Stanley Black & Decker will move its sponsorship from Richard Petty Motorsports to Joe Gibbs Racing starting in 2015 with Stanley sponsoring Carl Edwards for 12 races and company brand DeWalt reuniting with Matt Kenseth for six.

Kenseth drove a DeWalt car from 1999-2009 while at Roush Fenway Racing, which included his 2003 Cup championship season. After DeWalt parent company Black & Decker merged with Stanley in 2010, DeWalt joined Stanley as part of its sponsorship for Marcos Ambrose at RPM starting in 2011.

The Stanley-DeWalt sponsorship virtually fills both JGR cars. Kenseth has 30 races sponsored by Dollar General, giving him just a couple of open events. Edwards has 17 races from Arris, leaving nine unannounced. Team owner Joe Gibbs said they have six other events sold with just three remaining for the Edwards car.

“It’s really neat to have a partner like DeWalt wanting to come back after all these years and wanting to be on my car specifically and be associated with me again,” Kenseth said. “It’s something that means a great deal to me. … It’s a great feeling to have this car sitting next to me that is fully sponsored for multi years.”

“We could not be happier to partner with Matt Kenseth again and to associate the DeWalt brand with Joe Gibbs Racing,” said DeWalt President Frank Mannarino. “Matt embodies many of the same characteristics as DeWalt with tremendous strength, toughness and dependability, and based on previous experience, we know he will be a great representative of our brand.”

RPM released a statement Wednesday afternoon declaring it would run two Cup cars in 2015 and had renewed its contracts with Ford and Roush Fenway Racing. It will continue to get cars from Roush.

Team co-owner Richard Petty said Saturday the team has a plan to replace Ambrose and Stanley and just needs to complete the details of the deal.

The Sportscar Vintage Racing Association’s Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational will return to Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2015.

More than 500 of the world’s finest and most historic race cars will compete on the recently reconfigured road course and run exhibition events on the famed 2.5-mile oval from June 11-14, 2015.

The races will showcase a wide variety of cars including those that competed in past Indianapolis 500s, in the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series, Formula One, Grand-Am prototypes and Trans-Am. In addition, American racing cars from makes like Chevrolet will compete with historic race cars from Ferrari, Porsche, Jaguar, MG and many others in 12 different classes of racing. A special class will also feature open-wheel race cars with Indianapolis 500 or other historic racing backgrounds.

In addition, the Charity Indy Legends Pro-Am race, which will benefit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum, will return to run on June 13. The Charity Indy Legends Pro-Am race pairs former Indianapolis 500 drivers with amateur partners during a 45-minute race on the 2.43-mile road course. The cars used in the Charity Legends Pro-Am race will be 1963 to 1972 vintage Chevrolet Corvettes and Camaros, and Ford Mustangs.

Al Unser Jr. and his partner Peter Klutt won the inaugural race while sharing the driving duties in Klutt’s No. 42C 1969 Chevrolet Corvette, with six-time Indianapolis 500 starter and four-time top-10 finisher Eliseo Salazar and his partner Gary Moore finishing second in Moore’s No. 98B 1965 Mustang GT350. Rounding out the podium in third place was two-time Indianapolis 500 starter Willy T. Ribbs, who drove the No. 5 1972 Corvette owned by his driving partner Ed Sevadjian. Other past Indianapolis 500 participants included 1996 winner Buddy Lazier, Scott Goodyear, Dick Simon, Lyn St. James, Mark Dismore, Johnny Parsons Jr., Alex Lloyd, Pete Halsmer, Robby Unser, Rocky Moran, Jaques Lazier, Robby McGehee, Spike Gehlhausen, Billy Roe, Scott Harrington, Rick Treadway, Tom Bagley, Bob Lazier, P.J. Chesson and John Martin.

Racing at IMS will be virtually non-stop each day from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. The cars will be on display in the infield and open to all fans providing up close access to the race cars.

“Indianapolis Motor Speedway fans appreciate and enjoy the history of racing and the Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational showcases great historic racing cars in a setting unlike any in the world,” said J. Douglas Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s president.

The Sportscar Vintage Racing Association is one of the oldest and largest of the vintage racing organizations in the United States.

“We are extremely pleased and excited to return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” said SVRA President and CEO Tony Parella. “The event was phenomenal this year and we’re definitely looking forward to building on that success next season. The fans in Indy are so knowledgeable and interested in vintage cars, the culture and racing in general that it’s an absolute honor to come to town and share our love of vintage sports car racing with them.”

A complete racing schedule for the Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational will be announced at a later date. The event will begin with a practice day on Thursday, June 11, with free admission and racing throughout the weekend beginning on June 12.

The first NASCAR oval race in Tours, France, was so well received that the track was built into a permanent structure and has become the signature race of the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series.

The format was so popular with fans and competitors, NASCAR announced the 2015 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series calendar will feature a second oval track on the schedule.

The NASCAR Whelen Euro Series will hold six race weekends involving seven European countries, highlighted by the addition of Raceway Venray, a half-mile oval in Venray, Limburg, Holland, on the border of Germany. The series will also feature a new championship round site: Circuit Zolder in Belgium.

The series will return to Tours Speedway, located outside of Paris, France, for the fourth year. The four-event regular season will also feature stops at Valencia, Spain, and Brands Hatch in England.

The semifinal round will take place at Magione in Italy before the 2015 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series champion is crowned in Belgium.

The NASCAR Whelen Euro Series holds two races per weekend for its two divisions, Elite 1 and 2, providing for 24 NASCAR races to be held across Europe.

“We are very proud of this calendar which is the result of collaboration with great tracks and partners,” said Jerome Galpin, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series President and CEO. “This is the first time in our history that every event will be fully dedicated to our Series.”

“We have seen this year in Valencia, Brands Hatch and Tours Speedway, how much our partners, fans, teams and drivers enjoy true NASCAR events. We can definitely promise them even more NASCAR action and fun this coming year.”

•    The season will kick-off once again at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain with the second edition of the Valencia NASCAR Fest on April 25-26. Yann Zimmer and Ander Vilarino earned Elite 1 wins this year on the 14-turn, 2.517-mile (4.005 km) course.
•    The series will race for the first time at Raceway Venray on May 16-17. Located at the border between Holland and Germany, the .55 mile (.880 km) long, 23-degrees banked oval will make its debut in the Whelen Euro Series calendar and will pose new challenges to European drivers and teams.
•    Road course racing will be king in June: Brands Hatch Circuit in Fawkham, Kent, England, will host the hugely successful American SpeedFest on June 6-7. Eddie Cheever III scored his first NASCAR win this year on the six-turn, 1.198 mile (1.929 km) layout.
•    The classic weekend on the .45-mile (.750 km) Tours Speedway – the European “Daytona 500” – will take place in downtown Tours one week earlier than the last three editions, on June 27-28, closing the Regular Season.
•    After the summer break, the playoffs – awarding double points – will begin in Magione, Umbria, Italy, at the Autodromo dell’Umbria di Magione, on September 12-13. The 11-turn, 1.558-mile (2.507 km) course will host the semifinal round for the second year in a row.
•    The championship will then be decided in a brand new event on the 10-turn 2.492-mile (4.011 km) Circuit Zolder in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium on Oct. 3-4. The iconic Belgian track is the perfect place to host the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Finals and welcome NASCAR fans from all over Europe.

“The NASCAR Whelen Euro Series has brought to fans, tracks and sponsors the familiar close-competition and family-friendly entertainment that is the hallmark of NASCAR,” said George Silbermann, NASCAR Vice President, Regional and Touring Series. “Next year’s schedule, featuring a blend of classic road courses and exciting ovals, will showcase the full spectrum of our competitors’ skill and offers something for every racing fan.”

2015 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Schedule:

Date, Races, Event, Length and Type

April 25–26, Spain 1–2, Valencia NASCAR Fest-Ricardo Tormo, 4.005 km/2.489 mi Road Course

May 16–17, Holland/Germany 1–2, Raceway Venray, 0.880 km/0.550 mi Oval

June 6–7, Great Britain 1–2, American Speedfest-Brands Hatch, 1.944 km/1.208 mi Road Course

June 27–28, France 1–2, Courses NASCAR-Tours Speedway, 0.725 km/0.450 mi Oval

September 12–13, Italy - 1Ž2 Final 1–2, Magione American Style-Autodromo dell’Umbria, 2.507 km/1.558 mi Road Course

October 3–4, Belgium Final 1–2, Circuit Zolder, 4.011 km/2.492 mi Road Course
 

VP Racing Fuels, Inc., announced the appointment of Mark Ticen as Regional Manager, Western Division. Based at the company’s regional sales office in Murrieta, California, Ticen will be responsible for sales and distribution of race fuel in VP’s Western region, which includes California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho and Montana as well as exports to Baja California, Australia, New Zealand, Asia and the Pacific Rim.
 
Ticen brings to his new position 10 years of sales, marketing and R&D experience in the race fuel industry. Although his primary focus has been on the powersports segment, he’s been involved with all aspects of motorsports from drag racing, circle track and off road to supercross and motocross.
 
Ticen's experience in the motocross industry includes involvement with his own children who have raced everything from local to national events. Ticen is a bicycling enthusiast as well, currently holding a USA Cycling license and competing in USA sanctioned Road Races, Criterium's  and an occasional Time Trial.

“Between my passion for bicycling, motocross, supercross, and motorcycle road racing events, I guess you could say I love anything with two wheels,” Ticen said.
 
“We’re pleased to bring Mark on board with Team VP,” said Alan Cerwick, President of VP Racing Fuels.  “With his broad experience, passion for motorsports and prior success, we anticipate he’ll be a great asset to our sales team.  We’re confident he won’t miss a beat in providing the top quality service and support that our VP distributors and dealers in the Western region have come to expect.”
 

World of Speed, a Wilsonville, Oregon-based non-profit, interactive motorsports museum, will open its doors to the public on Friday, April 24, 2015. The museum’s mission will support education and entertainment through the celebration and preservation of American motorsports.
 
“We could not be more excited to announce the date of our grand opening,” said World of Speed executive director Tony Thacker. “So much hard work has gone into making this museum one of the pinnacles in the Pacific Northwest motorsports arena, and we look forward to opening with a bang in April.”

Official grand opening festivities will be announced in early 2015.

World of Speed will cover multiple aspects of motorsports, including NASCAR, Indy Car, drag racing, land speed racing, sports cars and motorcycles, telling the stories of motorsport heroes, many of whom got their start in the Northwest. The museum will feature nearly 100 vehicles including cars from Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mickey Thompson and Danica Patrick, some of which will be open for visitors to sit in and explore, making it a truly interactive experience.

The key purpose of World of Speed is to provide an experiential environment in which young people can explore the exciting world of motorsports and the many career opportunities it offers. World of Speed will serve a wide range of audiences through varied interdisciplinary education programs, integrating the study of history, art, culture, science and technology to appeal to all ages, backgrounds and interests.

World of Speed will be available for private and public events, ranging from formal galas to children’s birthday parties. The museum will feature premier event space with capacity for up to 1000 guests.

For more information, contact Nick Apap at Orbit Events: nick@orbiteventsllc.com.

Formula One teams have now been given a list of radio transmissions that are acceptable and not acceptable after the FIA announced a technical directive to limit in-car instructions to the drivers from the pits.

The directive seemingly revolves around Article 20.1 of the FIA’s sporting regulations that stipulates “the driver must drive the car alone and unaided.”

However, the directive was met with mixed reactions, with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff in particular stating that everyone needed “further clarification as to how much the essential on-track procedures will be affected – particularly before the start of the race.”

Now, it appears Wolff and the rest of the paddock have that clarification.

Per the FIA, messages that are now banned across both radio and pit board include information on a competitor’s sector times, the level of fuel saving needed, coded messages, and the answering of a direct technical question from drivers.

Other messages like information on tire pressures/temperatures and brake wear/temperatures will be prohibited from the Japanese Grand Prix onward to give teams time to adapt to these new rules.

Here’s the full list:

Message types allowed

– Acknowledgement that a driver message has been heard.

– Lap or sector time detail.
– Lap time detail of a competitor.

– Gaps to a competitor during a practice session or race.

– “Push hard”, “push now”, “you will be racing xx” or similar.

– Helping with warning of traffic during a practice session or race.

– Giving the gaps between cars in qualifying so as to better position the car for a clear lap.

– Puncture warning.

– Tire choice at the next pit stop.

– Number of laps a competitor has done on a set of tires during a race.

– Tire specification of a competitor.

– Indication of a potential problem with a competitor’s car during a race.

– Information concerning a competitors likely race strategy.

– Yellow flags, blue flags, Safety Car deployment or other cautions.

Message types not allowed
– Sector time detail of a competitor and where a competitor is faster or slower.

– Adjustment of power unit settings.

– Adjustment of power unit setting to de-rate the systems.

– Adjustment of gearbox settings.

– Learning of gears of the gearbox (will only be enforced from the Japanese Grand Prix onwards).

– Balancing the SOC [state-of-charge of batteries] or adjusting for performance.

– Information on fuel flow settings (except if requested to do so by race control).

– Information on level of fuel saving needed.

– Information on tire pressures or temperatures (will only be enforced from the Japanese Grand Prix onwards).

– Information on differential settings.

– Start maps related to clutch position, for race start and pit stops.

– Information on clutch maps or settings, e.g. bite point.

– Burn-outs prior to race starts.

– Information on brake balance or BBW (brake-by-wire) settings.

– Warning on brake wear or temperatures (will only be enforced from the Japanese Grand Prix onwards).

– Selection of driver default settings (other than in the case of a clearly identified problem with the car).

– Answering a direct question from a driver, e.g. “Am I using the right torque map”?

– Any message that appears to be coded.

The second annual MPMC Education Day returns to the 2014 PRI Trade Show, giving racing professionals product knowledge and information directly from top manufacturers.

Taking place at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis on Wednesday, December 10, 2014—the day before the Trade Show officially opens—MPMC’s program, titled “New Racing Products in the Fast Lane,” will feature three 30-minute sessions, with three presentations running concurrently during each session. Participating manufacturers include Comp Cams, Driven Racing Oil, Edelbrock, Holley, Lunati, Mahle, MSD, Ron Francis Wiring and Turbosmart.

“While last year’s inaugural MPMC Education Day program was well-received, the 2014 version is expected to deliver even greater value to PRI attendees,” said SEMA MPMC Council Liaison Jim Skelly. “We’ve made some adjustments that will ensure that attendees leave with knowledge that will help them be more successful.”

Program hours for 2014 were set to make it easy for attendees to participate in the education sessions without major travel adjustments or additional costs. Additionally, organizers are working with presenting manufacturers to ensure that training focuses on truly new products.

Details and a complete schedule are available online at www.pri2014.com, under the Events tab. Attendees may register for MPMC Education Day sessions directly with their PRI Show registration. Those who have already registered for the Show may log in to their Dashboard and add the sessions to their registration. For more information, email Skelly at jimsk@sema.org.

The Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC) is a council of the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) that includes companies involved in manufacturing functional performance parts used in sanctioned racing applications. The MPMC is dedicated to addressing industry-specific issues and to preserving and promoting the motorsports parts industry.

The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) and IRG Sports + Entertainment welcome Steven Cole as Vice President of Corporate Partnerships for IHRA Motorsports.

Cole brings over 20 years of sports marketing experience to the IHRA, with the past 17 years almost exclusively in motorsports with NHRA, NASCAR and IndyCar. Cole resides in southern California and will be handling corporate partnerships under the guidance of IHRA President Scott Gardner and IRG Sports + Entertainment CEO Jason Rittenberry.

"I am really looking forward to Steve joining our team. Having worked directly with him in the past through several different racing ventures and projects, I am confident that he is going to make an immediate and far-reaching impact on our company," said Rittenberry.

Prior to joining IHRA, Cole worked for John Force Racing as the Director of Strategic Partnerships and Licensing. Prior to that, Cole provided consulting through his own company, ColeTrain Marketing, specializing in creative marketing, product licensing, promotions and new business development within the motorsports and sports and entertainment industries. Cole was also VP of Marketing for Victory Management Group and was named as the first Vice Chairman of Doug Herbert's BRAKES Foundation to promote safe teen driving.

Cole has also served as Senior Vice President of Marketing, Advertising and PR for Action Performance Companies Inc., the leader in motorsports marketing and merchandising. In addition, he has prior experience working in professional sports marketing agencies and player management groups within NFL, NHL and minor league baseball while living in Buffalo, N.Y.

Cole has a BS degree in Marketing from Niagara University. He is married to wife Leslie with two children, Tyler and Olivia.

"I am really excited to have this opportunity to work with IHRA Motorsports and the entire IRG team. As a fan of drag racing, I really like where the IHRA is taking the sport and I know that the future is bright," Cole said. "I have been fortunate throughout my career to work with some of the best people in the motorsports industry and I look forward to bringing that experience to the IHRA. Together I think we can make a positive impact on the sport for all of the great racers, fans, tracks and sponsors of the IHRA."

Cole will primarily work out of his southern California office and the IHRA Headquarters in Norwalk, Ohio, in addition to attending national touring series events. He will be responsible for all sales and sponsorship revenues, official partnerships and licensing for the IHRA, including its national touring series, the Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series and Sonic Rush Tour.

"We are thrilled to welcome Steven Cole to the IHRA Motorsports family. Steven has an extensive and very successful background in motorsports, working with some of the biggest names in the sport, and we look forward to Steven bringing that expertise and passion to the IHRA," said Gardner. "With Steven's experience and IHRA's momentum, we look forward to our continued growth and expansion of the IHRA brand around the world."

Cole can be reached at his California office at (419) 660-4233 and at SCole@IHRA.com. 

The SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road Series Presented by TRAXXAS will headline a full weekend of racing in Southern California Sept. 19-21 at two separate venues.

The Stadium Super Trucks (SST) that compete in the high-flying series will be part of the Sand Sports Super Show at the OC Fair and Event Center Friday and Saturday night and then will move further south and be part of the Coronado Speed Festival Sunday afternoon at Naval Air Station North Island.

Costa Mesa’s OC Fair and Event Center will host the SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road Series Presented by TRAXXAS and a full slate of other off-road racing vehicles during the Sand Sports Super Show Friday and Saturday nights.

While the SST trucks will highlight both nights of racing, SPEED Energy Supermoto, Class 1400 trucks, multiple divisions of UTV’s and Trophy Karts will provide non-stop racing action both nights, with gates opening at 5 p.m.

The Sand Sports Super Show SST races will be rounds 12 and 13 in the season-long competition. After racing at the OC Fair and Event Center and the Coronado Speed Festival, the TRAXXAS trucks will close their season under the bright lights of Las Vegas in conjunction with the SEMA Show in November.

Among the drivers entered for the Sand Sports Super Show SST event include Orange County’s Robby Gordon, X Games winner Apdaly Lopez, TRAXXAS driver Keegan Kincaid, California drivers Burt Jenner and Nick Vanis, Arizona’s Scotty Steele, Texas driver Charles Dorrance, Michigan’s Aaron Bambach, IndyCar star E.J. Viso and Pennsylvania’s Bill Hynes. Las Vegas and King Shocks’ driver B.J. Baldwin will be making his second SST start of the season after competing at X Games Austin.

Following two nights of racing at the Sand Sports Super Show, the SST trucks and drivers will immediately head south toward San Diego for Sunday’s Coronado Speed Festival on the Naval Air Station North Island as part of the Navy’s Fleetweek 2014.

The Stadium Super Trucks will race twice on the runway of the active military base which will be transformed into a race track. Each year the Coronado Speed Festival races at the base with the beautiful backdrop of San Diego across the water. In addition to the debut of SSTs, the Coronado Speed Festival features various classes of vintage sports cars and historic stock and Trans-Am cars.

The Milwaukee Mile, the oldest continuously operating auto-racing facility in the world, will be the focus of the October 18 Center Conversations at the International Motor Racing Research Center.
 
Milwaukee Mile expert Steve Zautke will speak at 1 p.m. at the Center at 610 S. Decatur St., Watkins Glen, N.Y. The talk is free, and all are welcome.
 
Zautke also will speak about Road America. He recently partnered with Arcadia Publishing on a pictorial history of the challenging four-mile road course in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
 
The Milwaukee Mile, located in West Allis, Wisconsin, is a one-mile oval, originally built as a privately owned horse-racing track. Records show it has been in existence since at least 1876. In 1891, the Agricultural Society of the State of Wisconsin purchased the land to create a permanent site for the Wisconsin State Fair, and the track has operated as part of the fairgrounds since.
 
Starting in 1903, the track has hosted at least one auto race every year, with the exception of the World War I and II years.
 
“During that time, the track has seen nearly every type of motorsports competition, from turn-of-the-century ‘speed contests’ and 24-hour endurance races to Depression- and WWII-era open-wheel car duels, USAC stock car events, midget racing, and now CART and NASCAR competition. The roster of past winners at The Milwaukee Mile is a veritable ‘who's who’ of racing history, including names like Barney Oldfield, Rex Mays, A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Mario Andretti,” according to the website Savethemile.org.
 
Zautke, a Milwaukee native, was raised in the sport of auto racing. His father, Bill, was a movie photographer who shot racing footage at the Milwaukee Mile and other tracks in the 1960s and 1970s. Zautke's first professional job in racing was as an emergency medical technician at race tracks.
 
For 18 years, from 1993-2011, Zautke worked as a videographer, in media relations and as historian for the Milwaukee Mile. He also has worked as a reporter for several national motorsports magazines and the Harry Miller Club newsletter.
 
He co-hosts "Sparky's Final Inspection," a motorsports-based radio show on a Milwaukee radio station. He is a member of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Induction Committee.
 
The next Center Conversations will be Nov. 8 featuring Michael Martin on the United States Road Racing Championship race series of the 1960s.
 
The Racing Research Center is an archival library dedicated to the preservation and sharing of the history of motorsports, of all series and all venues, through its collections of books, periodicals, films, photographs, fine art and other materials.