The Mitchell’s Speedway Press Oswego Speedway Hall of Fame Banquet on, November 1, will honor six inductees, including drivers Dave Shullick Sr. and Jim Winks.

Ohio veteran Shullick, the father of Oswego Speedway ISMA Supermodified track record holder and King of Wings champion Dave Shullick Jr., is a five time Supermodified feature winner at Oswego Speedway.

The Budweiser International Classic is where Shullick truly shined, with eight career top-five finishes including three runner-up runs in 1979, 1984, and 1990.

Shullick was also notorious for his qualifying efforts at the International Classic with three career fast time attempts, setting him on the pole position for Supermodified racing’s most prestigious event in 1982, 1985, and 1993.

When all was said and done, Shullick ended his Supermodified career at Oswego Speedway with 28 total top five finishes, despite rarely running an entire season at the ‘Steel Palace.’
Winks, an accomplished dirt and asphalt racer, made his mark at the Speedway in a short span during the 1970s.

Like Shullick, Winks earned a total of five Supermodified victories at Oswego Speedway, and also shined in the Speedway’s biggest event, the International Classic.

Winks had back to back top five finishes in the Classic in 1977 and 1978 with finishes of third and fourth.

Driving the famed Purdy Deuce, Winks also sat on the front row for the Classic in back to back years in 1973 and 1974. Winks started outside Jim Shampine in ‘73 and qualified on the pole position in ‘74 ahead of Todd Gibson.

Winks’ career at Oswego included a total of 31 top five finishes, along with a fourth-place finish in the driver’s championship in ’73.

The remaining class of 2014 includes Modified owner Ed Cloce, Supermodified owners Norm Hagen and Lyle Howard, as well as Speedway official Ed Czirr.

Following a thorough investigation and presentation of all the relevant evidence and witnesses to an Ontario County (N.Y.) grand jury, the grand jury has determined there is no basis for the filing of any criminal charges involving the tragic accident of Kevin Ward Jr. on Aug. 9 at Canandaigua (N.Y.) Motorsports Park.

The following is a statement from Tony Stewart regarding the grand jury’s decision.

“This has been the toughest and most emotional experience of my life, and it will stay with me forever. I’m very grateful for all the support I’ve received and continue to receive.

“I respect everything the District Attorney and Sheriff’s Office did to thoroughly investigate this tragic accident. While the process was long and emotionally difficult, it allowed for all the facts of the accident to be identified and known.

“While much of the attention has been on me, it’s important to remember a young man lost his life. Kevin Ward Jr.’s family and friends will always be in my thoughts and prayers.”

Stewart, the three-time NASCAR champion and popular driver who races open-wheeled sprint cars as a hobby, traveled to the small, dirt-track oval for an event the night before a Cup race at Watkins Glen International on Aug. 10. During the sprint car race, Stewart’s race car appeared to bump or cut off Ward’s race car as the two drove into a turn. Ward’s car hit the outside wall and spun, bringing out a yellow caution flag that slowed the field.

Ward, 20, from Port Leyden, N.Y., who had been rookie of the year in the Empire Super Sprint series earlier in his career, exited his race car and walked onto the track to confront Stewart. As Stewart drove past, his car appeared to fishtail and hit Ward, throwing him several feet. Ward was declared dead at a hospital shortly after the accident.

Although NASCAR was not associated with the sprint car race, its officials announced a rules change after the crash that requires drivers to remain in their race cars until safety workers arrive, unless they are at risk from fire or smoke.

Brett Jewkes, NASCAR Chief Communications Officer, stated, "There are no winners in tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the Kevin Ward Jr. family and Tony Stewart as they all cope with this tragic incident at Canandaigua Motorsports Park. This has been a difficult time for everyone involved and we have respected the local authorities responsible for reviewing this case."

The Rottler Open House is centered around two full days of education and is provided as a service to our partners and customers. The intensive training is a full value event presented free of charge.

A complete array of Rottler Machines are set up for instruction and demonstration. Expert speakers, live demos and two days of networking make the Rottler Open House a must-attend event. Coffee and breakfast snacks served with lunch provided at 11:30 both days.

After a full day of education all Open House attendees are invited to a complimentary Rottler Appreciation Dinner held at the Boeing Museum of Flight. Rottler chartered transportation is provided.

The group will enjoy dinner surrounded by the amazing aviation history found only at the Museum of Flight. Enjoy the fun and network at this incredible Seattle destination. A cash bar is provided and your first drink is on us.

Please Register at www.rottlermfg.com.

Technical Presentations and Guest Speakers

• Total Seal - Keith Jones provides a broad perspective on engine designs and selection of piston rings

• Roush Yates - Sandy Wilkins shares his tips and tricks learned over the years through his experiences with Roush Yates Engines

• JE Pistons - Alan Stevenson talks about piston design and machining

• Costex Tractor Parts - will give a Bilingual presentation in Spanish & English relating to Caterpillar Engine Parts

• Randy Neil will present “How Balancing increases Engine Machining Sales”

Look for the speaker list to grow! Visit Rottlermfg.com and Rottler Manufacturing on Facebook for Open House Updates

Accommodations & Other Travel Information

Rottler has partnered with local hotels to bring you discounted rates. Simply mention “Rottler Open House” to either participating hotel. Complimentary shuttle service is provided, please contact your hotel for details and to schedule pickups.

Comfort Inn - $69/night (253) 872-2211

Ramada Inn (formerly Holiday Inn) - $69/night (253) 395-4300

Visit the Rottler website for a list of popular attractions and details on the Seattle CityPASS.

ACL Distribution, Inc., announces the acquisition of the assets of  ACL Bearing Company of Tasmania, Australia. ACL Distribution of Grand Rapids, Michigan, is a manufacturer and distributor of engine bearings for the automotive aftermarket. The Bearing Company, a supplier of ACL Distribution, was a manufacturer of bearings and other automotive components for the original equipment and replacement markets throughout the world until entering receivership in 2009. The Bearing Company is the primary source for the US company's Race Series brand performance bearing

ACL plans to open a plant and manage production in Tasmania by the end of the year. The new company will focus exclusively on manufacturing performance bearings as well as traditional bearings for car and light truck.  There will be no OEM production.

In announcing the transaction, Tim Vehlewald, President and CEO of ACL Distribution, remarked, “ The acquisition is a serious event for ACL Distribution. We now have  control of our destiny in that the output of three factories in Tasmania is at our command. We oversee production and that allows us to produce Race Series bearings as required. That was not always the situation since our race series orders took a back seat to OEM needs. That circumstance frequently resulted in delivery delays for us and, subsequently, for our customers. And when you factor in the required shipping time from Australia to the US, the problem compounded. Frequently we had to air-freight containers from Tasmania to Grand Rapids to meet deadlines. That’s all changed—for us and our customers.”

Lee Petty and Harry Gant will have N.C. Auto Racing Hall Of Fame in-ground plaques dedicated to the two NASCAR legends in an Oct. 8 ceremony in Mooresville, N.C.

The late Lee Petty, a Randleman, N.C. native, won 54 races in his 16-year career in what is now known as NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series. He will be represented by his son, Richard Petty, at the ceremony. Lee Petty was known as a hard charger who had a “never-give-up” driving style and one who never backed down from a challenge.

He won the first Daytona 500 in 1959 after Johnny Beauchamp was initially declared the winner. Three days after the race when T. Taylor Warren’s famous photo was reviewed, Petty was officially declared the winner of the historic event in his 1959 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88. In his career he ran 427 races and was the series champion in 1954, 1958, and in 1959. He ran his last race in 1964 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.). Lee Petty was voted one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers and with his founding of Petty Enterprises set the standard of excellence in major league racing for many years. Lee Petty died at the age of 86 on April 5, 2000.

Harry Gant, from Taylorsville, N.C. won over 300 races in the NASCAR Sportsman (Nationwide) series and three NASCAR National Sportsman titles before turning his sights on what was the Winston Cup Series in 1979. “Handsome” Harry won 18 races in his 15-year Cup career, including four races in a row in September 1991, plus two more in the then-Busch Series, to earn another nickname, “Mr. September.”

Gant holds the record as the oldest driver at age 52, to ever win a Cup race, in 1992 at the Michigan 400. He was also voted as one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers. Gant and his family will be in attendance.

Don Miller, the Chairman of the Board for the N.C. Auto Racing Hall of Fame is ecstatic about of the up and coming event.

“I am very pleased to be able to resume our celebration of the rich racing history here in North Carolina and specifically in Mooresville. The N.C. Auto Racing Hall of Fame celebrates its 20th year, honoring the finest drivers in all of motorsports and the Walk of Fame expands its role for the fifth year.” said Miller. “Mooresville, is the absolute center of the sport of auto racing and the home of many of its famous personalities. We need to preserve this heritage.”

Open to the public, the dedication of the Petty and Gants in-ground plaques will be held outside the Charles Mack Citizen Center on the Walk of Fame located at 215 N. Main St. in historic downtown Mooresville. from 4-5 p.m. ET.

Bobby Labonte Racing will cease operations at the end of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series season, the team announced on Wednesday.

Since 2007, BLR and driver Earl Pearson Jr. have enjoyed championship success together. They won back-to-back Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series titles and some of dirt late model top events including the Indiana Icebreaker, Colossal 100 and the Dirt Track World Championship. The team was also the founder and house team of the Longhorn Chassis beginning in 2011.

BLR has continued to evolve over time as has Longhorn Chassis. Team owner Bobby Labonte opted to shut down his race operations and put all resources and efforts on the further development and growth of Longhorn Chassis.

“These decisions are never easy, however, we have seen a lot of growth in the Longhorn Chassis over the past year,” Labonte said. “We need to allocate all our resources in this direction and it would not be fair to Earl to continue the race team if we couldn’t put all our focus there. Again, it was not an easy decision, but one that we all agreed was best.”

“I have enjoyed working with Earl over the last eight years and I’m proud to call him a friend,” he added. “He is a great guy and a championship leader. He is one of the reasons why Longhorn Chassis has been so successful and he will always be a part of the family.”

Pearson Jr. drove the original Longhorn Chassis and has been instrumental in the evolution of the fastest growing brands in dirt late model racing. He is also the only driver that raced for BLR during its full duration in dirt late model racing.

“I would like to thank Bobby, the Labonte family and the entire BLR race team for all they have done for me and my family,” said Pearson Jr. “I feel fortunate to have worked with such a wonderful group of people that I now call friends. Over the last eight years we have won championships and many prestigious events. I would like to thank Lucas Oil and the many other sponsors that have partnered with us over the last eight years. As BLR and I part ways at the end of the season, my hope is for continued success for everyone involved with BLR and Longhorn Chassis.”

BLR and Pearson Jr. will complete the 2014 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series season. The team is sixth in series standings.

Following more than a year of extensive collaboration with stakeholders throughout the industry, and with a keen eye towards the future, NASCAR has finalized and delivered to teams the 2015 racing package for all three national series.
 
“This race package represents a lot of hard work by NASCAR, the race teams, the drivers, our manufacturer partners and Goodyear,” said Gene Stefanyshyn, NASCAR senior vice president of innovation and racing development. “We’ve remained committed to constantly looking at our racing, and the work that has been done has been aimed at getting a rules package delivered to the race teams as early as possible.”
 
Highlighted in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series changes for 2015 are nearly 60 enhancements, including adjustments to the power train, aerodynamics and chassis that are designed to work in concert to deliver drivers more flexibility and teams more adjustability. Fans are expected to benefit from closer racing and more opportunities for drivers to pass on the track.
 
“We have had fantastic racing so far in 2014,” Stefanyshyn said. “We remain committed to constantly looking to improve it. Our fans deserve it and our industry is pushing for it. That will not stop with the 2015 package; the development will continue over many years to come.”
 
NASCAR will institute a shorter rear spoiler in its 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series package, which also includes a reduction of engine power, lower rear differential gear ratios and an optional driver adjustable track bar.
 
Based on the success of group qualifying formats, which were introduced in 2014 for all national series, NASCAR also announced that group qualifying will be utilized for the first time for the Daytona 500.
 
Additional changes for the 2015 rules include the elimination of team-facilitated private testing, with race teams being instead invited to participate in NASCAR/Goodyear tests throughout the season. NASCAR also will work alongside Goodyear to introduce rain tires should conditions warrant during road course events in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2015.
 
“We’re very pleased with the rules package and what it will do for our racing,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. “We’re confident it will continue to generate great racing, along with continuous safety improvements.
 
“The work alongside our industry has been unprecedented. We’ve had great dialogue with our drivers and teams, our manufacturers and Goodyear, allowing us to build greater efficiencies into the 2015 rules package. We’ve met our goal of delivering rules to teams with time to prepare for next season and we’re seeing the benefits of an updated process for developing our rules paying dividends. It will only continue to improve.”

The Elevation Group, a Cleveland-based sponsorship marketing, event production and communications company, has come to an agreement to jointly own veteran race car driver Robby Gordon’s SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road series.

The Elevation Group has purchased 40 percent of the series, with Gordon retaining 60 percent of the business.

Although an off-road racing series, the series is unique in that it stages races on downtown city streets and inside sporting stadiums. The track configuration is scalable, transportable and quick to set up and dismantle. Formula Off-Road, previously known as Stadium Super Trucks, has visited markets including Los Angeles, Detroit, Las Vegas, Tampa/St. Petersburg, Toronto, San Diego, St. Louis and Indianapolis. In early 2015 the series will make its overseas debut. An announcement with specific details regarding that is expected next month.

“I have been intrigued with Stadium Super Trucks since my son flipped out over them at a race earlier this year,” said Elevation President Denny Young. “When my business partner and I saw an ESPN poll in July that showed 78 percent of X Games viewers rated Stadium Super Trucks their favorite moment, we knew this was a business we wanted to be in.”

“Denny (Young) and I have known each other for more than 20 years. I raced at several IndyCar events that he promoted while running IMG’s motorsports business,” said Robby Gordon. “I know first-hand that Denny, Steve Lindecke and their team at Elevation understand how to stage and promote major market, nationally-televised sports events. Additionally, they are experts in sponsorship marketing – both in terms of selling and delivering exceptional value to sponsors. That’s exactly what my series needs at this stage and that’s why I have taken them on as my partners.”

“Robby’s a dynamic thinker, a driven entrepreneur and somebody that completely understands what’s cool and what works for the millennial generation,” commented Elevation’s Managing Partner Steve Lindecke. “I visited two sold-out events this past weekend in Southern California (San Diego and Costa Mesa) and I know the sky is the limit with Stadium Super Trucks. This series is the real deal and we could not be more excited.”

Red Bull F1 racer Daniel Ricciardo has announced that he is developing a line of race karts under his name. The "Ricciardo Kart" brand will produce chassis to suit a variety of categories, from mini-kart to CIK FIA classes. Ricciardo Kart products will be manufactured, designed, and distributed by BIREL ART.

"I am very happy to be able to kick off this project," said Ricciardo, who started karting at the age of nine as a member of Tiger Kart Club and entered numerous karting events since. "I grew up racing karts, and even when I moved up to single-seaters I never stopped supporting the sport. Being able to follow the design and construction of a kart from a blank sheet, to track debut is an adventure that's very fascinating and I am glad to do this with a partner (BIREL ART) who is just as excited."

The first Ricciardo Kart chassis will be released to the public for the first time in late November, and a works team is expected to take part in major European karting events next year.

NASCAR has teamed up with YouTube to present full-length replays of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races on NASCAR’s official YouTube channel, free of charge.

Complete race replays of each Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race broadcast will be available at www.youtube.com/NASCAR each week following the event. Fans may visit the playlist entitled, “Full NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race Replays – 2014” on the channel’s landing page to access the videos.

“Enhancing the fan experience through NASCAR’s digital properties is at the core of everything we do, and providing free, full-length race replays on YouTube gives our fans another easy way to interact with the sport,” said Colin Smith, managing director of NASCAR Digital Media.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race replays are a part of the league’s overall strategy to make NASCAR’s digital properties the premier destination for NASCAR content—before, during and post-race day.

“Having full NASCAR races on YouTube for the first time will be a big win for fans around the world, letting them watch anywhere on any device,” said Claude Ruibal, YouTube’s Global Head of Sports Partnerships. “On YouTube, NASCAR Digital Media is now able to connect even more of their fans with the sport they love.”