The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) has announced a number of changes designed to improve the Summit Racing Equipment SuperSeries presented by AMSOIL World Championship program in 2015.

Among those changes, the Summit SuperSeries World Championship held at Memphis International Raceway will be contested on the eighth-mile for the first time in program history. IHRA also announced a change to the qualifying guidelines used to determine the field of participants at the Summit SuperSeries World Championship race held at the end of the year.

With more and more divisions switching to eighth-mile competition at their Summit Team Finals events, IHRA decided to make the switch to reflect that trend. Currently, seven of the nine divisions that compete in the Summit SuperSeries program run on the eighth-mile, and the IHRA wanted the World Championship to reflect the trends at the divisional level.

Also changing in 2015 will be the rules determining the final 16 participants in each class at the Summit SuperSeries World Championship race in Memphis. The winner from all Summit SuperSeries runoff races at the Summit Team Finals level will continue to advance to the championship race, while the final six spots in each class will be comprised of the best six packages from the remaining finalists. The final spot will go to a Wild Card participant from facilities outside of a division. This gives racers from all divisions who reach the finals of their Summit SuperSeries runoff race an equal opportunity to advance to the championship race.

"In 2014 we saw the largest number of participating tracks, as well as the largest number of participants, to ever compete in the Summit SuperSeries presented by AMSOIL program. And that credit goes to our every growing family of IHRA member tracks," said Scott Gardner, President of IHRA Motorsports. "There were over 100 tracks actively promoting this program to their weekly racers in 2014. And that is a direct result of the tracks understanding and seeing that this is best sportsman bracket program in the country and they want their racers involved in it."

From its beginnings in 2002, the Summit SuperSeries has grown into one of the preeminent programs for grassroots sportsman drag racing. Designed to give racers an opportunity to compete for a world championship through a multi-stage, yearlong competition, the SuperSeries has blossomed from a small, one class championship in 2002 to a three class competition in 2014 with well over 5000 participants throughout the United States, Canada and beyond.

The Summit SuperSeries program features competition in Top ET, Mod ET and Junior Dragster. Providing the base for the program are the more than 100 IHRA member tracks in seven divisions. Drivers compete year-round at their local track for an opportunity to represent their home track at the Summit Team Finals. Once at the Team Finals level, drivers then compete against track champions from other IHRA facilities for the right to go to the World Finals and compete for a championship in their respective class.

The Summit SuperSeries World Championship consists of the best 16 racers in each category competing in a winner takes all championship race. Over $250,000 in cash and prizes is awarded to Summit SuperSeries participants, including a cash prize awarded to all qualified participant tracks.

For more information on the IHRA's Summit SuperSeries program, visit www.ihra.com.

Masters Historic Racing's bid to grow and expand the North American Historic Formula One Series will be assisted in 2015 by the appointment of Shelly Shafer Cates as US Event Manager.

The Atlanta, Georgia-based Cates started her motorsports career 18 years ago with the successful Tasman Motorsports team in IndyCar and Indy Lites before being recruited to work for Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) as the Director of Promoter Operations. In this capacity, she worked directly with each host venue in North and South America, Europe and Japan.

She then founded SS Cates Consulting, whose client list includes F1 Grand Prix's at The Circuit of the Americas, Sports Signage, American Le Mans Series, Highcroft Racing, Rahal Letterman Racing, Legends in Motorsport, The Baltimore Grand Prix, Grand Solutions and more.
 
Cates has a wide range of auto racing project management experience with brand awareness campaigns, sponsorship management, talent management, trophy presentations, pre-race ceremonies, corporate functions and building client experiences at these events.

She now joins the Masters Team, working closely with the UK office to assist in the development of the US race programm, event management and driver liaison, as well as attending European races in 2015.

The 2015 Masters US race season kicks off at Road Atlanta on April 23-26. The US calendar will include five major events visiting Road Atlanta, Barber Motorsports Park, Road America, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and Sonoma Raceway.

Scott Butler of Willits, California, is the grand prize winner of the National Sprint Car Museum's sprint car raffle.

Butler will receive a state-of-the-art Maxim chassis with a new Rider Racing Engines-built 410-cubic-inch racing engine. When first contacted by phone by museum special events coordinator David Herrmann and told that his one raffle ticket was drawn in the non-profit foundation’s tenth biennial sprint car raffle, Butler exclaimed, “Holy cow, are you kidding me?!”

According to museum executive director Bob Baker, "We can't thank Chuck Merrill and Dan Musselman of Maxim and Tom Rider of Rider Racing Engines enough for all of their support on this 18-month project. These companies and all the rest of the product donors continue to step up to the plate in a big way for our 501(c)(3) non-profit museum foundation. We would also like to extend our sincere appreciation to all of the raffle ticket-buyers and museum staff, volunteers, track promoters, series officials and trade show coordinators for making the tickets available to the public. Everyone's support truly allows us to continue promoting the future of sprint car racing by preserving its past history."
 
In addition to the grand prize, two other prizes were drawn out of the golden barrel. The prizes and winners are as follows: Hinchman Racing Uniform—Marty Gajewski (Wisconsin) and 1000 5x7 Hero Cards from DriverWebsites.com—Dale McKnight (North Dakota).
 
The builders and manufacturers participating in this tenth museum-benefit raffle are Maxim Chassis, Rider Racing Engines, Donovan, Winter’s Performance, All-Pro Cylinder Heads, GS Products, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, Sander Engineering, MSD Ignition, Fuel Safe Racing Cells, Astro Titanium, Wilwood Disc Brakes, BMRS, Auto Meter, Del West, Hoosier Tire, SuperShox, Schoenfeld Headers, Schroeder Torsion Bars, Shaver/Wesmar Gear Drives, Hooker Harness, Xtreme Accu-Tach, KSE Racing Products, T&D Machine Products, Barnes Dry Sump Oil Systems, HRP Racing Products, Moose Blocks, P-Ayr, Rod End Supply, Kenny’s Components, C&R Racing, Hinchman Racing Uniforms and www.DriverWebsites.com.

Roush & Yates Racing Engines recently announced the opening of Roush Yates School of Technology—a result of the tremendous demand for entry level, well-trained and skilled machinists.

“Bridging the skills gap for Engine Technology Education in the US is critical for the future of the racing industry and manufacturing in general," said CEO Doug Yates.

With a successful history of engine building and racing leading to multiple engine builder awards, Doug Yates has had a vision of sharing Roush Yates’ experience and knowledge via a structured curriculum taught by experienced industry professionals.

Roush Yates School of Technology will offer programs in Engine Block and Cylinder Head Machining. The primary objective of the programs is to give students the opportunity to receive hands-on machining experience that will allow them to start as entry-level machinists upon completion of the training. Students will learn the theory and fundamentals of cylinder heads and blocks as they relate to engine performance.

Classes are scheduled to begin in February 2015 and will be held for a period of 36 weeks for each program.  Roush Yates School of Technology is a part of a longtime vision to continuously improve the skills available to make the best designed, highest quality components required in Roush & Yates Racing Engines as well as other quality focused industry needs.

To learn more about Roush Yates School of Technology, call 704/360-1434 or visit www.roushyates.com/school.

Champion Oil, a manufacturer of racing motor oils, announced recently that AutoRep Sales from Birmingham, Michigan, has been named its 2014 Rep Firm of the Year.
 
“Walt Siklich, President of AutoRep Sales, has grown up around performance and racing. His passion is the driving force behind AutoRep Sales,” stated Karl Dedolph, Champion Director of Racing & Performance. “AutoRep Sales is driven to succeed for companies like Champion utilizing their contacts, knowledge, expertise, and Walt’s love of this exciting industry.
 
“AutoRep Sales has proven to build strong performance connections and loyal customers with engine and speed shops, as well as wholesale warehouses,” added Dedolph. “Their efforts instantly turbo-charge our market potential by getting Champion Oil to the right person, at the right place, at the right time, and then directly in front of their racing customers. We at Champion are very grateful.”


For more information on Champion Oil, visit www.championsusechampion.com.

Dover International Speedway recently announced the promotion of Michael Tatoian to the position of president, effective January 2, 2015. Tatoian retains his position of Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of parent company Dover Motorsports, Inc.

Tatoian will continue to report to Denis McGlynn, president and CEO of Dover Motorsports, Inc.
 
“Mike joined us eight years ago and immediately immersed himself into the operations and culture of our team while earning the respect of both his co-workers and those outside the company as well,” said McGlynn. “Mike is a valuable and popular contributor to our efforts here and Dover International Speedway will benefit from his leadership for many years to come.”

Tatoian has worked to bring additional events to the Dover International Speedway schedule, including the popular Firefly Music Festival and the new Big Barrel Country Music Festival. Held on the Speedway’s property since 2012, Firefly Music Festival is a four day event attracting 80,000 fans per day, and in three years has become one of the fastest growing, most successful music festivals of all time, according to various industry sources.
 
Tatoian has more than 25 years of experience in professional sports ownership, management and operations. Prior to joining Dover Motorsports, Inc., Tatoian served as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner of Victory Sports Group, LLC. In his role there, he oversaw the development and management of professional sports organizations, including minor league baseball, minor league hockey and arena football. Tatoian also previously served as Chief Operating Officer of United Sports Ventures, Inc., an umbrella sports company that owned and operated eight minor league teams.

Tatoian currently serves as Chairman of the Advisory Council for USO Delaware and previously served as an Honorary Commander at the Dover Air Force Base.

The Race Track Business Conference (RTBC) has awarded Jason Rittenberry, President & Chief Executive Officer of IRG Sports + Entertainment (IRG), the "Innovator of the Year" award.

The inaugural award was presented by Diamond Ticketing Systems at the 2014 Performance Racing Industry Trade Show in Indianapolis, Indiana.
 
"IRG has been rapidly expanding their presence on and off the track and on multiple platforms, raising the bar for the industry," said David Hutton, VP of Diamond Ticketing Systems.
 
"I am honored to receive this award on behalf of the entire team at IRG, the IHRA and our track properties. We continue to implement our vision to transform the sport of drag racing for the fans and racers. 2014 was a tremendous year for us, but I am even more excited and optimistic about what we have planned for 2015," said Rittenberry.
 
"We are pleased that the award has been presented at the Race Track Business Conference," said Tim Frost, the organizer of the event. "We also welcome Diamond Ticketing Systems as the official ticketing partner of the event."

Wow! What a Show!

And that’s good news for the racing industry, because the health of the PRI Trade Show can be read as a reflection of the state of motorsports. Well, if that’s true, the racing industry is excited, enthusiastic, busy, innovative and doing business at a strong pace. That’s what we saw at the PRI Trade Show. By 2 p.m. of the first day of the Show, there was strong buyer traffic from one corner of the Exhibit Halls to the other, and all booth personnel were engaged in sales presentations. By Friday afternoon, all of the exhibit aisles were packed with so many attendees that I couldn’t recall a busier day at any previous PRI Trade Show. I simply don’t remember ever seeing that many motorsports professionals in the Show at one time before.

Last year, in making its big return to Indianapolis, the PRI Trade Show printed more credentials than ever before in its history. For the 2014 PRI Trade Show, that record was broken. Most importantly, exhibitors told us they were the ‘right’ people. These were serious buyers. Several exhibitors told us they wrote up more business than ever before at a PRI Trade Show. And we received many generous comments that the 2014 PRI Trade Show was the best ever.

While the PRI Trade Show has had bigger events in terms of total number of booths, our goal is to provide the best Show for the racing industry. There’s an indefinable quality that goes beyond business. There’s a soul to this business, and a real sense of passion, and when it all comes together just right, you can feel it in the exhibits, the exhibit aisles and the social gatherings at the Show. A trade show is a lot of hard work for everybody, really, but we had a lot of fun, too, in Indianapolis. At night, after Show hours, the fun elevated to the next level as racers took over downtown and caught up with each other in the city’s restaurants and bars. Believe me, a lot of business also was conducted after hours, out on the town in this fine city.

We would like to thank the 1,175 exhibiting companies. It is the genius in the products and services they bring to the PRI Trade Show that serves as the giant magnet for the event, attracting motorsports professionals from throughout the US and 70 countries. In their displays, the exhibitors created a Show floor that was fairly dazzling in how the new technology was presented. Attendees clearly enjoyed the opportunity to review all that’s new in racing components in plenty of time before the start of the 2015 racing season.

We’re looking forward to all the terrific energy we experienced at the PRI Trade Show transforming into an outstanding 2015 for the racing industry!

Whelen Modified 2015 Schedules Announced

NASCAR has announced its 2015 schedules for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour.

The 30th anniversary season of the Whelen Modified Tour will feature 14 points races and an all-star event across six distinguished facilities while the Whelen Southern Modified Tour campaign will include 11 championship events at seven popular southeastern short tracks.

The 2015 schedules feature a new event for each tour. Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park will once again welcome the Whelen Modified Tour for an early summer event on June 10 under the lights while the Whelen Southern Modified Tour will make its first visit in four years to North Carolina’s famed Hickory Motor Speedway on Oct. 3.

There will be four Sprint Cup Series companion dates between the two tours, which will once again come together at Tennessee’s Bristol Motor Speedway (Aug. 19) for the seventh annual combination. The Whelen Modified Tour is set to join the Sprint Cup Series for both weekends at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (July 18, Sept. 26). New Hampshire, which will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2015, will also play host to the non-points Whelen All-Star Shootout (July 17) following the event’s successful debut in 2014. Additionally, Charlotte Motor Speedway’s quarter mile will showcase the Whelen Southern Modified Tour for the sixth season in a row for the season finale (Oct. 8).

Next year’s slate for the northeast-based Whelen Modified Tour includes the traditional season-opening and season-closing events at famed Connecticut circuits Thompson (Icebreaker – April 12, World Series – Oct. 18) and Stafford Motor Speedway (Spring Sizzler – April 26, Fall Final – Oct. 24) as well as a pair of mid-season night races at each track (Thompson – June 10, Aug. 12; Stafford – June 5, Aug. 7). Long Island bullring Riverhead Raceway returns with two dates (June 27, Aug. 29) while New Hampshire quarter-mile Monadnock Speedway (July 25) will welcome the tour for the sixth consecutive season.

The 11th season of Whelen Southern Modified Tour competition will once again commence at Caraway Speedway (March 14), and the venerable track will have a pair of subsequent engagements (March 28, July 4). Another celebrated North Carolina oval, Bowman Gray Stadium, has its staple date (Aug. 1) while popular Virginia short tracks Langley Speedway (April 11, Sept. 5) and South Boston Speedway (April 4, Sept. 19) return with two events apiece.

The 2014 Whelen Modified and Whelen Southern Modified Tour seasons concluded in mid-October with Doug Coby and Andy Seuss the respective titlists. Their accomplishments were recognized as part of the NASCAR Touring Series Awards this past Saturday in the Charlotte (North Carolina) Convention Center at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

After 18 years at the helm of Penn Can Speedway in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, the promotional team of Reed Miller and Al Wilcox are stepping away from the day to day operation of the speedway.

As for a new promoter, Dan Harpell of Kirkwood, New York, will assume promotional duties for the speedway in 2015.

The Wilcox/Miller promotional team ran their first event in the spring of 1997. During their tenure at the helm of the speedway, new buildings were constructed and new walls replaced the old dirt banks and tires. The grandstand was replaced and new lighting was installed.

Miller and Wilcox also started bringing in new divisions and scheduling bigger, higher paying events not previously run at the three-eighths mile oval. The Patriot Sprints, URC Sprints, ARDC Midgets, Short Track Super Series Tour along with the Race of Champions Modified, Sportsman and Street Stock Tours have all competed at Penn Can. The Speedway was a charter member of the RoC Modified Tour and has run races every year, and will continue to do so.

Wilcox and Miller will not be retiring from the sport completely. Wilcox, along with his wife Paula, is the owner of Trackside Products in Endicott, New York. Wilcox plans to continue the operations of his successful business. He will also be servicing local tracks with his parts trailer, and will continue as the local dealer for American Racer Tires and VP Racing Fuels.

Miller will continue on with Penn Can Speedway as a consultant to the new promoter. While not running the day to day operations at the track, Miller will be in the background assisting when needed.

Harpell previously worked at Penn Can serving as Race Director for a number of years before leaving last year to run Yates County Speedway in Dundee, New York. His promotional resume includes early years working for the DIRT organization as Director of Marketing and Public Relations before leaving to take control of the family owned Five Mile Point Speedway, which he ran for 15 years.

He recently became the new promoter of Yates County Speedway, where he completed a successful first season; he plans to continue in that capacity as well in 2015. He also has been the man in charge of track preparation at the Utica Rome Speedway for the last several years.