since 2009. “The Howler” becomes the sixth and final race of the 2015 PASS National Championship Series joining the Peach Blossom Special at Anderson (S.C.) Motor Speedway, the Easter Bunny 150 at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway, the inaugural super late model event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, a 200 lapper at New York’s Airborne Park Speedway and the 42nd annual Oxford 250 at Oxford (Maine) Plains Speedway.

The race will also serve as a PASS South points event in addition to being a PASS National Championship event.

“After a lot of hard work, we could not be more proud to announce the return of ‘The Howler’ and Greenville Pickens Speedway to the PASS schedule,” said Mayberry. “This event was always really popular the fans and competitors. I can’t think of a better place to crown super late model racing’s true national champion than a place with the history and prestige of Greenville-Pickens.”

In addition to the PASS super late models and PASS pro late models, the KOMA Unwind Modifieds will join PASS at Greenville-Pickens Speedway on Oct. 24. It will be the third pairing of PASS and the KOMA Unwind Modifieds, joining combo events between the two sanctioning bodies at Kingsport (Tenn.) Speedway and Concord (N.C.) Speedway in May.

This event will mark the first time tour-type modifieds have raced at Greenville-Pickens Speedway since 2007. An additional feature division could be added to the stellar card of racing in the coming weeks.

Former racer turned promoter Anders has recently taken the reigns at Greenville-Pickens Speedway making numerous improvements to the facility.

The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) announced that its Master and Advanced Jr. Dragster classes have been added to the annual Summit Racing Equipment Tournament of Champions presented by AMSOIL—held during the World Finals in Memphis, Tennessee—and will be sponsored by longtime series partner Summit Racing Equipment.
 
“The JR Race Car Jr. Dragster racers are the future of our sport and this announcement is exciting news for them,” said IHRA President Scott Gardner. “We would like to thank Summit Racing Equipment, our valued and longtime partner, for adding their support to this class by including them in the Summit Tournament of Champions and posting a most generous purse.”
 
The $100,000 Summit Racing Equipment Tournament of Champions presented by AMSOIL debuted in 2009 and is the sport's first nationwide head-to-head tournament to determine the champions in each of the premier sportsman classes in IHRA competition. This revolutionary format not only reduces costs financially for IHRA racers, but it rewards all drivers who have had a successful year with a level playing field where location and finances are not a factor in determining the world champions.
 
The JR Race Car IHRA Jr. Dragsters will compete in the Summit Pro-Am Tour in Divisions 2, 4, 6 and 9 this season.
 
To qualify for the year-end Summit Tournament of Champions, Master and Advanced Summit Pro-Am Jr. Dragster racers must finish in the top two in points in their respective division.  Once there, all qualified Jr. Dragster drivers will compete in one class in head-to-head competition for the Summit TOC Junior World Championship.
 
Jr. Dragster drivers cannot race the same car in the Summit Super Series and Tournament of Champions should they qualify for both.
 
Junior participants in the Tournament of Champions will compete for the following awards—a total of $4800 in cash and $1400 in gift cards—provided by Summit Racing Equipment:
 
1. $2000
2. $1000
3. $700
4. $600
5. $500
6. $400 gift card
7. $300 gift card
8. $300 gift card
9. $200 gift card
10. $200 gift card
 

Watkins Glen International announces the addition of Chris Banker as Public Relations Manager, effective immediately. Banker comes to WGI by way of New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey, where he served as Manager of Communications for the past two years.



Banker will be assigned a wide range of responsibilities in his new role at The Glen. His primary duties will include drafting press releases, managing the media credential process, pitching media on story opportunities, and scheduling on-air appearances with local and regional affiliates for drivers and WGI staff. During event weekends, Banker will assist with the operation of the WGI media center along with pre- and post-race activities.



“We are excited to welcome Chris to the Watkins Glen International team and know he will be a valuable asset to us moving forward,” WGI President Michael Printup said. 



A 2012 graduate of York College of Pennsylvania, Banker earned a degree in Public Relations. His previous experience also includes time with Comcast Spectacor, a sports and entertainment firm in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Track Promoter Ray Cook of the Tri-County Race Track located in Brasstown, North Carolina, has released the 2015 racing schedule.

The season will officially kick-off with an open practice session on Thursday evening, March 19. The first points race will be on April 10.

The Southern Nationals Bonus Series presented by Collins Signs will make four appearances to Tri-County. The first visit will be on March 27 for the season opener paying $3000-to-win. The series will again visit on May 25 for the fifth annual Memorial Day Championships paying $3000-to-win. The fifth annual Fourth of July Championship race on July 3 will pay $3000-to-win while the final stop of the series to Tri-County will be on Oct. 2 for the 12th annual Tarheel 50, which will pay $4053-to-win.

The Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series presented by Old Man’s Garage will return to the Tri-County schedule for the first time since 2007 as the track will host the eighth points event on July 30 paying $3500-to-win.

The Fast Unified Engine Late Model Series (FUEL) will make one appearance to Tri-County in 2015 on May 8 for a $2000-to-win race during the 525/Steel Head Spring Championship event.
The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series will make one appearance to Tri-County on June 5 for the second annual Bill Hendren Memorial 40 paying $2000-to-win.

The second annual Modified Street Summer Shootout will take place on June 19 paying $800-to-win while the second annual Street Stock Shootout will be a $500-to-win event on September 18.

On August 14 the fifth annual Back-to-School Nickel Night for the kids will take place along with a full racing program for all divisions. The Kids Bicycle Race Night will be on April 24.

On September 7 the fifth annual Labor Day Championship race will feature the USCS Southern Thunder Sprint Car Series and Fastor Pastor races.

During each special event at Tri-County in 2015, it will also be a full racing program for the other divisions with other special events to be announced.

In addition to the action-packed stock car program at Tri-County, the Go-Karts will return to action in 2015 with three appearances. The South Eastern Dirt Series will compete at Tri-County on May 2 and May 16 while the track will host the third annual Tarheel Nationals on Aug. 22 paying $5,300-to-win for the top division that weekend. The Third Annual SEMDTRA Flat Track Motorcycle event will be on Saturday July 18th with Kid’s Bicycle Races joining the lineup that night. The Third Annual Monster Mash featuring the Monster Trucks, Tough Trucks and Demolition Derby will take place as part of a two-day action-packed weekend on Oct. 23-24.

Seasoned motorsports communication professional David Hart will be joining the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca team as public relations manager, effective March 2.
 
Hart brings a wealth of experience to the Monterey circuit, having most recently served as director of communications for the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) that runs the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship series, which is Mazda Raceway’s opening race May 1-3.
 
“David’s deep knowledge of the media and sport will provide an immediate impact in our ongoing public relations initiatives,” said Gill Campbell, CEO and general manager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “We are extremely fortunate that David is coming aboard at the start of what will be one of our finest racing seasons in recent years.”
 
Prior to his stint with IMSA, Hart worked with the 8Star Motorsports GRAND-AM team. He also spent 15 years at Richard Childress Racing (RCR) where he led competition communications for the team before taking the role of director, corporate communications, overseeing strategic communications for many of Richard Childress' business ventures and outdoor conservation activities.
 
Hart previously held management positions with Sonoma Raceway, the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and the Cotter Group, where he managed sponsor communication activities in NASCAR and NHRA.
 
“Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is one of the great motorsports venues of the world so it’s an honor to help continue its unmatched legacy,” said Hart. “I’m fortunate to have worked with some very successful organizations and am confident being a member of Gill’s team will add to that list.”
 

The USAC HPD Midwest Midget Thunder series announced plans for the upcoming race season. The series is planning a schedule of dirt and asphalt races in 2015, with a goal of expanding on the previous focus as a developmental series to involve grass roots racers seeking a cost effective formula for midget racing.

The Midwest Midget Thunder series will be open to competitors with HPD legal Honda and Focus engines, and will move towards a ‘one car’ concept based on the traditional dirt midget chassis. The series is committed to stringent enforcement of rules for 2015, and will work closely with competitors to seal and inspect cars in order to meet the objective of low cost, competitive midget racing.

In order to provide full fields to promoters and competitors, The Midwest Midget Thunder Series has elected to partner with area mini sprint/lightning sprint associations to co-sanction the dirt series races for the 2015 season. Montpelier Speedway’s midget series, the recent DuQuoin Indoor race, and associations such as BAM (Budget American Midget Series) have demonstrated that the HPD legal cars and mini sprints have very comparable performance on dirt tracks.

There are three strong mini sprint associations in the Midwest, (American Mini Sprint Association, Midwest Mini Sprint Association and Southern Ohio Lightning Sprints) which primarily run winged races. Mini sprint participants will be required to meet the rules and membership requirements of the co-sanctioning mini sprint association, and will not be required to obtain a USAC membership.

Each association will track points for its own members for any applicable point championships. These partnerships will benefit mini sprint racers by providing non-winged race opportunities at premier speedways in the Midwest, including Waynesfield Raceway Park, Limaland Motorsports Park, Atomic Speedway, Jackson Speedway, and Plymouth Speedway, and benefits current and potential USAC members by giving them assurance that they can own a HPD legal car and have ample opportunities to race in the Midwest throughout the season. Negotiations are ongoing to finalize purse structures and points’ funds, however several tracks including Waynesfield, Limaland and Atomic have committed to a $500 to win, $100 to start payout.

The series is also committed to a long term strategy to bring asphalt midget racing back to the Midwest. Columbus Motor Speedway, the Indianapolis Speedrome, Kalamazoo Speedway, Shady Bowl Speedway, and Toledo Speedway have demonstrated their support in the future of asphalt midget racing by committing to dates at their facilities for the 2015 season. In order to provide the best possible field to these promoters, the Midwest Midget Thunder Series will utilize USAC HPD national rules for these events in 2015, and will work with the North Carolina based Eastern HPD series for a ‘home and away’ series for races at Speedrome, Columbus and Hickory Motor Speedway.

Please contact 317-771-6596 for additional information on the series, the Honda HPD engines, or rental car availability.
 
USAC HPD Midwest Midget Thunder Series Schedule:
 
April 25 - Columbus Motor Speedway (1/3 mile asphalt) open to all USAC national HPD legal cars

May 1 - Toledo Speedway (1/5 mile asphalt) with the USAC Silver Crown Series

May 2 - Shady Bowl Speedway (3/10 mile asphalt)

May 23 - Indianapolis Speedrome (1/5 mile, asphalt) co-sanctioned with USAC HPD East Series

June 6 - Waynesfield Raceway Park (1/3 mile dirt) co-sanctioned with American Mini Sprint Association

July 24 - Limaland Motorsports Park (1/4 mile dirt) co-sanctioned with American Mini Sprint Association

July 25 - Waynesfield Raceway Park (1/3 mile dirt) (co-sanctioned with American Mini Sprint Association)

Aug 8 - Plymouth Speedway (3/8 mile dirt dirt) co-sanctioned with Midwest Mini Sprint Association

Aug 22 - Kalamazoo Speedway (3/8 mile asphalt) USAC HPD National Race

Aug 28 - Jackson Raceway Park (1/4 mile dirt) co-sanctioned with Southern Ohio Lightning Sprint Association)

Aug 29 - Atomic Speedway (3/8 mile dirt) co-sanctioned with Southern Ohio Lightning Mini Sprint Association)

Sept 5 - Shady Bowl Speedway (3/10 mile asphalt)

September 18 - Columbus Motor Speedway (1/3 mile asphalt) open to all USAC national HPD legal cars

Nov 21 - Hickory Speedway (1/3 mile asphalt) (co-sanctioned with USAC HPD East Series)

The non-profit National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum will partner with the brand-new National Sprint League (NSL) for seven nights of “National Sprint Car Museum Madness” in seven states in 2015. 

The promotional program, featuring hundreds of lucky-number give-aways and a variety of special guest appearances courtesy of the Knoxville-based museum, will take place at the following NSL races:

May 15 – Jacksonville, Illinois (with Midwest Open Wheel Association),
May 29 – Moberly, Missouri,
July 24 – Denison, Iowa,
August 30 – Sun Prairie, Wisconsin (with Interstate Racing Association),
September 4 – Jackson, Minnesota,
September 6 – Brandon, South Dakota, and
October 2 – Greenwood, Nebraska.

Museum executive director Bob Baker said, “We are thrilled to be working with Natalie Sather on these seven Museum Madness nights. We want to help make these races become really special events for the sprint car fans in attendance by providing value-added promotions at no cost.  We will have the museum’s truck and trailer at all seven NSL shows, with either a restored sprint car or the museum’s state-of-the-art raffle sprint car present. We will also invite special guests, including National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductees, to meet and greet the fans at these events. And, lastly, we will be giving away hundreds of National Sprint Car Museum souvenirs at these speedways. If you are a sprint car fan in the Upper Midwest, you will want to attend at least one these special nights this year.”

Those individuals interested in learning more about the “National Sprint Car Museum Madness” special events are urged to visit www.sprintcarhof.com, while those interested in the National Sprint League should visit www.nationalsprintleague.com.

Membership forms for teams planning on competing with POWRi National Midgets, POWRi West Midgets, POWRi Outlaw Midgets, and/or 600cc Outlaw Micros in 2015 can be found under the DOWNLOADS link located at the top of POWRi website. 

Racers must be a POWRi member to be eligible for the year-end point fund and receive secondary medical insurance.
 
To hold the same number from last year, participants need to send their registration form to the POWRi office no later than March 15th, 2015. 

For new members, numbers will be assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis.
 
If you are unable to print the membership packet, please e-mail POWRi at info@powri.com or call 314-267-4944.
 
POWRi Racing
6157 Saxtown Road
Millstadt, Illinois 62260