The Fairbanks (Alaska) Racing Lions’ recently reached a lease agreement with the Fairbanks North Star Borough to lease a plot of land in North Pole that will provide enough space for the group to build a three-quarter mile drag strip.

Through the agreement, the Racing Lions will receive a plot of land adjacent to the North Pole Speedway. The land connects two parcels of land already in the possession of the Racing Lions—a 17-acre plot to the south and a 110-acre plot to the north.

Before the purchase, the group had enough space on its 17-acre plot to put a one-eighth-mile race track, but not enough to safely build a one-quarter-mile track and certainly not enough to consider the three-quarter-mile track the group sought, said group President Jamie Bodenstadt.

The Racing Lions have been planning to put a drag strip in the North Pole area for more than a decade. Bodenstadt said the organization has been working to obtain the land lease for about six years.

In the past, the Racing Lions have mostly raced at Fort Wainwright, although access to the base has become more restricted over the past dozen-plus years.

The drag strip plan has experienced its share of pushback—most recently in 2013 from some of the facility’s neighbors as they sought approval from the borough Planning Commission. Neighbors argued the drag strip would create unacceptable noise levels,,adding to that of the nearby North Pole Speedway.

Bodenstadt and other supporters said it would help bring racing off the streets and into a safer, more controlled environment.

While significant, the lease is only part of the process to get the facility running, according to Bodenstadt. He said the organization still must go through several more years of planning, possibly submitting a large-scale development plan and actually building the facility. He estimated the group remains about $50,000 from completing the planning process.

Students preparing for careers in the auto or auto parts industries are invited to apply for an award from the 2015 SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund (SMSF). The program offers financial assistance of up to $5,000 to help foster the next generation of automotive aftermarket industry leaders and innovators.

Scholarships are available in a variety of categories, including accounting, sales and marketing and engineering. Dozens of awards ranging from $2,000–$3,000 will be given out, with a $5,000 award going to the top student.

The program also includes a loan forgiveness component, which offers financial awards to employees of SEMA-member companies who have completed and are currently paying off a loan for a program of study at an accredited university, college or vocational/technical program within the United States.

The deadline for the 2015 program is April 1, 2015.

For more information on the program or to apply, visit the 2015 SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund (SMSF) website or contact Juliet Marshall, SEMA education manager at julietm@sema.org.

Sonny's Racing Engines and renowned engine builder Sonny Leonard have announced that Sonny's will return as a major IHRA contingency sponsor in 2015 and will build upon its involvement with the IHRA's Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series with a number of bonus programs for IHRA doorslammer competitors.

Sonny's Racing Engines will post contingency winnings for racers in Crower Pro Mod and US Bounty Hunters Pro Stock with IHRA's Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series, as well as with Good Vibrations Top Sportsman and Good Vibrations Top Dragster sportsman competitors. The sportsman postings will be good for both Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series national events and Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Tour presented by AMSOIL divisional events.

In addition to providing contingency winnings to competitors who run Sonny's Racing Engines products, Sonny's Racing Engines will also sponsor a Pro Mod and Pro Stock low qualifier bonus program. Pro Mod competitors who run a "Sonny's Pro Mod #1 Qualifier Challenge" decal and qualify first will receive a $700 bonus if they run a Sonny's engine and $200 if they do not. Pro Stock top qualifiers who run a Sonny's engine will receive a $200 bonus.

In addition, Sonny's Racing Engines will pay a $1000 bonus to Pro Mod and Pro Stock champions and $500 to Pro Mod and Pro Stock championship runner-ups who run a Sonny's engine.

A complete listing of all of the 2015 IHRA contingency sponsors will be released in the coming weeks. Check back with www.ihra.com for updates.

Two IMCA divisions will race weekly on the red clay at Red River Speedway this season.

Veteran promoter Richard Snider will oversee Friday programs featuring RaceSaver Sprint Cars, a division of IMCA and Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Southern SportMods.

IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Allstar Performance State and local track points will be awarded for both divisions beginning with the February 13-14 Red River IMCA Invasion special through September 25.

Also on the card for the season-opening special at Red River, a former ¼-mile asphalt oval, that ran a limited schedule in 2014 are IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars.

“We’re pleased to be IMCA sanctioned. It’s going to be a good deal for Sprint Car and Southern SportMod drivers and I know they’re excited about it,” Snider said. “I’m looking forward to this season, too. It’s going to be fun to get back into it again.”

Snider began promoting in 1979. He was most lately the boss at Kennedale Speedway Park before retiring briefly from the dirt track business three years ago.

“It gets in your blood,” said Snider. “I’d been doing it for so long that I got bored when I wasn’t promoting a race track.”

Along with considerable clay added to the racing surface in preparation for the upcoming season, new catch fences and retaining walls are already in place.

New construction also includes concessions stands and restroom facilities.

Nine of the top Pro 4 truck drivers in the world descended upon the slopes of Sunday River Ski Resort in Maine last weekend for the aptly named "Red Bull Frozen Rush." Below-zero temps earlier in the week were followed by perfect conditions for Friday’s main event, which featured Team O'Neil alums Bryce Menzies and Ricky Johnson battling in the final.

"It's great to see former students ripping it up at such a unique event here in the Northeast," said Tim O'Neil. "Ricky Johnson is a legend in Off-Road racing and Bryce is becoming a dominant force in the sport. We're always excited to work with drivers of this caliber and love to watch their rally training carry over to success in the trucks."

Loose surface training at the infamous facility in Dalton, New Hampshire, is becoming standard practice for the biggest names in Rally, as well as other motorsports, looking to gain an advantage in their respective fields. Nascar drivers Greg Biffle, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and AJ Allmedinger have all spent time at Team O'Neil, in addition to crossover athletes like Travis Pastrana, Bucky Lasek, Ken Block and a host of others.

While asphalt drivers may learn a tremendous amount about what to do if things start to go wrong in a race, dirt pros from Rally to Desert racing come to Team O'Neil to help hone the skills that are critical to success. Brian Deegan, another Team O'Neil alum and multi-sport, off-road racing legend, also competed in the Frozen Rush event, which ended with Menzies taking the crown from last years champ Johnson.

As Tim O'Neil says, "We love the challenge of training professionals from various motorsport disciplines. It keeps us on our toes, and we love it even more when they go on to be champions."

An internal power struggle among leadership of the Tampa Bay Area Racing Association could spell the end of the 41-year-old sprint car racing club.

The TBARA, a club that sanctions asphalt sprint car racing at various Florida short tracks, is in limbo as TBARA President Buff Fritz and TBARA Vice President Josh Wichers are at odds over the group’s future.

On Jan. 10 Fritz held what has been described as an emergency meeting in order to elect new board members to replace departing ones. However, according to Fritz, no one stepped up to replace those departing board members. As a result, Fritz says a decision was made to put club activities on hold until new board members could be selected.

“Basically what has happened is the club is kind of in a dormant stage,” Fritz told SPEED SPORT. “By no means are we giving up or closing down. We’re looking to get some new officers to take over my position and some other guys (positions). No one wanted to step up to the plate, so what we’ve done is put everything in a hold situation. We’ll go back sprint car racing if and when we can get some people to take over the club and run it in a positive direction.”

Wichers, however, tells a different story. Wichers told SPEED SPORT that TBARA bylaws require a 30-day notice prior to holding a club meeting. Wichers said there was only nine days’ notice prior to the Jan. 10 gathering.

“Our president (Fritz) and our treasurer (Rex Hollinger) decided they were going to have a meeting without me,” Wichers said. “They are calling it an emergency meeting. They thought they put everything on hold, but in our rules and bylaws we have to give everybody 30 days (notice for a meeting) and they gave everybody like nine, kind of getting the people there that they wanted there and not everybody.”

The confusion surrounding the status of the TBARA has led to scheduled races at New Smyrna Speedway in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., that were to be held during the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing in February to be canceled.

“New Smyrna basically said we don’t want to get in the middle of this war, so we’re not going to have sprint cars period,” Wichers said.

Fritz said he hasn’t spoken to New Smyrna Speedway owner and promoter Robert Hart, so he was unable to comment on the cancelation of the TBARA events.

Fritz said that Wichers is no longer an active member of the TBARA and Wichers has said the same about Fritz. Fritz told SPEED SPORT he remains the acting president of the TBARA.

“Josh is no longer any type of officer with our club. Josh has no say so whatsoever regarding TBARA business,” Fritz said. “For the betterment of the club I’ve had to make a stand. Josh is just not working as a team player anymore.

“Josh Wichers has nothing to do with the series anymore. Nothing. None,” Fritz said.

Wichers said Fritz resigned during the emergency meeting on Jan. 10, making him the interim TBARA president based on club bylaws.

“He (Fritz) actually resigned at that emergency meeting,” said Wichers. “I guess I would be, by our bylaws, the interim president. They are still trying to control it even though they don’t want the control.”

Fritz confirmed to SPEED SPORT that former Indy car racer Davey Hamilton has approached the TBARA about bringing Hamilton’s King of the Wing Sprint Car Shootout asphalt sprint car series to Florida.

“He’d like to have a branch of that in the Southeast here in Florida. He has approached us about that,” said Fritz.

Both Fritz and Wichers made it well known that neither wants the TBARA to close shop. They both want the tour to continue its 41-year legacy well into the future.

“I really don’t want to throw away 41 years of history,” said Wichers. “My ultimate goal is to keep the group together. We’ve had 41 good years minus a little glitch in the late ’70s. Other than that, the club has been 41 years strong and I’d hate to see that go away.”

“The bottom line is our club is still solid. We have money in the bank. We have procedures in places. We’ve got all of our assets, our trailer, all of our tech supplies, tools, safety supplies, everything that we’d normally have,” Fritz said. “It’s just that right now we’re looking for some leadership. We’re just looking for some new blood to take it over.

“It’s not closed down. It’s just kind of pulled its arms in and gone dormant until we can get a strong administrative staff to take the club to the next level,” Fritz said.

SPEED SPORT first became aware of this story when a Jan. 12 posting on the club’s Facebook page indicated that all TBARA activities had been placed on hold. SPEED SPORT reported that news and was contacted by Wichers, who declared the story to be false and asked for a retraction.

VP Racing Fuels, along with the National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) announce a new partnership beginning with the 2015 drag racing season. Effective at the season opener in Bradenton, Florida, on March 20-22, VP Racing Fuels will be the Official Fuel of the NMCA Flowmaster Muscle Car Nationals Series and the required Spec Fuel for most NMCA heads up classes. The agreement between ProMedia Events and VP Racing Fuels continues through the end of the 2017 racing season. The agreement also designates VP as the title sponsor of the VP Racing Fuels Pro Mod class, one of the quickest classes in the NMCA series reaching over 250 mph in the quarter mile with turbocharged or nitrous-powered engines.
 
“This partnership with NMCA is a testament to VP’s continued support of Sportsman racers,” said Alan Cerwick, President of VP Racing Fuels. “For 40 years, VP’s fuels have earned a reputation for consistency and maximizing power, while providing the best protection for high-performance drag racing engines.  We look forward to a long and productive relationship with NMCA racers, fans and the entire ProMedia family.”
 
A member of VP’s full-time professional Tech Support staff will be at each NMCA race to assist racers with fuel selection and tuning. They can also be reached conveniently by phone or email at 812.878.2025 or dragtech@vpracingfuels.com. Additional information regarding VP and its products is available online at VPRacingFuels.com.
 
“We are thrilled to have VP Racing Fuels involved with all of our drag racing series’,” said Steve Wolcott, President and CEO of ProMedia Events. “Their outstanding products and overall attitude towards the sport is a perfect fit for our team.”
 
For more information about NMCA rules, please contact Tech & Communications Director Dave Werremeyer at davew@promediapub.com or call 913-645-0477.

Champion, a manufacturer of purpose-built enthusiast lubricants, announced the sponsorship of the Southern Outlaw Late Model Series in Arkansas.
 
 “Champion Racing Oil is proud to support the Southern Outlaws Late Model Series in Arkansas," said Karl Dedolph, Director of Champion Racing and Performance Products. “Being named the official motor oil of this highly competitive late model series is a great tribute to our 'Purpose Built' lubricant technology formulated for protection and performance.
 
“Our distribution partner for this series is Day Motor Sports,” added Dedolph. "Day Motor Sports has been in business for over 40 years serving retail and wholesale racing customers alike. They pride themselves in offering great customer service and even slip in a little 'Southern Hospitality' every now and then. Whether you are a racer, enthusiast, or retail business, Day Motor Sports has one of the largest performance inventories to choose from including the full line of Champion racing and performance products.”
 
You can find Day Motor Sports located at 6100 Hwy 69 N., Tyler, Texas 75706, or give them a call at (800) 543-6238, or visit their on-line store at www.daymotorsports.com.

Champion Racing Oils are built specifically to meet the lubrication demands of hot rod, street rod, classic and muscle car engines, especially those using flat tappet and roller cams operating at high RPMs and requiring high-pressure valve springs. To meet these demands, Champion utilizes its premium ZDDP anti-wear protection package, which contains a unique balance of chemistry that includes high levels of zinc and phosphorus.

In addition, all Champion Racing Motor Oils contain an exclusive TVS (Thermal Viscosity Stabilizer) technology. This proprietary technology is formulated to deliver film strength at high temperature, better piston ring seal for maximum compression, and increase horsepower and torque in most engines.

DIYAutoTune, a manufacturer of feature-rich plug-n-play and professional stand alone engine management systems, announced that Scott Clark has officially joined the team as its Chief Calibration Engineer.

Clark has partnered with some of the biggest names in the racing industry and continues to be one of the most sought after tuners around the globe. In 2014, Clark tuned Larry Larson's twin turbo Chevy S10 which earned the title “Fastest Street-Legal Car in History” with its record setting 5.95 second quarter mile pass at the Las Vegas Street Car Supernationals.  

In the last two years alone, more than two hands are required to count the number of Top 10 finishes in which Clark played a vital role at Engine Masters Challenge. Other notable tuning projects include Hot Rod Magazine Drag Week Winners for Jon Huber, Jim Neuenfeldt, Bill Fowler, James McEntire & Jeff McConnell, Keith Berry's NMRA Radial Wars Champion Corvette, and three current 240+mph Bonneville Land Speed Record vehicles.  

In 2013, Clark collaborated with Cal Automotive Creations' Andy Leach who brought home a prestigious Ridler Award for their multi-million dollar build of Ron Cizek's  1940 Business Coupe, Checkered Past.

DIYAutoTune CEO Jerry Hoffmann said, “He's worked with virtually every other major brand of EMS available, as well as flash tunes and others. He now brings all of that experience to the table at DIYAutoTune.”  

Clark joins the team with a focus first on training: developing videos and documentation to benefit the end user as well as helping those that know other EFI systems to 'get to know' MS3-Pro and other MS Pro based solutions. Additionally, his role will be helping with strategic product development and testing as well as installations/tuning and trackside support for higher profile and sponsored vehicles.

The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame announced the names of its eight inductees for 2015. Those racing professionals who will be inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame on Saturday, May 30, during the 26th annual ceremonies in Knoxville, Iowa, are:

Drivers: Gene “Tiger” Brown, Donnie Kreitz (Jr.), Danny Smith.

Owners-Mechanics-Builders-Manufacturers-Car Sponsors: Roger Beck, Gil Sonner.

Promoters-Officials-Media Members-Event/Series Sponsors: Mike Arthur, Bruce Ellis.

Pre-1945: Charlie Wiggins.

According to National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum Foundation executive director Bob Baker, “I know I say this every year, but we truly are very proud of the work done by our 72-member National Induction Committee. I think we have a great group of inductees this year, with most being honored in their lifetime. We look forward to our twenty-sixth induction banquet on the Marion County Fairgrounds in Knoxville, Iowa, on May 30.”