Ingersoll Rand, a global manufacturer of compressed air systems and services, power tools, material handling, and fluid management equipment, donated a full suite of its vehicle service power tools, valued at approximately $10,000, as part of its first Ingersoll Rand Race Day. The donation, including the new W5330 Cordless Right Angle Impactool and the IQv12 Series of cordless tools, was made to Hunterdon County Polytech Career and Technical School on Tuesday, June 3, in Annandale, New Jersey.

The purpose of the Ingersoll Rand Race Day is to engage, excite and educate employees and customers about technical automotive industries and Ingersoll Rand tools with a focus on the Ingersoll Rand racing program.

The event featured the Ingersoll Rand hauler used at NASCAR racing events with interactive product displays such as a pit crew tire-changing challenge. Attendees were also able to meet NASCAR driver Will Kimmel and see the #69 Kimmel Racing Ford used at ARCA Series races. Among the attendees were employees, local officials, automotive technicians, mobile jobbers, industrial customers and students who use Ingersoll Rand tools as part of their training.

"Ingersoll Rand Race Day events are a great opportunity to enhance our customer partnerships, demonstrate our product and service capabilities, and to recognize our employees for their efforts to innovate and serve our customers,” said John Evans, president of power tools at Ingersoll Rand.

Commitment to Education
This donation is part of an existing Ingersoll Rand student program that donates tool packages and offers a discount to students registered in vocational and technical programs for high schools or colleges. It is designed to help propel the next generation of technicians into the industry and welcome them into the Ingersoll Rand Family.

Ingersoll Rand expects additional Race Day events in Southern Pines, NC; Charlotte, NC; and Nashville, TN later in the year with more power tool donations to technical schools.

To learn more about Ingersoll Rand’s tool program, visit http://www.ingersollrandproducts.com/am-en/products/tools/student-program.

For more information on Ingersoll Rand Tools, visit www.irtools.com or www.facebook.com/ingersollrand; or follow Ingersoll Rand on Twitter at @IRProducts or on Instagram at @IRTools.
         

Homestead-Miami Speedway announced that Neal Gulkis has been named Director of Media Relations. Gulkis joins the Speedway from the National Football League’s Cleveland Browns, where he served as the Vice President of Media Relations, serving as the primary liaison between the Browns’ President, General Manager, Head Coach and the media.

“Neal is going to add a fresh and exciting perspective as he spearheads our media relations department,” Homestead-Miami Speedway President Matthew Becherer said. “He brings more than 20 years of experience from the National Football League, including 12 years spent with the Miami Dolphins. We are proud to bring him down to South Florida again and are excited about the passionate energy and enthusiasm he will bring to our world-class events during one of the most exciting NASCAR championship seasons thus far.”

A seasoned communications professional, Gulkis brings professional experience to Homestead-Miami Speedway, spending five years with the Cleveland Browns Media Relations department (2009-2013), as well as 12 years with the Miami Dolphins Media Relations department (1997-2009), and nine years with the New Orleans Saints Media Relations department.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to be part of a special team,” Gulkis said. “South Florida is a fantastic market with a unique culture and outstanding fan base, and I can’t wait to help make the Speedway an integral part of the community. Playing host to Ford Championship Weekend is just one of the many reasons Homestead-Miami Speedway has an extremely bright future and I’m eager to get started and help build on that.”

Gulkis attended the University of Delaware, before beginning his career with the New Orleans Saints, Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns. He can be reached at ngulkis@homesteadmiamispeedway.com, or via (305) 230-5233.

The Inaugural Fun in The Sun Racing Series–Florida event, presented by S&S Race Promotions, LLC, will be hosted by Bradenton Motorsports Park, Bradenton, Florida, on November 14-18, 2014.

This five-day, big buck, 1000-foot drag race will help kick off the Fun in The Sun Racing Series, which will feature contingency prizes, a points fund offering, and will guarantee $10,000 to each day’s event winner.

The Fun in The Sun Racing Series evolved following conversations between Scott Weney and Scotty Richardson, two racing legends and current champions. Weney and Richardson recently expressed their mutual ‘need/desire’ to race at such an event but recognized that these events no longer exist.

“STRANGE, Drag Racing Action, Hoosier, Aerospace, Bradenton Motorsports Park, Palm Beach International Raceway and many others are lending their support. Together, we will make our series successful and memorable,” said Weney.

All Fun in The Sun race coverage will appear in Drag Racing Action magazine. In addition to the daily $10,000 payout, each winner will also receive a special inaugural race custom water jet trophy made by S&W Precision Specialties. Event runner-ups will receive $2500, semi-finalists will be awarded $1000, and quarter-finalists will receive $500. Payouts will begin at 3rd round ($100 per round 9 round race).  

The Fun in The Sun points series will award its top 10 finishers. The series champion will be awarded $2500 as well as a paid entry into Palm Beach International Raceway’s 2014 five-day event ($875 value). The race also features a dragster versus dragster and door car versus door car format until laddered. In addition, everyone who races in all 5 of the inaugural Fun in The Sun races will receive a $100 discount off of their Palm Beach five-race entry package. They will also receive a 20-point Palm Beach bonus as well.

If this isn’t enticing enough, Fun in The Sun will also host a “Duck Race” for $875, a “Run for the Money” race which will take place every day, and a Calcutta. Racers also have the chance to “Win a Dragster” during the Racecraft Dragster Challenge.

“Scott and I know what it takes to make racers happy, and what it takes to make their families happy too. The combination is challenging, but we plan on creating an experience that will be fun and fair for everyone,” Richardson added.

You can save $75 by taking advantage of the Fun in The Sun five-race pre-entry package discount that is available until July 30, 2014. For more information visit www.racefuninthesun.com or contact Scott Weney at scottw@swracecars.com / Scotty Richardson at richardson.scotty@yahoo.com. Or visit and ‘Like’ the Fun in the Sun Racing Series page on Facebook.

Interested in supporting this series?
S&S Race Promotions, LLC, is seeking additional sponsors for the Inaugural Fun in The Sun Racing Series–Florida event. If you would like more information about this series, or would like to schedule an interview, please contact Scott Weney at scottw@swracecars.com or Scotty Richardson at richardson.scotty@yahoo.com.

IndyCar's return to the streets of Houston in 2013 left a haunting impression on many who witnessed Dario Franchitti's career-ending crash at Turn 5. Flying fence structures that landed in the grandstands, not to mention accident debris that injured fans, also tainted the event's first running after a five-year hiatus.

As the series returns for this weekend's Grand Prix of Houston double-header, drivers and fans will find a number of necessary safety improvements in the wake of what took place last year. INDYCAR, sanctioning body for the Verizon IndyCar Series, performed and concluded a thorough and detailed investigation of the crash, finding multiple improvements for the track's safety measures to be increased and areas for its spec Dallara DW12 chassis to be strengthened.

Updates to the DW12 took place earlier in the year, leaving race promoter Mike Lanigan, who also co-owns the Rahal Letterman Lanigan IndyCar team, to commission upgrades throughout the 1.6-mile, 10-turn street circuit that runs around Reliant Park.

The most notable change for 2014 involves the deletion of grandstands on the outside of the fast right-hand corner at Turn 5. Franchitti's launch into the barriers, which took place after contact was made with the slowing car of Takuma Sato, saw the Scot's car carried over the cement barrier and into the fence by centrifugal force. With fans sitting on the outside of the sweeping corner, the laws of nature sent any and all debris in their direction, resulting in more than a dozen injuries. Many of the injured received attention while on site and a few required more extensive attention at the hospital before being released.

A major issue involving the track's fencing was highlighted during Franchitti's crash, which has been addressed by the event organizers. Upon hitting the fence, the sheet-like steel structure lifted from the poles that held it in place, sending the fence into the grandstands. The upward motion of the impact, as the investigation found, exploited the lack of tethering between the fences and the cement barriers they sat upon, leading the Houston track builders to devise their own fence-to-barrier connection system.

Another item of interest involved the lack of poles in the middle of each fence panel. The cement barriers are constructed with holes for three vertical support poles to be used with each section of fencing, with two outer holes serving as the primary anchor points for the fence and a center hole/post location to add resistance in the event of a strike.

Franchitti's crash managed to center-punch the fence, and without a middle pole to limit the fence's travel, its deformation and dislodging from its outer mountings was accelerated. New this weekend, three poles will be used in spectator areas, and it's believed three poles will also be used in areas deemed to have a higher likelihood of contact.

The final change from last year's return to Houston involves the repaving of the front straight. Although it did not pose a safety problem in the traditional sense, an uneven track surface saw many cars leaping over a large bump as drivers raced toward Turn 1. It's believed a hard jump and landing by points leader Helio Castroneves in Race 2 led to a gearbox failure which had a significant impact on his title chances, and the jump managed to wreak havoc on some of the other series at the event, including the Pro Mazda series, which reported a number of broken engines. According to Laniga, who stepped up to fund the aforementioned improvements on his own, drivers can expect a smooth ride to Turn 1, among other upgrades this weekend.

"We had some issues with Turn 1 we didn't find out about until the event started last year, and we have since removed that bumps a few weeks ago, tested it, then added some more concrete headed into Turn 1," he said. "We put a great deal of infrastructure money into it to make sure it won't be an issue for a long time and we tested it again. We did some grinding in other areas to make the track as smooth as possible, but as you know, it's a street course and it's going to be bumpy – but it's going to be safe.

"We took the grandstands out in [Turn 5], and also came up with an apparatus to tie the fences down and feel pretty comfortable about that. After last year's situation, the main priority has been safety for not only our drivers but for our fans."

Lanigan is hopeful the negative publicity surrounding the events of 2013 combined with temperatures expected to be in the 90s won't affect crowd size for the Shell & Pennzoil-sponsored Grand Prix.

"We knew going in the weather would be challenging, but I'm hopeful we'll at least equal last year's attendance," he noted. "We didn't have a choice on a date; IndyCar was flexible, but the Reliant folks had a lot of activities booked in April and May, we didn't want another late race where we go up against the NFL, so we were left with the option we had to choose. Hopefully the weather will be a little cooler than people expect it to be and we're hoping to have good walk-up traffic."

It’s been 10 years since NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Bobby Labonte threw the first green flag, opening his quarter-midget track in Salisbury, North Carolina.

Labonte had the vision to create a state of the art facility for kids to race, just as he and older brother Terry had spent their weekends growing up in Texas. Labonte, wanted a fairly flat track so drivers could learn car control. He wanted the facility to be one that club members would be proud of and he wanted to host national events.

The United States Auto Club hosted Round Five of their Honda National Touring Series from June 19-21. After visiting San Bernardino, Calif., Phoenix, San Antonio, Texas, and Nashville, Tenn., the Carolina Clash featured the speeds of the smooth concrete surface at Salisbury.

The event commemorated the 10-year anniversary with several alumni drivers returning to the track for autographs.

Ryan Blaney – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Standout, Jared Irvan – PASS Late Models, Todd Gilliland and Tyler Ankrum – NASCAR Lt Models, Jared Fryer – PRO All Star Late Models, Lucas Jones – PASS Pro Late Model Series, & Nolan Allison, Wil Raber, and Jessica Bean who currently participate in the USAC Honda HPD Midget Series.

A live radio show by Triad Sports Coverage was on hand Thursday during practice to talk to the alumni drivers and get their stories.

Carson Hocevar of Portage, Mich. had a stellar weekend taking home 4 wins. (Hvy Honda, Hvy 160, Briggs Hvy WF, Hvy AA) Local driver Ryan Repko wore gold three times, (Sr Honda, Lt 160, Briggs Lt WF) and Brady Johnson of Mooresville, N.C. was the victor in Briggs Jr Animal and Lt Mod. Gage Painter of Huntersville, N.C. won Briggs Sr Animal and Jack Wehmeyer of Crystal Springs, PA won Lt ‘AA.

Six-year-old Luke Riffle of Greensboro, N.C. (Jr Honda) and ten-year-old Danny Sams, III of Lakeland, Fla. (Unrestricted Animal) recorded their first ever National Tour wins.

All Rookie drivers received gold participation medallions, but local drivers Jared Orrell, John Macartney, and PJ Majors crossed the finish line first in their main events.

Motovicity Distribution, a performance aftermarket distributor, announced the HKS Hipermax Buy & Try offer and HKS Premium Day sweepstakes for performance shops and aftermarket retailers.

The limited-time offer gives Motovicity customers 50 percent off MSRP on their choice of HKS Hipermax performance coilover kits from July 1 through Oct. 31, 2014. During that same time period, for every $500 of HKS Hipermax purchases, Motovicity customers will also receive one entry to win a trip for two to the 2015 HKS Premium Day event held at the iconic Fuji Speedway in Japan.

“This is a rare opportunity for our customers to not only earn a significant discount on HKS products but to participate in one of the most coveted events in the industry,” said Motovicity Brand Manager Scott Cole. “It’s just one of the many ways we support our retailers and brands – and build enthusiastic and knowledgeable brand ambassadors along the way.”

Tuned for each specific application from the factory, HKS Hipermax coilovers are one of the leading performance coilover brands for the sport compact segment. Every HKS Hipermax coilover features lightweight aluminum alloy strut bodies, Hiper Linear piston fluid channel, adjustable height and dampening, corrosion resistant construction, and HKS warranty and support.

As the exclusive North American distributor of HKS, Motovicity is the only authorized HKS importer and wholesale distributor in the U.S. and stocks the largest selection of HKS suspension, engine performance products, exhaust kits & mufflers, and a full line of HKS accessories.

Motovicity customers can use the Buy & Try promotional discount as often as they like, either on their own shop vehicles or by passing the savings along to their customers.

About HKS Premium Day: Every year, thousands of JDM performance enthusiasts make the annual pilgrimage to Fuji Speedway. It’s a unique opportunity to learn about new HKS products under development, see historic HKS racecars in-person, and participate in on-track product demonstrations.

For more information, call a Motovicity sales representative at 888.SPEED.16. Contest open to Motovicity customers only. For official rules, beginning July 1, 2014, log onto your customer account at Motovicity.com and click on HKS Official Promotion Rules in the toolbar.

Volkswagen has unveiled the race car it will be fielding in the Red Bull Global Rallycross (GRC) series later this year.

The all-wheel-drive bug is powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that pumps out a massive 544 hp, making it 2.5 times as potent as the top street car.

With a racing weight of just 2668 pounds, the Beetle GRC can sprint to 60 mph in a scant 2.1 seconds on tarmac, while its huge wing keeps it stuck to the ground and a suspension designed to deliver 9.1 inches of wheel travel eats up the jumps and bumps of a rallycross course.

The car will be fielded by Andretti Autosport with Top Gear host Tanner Foust and current GRC points leader Scott Speed behind the wheel, but its debut race hasn’t been announced. A mockup of the car was first shown at the Chicago Auto Show in Feburary, but the pair has been competing in cars based on the European VW Polo subcompact, which is not sold in the U.S.

British sports car manufacturer Aston Martin will soon be keeping race car drivers cool with solar-powered air-conditioning systems.

The company announced a partnership with Hanergy Global Solar Power and Applications Group to equip cars with ultra-thin solar panels that can power auxiliary features, such as air conditioning, without sucking power from the engine.

The FIA, the governing body for world motor sport, requires World Endurance Championship cars to maintain a cockpit temperature below 32 degrees Celsius (90 degress Fahrenheit) to prevent drivers from overheating. Normally, air conditioning is powered by a car's internal combustion engine, draining its power and decreasing fuel efficiency.

"It's a bit of a balancing game at the moment," Dan Sayers, chief engineer at Aston Martin Racing said in a release. "The air-conditioning system uses engine power, however, keeping the drivers cool and more comfortable is essential. If we can find a solution that keeps the driver cool without the negative effects on performance, then it could have a really positive impact on GT racing."

Aston Martin announced its plans at the 24 Hours of Le Mans sports car race in France on Saturday, and said it expects to have the first solar-equipped car ready for the next endurance race. With upcoming events in locations ranging from Texas to Bahrain, the cooling technology could make a considerable difference.

“In racing terms, when you’re talking about fractions of a second per lap, and it’s a question of winning and losing,” Ben Sayer, an Aston Martin spokesperson.

Aston Martin said the adaptation is not currently for environmental purposes, but rather for driver comfort.

"We aren't looking at solar-power technology for our race cars because it is a green option," John Gaw, Aston Martin Racing's team principal, said in a statement. "We are looking at how we can use the power of the sun to improve the comfort of our race cars for our drivers, and therefore increase our performance on track. However, we are looking at how we can improve our green credentials as a business now that we are moving to new premises."

The solar technology is currently designed as an alternative power source for V8 Vantage GTE cars. If trials with this model are successful, Aston Martin said it plans to have the solar system installed in the V12 Vantage GT3 and V8 Vantage GT4 models.

Wilkesboro Raceway Park is back open for business.

New co-owners Phil Halbedel and Pam Prout, both who reside in Boone, have bought Raceway Park from Danny Dunn, who had owned and operated the facility for the past 15 years, and are getting the race track up and running again, starting with the traditional Test & Tune last Thursday.

The event will take place every Thursday from 6–9:30 p.m. Should it be rained out, they will run on Friday with the same start time.

This past Saturday, the first points race of the 2014 season took place.

Prout, an avid race fan, is excited to get racing started as the Street Class and Junior dragsters are coming back.

“We are doing what we love to do and the Wilkesboro race track has always been home track for me,” said Prout.

According to the track’s website (www.wilkesbororacewaypark.com), the new owners plan to repair the track issues and start building back the Saturday programs.

One of the reasons that the park initially decided to discontinue the Saturday night programs back in late May was due to low car count.

The season, which is the 59th, will continue through mid-October when it culminates with The Race Against Cancer on Oct. 10-11.

For more information, visit www.wilkesbororacewaypark.com, call (336) 973-RACE (7223) or visit Wilkesboro Raceway Park on Facebook.

Wilkesboro Raceway Park is located at 774 Dragway Road, about six miles west of Wilkesboro on U.S. 421.

One of the nation’s premier speedway venues, Sydney Speedway, has been sold to Sprint car team owner Barry Waldron.

Rumblings first started to circulate earlier this year that Waldron was making a bold move to oust the consortium at the head of what is currently known as Valvoline Raceway.

Waldron has been involved in the sport for over 10 years as a team owner, building one of the most professional sprintcar operations in Australia under the Eastcoast Pipeline Racing banner with Robbie Farr as his driver.

He’s been linked with rumoured takeovers of several Australian Speedway venues over recent years, however this is the Queenslander’s first major investment in track ownership.

It ends a tumultuous period on and off-track for the previous ownership which included 10 times Australian Sprint car champion Garry Rush, speed car racer Brett Morris, the Loudoun family, Peter Attard and renowned Sydney smash repairer and former racer Rod Bowen.

A statement on the ownership move said that the new owner intends to work "with all stakeholders of the sport including fans, sponsors, associations and the race teams to enhance event experiences and fan engagement."

It further stated its intention to solidify the future of Valvoline Raceway as one of the premier racing and entertainment facilities in Australian Motorsport.

Former managing director of the Raceway, Steven Green, is expected to return from a stint in Thailand to take the helm again.

“Sydney Speedway is a great entertainment facility with a very bright future,” said Green in his role as spokesperson for Waldron.

“The facility has the support of some of the most loyal fans in the industry, it’s positioned well in the heart of Sydney, and year in and year out it provides great racing action for motorsports fans.”

Sydney Speedway will form a subsidiary of one of Waldron’s companies – Made Too Go Pty Ltd.

Further announcements with regards to management and calendars for the 2014/2015 season are expected soon, with no further events to be conducted at the venue until the new season.