The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) announced the addition of 710 Dragway in North Carolina and Douglas Dragway in Georgia as the latest tracks to join the IHRA Member Track family.

710 Dragway is an eighth-mile, all-concrete facility located in Rowland, North Carolina. Built in 1962, the facility was completely renovated in 2013 and reopened in June of 2014. The track is currently under the leadership of owner and operator Jerry Oxendine.

"710 Dragway is a wonderful addition to the IHRA Member Track family. Under the guidance of Jerry Oxendine, the old facility was completely leveled and rebuilt with the racer and race fan in mind," said Phil Gingerich, IHRA Director of Track Development. "In addition to a great new facility, the track has brought in all of the latest equipment. New tractors, new drags, new cleaning equipment, they bought the best of everything which will only help increase the presence of this facility in eastern North Carolina."

710 Dragway will join IHRA's Raiders Division.

Another track that has recently undergone a facelift is Douglas Dragway, located in the southeastern part of the state in Nicholls, Georgia. Sitting on 135 acres, Douglas Dragway features a picturesque facility with an eighth-mile dragstrip, half-mile banked oval track, a restaurant and plenty of accommodations for racers and fans alike.

Douglas Dragway will join IHRA's Heat Wave Division.

"Douglas Dragway is another facility we are very excited to have as part of the IHRA family," Gingerich said. "The track has a lot of history and the new ownership group has done a great job with the facility. It is easy accessible and has a lot of amenities. I think it will be a great addition to our Division 2 tracks."

With the addition of 710 Dragway and Douglas Dragway, the IHRA now sanctions 104 tracks in 28 states in the United States plus facilities in Canada, New Zealand, Aruba and the Bahamas.

For more information on IHRA's two new tracks, visit www.710dragway.com and www.dmpdragway.com for complete details. And for more information on the IHRA and its member track family, please visit www.ihra.com.

QA1, a manufacturer of high-performance suspension components, has been honored with two SEMA Global Media Awards for its carbon fiber driveshafts and Mopar Rear Suspension Conversion System, both of which were recognized for their mass appeal to audiences around the world.

SEMA introduced the Global Media Award program in 2004 to highlight the wide appeal of specialty-equipment products to enthusiasts on every continent. Products are reviewed by a panel of 35 top automotive journalists from more than 20 countries around the world and recipients were recognized in an evening program during the 2014 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

QA1’s carbon fiber driveshafts, which are currently offered for street performance vehicles as well as dirt late models, are a major new offering from QA1’s Advanced Materials Division. These driveshafts are designed to be lighter, stiffer, stronger and safer than aluminum and steel driveshafts and are filament wound in-house using 3MTM Matrix Resin that is exclusive to QA1 performance driveshafts.

“QA1 is redefining industry standards by performing the filament winding in-house, which allows us to make carbon fiber driveshafts specific to each application,” said Travis Gorsuch, QA1’s Director of Advanced Materials. “We’re very excited for them to be recognized as a high-quality product that is relevant in multiple markets.”

The second Global Media Award for QA1 was for the Mopar Rear Suspension Conversion System, a bolt-in conversion from leaf springs to coil-overs for Mopar A-Body vehicles. The system utilizes a 6-link suspension that builds upon the traditional 4-link system and replicates its geometry while still mounting to the existing chassis mount locations.

“It’s an honor to be recognized for this rear system,” said Karl Hacken, VP of Engineering at QA1. “We’ve put a lot of time into development so that it would be a practical bolt-in system, allowing it to be available to a wider audience that may not be comfortable cutting or welding on their vehicles. The awards are a testament to QA1’s emphasis on creating and producing performance-based products that have wide appeal.”

QA1 revealed 15 new products at SEMA, including expansions of existing lines as well as brand-new shocks and struts that will be available in 2015. For more information on QA1’s new products, visit www.QA1.net or watch the new product videos at www.youtube.com/QA1tech.

Out of the 150,000 teachers in Illinois, Steven Elza, Fremd High School’s automotive teacher and Hot Rodders of Tomorrow team instructor, was chosen as this year’s Teacher of the Year. Along with a vested interest in his students and their futures, Elza was chosen for the state’s highest honor because of his teaching advocacy and promotion of applied technology classes.

Since its inception Elza has led a group of students in training for and participating in the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Engine Challenge and qualified four years for the Championship finals at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas or the PRI Show in Indianapolis. This year Elza and his team again competed at the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Engine Challenge Championship during the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nov. 3-7. They finished their complete performance engine rebuild in 27:04 and placed 6th in a field of 15 teams.

Elza credits a former teacher with first motivating him to do well in school through automotive classes, who then later inspired him to be a teacher as well. His efforts in the classroom are now helping today’s students find their path to success and encouraging a new generation of auto enthusiasts.

The efforts of Hot Rodders of Tomorrow and teachers like Elza have been noticed by many, including SEMA CEO and President, Chris Kersting, who applauds Elza for his efforts. “The world is waking up to the matter that we have left behind training for an important range of career paths, including automotive,” Kersting stated. “Mr. Elza is leading a revival—mentoring life skills through programs like Hot Rodders of Tomorrow while preparing individuals to fill the growing demand for technically trained graduates.”  

“The importance of Automotive Education cannot be overstated and creates a quality pipeline of next-generation professionals,” added SEMA’s Director of Education, Zane Clark. “Instructors, such as Steven Elza, who inspire and equip students with the tools to be successful are building a foundation that will benefit the industry for many years to come.”

That a high school automotive teacher has been recognized as a state’s Teacher of the Year goes to show that with the efforts of Hot Rodders of Tomorrow and many others, the next generation of auto enthusiasts is in good hands. Hot Rodders of Tomorrow works hand in hand with high schools across the country to give students skills they can use and a platform for success in an automotive career.

“I get students that run the spectrum from football players to chess club to AP students,” relayed Elza. “To see them come together and form a team for a common goal and do what adults are doing for a living is incredible. They do this engine in the time it takes professional NHRA teams to. It’s absolutely amazing to see them work together.

“We’re trying to find a place for the kids,” he continued. “And that’s what it’s really all about. We’ve always focused on the core subjects - your science or history or English. These are extremely important and we as adults understand that. But trying to make a kid understand that these are important when they don’t see any immediate value in it is extremely difficult. In the past we’ve just kept cramming it down their throats. Here we are now coming full circle and I get to share now how I was that student that was checking out of high school until I found CTE (Career and Technical Education) classes. I ditched school. I caused trouble. I didn’t feel I had any reason to be there. Then when I found automotive my senior year in high school, things really turned around for me. It gave me a reason to do well in English and math. Now here I am as an educator and I get to share that story with kids. And now as Teacher of the Year I can start making that connection on a broader scale within education. We can start building a curriculum that applies what they’re learning in all classes. Automotive and CTE really is a vital part of our education system. It’s a powerful place to be able to share that information on a bigger platform.”

Elza concludes that his one piece of advice is to “get to know the kids. That truly is the bottom line. You have to get to know the kids. To elaborate, you have to build that trust with them. A lot of kids that come through the education system have been told at some point that they’re not going to make it because they’re not good at English or not good at math. But the thing is we’ve got to support these kids. We’ve got to care about them. You’ve got to find a place for them.

“As teachers we are to get to know these kids and find out what we need to do to reach them.”

“What teachers like Mr. Elza are doing is vital as the automotive industry heads into the coming decades,” commented Jeff Swoboda, Sales Manager at the Performance Racing Industry. “He not only prepares these students in the classroom, but provides a platform out of the classroom that opens up doors in further education and the workplace that many of these students would not be able to achieve without this structure and guidance.”

There is current discussion of adding automotive education to the state curriculum. Elza plans to use his position to advocate for the subject area that helped him finish high school and continue on to college. As Teacher of the Year, Elza will be available to speak at teaching workshops, educational conferences and community meetings. He will also represent Illinois at the NASA Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala.,

This is the first time in the 40 year history of the Illinois’ award that a CTE teacher has been selected as Teacher of the Year.

While the proposed Formula One race in Las Vegas for 2016 has been getting the majority of the publicity, another potential race has been quietly working its way toward the F1 calendar—Qatar, which has long been hoping to host a race.

According to sources, plans for the inaugural race are much farther along than most expected, and the track, Losial International Circuit, is likely to join the calendar in 2016, or 2017 at the latest.

It will not take much work for the track to be ready, as the track already holds FIA and FIM homologation licenses. Built in 2004 at a cost of about $60 million, Losial is a 3.375-mile road course that already hosts MotoGP, GP2 and several other series including rallies and enduros. Full lighting was added three years after it was built, well before the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi became the largest lit circuit in the world.

The 2008 MotoGP race was the first night race, and GP2 ran its first night race there in 2009. MotoGP has raced at the track since 2004. Most of the track’s activities are from October to April, a time when weather prevents much of the racing world to stage spectator events. The track is less than a half-hour from Doha International Airport in the country’s capital, and plenty of luxury lodging is available nearby.

The track is expected to host some F1 testing before the actual race. Upgrades to F1 standards continue, and given the wealth of the area, financing should not be a problem. In addition, Nasser Bin Khalifa Al Attiyah, president of the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation, is expected to retain his vice-presidency of FIM when elections are held later this month.

Technically, Formula One has privately visited the track multiple times, including in late 2009, when His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al-Thani became the first Qatari to drive a Formula One car when he drove a Williams FW31 there. His Highness, who owns the Al-Anabi drag racing teams, made five laps in the car.

TI Automotive, a global supplier of fluid storage, carrying and delivery technology, announced at the 2014 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show that it has adopted TI Automotive as the brand name for all of its high-performance aftermarket products. Previously, the company had manufactured fuel pumps under the Walbro brand name.

“The TI Automotive name may be new to some in the aftermarket, but our products are not,” explained David Barbeau, the managing director of Global Aftermarket for Pump & Module Systems for TI Automotive. “For over 60 years, Walbro products have been synonymous with innovation and performance here in the United States. That same commitment to product performance comes with our move to exclusively use the TI Automotive brand.”

Barbeau pointed out that TI Automotive’s technical and engineering expertise brings OE standards to performance fuel pumps for the aftermarket, with the same level of innovation, quality and performance. He said that’s why the aftermarket industry’s leading brands turn to TI Automotive for the most complete offering of true, OE-quality fuel system replacement parts.

“Our automotive fuel pumps deliver superior flow throughout a wide pressure range, to produce major horsepower gains, unrivaled performance and unmatched durability,” said Barbeau.

Some of the world’s highest performing production vehicles like the Koneigsegg One:1, Dodge Viper, Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, Charger SRT Hellcat and Bugatti Veyron feature TI Automotive fuel systems technology.

TI Automotive fuel pumps and modules are designed for quiet, efficient, low-voltage performance and unsurpassed durability. They are specifically engineered to meet the demands of today’s high-pressure, high-flow engines with efficient and robust performance.

For more information, visit www.tiautomotive.com/aftermarket.

Officials at New Smyrna Speedway announced a two-year agreement extending VP Racing Fuels as the track’s Official Fuel Supplier through 2016. Under the agreement, VP will be the track's exclusive supplier of race fuels with VP110 and C12 available on site and fuel service to be provided by VP-Southeast, VP’s Ft. Lauderdale-based distributor for the state of Florida.
 
"We are very excited to be extending our partnership with VP Racing Fuels,” said Kim Brown, General Manager of New Smyrna Speedway. "This means we will continue to provide top quality and high performance racing fuels to our competitors."
 
“We’ve enjoyed a great partnership with New Smyrna Speedway and are pleased to extend it through 2016,” said Robert Rodgers, VP’s Regional Manager-South. “We enjoy working with Kim Brown and her team and we anticipate consistent, high quality products and fuel service will continue to be provided in exemplary fashion by Mark Klein and his team in Ft. Lauderdale.”
 
New Smyrna Speedway is a 1/2-mile asphalt track located near New Smyrna Beach, Florida. It hosts the annual World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing each February, as well as the annual Florida Governor's Cup 200 in November. As a NASCAR Hometrack the track races stock cars every Saturday night, as well as Quarter midgets that race on Friday nights on a smaller track in the infield, known as "Little New Smyrna Speedway.”

Green Savoree Racing Promotions has signed a partnership agreement with Andersen Promotions that will see the complete Mazda Road to Indy series compete at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Honda Indy Toronto and Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio for the next two years. Comprised of Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires, the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires and the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda, the ladder system provides a training platform for the next generation of Verizon IndyCar Series stars.


“The Mazda Road to Indy is a great developmental series that offers a spectacular glimpse into the future of INDYCAR racing,” said Kim Green, Owner, Chairman and CEO of Green Savoree Racing Promotions. “We’ve been longtime supporters of the program and appreciate all of Dan's hard work and investment in the series. We’re delighted to welcome them to our racing events.”
 
In 2015, Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will host the season-opener for the Mazda Road to Indy, which takes place March 27-29. The three series will then visit Honda Indy Toronto, the only Canadian stop on the series calendar, June 12-14, and will head to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the Honda Indy 200 weekend from July 31-August 2.
 
“We are very excited to partner with Green Savoree to secure these premier events on our schedules,” said Dan Andersen, Owner and CEO of Andersen Promotions. “These are doubleheader races for all three series with Mid-Ohio being a tripleheader for USF2000, so they are key rounds in the championships in addition to being fantastic events with tremendous fan support.”

Hulman & Company Chief Executive Officer Mark Miles announced Monday that Cindy Lucchese has joined the company as chief administrative officer and chief financial officer.

Lucchese will be responsible for the company’s administrative functions, which include financial services, information technology and human resources, and will lead the firm’s strategic planning function. She will report directly to Miles and serve on the company’s executive leadership team.

“Cindy’s broad business background and deep financial experience, her leadership skills and character, and her commitment to our city and state make her an ideal addition to the team we are assembling. She’s the right fit for us at the right time,” Miles said.

Over the past 10 years, Lucchese has served as the chief executive officer of two publicly traded companies. Most recently, she was senior vice president and chief financial officer of Hillenbrand, Inc. She was a key member of the leadership team that transformed the Batesville, Indiana, company from a $650 million North American business to a $1.6 billion global diversified industrial company.

“I am thrilled to be joining such an iconic Indiana company that has done so much for our city and state. From infrastructure and technology improvements at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to strategic growth opportunities for the Verizon IndyCar Series, Hulman & Company has great positive momentum. I’m eager to get started as a member of Mark’s team,” Lucchese said.

During her career, Lucchese also has worked as senior vice president and chief financial officer for Thoratec Corporation in California and in various financial roles with Guidant Corporation in Indianapolis. Earlier in her career, she worked for Eli Lilly and Company and the public accounting firm EY. She earned her undergraduate and Master of Business Administration degrees from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business.

Lucchese is the audit committee chair and member of the board of the publicly traded company Intersect ENT. She is also on the board of the Indiana Sports Corporation and the Dean’s Council at the Indiana University School of Business.

In honor of The King of the Outlaws’ final event of his legendary full-time World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series career, officials at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday named the grandstands at The Dirt Track at Charlotte the Steve Kinser Grandstands.

“We really appreciate you and everything you’ve done for the sport,” Charlotte Motor Speedway President and General Manager Marcus Smith said during the grandstand dedication. “Steve Kinser is up there with names like Richard Petty, John Force and Dale Earnhardt. We had to think of something really big to really call out how special of a guy you are to the world of motorsports and especially racing on dirt. There’s no trophy big enough, so when somebody suggested we named a grandstand after him, we had to do it.”

During his renowned career, which included 20 World of Outlaws championships, Kinser competed in 35 of the 36 World of Outlaws races at Charlotte’s lightning-fast, four-tenths-mile clay oval. His 450th career World of Outlaws A-Feature win in the fall of 2001 was his first at The Dirt Track. His second triumph at the track came during the inaugural World Finals in 2007. Kinser has earned 20 top-fives and 29 top-10s at the track.

“That’s quite an honor,” Kinser said of the grandstand dedication. “Stuff like that really means a lot. That’s the biggest yet—the biggest name and one of the biggest grandstands that we’ve ever put up.”

The presentation preceded Friday night’s on-track action for the Bad Boy Buggies World of Outlaws World Finals, which will be highlighted by feature races for the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series, World of Outlaws Late Model Series and the Super DIRTcar Big-Block Modified Series.

At Turning Stone Casino (NY) Saturday night, the International Supermodified Association (ISMA) celebrated a successful and exciting 40th anniversary season.

Drivers, team members and fans from all across the East Coast, Midwest and Canada made their way to Verona, NY, for a night filled with fun and celebration.

Ben Seitz and team owner Richard Bien took top honors on this night as they were officially crowned the 2014 season champions by ISMA president Howie Lane.

“We had one of the most exciting championship battles in recent years this season,” said Lane. “It is a true honor to crown a classy driver like Ben and a great car owner like Rick Bien as our season champions. That team has been one of the hardest working, most dedicated teams in the garage area over recent years and it’s good to see their hard work pay off this year.”

The championship was the first career ISMA championship for Seitz, who took runner-up honors in 2013. The Bourne, Mass., native scored victories at Delaware Speedway (Ontario) and Sandusky (Ohio) Speedway on his way to scoring the championship.

“It’s great to win at any of the ISMA shows because the competition is so tough, but a championship means so much to me and this team,” said Seitz. “It means a lot to Rick (Bien), it means a lot to the crew, the sponsors, and everybody that works hard to make this possible throughout the season. It means a lot to all of us to be crowned champions.”

Jon McKennedy’s team, which came up just short of the 2014 season championship, was honored as the ISMA Pit Crew of the Year. The team overcame a number of issues throughout the season including a practice crash at Autodrome Chaudiere (Quebec) that they would bounce back from and win the feature event that night. Dennis McKennedy, the crew chief for McKennedy’s No. 79, was also named the 2014 Crew Chief of the Year.

Rookie of the Year honors for the season went to New Hampshire driver Mike Netishen, while the Radical Racegear Lap Leader Award was presented to 2013 ISMA champion Lou Cicconi for leading the most laps during the season.

In addition to honoring the 2014 season champions and other 2014 award winners on Saturday night, ISMA officials also released a tentative 16-race schedule for the 2015 season. The schedule includes new dates at Lorain County Speedway (Ohio), Jennerstown Speedway (Pa.) and a tentative date at Cayuga Speedway (Ontario).

“There was a lot of hype at the banquet about the 2015 schedule,” said Lane. “A lot of our guys have never raced at these tracks like Lorain, Jennerstown or Cayuga. It’s certainly shaping up to be another exciting year for ISMA next season.”

Unlike in previous seasons, ISMA will not open the 2015 campaign at Oswego Speedway (N.Y.). Instead, they will make a trip north of the border to Delaware Speedway (Ontario) on May 15.

ISMA will return to the home of Super Modifieds, Oswego Speedway, on four occasions next season including the highly anticipated “King of Wings” event on July 11. Sandusky Speedway (Ohio) will once again play host to the two-day Hy-Miler Supermodified Nationals on the weekend of July 24-25.

The month of August will begin with a doubleheader weekend that includes the Ollie Silva Memorial at Lee USA Speedway (N.H.) and Wings ‘N Wheels at Waterford Speedbowl (Conn.) on Aug. 7-8. ISMA officials did clarify that the date at Waterford is still tentative based upon the final results of a foreclosure auction at the track.

An Aug. 15 tentative date is scheduled for Pennsylvania’s Jennerstown Speedway. That event also has the possibility of being added to the schedule for June 22 depending upon what is agreed upon between series and track officials.

ISMA will make another trip north of the border on Aug. 21 as part of a tentative doubleheader weekend at Ontario’s Delaware Speedway and Cayuga Speedway.

The Oswego Speedway ISMA Super Nationals will take place on Sept. 5 with the prestigious Star Classic at Star Speedway (N.H.) taking place one week later on September 12.

As is tradition, “The Winged Warriors” will end their 2015 season and crown a new champion on World Series of Asphalt Racing weekend at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (Conn.) on Oct. 16-17.

2015 International Supermodified Ass’n Schedule

Date – Track – Location

May 15 – Delaware Speedway – Delaware, Ontario

May 23 – Oswego Speedway – Oswego, N.Y.

June 13 – Oswego Speedway – Oswego, N.Y.

June 22 – Jennerstown Speedway – Jennerstown, Pa. (or Aug. 15)

June 26-27 – Lorain County Speedway – South Amherst, Ohio

July 11 – Oswego Speedway – Oswego, N.Y.

July 24-25 – Sandusky Speedway – Sandusky, Ohio

Aug. 7 – Lee USA Speedway – Lee, N.H.

Aug. 8 – Waterford Speedbowl – Waterford, Conn.

Aug. 15 – Jennerstown Speedway – Jennerstown, Pa. (or June 22)

Aug. 21 – Delaware Speedway – Delaware, Ontario

Aug. 22 – Cayuga Speedway – Cayuga, Ontario

Sept. 5 – Oswego Speedway – Oswego, N.Y.

Sept. 12 – Star Speedway – Epping, N.H.

Oct. 17 – Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park – Thompson, Conn.