Officials of the Badger Midget Auto Racing Association (BMARA) released an 11-race schedule for the 2015 racing season.

It marks the 79th year of sanctioning midget auto racing, for the country’s oldest midget auto racing organization. Mid-State Equipment & Zimbrick Chevrolet of Sun Prairie return as title series sponsors.

Sun Prairie’s Angell Park Speedway continues as the cornerstone of the series, with nine races slated at the famed 1/3-mile facility.

Among the highlights include, the 34th annual Pepsi Midget Nationals on July 5, the second annual Norm Nelson Classic on July 19 and the Cornfest Open Wheel Classic on Aug. 23.

The track will open Memorial Day weekend, with the Thiel Family Memorial doubleheader on May 23-24. The co-sanctioned event with Lucas Oil POWRi National Midget Series, kickoffs off the American portion of the POWRi Lucas Oil Midget World Championships, and will feature drivers from New Zealand and Australia.

After a popular return to the track last season, the IRA Bumper to Bumper Sprint Car Series will run at the facility five times on May 31, June 21, July 20, Aug. 23, and Aug. 30. The Aug. 30 event will be co-sanctioned with the newly formed National Sprint Car League (NSL). The USAC Amsoil National Sprint Car Series will run at the track on Aug. 9.

Badger will join POWRi for events on July 11 at the Fairbury (Ill.) American Legion Speedway, and Saturday Aug. 29 at LaSalle (Ill.) Speedway. The LaSalle event marks the first Badger event at the centrally located Illinois track since June 1997.

The Badger 600 Micro Series will run all nine events at Angell Park Speedway, making up half of their 18-race schedule.

2015 Badger Midget (BMARA) Schedule

Date – Venue – Location

May 23 – Angell Park Speedway – Sun Prairie, Wis.*

May 24 – Angell Park Speedway – Sun Prairie, Wis.

May 31 – Angell Park Speedway – Sun Prairie, Wis.

June 21 – Angell Park Speedway – Sun Prairie, Wis.

July 5 – Angell Park Speedway – Sun Prairie, Wis.*

July 11 – Fairbury (Ill.) American Legion Speedway – Fairbury, Ill.*

July 19 – Angell Park Speedway – Sun Prairie, Wis.

Aug. 9 – Angell Park Speedway – Sun Prairie, Wis.

Aug. 23 – Angell Park Speedway – Sun Prairie, Wis.

Aug. 29 – LaSalle Speedway – LaSalle, Ill.*

Aug. 30 – Angell Park Speedway – Sun Prairie, Wis.

Erica Enders-Stevens, who last year became the first woman to win the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock title, was named to the 2014 American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association All-America Team. Since 1970, the AARWBA has selected the top motorsports performers for acknowledgement.

Enders-Stevens won her historic title on the strength of six national event wins and 19 top-three qualifying runs. She clinched the title at the 2014 Auto Club NHRA Finals when she defeated championship rival Jason Line in the final round.

Enders-Stevens is joined on the 2014 team by Will Power (Open Wheel), Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi (Road Racing), Donny Schatz (Short Track), Matt Crafton (Touring), Gabby Chaves (At Large), and Kevin Harvick (Stock Car). Harvick was also recognized as the Jerry Titus Memorial Trophy winner for the driver receiving the most overall votes.

Founded in 1955, AARWBA is a motorsports organization comprised of writers, broadcasters, photographers, and other media-related professionals. The organization's charter is aimed at providing not only proper recognition for members of the motorsports media but also to recognize their work as well as the work of the competitors that they follow in print, on the air, and on film.

The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg announced the renewal of its partnerships with Chevrolet and Cadillac for its 2015 event. Chevrolet trucks and Cadillac cars will once again be the official vehicles for the upcoming event, taking place March 27-29.

In addition to providing official vehicles for the event, Chevrolet and Cadillac will have exhibits on site that showcase cars and trucks from the 2015 vehicle line ups. Race fans will also have the opportunity to meet Verizon IndyCar Series and Pirelli World Challenge drivers who race for Team Chevy and Cadillac Racing at the displays onsite throughout the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg weekend.

“Chevrolet and Cadillac are two iconic brands with a rich history in racing and car culture in North America,” said Kevin Savoree, Co-Owner, President and COO of Green Savoree Racing Promotions, organizers of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. “We are pleased to welcome the company back as an important event partner for a second consecutive year. Quality partners like Chevrolet and Cadillac are important to the overall success of this event and we value their support.”

The 2015 season marks the fourth year that Chevrolet has competed in the Verizon IndyCar Series with the Chevy twin turbo Indy V6 engine. The Bowtie Brand returned to INDYCAR in 2012 and kicked-off its arrival with Helio Castroneves’ emotional win on the streets of St. Petersburg, which was followed up by Chevy-powered wins from James Hinchcliffe in 2013 and Verizon IndyCar Series champion Will Power in 2014 on the famed street course.

“Chevrolet is honored to serve as the Official Truck of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, for the second consecutive year,” said Terry Dolan, Manager of Chevy Racing. “It is exciting to have a strong presence in the season-opening event of the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series, as well as the second round of the Pirelli World Challenge. Motorsports provides us an opportunity to connect with our current and prospective customers as we showcase our cars and trucks in a highly visible and fan-friendly event environment.”

Cadillac Racing has enjoyed a strong presence at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg both on and off the track.

“We are proud that the Cadillac ATS-V will be the official pace car of the Firestone Grand Prix,” John Kraemer, Cadillac V-Series Marketing Manager said. “The ATS-V, with its 455 hp and Magnetic Ride Control, will need no modifications to pace the weekend’s races at St. Pete. We are looking forward to starting and pacing the competitors on the first street course race of the 2015 season.”

Red Line Synthetic Oil is the primary sponsor of the Kalitta Motorsports Top Fuel Dragster and driver JR Todd in the NHRA Mello Yellow Drag Racing Series, which began with the opening round in Pomona, California, February 6-8, 2015. Red Line Oil will sponsor the team at selected events throughout the year.

"Red Line's closest relationship in racing is with the Kalitta organization," said Cameron Evans, Red Line president. "The opportunity to work even closer with the team came about and we welcomed the opportunity to brand the car. We feel that JR Todd is one of NHRA's best drivers and to brand the car that Connie Kalitta personally runs is great fun for our customers and employees. We think the fans will love the new livery."

"We've been proud to represent Red Line Oil for close to 15 years," said Jim Oberhofer, Vice President of Operations at Kalitta Motorsports. "They've been one of our most supportive associates through those years and we're excited to grow the relationship by running the primary colors of Red Line. Connie and JR are ready to get out there and give the fans a good show with the Red Line Oil dragster."

Todd, driver of the Red Line Oil dragster added prior to last weekend, "I am excited about our new look with Red Line Oil car and look forward to representing Red Line with some great results at the Winternationals. We're ready to get the season started and we're thrilled to start the year off with such a great team. We can't thank Cameron Evans and the entire Red Line family enough for the opportunity."

Red Line sponsored the Connie Kalitta-tuned Top Fuel car for multiple races in the 2006 NHRA season and has been an associate sponsor of the Kalitta race cars since 2001. The team runs many full-synthetic, ester-based Red Line products, including its 70WT Racing Oil and Heavy Shockproof® Gear Oil, plus 15W40 Motor Oil in its transporters and generators.

SportsData, a Minneapolis firm that collects and sells sports statistics, announced a new deal to handle real-time race data for NASCAR.

The company will tap into NASCAR’s system of sensors and become the motor-sports governing body’s official stats provider.

“We get the data directly from each of the tracks, and then we package it up in a way that’s easier to consume, and sell it as official NASCAR data,” said Dave Abbott, founder and chief operating officer of SportsData.

SportsData, which has 55 full-time employees and about 100 part-time workers, is in the Fifth Street Towers in downtown Minneapolis. The business got its start by hiring people to watch games on television, score them and then use software to repackage the data and sell it to fantasy sports leagues.

The company’s clients also include Google, Bleacher Report, Facebook and the Pac-12 Conference. The firm was acquired in 2013 by Sportradar, a Switzerland-based supplier of real-time sports solutions.

Abbott said the company is hiring developers and data entry workers to score games. The firm relies on the fact that a broadcast sports event’s stats become public domain. The firm’s data entry analysts cover more than 40 sports, more than 800 leagues and more than 200,000 sports events each year.

With the NASCAR deal, however, the company will tap directly into the racing body’s data and use its technology to repackage it.

“It’s great exposure. I think it really validates us, and I think it’s going to be a great sales opportunity,” Abbott said. “NASCAR is a big-deal brand, and this is our first governing body.”

NASCAR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brian France announced that Mike Helton has been named Vice Chairman of NASCAR and Chief Operating Officer Brent Dewar has been added to the NASCAR Board of Directors, effective immediately.
 
Helton has served as NASCAR President since 2000 and has been with the sanctioning body in various roles since 1994. In his new capacity, Helton will remain the senior NASCAR official at all national series racing events overseeing competition, work closely with France on long-term strategic planning and represent NASCAR in a wide-range of roles to further grow the sport. He remains a member of the board of directors.
 
Dewar, who joined NASCAR in December of 2013 after a long career in the automotive industry and later as a consultant to a number of global companies, will assume additional day-to-day operational responsibilities in racing development, innovation and work with NASCAR partners and stakeholders.
 
“Mike Helton’s steady hand and decades of experience in every facet of our business have made him a close, trusted advisor to me and my family and his overall impact on NASCAR cannot be overstated,” said France. “With a strong team ready to take on more day-to-day management responsibilities, I’m pleased to now have Mike in a role that will allow us to utilize his unique skills in advancing key priorities for the future of the industry.
 
“Adding someone as talented and experienced as Brent Dewar to our board will be highly beneficial to our company and the industry overall. Brent’s operational expertise already has made a big impact and his understanding of how our sport works from multiple perspectives will bring immediate value to how we operate and future initiatives.”
 
The moves are part of a long-term strategic plan spearheaded by France to strengthen NASCAR’s senior leadership team and broaden the responsibility for key areas of the business. In December of 2013, NASCAR elevated Steve Phelps to Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer and Steve O’Donnell to Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer, giving both more direct oversight of key business areas. Phelps and O’Donnell also were relocated from NASCAR’s Daytona Beach headquarters to the Charlotte region to oversee operations at NASCAR Plaza in uptown Charlotte and the NASCAR Research and Development Center in Concord, respectively, and to strengthen alignment and communication with key industry stakeholders based in the Carolinas.
 

Formula 1 is set to head to the Gulf nation of Qatar in the next two years according to FIA vice-president Nasser bin Khalifa al-Attiyah.

Reports have been circulating for some time suggesting that Qatar could join the F1 calendar in the near future with a race at the new city of Lusail, which is being built ahead of the nation’s hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

However, in an interview with Agence France-Presse, Al-Attiyah said that a deal to host a grand prix was close to being signed once a few minor details are ironed out.

“We are about to sign contracts to organize a Formula 1 race,” he said. “We have completed all the steps and there are only a few details before the official signature.”

Al-Attiyah also confirmed to AFP that arrangements are being made to host the first race in either 2016 or 2017, meaning that the calendar could swell to an unprecedented 22 races for next season.

The return of the Mexican Grand Prix for 2015 has taken the schedule up to 20 grands prix, whilst the Grand Prix of Europe will be held in Azerbaijan in 2016.

However, with more and more races coming under threat such as the German Grand Prix, it could well be that room is made to keep the calendar at a more manageable total.

Qatar is enjoying an increased presence within the motorsport world, having hosted the opening round of the Moto GP championship since 2007, as well as the 2014 FIA prize giving and end of year gala.

Following the 6th European Series, 2015 is shaping up to be an exciting year for the Drift Allstars. With new members of the management team bringing experience from both an F1 background and in the Host Cities marketplace, Europe’s leading Drift Championship is ready to take its 7th Series by storm.
 
Working alongside Drift Allstars founder, Niall Gunn, global lifestyle brand EXTREME is also now fully integrated to the Series, collaborating with existing promoters and drivers to take the Series to new destinations, adding a corporate infrastructure to the Championship. Joining the EXTREME group, including CEO Al Gosling, Marketing Manager Ryan Maxwell and Lead Designer Ajay Bisset, a dedicated Commercial Director, Pippa Simpson and Series Assistant, Nick Quilter, have been added to the Drift Allstars line-up to aid the growth of the Series and drive the events beyond their European roots in coming years.
 
A core of new senior executives have also been welcomed to the Series management as key additions, including:

Mark Hughes (MrK1 Consulting)—International Circuit Liaison. With over 20 years of experience in the automotive racing industry, Hughes has worked extensively with Race Series’ globally and is already conducting high level negotiations with F1 promoters and circuits worldwide, with a view to on boarding Drift Allstars in 2016 and beyond.

Rachael Church-Sanders—Host Cities & Destinations Manager. Working with Drift Allstars to secure partnerships with Host Cities, Church-Sanders is already engaged in numerous discussions with cities globally with a view to expand the Series from its traditionally European tour schedule from 2016.

Gunn commented, “The Drift Allstars brand has been growing at an incredible rate over the past 12 months and we’re excited to bring more expertise to the table, building the Series further than ever before as team.”

Interest in the Series has exploded over the past 12 months, and with next year’s dates due to be announced any day, EXTREME Drift Allstars are gearing up for a ground-breaking 7th Series in 2015.

Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels returns to NHRA drag racing this year a major sponsor of the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

Part of this program will include Mickey Thompson Motorsports’ support of racers as a contingency sponsor for all Sportsman racing classes as well as Pro Mod and Pro Stock Motorcycle. The company will be on site at all national series events with the fully equipped Mickey Thompson trailer to provide trackside support to racers throughout the season, and will continue to sponsor racers Dan Fletcher and Billy Glidden among others.

“We are proud to continue our support of racers in the Mello Yello series,” stated Tom Kundrik, Motorsports Manager for Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels. “Our company has supported NHRA racers for more than 30 years and we’re looking forward another great year.”

The 24-event Mello Yello Drag Racing Series kicked off with the Winternationals this past weekend at the Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California. For a complete event schedule, visit http://www.nhra.com/schedules/2015.aspx.

Mickey Thompson will also continue to serve as a divisional level associate contingency sponsor of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series in all Sportsman classes. Mickey Thompson Motorsports will continue to support the NHRA racers through the popular Team M/T program. Racers interested in joining Team M/T are invited to contact Tom Kundrik, Motorsports Manager at 800-222-9092, Ext. 3114 for more information.

SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association and parent company of PRI, is now accepting nominations for its Hall of Fame at www.sema.org/sema-hall-of-fame-nomination.
 
Created in 1969, the SEMA Hall of Fame is the most prestigious award presented to an individual by the association; it is designed to honor outstanding persons in the industry who have enhanced the stature of, or significantly contributed to, the industry and/or association's growth.
 
Recent inductees have included: Jim Cozzie, Fred Offenhauser, George Barris, Wade Kawasaki (pictured above), Joe Schubeck, Nick Arias Jr., Bill France Sr., Mark Heffington, Chris Economaki and John Towle.

To submit a nomination, visit www.sema.org/sema-hall-of-fame-nomination before the deadline on Wednesday, March 18, 2015.
 
To learn more about the SEMA Hall of Fame and for a list of inductees, visit www.semahof.com.