“The Great Race Place” Albany-Saratoga Speedway, in Malta, New York, will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2015, secure in the knowledge of many more anniversaries to come with the announcement by local promoter and entrepreneur Howard Commander that he has purchased the speedway from the family of CJ Richards, who inherited the speedway at the passing of the family patriarch in 2012.


Commander has leased the speedway for the past three years (2012-2014) and now becomes only the fourth owner of the famed speedway that first opened its doors in 1965 with builder/owner Joe Lesik. Considered a state-of-the art paved facility at that time, the track operated under the United Stock Car Racing Club (MA) banner. Subsequent owners included Lou Figari (1968) and C. J. Richards (1977) who covered the asphalt with dirt.

The purchase of the track includes all equipment, bleachers, concessions and all other buildings located on the track grounds.

Keeping the name as “Albany-Saratoga Speedway” is one of the many ways in which Commander looks to preserve the history of the famed speedway. The track will continue as a Friday night DIRTcar Northeast sanctioned track with the same classes run this past year including Modifieds, Sportsman, Limited Sportsman, Pro Stocks, and four- and six-cylinder cars.

“This has been a long process,” stated Bruce Richards, son of CJ, who acted as the Richards family agent at the closing. “The topic of selling the property had been discussed by the family prior to dad’s passing and, he made it quite clear we need to live our lives and be happy. I think he would be smiling right now and saying ‘well done.’”

Albany-Saratoga Speedway has played host to some of the most famous names in racing history such as Ed Flemke Sr., Richie Evans, Bugsy Stevens, Jerry Cook, Rene Charland, Pete Hamilton, and Jack Johnson. Then there are the current runners who are still setting records and who will become track legends once retired, such as Brett Hearn and Kenny Tremont Jr. Part of that racing history includes having held two NASCAR Sprint Cup races, 1970 and 1971, that were won by Richard Petty and a Grand National East event held in 1972 that was won by Bobby Isaac.

Other innovations the speedway gave birth to include being the first to have a track tire rule, the first to run a 358 c.i. small block engine class for dirt Modifieds and the first to retain a paved surface while adapting successfully to dirt track racing.

Commander confirmed Lyle Devore would continue as promoter and track manager. “Bruce and I think Lyle is doing a great job, both here and at Lebanon Valley (another Capital District speedway owned by Commander). As General Manager, Lyle will be responsible for the day-to-day operations, any improvements and for notifying the racing public, car owners and everyone involved about what is happening."

IRG Sports + Entertainment (IRG) President & CEO, Jason Rittenberry, announced that the company has acquired Maryland International Raceway (MDIR) in Budds Creek, Maryland. Last month, IRG announced a major financing agreement with TPG Specialty Lending (NYSE:TSLX) that funded a recapitalization of the company and the acquisition of two additional motorsports venues, including Maryland International Raceway.

MDIR becomes the fifth motorsports and entertainment facility in the IRG portfolio of brands, joining sister tracks Palm Beach International Raceway in Jupiter, Florida; Memphis International Raceway in Millington, Tennessee; Southwestern International Raceway in Tucson, Arizona; and Cordova International Raceway in Cordova, Illinois.  

Founded in 1966, MDIR has been owned and operated since 1990 by the Miller family—Royce and Linda, along with their sons Jason and Chris. One of the most respected track operators in the drag racing industry, Royce Miller joins IRG as the Chief Operating Officer, overseeing the track division and leading the team of vice presidents and general managers from each venue. A highly successful track operator and event promoter, Royce will report to IRG President & CEO Jason Rittenberry, and will work closely with Scott Gardner, President of the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA).    

"Royce brings 25 years of expertise, talent and knowledge in track operations and promotions to IRG," noted Rittenberry. "This will undoubtedly bring enhancements and refinements in the management of our operations at all the IRG tracks across the country. I'm certain that Royce will prove to be one of the greatest assets to the company to date."

"I am looking forward to my new role as COO in overseeing and assisting all of the IRG owned tracks. With the wealth of experience and knowledge of the GMs at each track along with my 25 years of experience as a track operator, we will have an exceptional national team capable of great things," stated Royce Miller. "I know I will learn as much from them as they can learn from me. We will take the best ideas and structures to each IRG raceway and make these tracks among the best run and exciting venues in the country."

An IHRA member track since 1992, MDIR has hosted numerous IHRA national events including the President's Cup Nationals, part of the Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series show which is currently airing weekly on MAVTV. The legendary 19th Annual World Cup Finals were held at MDIR last weekend; the three-day event will continue to be hosted there in the future.  

Having worked alongside their father Royce at the track for their entire careers, Jason Miller and Chris Miller will take over the helm at MDIR. Jason Miller becomes the Vice President & General Manager of MDIR, while his brother Chris Miller is the new Director of Administration & Operations.
 
The MIROCK Superbike Series, which is the largest motorcycle drag racing series in the country, will continue at MDIR and will be managed and promoted by Jason Miller. The World Cup Finals, an Import vs. Domestic event, will continue to be owned, managed and promoted by Jason Miller and Chris Miller, as it has been for the last 19 years.

Maryland International Raceway will retain its name but has been rebranded with a new logo and web URL, www.RaceMDIR.com. For more information on MDIR, visit www.RaceMDIR.com.
 
IRG was represented in the transaction by Murray Schwartz, Esq. of Karlinsky, LLC in New York and Craig Enck of Miles Stockbridge in Baltimore; MDIR was represented by Steve Scott of Scott Law in La Plata, MD.

Mercedes Motorsport is reaping the benefits of its response to the revolutionary rule changes in Formula 1, scooping four awards for its F1 teams and technology at this year’s Professional MotorSport World Expo Awards.

The Mercedes AMG W05 Hybrid, star of the 2014 Formula 1 season, won Race Car of the year, with the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 team awarded Motorsport Team of the year, and team technical director Bob Bell winning Engineer of the Year.

On top of that, the Mercedes PU106A Hybrid 1.6 V6 Turbo received Powertrain Technology of the Year at the gala dinner ceremony last night organized by Professional Motorsport World magazine and hosted at Professional MotorSport World Expo in Cologne, which is now firmly established in the industry calendar as one of the most eagerly anticipated motorsport events of the year.

The Mercedes-AMG 1.6 V6 Turbo beat off stiff competition from Nissan, Porsche and Volvo, with the judges recognizing Mercedes’ dominance in this new era of Formula 1. Mercedes were on the podium in 12 race wins from 15 races, with 14 pole positions and 11 fastest laps to amass 522 World Constructors’ Championship points for the factory Mercedes AMG team alone.

Mercedes AMG Motorsport was similarly recognized for its achievements this season, winning MotorSport Team of the Year. The judges gave credit to the team’s innovation, and noted its emergence from the shadow of Red Bull.

Judge David Tremayne, editor at Grand Prix+ said, “Mercedes AMG Petronas demonstrated what clever technology and innovation allied to great management could do, yet also had the courage to let its drivers race each other.”

With Mercedes AMG Petronas team technical director, Bob Bell, picking up Engineer of the Year, and the Mercedes AMG W05 Hybrid—dubbed the ‘star of the Formula 1 grid 2014’—awarded Race Car of the Year, it was a good night for the German team.

Judge Phil Morse, technical director, Energy Balance LLC, said, “A significant car for multiple reasons, the Mercedes AMG W05 Hybrid earned—in extremely short order—its wins and its place in the history book.”

On the night, Mercedes AMG HPP Supply Chain director, Richard Stevens, collected the Powertrain of the Year award, with technology director Geoff Willis collecting the Rally Car of the Year award and Engineer of the Year Award on behalf of Bob Bell; the team award was picked up by both Stevens and Willis.

In other categories, the Sochi Autodrom scooped Motorsport Facility of the Year.  The site played host to the Formula 1 World Championship in early October. Following an almost US$200m investment, the Hermann Tilke-penned circuit will become the third longest on the calendar behind Spa-Francorchamps and Silverstone. At 5.853km long, the circuit is set to become a familiar site to Formula 1 fans, with a seven-year contract having been agreed.

The Motorsport Technology of the Year award went to Stratasys, for its 3D Printing High-Temperature Material. 3D printing is a relatively new technology within motorsport, and it is allowing teams to reduce testing and development time by reducing the time required to design and manufacture smaller aerodynamic pieces and other components. Stratasys 3D Printing High-Temperature Material is already being put to use on the global stage, with WEC LMP2 team, Strakka Racing, using several 3D printed components on its Strakka DOME S103 car.

Blancpain Endurance beat off competition from British GT, FIA F3 and Leon Eurocup to win the European Race Series of the Year Award. SRO Group’s Blancpain Endurance championship has gone from strength to strength since its inaugural season in 2011, with the championship boasting some of the healthiest grid sizes in motorsport, with a strong mixture of professional and amateur drivers. The championship re-establishes several elements of the former FIA GT Championship, with three-hour endurance races held on some of the biggest European circuits.

Judge David Tremayne said, “Motorsport needs championships in which professionals and gentlemen racers alike can participate with honor and success. Nothing provides that better on the European stage than Blancpain Endurance.”

As always, the final trophy of the night went to the UK Young Rally Driver of the Year. This special award, which has its own judging panel of rallying experts, went to Formula 100 racer Will Creighton.

From his first entry into Junior rallying in the Northern Ireland championship, Will had good speed and a precise driving style which tended to mean he would bring the car home unscathed. Will then made the massive commitment to balance his successful academic life with an attack on the England/Wales championship.

The judges noted Creighton as a thoroughly good ambassador for junior rallying and Formula 1000. Judge Mark Higgins, rally driver and owner of Higgins Rally School, said, “One of the top drivers this year and has pushed himself and the car to its limit—overall an impressive performance.”

Chairman of the judging panel and Professional MotorSport World magazine editor, John O’Brien, said, “Congratulations to this year’s nominees and winners, and well done to Mercedes for a phenomenal collection of wins. My thanks go to our team of judges, who had the unenviable task of selecting the winners from what is an increasingly tight field.”

For more details about the Professional MotorSport World Expo Awards and a full list of the nominees, visit: professionalmotorsport-expo.com

WELD, manufacturers of WELD Racing Wheels, has announced the addition of Richard Greenblatt as the company’s new vice president of operations. Greenblatt has over 30 years of experience in production, machining, operations and manufacturing management and most recently was the field project operations manager for Doosan Infracore America.

“With his proven leadership, project management and engineering skills, Richard is a strategic addition to our team as we continue our upward growth path as a company,” said Norman Young, president and CEO. “Not only does Richard excel in manufacturing production, he also fits well into our company culture as a lifelong car enthusiast.”

Greenblatt has worked on several local and regional race teams, and has owned several classic and muscle cars. He currently owns a highly-modified Mustang with over 800 horsepower.

A former manufacturing engineering manager for ThyssenKrupp Crankshaft, his career has included work at several automotive and industrial companies, including Brad Foote Gear Works, Carlisle Industrial Brake, Ardisan, Inc., Condux International and Extrusion Dies Incorporated.

For more information about WELD, phone 800-788-9353 or visit www.weldwheels.com.

Officials with Championship Auto Racing Series (CARS) have announced the transition of the Pro Cup Series into the birth of a new dual event featuring the CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour and the CARS Super Late Model Tour that will both begin competition in March 2015.

The two individual tours will run on the same night, at the same exact facility, for just one ticket price, giving fans a true “best of both worlds” experience when it comes to pavement short track racing.

The newly formed tour will award $43,000 in combined purse money each and every race plus additional contingency cash and awards to be added over the off season. The Super Late Model event winner will walk away with $5500 while the 30th and final finisher each week receives $550 for their efforts. On the Late Model Stock Car side of things each winner will take home a $4500 winner’s check with the 30th and final finisher receiving $450.

The season will feature 10 events throughout the 2015 calendar year with a distance of 150 green flag laps for both the Super Late Models and the Late Model Stock Cars. Each class will utilize just four tires for the race each event.

“The decision we’ve come to today has been a long and thought out process of what we wanted to do as a sanctioning body going forward. We feel this will give us the best possible product to offer fans, sponsors, and competitors alike,” stated series owner Jack McNelly. “To our knowledge this is something that hasn’t been done before; taking two premier type race cars and putting them on tour together in a 'special event' style format each and every time we race throughout the season.”

Each tour will feature cars that fit individually under the soon to announced Late Model Stock Car and Super Late Model rule books issued by the series in the coming weeks. The former Pro Cup machines that have been used under the CARS sanctioning body will not be approved for competition in either class going forward.

“We have worked very hard and did everything we knew to do to make the Pro Cup Series work, but over time we just couldn’t get the series headed in the right direction no matter what we did,” explained McNelly. “The Pro Cup cars and series will always bring back fond memories for me personally but today it’s about moving toward the future and what it has to bring.”

Several new things will be coming forth from the CARS Tour in the coming weeks as a very busy off season is already in full swing for the sanctioning body. Soon to be available will be tour rulebooks for each class, team and driver registration, 2015 schedule, and the unveiling of a new website and branding platform will be made available.

For more information and to stay up with all the latest news and information on the all new CARS Late Model Stock Tour and the all new CARS Super Late Model Tour visit CARSRacingTour.com.

Racemaker Press, an independent publisher of books on automotive history and racing, will introduce it latest title, Jim McGee, Crew Chief of Champions, to race fans at the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show in Indianapolis, with a book signing event featuring both the author, award-winning motorsports writer Gordon Kirby, and Jim McGee, crew chief and honored guest.   

McGee will be available with Kirby on Thursday, December 11 and Friday, December 12, from 1:00–3:30 p.m. at the Racemaker Press booth number 7039.  Fans can meet McGee and Kirby at the booth for book signings, reminiscing, and good track talk, right in the Midway between the Yellow and Green exhibit halls.



Jim McGee, Crew Chief of Champions tells the entire story of McGee’s remarkable career. McGee was one of the most successful crew chiefs and team managers in Indy Car history.

Between 1965-2005 McGee’s cars won 90 races—including four Indy 500s—and nine USAC or CART championships. The story of McGee’s career, ‘Crew Chief of Champions’, is told largely in McGee’s own words with interviews of all the top drivers and team owners Jim worked with over his long career. Lavishly illustrated with over 300 photographs from McGee’s personal collection as well as from the Racemaker Archives, many never before seen, ‘Crew Chief of Champions’ is a handsome, hard-bound full-sized book, 288 pages fully indexed with statistical information charts, and foreword by Pat Patrick. It retails for $75.  


Books will be available for purchase and personalized signing at PRI Indianapolis, Racemaker Press booth number 7039,  and are also available online at: www.racemaker.com, or by calling the Boston headquarters at 617 723-6533.

The North American Road Racing Association has released its 13-round race schedule for the 2015 season, which begins April 10 at Road Atlanta.

Each event will include USGT (wheel to wheel racing) competition and USTT (Time Trial) competition sessions. The event dates and details for the inaugural season of NARRA’s USPC (Prototype Championship) are still being developed and will be released soon.

In its ongoing commitment to host events at the nation’s top tracks, NARRA will visit two new venues in 2015 while returning to four that were a part of the 2014 schedule.

One of the changes to the event line-up is the relocation of finals to Pittsburgh International Race Complex. With an additional 1.3 miles of track scheduled to be ready in July, it will bring the total circuit length to 2.8 miles. The new track and improved facilities ensure that Pittsburgh will be an exciting conclusion for the season.

NARRA’s USGT Series features some of the best high end and high performance GT cars in the nation with cars like the Chevrolet Corvette, Dodge SRT Viper, Porsche 911, and Ford Mustang. The US Time Trial series regularly sees cars such as the Nissan GTR, the Subaru STi, and the Mitsubishi Evolution mixing it up with the American muscle from Chevrolet, Dodge, and Ford. New for 2015, the USPC prototype championship will be a groundbreaking series pitting cars from Radical, Praga, Elan, Wolf, and more against one another in wheel to wheel racing. This series will bring some of these cars together in competition for the first time.

2015 North American Road Racing Association Schedule

Date – Track – Location

April 10-12 – Road Atlanta – Braselton, GA.

May 15-17 – Watkins Glen Int’l – Watkins Glen, N.Y.

June 5-7 – Virginia Int’l Raceway – Alton, Va.

July 3-5 – Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course – Lexington, Ohio

July 31-Aug. 2 – Pittsburgh Int’l Race Complex – Wampum, Pa.

Aug. 28-30 – New Jersey Motorsports Park – Millville, N.J.

Oct. 16-18 – Pittsburgh Int’l Race Complex – Wampum, Pa.

Formula Race Promotions announced its 2015 calendar for the Atlantic, F2000 and F1600 Championship Series.

Seven points-paying race weekends are scheduled for teams and drivers, in addition to a new pre-season exhibition weekend in Florida.

The big news is the expansion of the Atlantic Championship Series to a 14-race/seven-weekend format, while the F1600 Formula F Championship Series will grow to a 21-race/seven-weekend schedule.

An inaugural non-points winter exhibition event has been scheduled by Formula Race Promotions at Palm Beach Int’l Raceway in Florida, Feb. 12-14. F2000 will join the F1600 for the winter weekend.

For the regular season, all three Championships will be together on the seven race weekends. F2000 and Atlantic will each have a 14-race season composed of seven doubleheader events, compared to seven triple-headers for F1600, making up a 21 race calendar.

Those weekends will begin at Road Atlanta in April, followed by a visit to Watkins Glen International in May and a trip to Virginia International Raceway in early June. The July 4 weekend mimics 2014, with a visit to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and late July sees the series travel to a new 2.9-mile road course at Pittsburgh Int’l Race Complex.

The F2000 and F1600 contingent visited Pittsburgh in 2014, but on the circuit’s legacy short-track style road course, which will now be incorporated into a new road course just outside the Steel city. Following the new track in Pittsburgh, all three groups will make their return to New Jersey Motorsports Park on the Thunderbolt circuit at the end of August.

The season will conclude with a second visit to the new Pittsburgh circuit in mid-October. All seven points-paying race weekends will be run in conjunction with the North American Road Racing Association.

In addition, Formula Race Promotions has also entered into a contract to operate a non-points weekend at the end of the year at the new Dominion Raceway in Thornburg, Va. A date and weekend format will be announced in the first quarter of the new year.

2015 Atlantic, F2000 & F1600 Schedules

Date – Venue – Location

Feb. 12-14 – Palm Beach Int’l Raceway – Jupiter, Fla. (non-point, F2000 & F1600 only)

April 10-12 – Road Atlanta – Braselton, Ga.

May 15-17 – Watkins Glen Int’l – Watkins Glen, N.Y.

June 5-7 – Virginia Int’l Raceway – Alton, Va.

July 3-5 – Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course – Lexington, Ohio

July 31-Aug. 2 – Pittsburgh Int’l Race Complex – Wampum, Pa.

Aug. 28-30 – New Jersey Motorsports Park – Millville, N.J.

Oct. 16-18 – Pittsburgh Int’l Race Complex – Wampum, Pa.

Verizon IndyCar Series entrants have submitted a 25 percent deposit of the $75,000 package price with their aerodynamic bodywork kit order to respective suppliers Chevrolet and Honda.

Manufacturer track testing of prototype components opened Oct. 6 and continues through Jan. 18, 2015, which is the same date as homologation. Production will ramp up to meet the March 1 deadline for one road and street course/short oval kit to be delivered to each entrant. The speedway aero kit, according to the INDYCAR timeline, will be delivered by April 1. The balance of the package cost is due before delivery.

The initial team on-track test is scheduled for March 16-17 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., and the road/street course package will make its competition debut March 27-29 at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Month of May preparations for the 99th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on May 24 will mark the debut of the speedway aero kit.

“The manufacturers will give them a good product and I don’t think it will take long for (teams) to get their heads around it and have good racing at St. Pete,” said Derrick Walker, INDYCAR’s president of competition and operations. “It will be an exciting start to the season.”

Six ovals, four street circuits and six road courses constitute the 2015 schedule, which begins March 8 in Brasília, Brazil, and concludes Aug. 30 at Sonoma Raceway in California.

The regulated bodywork pieces are mated to the Dallara IR-12 chassis that was introduced for the 2012 season and will provide INDYCAR a platform for performance and efficiency developments. The forward-thinking program is relevant to short- and long-term design and development objectives of the global automotive industry and aligns with research and development in multiple technology sectors.

Chevrolet and Honda also supply the consumer-relevant 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 engines fueled with E85.

“Aero kits will be big performance gains to the competition,” Walker added. “More performance will give us more exciting racing. If you look at the current car, it’s been frozen in time since the design was introduced. When you say to aero manufacturers and designers, ‘OK, you can make changes here. Go at it,’ you’re going to get some different shapes and certainly more performance. Everybody will not just take it on but try to maximize it.

“For the fan, there is a lot more to look at and understand. When you open the door a little bit and take some of spec away, you’ll see differences on track, which is the fascinating part.”

The FIA and World Rallycross Championship promoter IMG Motorsports have agreed on a draft calendar for next year’s FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy.

The provisional calendar will consist of 12 events including a new round in Barcelona, which will be staged at the F1 circuit September 18-20. Some of the existing events have also been given a reshuffle to help improve logistics for the teams.

World RX of Belgium will form round two of the season and will be held one week prior to the British round at Lydden Hill, which will resume its regular slot over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend (May 22-24). Other changes include Germany RX which will take place three months earlier in June, and the Norwegian RX round which will move to August. Turkey and Italy will swap places in next year’s calendar as the Italian RX race is set to form the penultimate round of the season. Argentina will stage the Championship season-closer at the end of November.

Building on the success of 2014, the highly-coveted FIA European Rallycross Championship (Euro RX) for Supercars will continue to run at five of the World RX events (Belgium, Germany, Norway, Spain and Italy). Following the model of the Supercar championship and after consultation with competitors, the Super1600 and TouringCar championships will also run over fewer events in 2015. The Super1600 championship will feature six events (Portugal, Belgium, Sweden, France, Spain and Italy) while TouringCar has five rounds (Belgium, Great Britain, Germany, Sweden, Norway).

The supporting RX Lites Cup will be made up of seven events: Portugal, Great Britain, Sweden, Norway, Spain, Turkey and Italy. The RX Lites cars will also be present in Canada in the standalone Intercontinental Cup event.

Martin Anayi, World RX Managing Director at IMG Motorsports, concluded: “After a hugely successful inaugural season in World RX, we have received a steady flow of interest from venues across the globe which we have considered carefully over the past few months. We’re conscious that we wanted to keep costs to a minimum and grow our Championship gradually so made the decision to retain 12 key events but changed the running order to make logistics better for the teams. We have also included a new round at the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona.With a population of more than 1.6 million, Barcelona will likely grow to become one of our biggest events and it is very encouraging that prestigious motorsport venues are now building purpose built RX tracks.”

2015 World Rallycross Schedule

Date – Location

April 24-26 – Portugal

May 15-17 – Belgium

May 22-24 – England

June 19-21 – Germany

July 3-5 – Sweden

Aug. 7-8 – Canada

Aug. 21-23 – Norway

Sept. 4-6 – France

Sept. 18-20 – Spain

Oct. 2-4 – Turkey

Oct. 16-18 – Italy

Nov. 27-29 – Argentina