Each driver at the 2014 SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, set for Oct. 6-12, will have one goal in mind – winning a national championship.
However, 46 companies have sweetened the pot by committing to provide contingency prizes in support of the event.

Mazda North American Operations, the Official Car of SCCA, will award Mazda drivers $5,000 for a win in an eligible class, with payouts of $3,000 and $1,500 for second- and third-place finishes, respectively. Additionally, Mazda drivers from each Majors Conference who finished in the top three in season-long points can pull from an additional tow fund. If a Mazda driver can complete the prestigious Super Sweep, a $3,000 prize is available.

In 2014, Chevrolet will support B-Spec, where a Championship will yield $750. The remaining podium spots will garner $500 and $250 awards, in that order. Ford Racing will be in the mix, too. A win in an eligible vehicle is worth $2,500, with second place earning $1,000 and third, $750.

Honda Performance Development (HPD) will give out $2,500 to any Honda/Acura driver who takes home a Runoffs gold medal in an eligible class, $1,500 for second, and $1,000 for third. In addition, HPD pays a start bonus and a prize for winning a Conference or Divisional point championship. MINI USA has a $2,500 prize for a National Championship, with a runner-up finish earning $1,500 and $1,000 for third. MINI will also give $1,250 for an eligible Super Sweep.

Nissan Motorsports also offers cash payouts to its racers. A win is worth $2,500 in a current model, with $1,500 and $1,000 rounding out the podium and a $1,000 reward for completing the Super Sweep. Scion Racing will award eligible drivers for wins and runner-up finishes with $3,000 and $2,000, respectively. A pole or Super Sweep is worth $1,000.

Drivers in Fiat 500s, Fiat 500 Abarths or Dodge/SRT Vipers will be eligible for prizes provided by SRT Motorsports. A podium finish in an eligible class will earn $2,500, $1,000 and $750, respectively. Toyota/TRD is offering up to $5,000 for a win and $3,000 for a runner up finish, as well as $1,000 for a top qualifier or Super Sweep.

Tire manufacturers are also part of the contingency equation for the Runoffs. They are led by BFGoodrich Tires, the Official Street Tire of SCCA, who will provide 12 complimentary tires to a National Champion in an eligible class. The company will award tires down to fourth, with each driver getting six, four and two tires, in that order for the final three spots.

Goodyear Tire will also put cash up for grabs in select classes. The winner will receive $500, with the final podium spots getting $300 and $100 payouts, respectively. Hankook Tire will offer cash rewards to eligible racers finishing in the top five, with payouts for a podium ($4,000, $2,000 and $1,000) and fourth and fifth getting $500 each.

Hoosier Racing Tire will be giving out four free tires, as well as a set for each entered 2015 U.S. Majors Tour event, for race winners in every class. Spec Miata gets a bump, with payouts through 10th place, including 16 tires for the Spec Miata National Champion. The first 50 Spec Miata entrants at the event will receive a set of tires from Hoosier. Michelin will be awarding an eligible GT-2 winner with four new tires.

Pirelli will award podium finishers in GT-1, GT-2 and Prototype 1, on tires purchased from JX2, with JX2 gift certificates worth $500, $300 and $100, respectively. Eligible class winners running Yokohama Tires purchased from Trackside Performance will receive two free front and two rear tires. Second place will get two front tires, while third and fourth will each get one front tire.

A number of parts manufacturers and service providers are running programs. Hawk Performance, the Official Brake Products of SCCA, will offer five free axle sets of brakes to eligible winners. Two free axle sets will be available for each of the remaining two podium positions. Fourth- through 10th-place finishers will also get product certificates ranging in value from $125, down to $50.

Carbotech Performance Brakes will offer a 2015 product sponsorship package to all eligible National Champions, which includes six axle sets of brakes. The manufacturer will also provide product certificates to finishers two through 10, with values ranging from $300 to $50.

Eibach has also pledged their support of the event, offering two free springs to winners and second-place drivers in eligible classes. Drivers claiming the final step of the podium will be eligible to get one free spring.

Electromotive will offer a $500 certificate to National Champions. A $200 certificate is up for grabs to second place, with third getting a $100 certificate. Hyperco will offer two free Hypercoils certificates to first- and second-place finishers in eligible classes. The third-place driver will get one free Hypercoil certificate.

Pagid RS drivers fulfilling the requirements and winning will get a full set of brake pads. Second place will get one axle worth of pads. Penske Racing Shocks is offering eligible class winners a $500 product certificate, which decreases by $100 for each position through fifth. If eligible, the sixth-place driver will get a $50 certificate.

SPA Technique will be offering $100 product certificates to all winners enrolled in the program, plus $50 certificates to all eligible fourth-place drivers. National Champions enrolled in the contingency program for Taylor Race Engineering will be able to get their hands on a $250 product certificate.

For all eligible classes, Tilton Engineering is offering a $175 product certificate to the National Champion. A $100 certificate is available for the third-place finisher, and a $50 certificate is available for the fifth-place driver. Wilwood Disk Brakes will offer a $125 certificate to winning drivers enrolled in the program, while second- and third-place finishers will get $75 and $50 certificates, respectively.

Several other organizations have shown their support for the event. GoPro, the Official Camera of SCCA, will provide one GoPro HERO3+ Black Edition Camera to the driver who wins the GoPro Hero Moment of the race. SCCA staff will select the winner of this award.

Mobil 1, the Official Oil of SCCA, will offer a $500 cash bonus and custom Mobil 1 racing suit to all eligible National Champions. For second place, Mobil 1 will provide a $400 product certificate and third will get a $250 product certificate.

SafeRacer, the Official Safety Provider of SCCA, pays out a $100 product certificate for a win, and a $50 certificate for the first driver to miss the podium.

Sunoco, the Official Fuel of SCCA, will sponsor the Hard Charger Award, worth $100. The cash award will go to the driver who advances the most positions during each race.

TireRack.com, the Official Tire Retailer of SCCA, will also provide contingency opportunities at the Runoffs. The company will offer a $500 product certificate to the pole qualifiers in each class. Eligible fifth-place finishers in the race will also receive a $50 certificate.

SCCA Enterprises will offer contingencies in support of the Spec Racer Ford and Formula Enterprises classes. The SRF National Champion will receive a 50-percent discount off the new GEN3 conversion kit. The final two places on the SRF podium will earn $500 and $250, respectively. In FE, the winner will earn $500. Second will take home a $350 bonus, and third will get $200.

For a winning B-Spec driver, Pirelli World Challenge is offering a full season of entry fees for their Touring Car B class. Second place will get three complimentary entries, with third place getting a single entry.

AiM Sports is offering a Solo lap timer to registered winners in all classes. Alpinestars will also offer registered National Champions, in select classes, a $250 product certificate.

CoolShirt Systems will offer a $250 cash prize to the Hard Charger in each eligible class. In addition, all participants who register for the program will be eligible for a 15-percent discount on a new CoolShirt system.

Supporting the Spec Miata class, exclusively, is Driven Race Gear. The company will provide a steering wheel, Nomex shoes and Nomex gloves to an eligible winner. Second place will get a steering wheel, while third can claim a pair of Nomex gloves. The fourth place finisher has the opportunity to get a Driven gift certificate worth $50, while fifth place will get a pair of Driven sunglasses.

Fuel additive maker EFS Combust will offer two bottles of their product to all race winners who purchase the product prior to the event. Drivers finishing second will earn one bottle of product.

Holliday Canopies is giving all eligible drivers a custom road racing canopy certificate worth $300. A current owner who wins a National Championship can take their prize in $150 of cash.

Those looking to hone their Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca skills online may have turned to iRacing.com. The company will offer winners a two-year membership or 200 iRacing credits for existing members. Second- and third-place drivers will get a one-year membership, or 100 iRacing credits.

K1 RaceGear has thrown their hat into the ring by offering product certificates to drivers in all classes. Competitors who take home gold at the Runoffs will be able to get a $50 certificate. The final podium position is also worth a $50 certificate, and an eligible Hard Charger can take home a $50 certificate.

Pegasus Auto Racing Supplies will continue to offer a contingency program. An eligible driver who wins the Super Sweep Award will get a $250 gift certificate. Eligible finishers in fourth through sixth will get certificates starting at $75 for fourth place. From there, the value will decrease by $25.

Red Line Synthetic Oil will dole out a $750 product certificate to eligible winners in each class. The remainder of eligible podium finishers will get $400 and $250 certificates, in that order.

Race Technology USA will offer prizes to podium finishers in all classes. Registered winners will receive discounts on a new system or credit to upgrade an existing system.

Summit Racing Equipment will offer $150 in certificates to all eligible National Champions. Second place will get a $100 certificate, while places third through sixth can each claim a $50 certificate. In addition, Summit will provide a $50 Hard Luck certificate to the program eligible starter who completes the least number of laps in each class.

Much of the upcoming IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s will transpire in a format already familiar to drivers, fans in the grandstand and XSAN viewers around the world.

You’ll have to be at Boone Speedway from Sept. 1-6 for the 32nd annual version of America’s Racin’ Vacation to see some of what’s different, however.

“There is always a need to fine tune but the format and XSAN coverage will be very similar to last year’s Super Nationals,” IMCA Vice President of Operations Brett Root said. “XSAN is doing some very exciting things to extend the reach of the event.”

Nearly 300 drivers from 21 states and Canada have now pre-entered and/or submitted pit stall applications.

The entire Deery Brothers Summer Series Late Model program is on Labor Day while Sport Compacts run on Tuesday, Sept. 2. The Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational is Friday, Sept. 5. Race of Champions events and main events for the Modifieds, Stock Cars, Hobby Stocks and Northern SportMods all are set for Saturday, Sept. 6.

With bonuses based on their number of sanctioned starts during the season figured in, champions’ share of Super Nationals purses will be $7000 for the Modifieds, $4500 for the Late Models, $3500 for the Stock Cars, $2250 for the Northern SportMods, $1850 for the Hobby Stocks and $500 for the Sport Compacts.

Winners of the Saturday main events will see their engines sold at auction immediately following the program and all four are guaranteed to go home with new power plants.

Karl Performance gives a built engine to any driver winning a Saturday championship with a claim engine. Karl Chevrolet gives a crate engine to any driver winning a Saturday crown with a crate.

Theme for the best looking car contest is a tribute to the late “Speedy” Bill Smith, founder and owner of Speedway Motors.

Drivers in all six divisions bringing tribute cars to Boone receive $100 gift cards from Speedway Motors, which marks its 20th year as title sponsor of Super Nationals in 2014.

Best appearing winners will be determined for themed Modifieds, Stock Cars, Hobby Stocks and Northern SportMods.

Pit gates open at 10 a.m. and pre-race tech for Hobby Stocks and Northern SportMods continues until 4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 31. The $10 pit pass fee will be refunded to everyone exiting the pit area by 4:30 p.m.

An open practice session for all divisions is from 5-7 p.m. The traditional pre-Super Nationals tailgate party follows, with complimentary food and beverages and a return engagement by the band Helforstout, which plays from sundown to 1 a.m. Practice admission is $10.

Once practice is complete, there will be no free admission to the pit area.

The repaved and revised 14-turn Grand Prix road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway may be new to the competitors in Friday’s Brickyard Grand Prix, but the vaunted Brickyard itself is a familiar place to many drivers who will compete in the first event at Indy since the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series and American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón combined to form the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.

Five drivers who competed in the Indianapolis 500 in May will be racing in Friday’s two-hour, 45-minute Brickyard Grand Prix. Jack Hawksworth and Martin Plowman are part of the Prototype Challenge field, along with GT Daytona competitors Townsend Bell and James Davison.

Sage Karam was announced Wednesday as a last-minute replacement for Memo Rojas in the No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Ford EcoBoost/Riley in the Prototype class.
Of the five, Karam, an Indy 500 rookie, posted the best finish in the race—ninth.

Karam will join Scott Pruett, a perennial contender in the top class, who has raced in four Indy 500s and two Brickyard 400s in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Pruett, who finished second in the Brickyard Grand Prix in both 2012 and 2013, would like nothing better than to win the race, both for himself and for team owner Chip Ganassi, who needs the victory to complete a trifecta that includes his Indy 500 and Brickyard 400 victories.

Pruett has ground to make up in the championship standings. Still feeling the effects of a disappointing run in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Pruett trails DP leaders Jordan and Ricky Taylor by 26 points entering Friday’s race.

A nagging back issue, however, will keep his regular co-driver Rojas out of the race, but Karam, 19, the reigning Indy Lights champion, will be a capable replacement.

“I couldn’t have been happier to get the call to come drive again with the team in the No. 01 car in Indianapolis,” said Karam, who was part of Ganassi’s Prototype team at the Rolex 24. “It’s an unfortunate situation for Memo, and I hope he recovers quickly, but I’m happy to step up and contribute any way I can.

“I have such great memories of competing at IMS already in the Indianapolis 500 this year with the team, so it almost feels like going home a bit. I know it’s a completely different track, but I feel comfortable there, and I’m hoping I can carry that over into a great result this weekend.”

Pruett and Karam won’t have to worry about the team that beat the No. 01 DP car to the finish line in the last two Brickyard Grand Prix. Starworks Motorsport, victorious in the DP class in 2012 and 2013, has entered two cars in the PC class this year, hopeful of defeating the No. 54 of Jon Bennett and Colin Braun, which has won four of five PC races this year.

“We’ve been looking forward to this race for a while,” team owner Peter Baron said. “Obviously, we’ve had good luck there. The setup philosophy on how you run a car at Indy should translate from a DP to a PC car.

“Our team really wants to win. Hopefully, we’re rid of all our bad luck and will start making ground in the championship. We’re trying to make an Indy three-peat and kiss the bricks one more time.”

New to the Brickyard this year is the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class, which will see Corvette Racing attempt to win its fifth straight event. The extremely competitive class features factory entries from Porsche, BMW, Corvette, Dodge Viper SRT and Ferrari.

TI Automotive will serve as the primary sponsor for the SRT (Street and Racing Technology) Motorsports No. 91 Dodge Viper SRT GTS-R in the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship’s Brickyard Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday, July 25.

As part of the agreement, TI Automotive, a leading global supplier of automotive fluid systems, will partner with SRT Motorsports as a team associate sponsor for the remainder of the 2014 season.

“TI Automotive is proud to be a partner with the SRT Motorsports team, as it provides us an opportunity to move our technical relationship with SRT engineers from the street to the track,” said Al Deane, chief technology officer for TI Automotive. "Our involvement in the series will also introduce TI Automotive to a wider audience by supporting an iconic race car at a truly iconic race track. We look at this sponsorship as fueling our mutual passion for street and racing technology development.”

TI Automotive currently supplies the high-performance fuel pump module system to the production Viper and the recently released Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. The fuel delivery module system features the Automotive News PACE Award-winning Dual-Channel Single-Stage (DCSS) fuel pump, one of the industry’s highest-performing fuel pumps. This fuel delivery design enables the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat to be the fastest and most powerful muscle car in history with 707 horsepower.

“On behalf of SRT Motorsports, I’d like to welcome TI Automotive to the team as sponsors of the No. 91 Viper SRT GTS-R,” said Ralph Gilles, President and CEO, SRT Motorsports, Chrysler Group LLC. “It’s exciting to see TI Automotive, who is a great partner on the product side, grow to support our Viper racing program and we look forward to working with them as a partner for the remainder of the 2014 season. As part of the sponsorship, a unique livery has been created for the No. 91 Viper to showcase the TI Automotive colors at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway."

In honor of the new partnership, the No. 91 Dodge Viper SRT GTS-R will sport a new livery for the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship’s Brickyard Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The vehicle will feature a white body with a bold, bright green stripe outlined in dark blue from nose to tail. TI Automotive’s blue-and-green Fluid thinking icon will sit atop the roof and on other key points across the vehicle.

“We think the SRT Motorsports group came up with a great look for a race car,” said Deane. “It’s certainly something that our 24,000 employees in 130 worldwide locations will be thrilled to see and cheer for. We look forward to seeing it on the track and in the winner’s circle.”

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway introduced the new and improved IMS scoring pylon to the media on the main straightaway of the iconic 2.5-mile oval, ahead of this weekend's TUDOR United SportsCar Championship/NASCAR Kroger Super Weekend at the Brickyard events.

The new scoring pylon, located just south of the entrance to Gasoline Alley, features full LED panels on all four sides providing improved messaging capabilities to fans that will include animation and video.

“We wanted to generate more information, to give more information to the fans in their seats,” said Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Doug Boles. “That old pylon was iconic, so we wanted to make sure the size was similar – we’re about two feet taller and three inches wider (with the new pylon) – but we wanted the ability to light it like everybody’s used to, especially for the Indianapolis 500.”



For this weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup event, the pylon can display the top 10 on the track while also circulating through spots 11 through 43. It can also provide enhanced stats information like lap times, miles per hour and time behind the leader.

Made by Panasonic, the new pylon has 1320 panels on each side and 5280 combined on all four sides. It stands 92 feet, 2 inches tall.

The second-generation scoring pylon stood 90 feet, 4 inches tall, and was erected in 1994. It was removed on June 30, 2014. That pylon replaced the original IMS scoring pylon built in the spring of 1959, then a one-of-a-kind model which featured a lap counter, average speed indicator and positions for 33 cars.

WRC Commission president Carlos Barbosa says the FIA is determined to reinvigorate the sport's spectacle with the next generation of World Rally Cars.

New technical regulations will arrive in the world championship in 2017, but Barbosa is adamant those rules will be written and communicated before the end of this year. And he wants variety back in the service park.

"If you paint all of the [current World Rally] cars white," said Barbosa, "right now it's not possible to recognize which is which. We need to change that and we need to bring the spectacle back to our sport and make the cars more attractive."

Sources have suggested there will be significant change in 2017 both in the size of cars - potentially moving from the current segment-B cars up to segment-D - and in the engine power, with the rules centered on controlling fuel flow to allow manufacturers to, within reason, run whatever engine they prefer.

"We are at the beginning of the discussions for the 2017 car," said Barbosa. "This is the principle [fuel-flow regulation] but out of this principle, things can still change.

"We have had the meeting with the [FIA] technical working group and the manufacturers, and now it must go to the Commission.

"I will be in Geneva soon to discuss this document with Jarmo [Mahonen, FIA rally director], Michele [Mouton, FIA WRC manager] and Jean [Todt FIA president] and then we will say: 'This is OK, that is not OK, change this or change that.'

"We cannot take this meeting as the final meeting, but I think we are going in a very good way.

"We must change many things to make the WRC in the top events in the world: the WRC must be bigger."

Barbosa confirmed 2017 regulations would be prepared and most likely revealed at the December meeting of the World Motor Sport Council.

"I am sure we will have these regulations by the end of the season," he said.

"This was the promise we gave to the manufacturers and everything will be completely done and completely correct before the end of the year."

As the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup picture comes further into focus, NASCAR announced that Chase Grid Live Sponsored by Toyota and Sprint will make its debut in downtown Chicago on Sept. 10-11.

The free outdoor fan fest located on North Michigan Avenue, will culminate with a two-hour live show featuring all 16 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers, just days before the momentous Challenger Round debuts at Chicagoland Speedway.

“There’s no better way to introduce our new Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup format than by inviting our fans – the most loyal in sports – to be a part of the celebration,” said Steve Phelps, NASCAR chief marketing officer. “We are fortunate to have partnered with two world-class brands in Toyota and Sprint to provide an unforgettable fan experience as we embark on this significant moment for our sport.”

In conjunction with today’s announcement, fans can now visit www.NASCAR.com/ChaseGridLive to enter the Chase Grid Live Sweepstakes. The Grand Prize package includes an all-inclusive trip to Chicago for a VIP experience at Chase Grid Live, two VIP access passes to all three national series races at Chicagoland Speedway, a ride in the Toyota Camry Grand Marshal car before the NASCAR Sprint Cup race, and $1,000 spending money. Fans can enter the Chase Grid Live sweepstakes through Aug. 29.

“Toyota is proud to once again partner with NASCAR and Sprint in Chicago for this annual celebration of the Sprint Cup Series championship contenders,” said Ed Laukes, vice president of marketing, performance and guest experience, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. “With this season’s new Chase format and 16 worthy competitors vying for the championship trophy, this is an event Chicagoans and NASCAR fans will certainly want to attend. Being from Chicago, I know it’s a great venue and knowing NASCAR it will definitely be a must-see event.”

Throughout the two-day fan fest, ESPN will feature live segments with many of the 16 drivers competing in the Challenger Round and various other NASCAR personalities making appearances on-site. Fans in attendance will be treated to custom content that will be featured on Sprint Vision, a high definition 18 x 32.4 foot screen; Toyota Camry NASCAR Sprint Cup show cars; and a special in-show tribute by NASCAR and Toyota to the nation’s servicemen and women.

Registration for the 2014 SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the first west coast visit for the event in 46 years, opens this Wednesday at 10 a.m. (EDT, 7 a.m. PDT).

The registration process for the Runoffs, running Oct. 7-12 at the classic Monterey, Calif., circuit, includes the ability for a driver to choose a car number for the National Championship event, as well as sign up for the Monday, Oct. 6, test day. Driver car numbers from 2013 will be honored in the same class for one week, until July 30. Complete registration process, including car number conflict procedures, is included in the supplemental regulations.

Included in each entry for 2014 is a 30-foot long by 25-foot wide paddock space. Larger spaces are available for participants with trailers longer than 30 feet in length for an additional cost. Unlike in the past, where specific spaces were reserved in the paddock, participants will be assigned to a paddock area based on their space needs and then parked as they stage to enter the facility. This will both ensure easy access to spaces and utilize every possible piece of real estate in the paddock. Space is limited, and the main paddock areas will be assigned by entry date.

Test day registration for Monday, October 6 is also available at the time of Runoffs Registration. The test day entry fee is $300.

More information, including the Supplemental Regulations, schedule, detailed paddock parking instructions and more, is available at SCCA.com/Runoffs.

Weld Racing will return as the title sponsor for the second-annual Weld Racing Go-Kart Spectacular on Wednesday, August 6, at Slideways Karting Center in Knoxville, Iowa.

The karting event, held in conjunction with the Tony Stewart Kick-It Cup, raises money for Kick-It, a program of the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation.

The Weld Racing Go-Kart Spectacular will feature four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Jeff Gordon, three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart, 16-time Sprint Cup winner Kasey Kahne and Sprint Cup rookie of the year contender Kyle Larson, racing against more than 50 race fans who have donated to Kick-It. This year, the available positions to race in the event were sold out in less than 36 hours.

“With our long heritage in sprint car racing, Weld Racing is proud to be part of the Kick-It for Childhood Cancer activities taking place during the Knoxville Nationals,” said Norm Young, CEO of WELD Racing, LLC. “Returning as title sponsor of the Go-Kart Spectacular was one of the easiest decisions WELD has made. We are happy to support great people raising money for a great cause.”

The inaugural Weld Racing Go-Kart Spectacular featured Gordon and Larson, who substituted for an injured Stewart. Larson won the event, which raised more than $24,000 for Kick-It and childhood cancer research.

“We are thrilled to have Weld Racing on board again for this event,” said Jennifer Jones, Director of Kick-It at Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation. “Last year was a blast, and this year is shaping up to be even better.”

This year’s event, also sponsored by KCP Racing, starts at 2 p.m., local time at Slideways Karting Center located at 1230 Highway 14 North in Knoxville.

The following day, Larson, will serve as a guest bartender at the famed Dingus Lounge across from Knoxville Raceway from 2 p.m. until 3 p.m., local time. All tips earned by Larson will benefit Kick-It.

On Friday, sprint car drivers from around the country will compete in the Tony Stewart Kick-It Cup, a grassroots game of kickball at Young’s Field, one block south of the raceway. The event begins at 11 a.m., local time and will feature The Minnesota Mafia Kids Kick-It Contest, a “Legends of Sprint Car Racing” autograph session, as well as a live and silent auction.

Major Gen. Chuck Swannack has been named executive director of Speedway Children’s Charities.

After serving in the same position for nearly 25 years, Major Gen. Tom Sadler has been named executive director emeritus.

“Gen. Sadler set a high bar with his years of service and dedication to children,” said Marcus Smith, president and chief operating officer of Speedway Motorsports, Inc. and president of Speedway Children’s Charities. “Now with his outstanding leadership credentials, Gen. Swannack will continue to move Speedway Children’s Charities.”

As Executive Director Emeritus, Sadler will serve as an advisor to Swannack and the Speedway Children’s Charities Board of Directors and will continue to participate in speedway activities and charitable events.

“Simply put, there is no replacing Gen. Sadler,” Swannack said. “Under his leadership, Speedway Children’s Charities has grown from a fledgling organization into one of NASCAR’s most respected charities, contributing more than $45 million to hundreds of deserving charities and helping over 13 million children in need across the country. I look forward to working alongside Tom as I learn the ropes and continue to work to serve children facing educational, medical, financial and social needs.”

Swannack was commissioned as an infantry second lieutenant from the United States Military Academy in 1971. Over the next three decades, he served in command and staff positions at every level from platoon to Department of the Army.

Prior to his retirement, Swannack commanded the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg from October 2002 until May 2004. During this time, he provided forces to Combined Joint Task Force-180 for combat operations in Afghanistan, and he personally led the Division during combat operations from Kuwait to Baghdad and later civil-military operations in western Iraq.

Swannack is a graduate of Capstone and the National War College. He holds a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and is a Registered Professional Engineer in Virginia.

Initially in retirement, Swannack provided consultation services to multiple defense corporations and primarily served in the capacity of a trainer, coach and mentor to Brigade Combat Teams preparing to deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan. He served as CEO and President of the Logistics Services Division, Louis Berger Services (formerly US Logistics, Inc.).

Swannack resumed consultation services under Alpha Management Group, while also serving as a director for Recon Robotics in Edina, Minn., president of the Military Family Lifestyle Charitable Foundation in Huntersville, N.C., and as an active supporter on multiple other military charities as a means of giving back to those who served him so well during his military career.

“After nearly 25 years, it’s time to pass the torch, and I can’t think of anyone more qualified and more dedicated than Chuck Swannack to lead Speedway Children’s Charities,” Sadler said. “I look forward to working with him during this time of transition and seeing the energy and enthusiasm he will bring to serving children in need.”