Formula DRIFT and Irwindale Event Center have announced Thursday Night Drift. The open series of drifting sessions is set to begin on Thursday, June 12, at Irwindale Speedway.

The on-track sessions will consist of various drifting courses for drivers of all skill levels to learn the techniques of drifting in a safe environment under the supervision of Formula DRIFT officials. There will be three different courses that are created based on experience, with each course progressively more difficult and faster than the previous one, with the final course being the full Formula DRIFT course that the Series uses during their annual season finale at Irwindale Speedway.
 
This will be a rare occasion that non-professional and licensed drivers will be able to drift on the famous course at "The House of Drift". The events will be open to all drivers and their vehicles that meet basic safety specifications. Registration will take place on the day of each event beginning at 2 p.m. at the venue, which will then be followed by a technical inspection on-site. Registration cost is $100 per entrant. Event hours are slated for 5pm to 9pm.
 
"The event will not only cater to amateurs, but also to the professional teams who would like to test and tune their competition vehicles," said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. "Drivers of all skill levels will be able to interact with each other and amateurs will be able to receive valuable tips from the pros. We are excited to give the drivers some additional practice time at a place like Irwindale Speedway."

The Formula DRIFT Thursday night sessions will be open to the public. Admission to the track's grandstands will cost $10 including free parking. Gates will open at 4:00 PM with the event ending at 9:00 PM. The event will begin on June 12 and continue on the following Thursday dates: July 24, August 14, September 25, November 13 and December 18.
 
"There have been so many drivers and fans who have asked about setting up a series of sessions like this," said Jim Cohan, President/CEO of Irwindale Speedway. "These unique Thursday night sessions here at Irwindale Speedway are going to answer a need that we've been hearing about for a long time."

Roger Parker, an experienced automotive business manager, has joined CTEK Power, Inc. as the company’s logistics coordinator and inside sales representative. Most recently, Parker was general sales manager for Fitzgerald Automotive Group and spent four years as the park services director at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio.

In his new role at CTEK, Parker will help lead technical support for the company. He will also be responsible for order fulfillment, customer service, inventory planning and marketing support for CTEK’s sales team.

“Roger’s exceptional interpersonal skills combined with his automotive experience, including his time as an ASE certified automotive technician, provides CTEK with a strong technical support background that will benefit our customers,” said Andreas Naeslund, president of Americas for CTEK.

Parker studied business administration, marketing and automotive technology at Bowling Green State University and Terra Community College.

For more information about CTEK charging systems, phone 800-941-7611 or 330-963-0981, email info@smartercharger.com or visit www.smartercharger.com.   


Rollie Miller, NMCA National Event Director, announced an all-new class for 2015 in both the NMCA Series and the LSX Showdown Challenge Series. The new Chevrolet Performance Stock (LS Stock) class will be using the brand new Chevrolet Performance DR525 drag racing sealed crate engine released May 30, 2014, and featured on NMCAdigital.com. The DR525 is scheduled to go on sale this summer on August 1.

"The all-new Chevrolet Performance Stock (LS Stock) class, signals an important advancement for drag racing, delivering exciting heads-up racing at a lower cost to our racers," said Miller. "The entire NMCA team is thrilled to be partnered with Chevrolet Performance to debut this new class. Chevrolet Performance Stock will provide some extremely close and exciting racing starting in 2015."

Chevrolet Performance Stock Class Overview:

Chevrolet Performance Stock (LS Stock) is a naturally aspirated heads-up class designed for 1955-and-later vehicles and is designed as a low-cost, entry-level heads-up class. All entries must compete on accepted suspensions and at the same base weight: 3,300 pounds. The class is an all-run, heads-up field using a .400 Pro Tree, Autostart.

Additionally, all entries are required to read and sign a racer's contract to prevent class participants from tampering with and/or altering the factory-sealed Chevrolet Performance DR525 crate engine and requisite engine control system.

For the complete NMCA/LSX Chevrolet Performance 2015 Rules Package, please go to http://www.nmcadigital.com/cat/rules_purses/docs/nmca/2014/2015-ls-stock-prelim.pdf

Motovicity Distribution, an automotive performance aftermarket distributor, is celebrating the formal re-launch of the iconic Tokico brand in North America after an 18-month hiatus of product shipments. Motovicity signed an exclusive distributor agreement with Hitachi Automotive Systems America, Inc. in November of 2013, and immediately began the process of restoring the product pipeline.  

Since taking over distribution, Motovicity has restored inventory levels and is currently setting up wholesale distributors in the US and Canada for the shock and strut manufacturer that has been an iconic performance brand for more than 60 years.

According to Motovicity Brand Manager Scott Cole, filling backorders is well underway with the majority of the Tokico product catalog now again available for distribution. Inventory is now available for popular applications including Ford Mustang, Honda, Nissan and Mazda. Motovicity is also providing marketing and advertising support for Tokico in the form of national print advertising and a booth at the 2014 SEMA show.

“We’ve seen exceptionally strong demand for this product, which is great to see from a brand perspective. To weather this storm and have people banging on your door for product is a good problem to have,” Cole said.

With Phase 1 of their mission to restore the Tokico brand nearly complete, Motovicity’s exclusive brand management department, (which oversees HKS, Quaife and Kelford North American wholesale distribution), is currently signing-up wholesale distributors and dealers for Tokico. Distributors interested in carrying the line can call 855-792-2256 for more information.

Cole predicts strong sales for the Tokico brand based on loyalty from enthusiasts and enduring recognition for the brand’s performance attributes in the value price segment. Tokico fills a niche in the street performance and vintage JDM segments, with additional fitment for current modern muscle and sport compact brands.

“We are very pleased with the progress Motovicity has made in restoring the Tokico brand in North America. This has been a massive undertaking that Motovicity is uniquely qualified to handle,” said Fred Pakshir, vice president and general manager, Hitachi Automotive Systems Americas.

For more information and for dealer or distributor inquiries, call 855-792-2256, or email your request to tokicoinfo@motovicity.com.

Victory Lane fell silent this weekend as the performance automotive community lost a pioneering racer, hot rodder and entrepreneur. “Speedy” Bill Smith, founder and owner of Speedway Motors, died May 30 at his home in Lincoln, Nebraska just weeks before his 85th birthday. He is survived by four sons, their wives, ten grandchildren, and an extended family of Speedway Motors employees and thousands of loyal customers.

A Lincoln, Nebraska native, Smith got hooked on cars early in life and began buying, fixing, and selling Model Ts for profit as a teen. Soon he was racing—first motorcycles, then cars—while attending classes at Nebraska Wesleyan University. After earning a degree in education, Smith followed his automotive passion and opened Speedway Motors in 1952, aided by a $300 loan from his wife Joyce.

A combination of passion, tenacity and innovation allowed Smith to grow a small 20x20 storefront into a flourishing mail-order business and manufacturing empire. During its 62 years in business, Speedway Motors has grown to become one of the largest manufacturers, distributors and retailers in the performance aftermarket. Working side-by-side with his beloved wife and all four sons, Smith built what is recognized as America’s Oldest Speed Shop.  

Smith’s countless contributions to rodding and racing have been recognized by dozens of organizations, with Hall of Fame and Lifetime Achievement honors coming from the likes of SEMA, NSRA, Goodguys, IMCA and USAC. He actively supported organizations and sanctioning bodies that shared his mission to make rodding and racing safe, fun and affordable.  

Fiercely competitive, Smith fielded hundreds of racecars through the decades, ranging from dragsters and NASCAR stockers to modifieds and sprints. Tiny Lund, Johnny Beauchamp, Bob Burdick, Lloyd Beckman, Jan Opperman and Doug Wolfgang are just a few of the 98 different drivers Bill employed. Smith’s most memorable racing successes include Opperman’s victory at the 1976 Hulman Classic and Wolfgang winning the 1978 Knoxville Nationals.

A desire to preserve racing history led “Speedy” Bill, his wife Joyce and their sons to establish the Museum of American Speed in 1992. This world-class collection of racing engines, cars and automotive artifacts has allowed the Smith family to give back to the automotive community and share their profound love of racing and rodding with future generations.

After more than six decades of hot rodding, “Speedy” Bill’s spirit, work ethic and passion for the industry are sure to live on through his family, friends, employees and those that had the joy and honor of working with him. 

Anyone who would like to share thoughts, memories and condolences are invited to send them via email to forBill@SpeedwayMotors.com. 

Effective June 15, the minimum age for kids eligible to participate in the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League will be 5 years old. The announcement was made at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, the birthplace of the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League.

The NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League was founded in 1993 by NHRA and Raceway Park founder Vinnie Napp. Napp developed the first small-scale replica dragster for his son in 1991, and the first pair of NHRA Jr. Dragsters launched down the Raceway Park dragstrip in 1992. Today the league has grown dramatically, and the program is offered at most NHRA member tracks across the United States.

In the 5-year-old classification, the Trainee category, participants can begin running a Jr. Dragster with a crate engine from Briggs & Stratton with a slide valve limiting the power output of the engine. Trainee participants will make single passes down the dragstrip to get familiar with the car and track surroundings in a non-pressure environment.

Another separate classification for 6-and-7-year-olds also has been created, the Youth category, which will allow participants to begin competing head to head on the track at the 13.90-second index with a crate engine and slightly increased power output from the Trainee category engine.

“It is important to provide competition opportunities for children in these age groups so they can become exposed much earlier to the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League and the sport of NHRA Championship Drag Racing,” said Josh Peterson, NHRA vice president of racing administration. “With similar introductory programs available in stick and ball sports for ‘pee-wee’ competitors, we wanted to put an NHRA Drag Racing option into that mix for families to consider.”

NHRA also instituted a new licensing process for all new Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League participants that require each driver to complete a cockpit orientation, basic driving test, track orientation, and test passes.

The NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League also offers different categories for age groups up to 17 with speed and elapsed time restrictions for participants based on age and experience. Those categories are novice (8-9), intermediate (10-12), and advanced (13-17).

In addition to the weekly programs offered at NHRA member tracks, the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League offers two marquee events. The NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League Western Conference Finals is set for July 10-12 at Utah’s scenic Rocky Mountain Raceways, and the NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League Eastern Finals will be held July 24-26 at Tennessee’s famed Thunder Valley, Bristol Dragway. Nearly 1000 kids compete for individual and team honors at the NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League Eastern and Western Conference Finals, with nearly $50,000 being awarded at each event, including $2,500 and an NHRA Wally champion’s trophy to each individual winner.

The NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League creates family involvement in drag racing at an affordable level. Many of the league’s former participants have gone on to compete in other NHRA classes. Top Fuel racer Shawn Langdon (the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Top Fuel world champion and a two-time Super Comp national champion in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series) and current NHRA Pro Stock points leader Erica Enders-Stevens are among the league’s most accomplished graduates.

From his time as a mechanic on Mario Andretti's Indy 500-winning entry in 1969 to leading drivers and teams to numerous championships in the decades that followed, Jim McGee's name is etched throughout the history of open-wheel racing.

One of his protégés has gone on to pen multiple entries of his own in the history books, and with a need for someone to look after Ryan Briscoe's No. 8 NTT Data Chevy Indy car on race weekends, Ganassi Racing managing director Mike Hull asked if McGee would be interested in bringing his years of management and race strategy to bear starting at last weekend's Indy 500.

With McGee overseeing the young Aussie's race, the two made the most out of a trouble-filled day, and with the new association worked as well as planned, McGee is back in the Ganassi camp for the Dual in Detroit doubleheader.

"Being with Jim here at Belle Isle is a great refresher on how well he unselfishly mentors," Hull told RACER. "There are a lot of us who are clear extensions of how he moved us to a fresh race craft perspective. His big picture view made a large difference for Ryan's race at Indy after the lap 1 incident. He exudes the confidence to get the most with the consideration of all alternatives.

"His overview approach on the set-up day, today here at Belle Isle was one of working backwards from the race to the first practice lap. Successful racing is a balance between the engineering resource and management that utilizes all of the manpower avenue – with Jim the whole room participates."

Hull has the peerless Ricky Davis running the No. 8 effort and veteran engineer Eric Cowdin in charge of engineering Briscoe, but the need to add overall management support for the No. 8 and to handle race strategy has been a role Hull's sought to fill.

"We have been trying really, really hard to find permanently somebody to manage the Briscoe side of the team on race weekends because our system seems to work well and we have a manager on duty as well as a chief engineer," Hull added. "And we've got a lot of experience on the stand because Ricky Davis doesn't go over the wall, but he has to also look after the car. At certain times, pivotal times, it is important to have just management there to help out."

Joining the Ganassi team has been a comfortable transition so far, according to McGee.

"The team is a championship-winning organization, and they've welcomed me in and made everything quite comfortable," said McGee. "I tested Ryan [Briscoe] years ago and really rated him highly, so being able to work with him, work with Mike [Hull], Ricky Davis, Eric Cowdin, and all the guys – it's a strong group that already has the talent in place."

McGee will, for now limit his participation to race weekends, and after helping Briscoe turn around an Indy 500 that went awry on the opening lap, Hull was sold on having his mentor return for Detroit and beyond.

"I worked for Jim for a couple of years, we've been really good friends for a long, long time, and for me, it was a huge difference maker for me. He was a real mentor for me. He made a difference for me in my life. He helped set direction. So it's almost like full-circle in a way by having him here.

"So we got him for Indy to help those guys with the No. 8 car, we've got him here now, and he's a big confidence builder. What I like about him is he sees what's positive and he knows how to be positive and take it even one step above that and I really like that. And he's really unflappable and I like that part too. I think we can have a lot of success with Ryan and the No. 8 can and Jim is one of the guys who knows how to bring everyone together to make it happen."

Performance aftermarket distributor, Motovicity Distribution, has announced a promotion that will send one lucky customer on a two-day Skip Barber High Performance and Advanced High Performance Driving experience at Road Atlanta.

The contest begins Monday, June 2, and runs through Friday, June 30, 2014, with the grand prize winner participating in two-days of high performance driving instruction at the legendary Skip Barber driving school at Road Atlanta. The grand-prize winner also receives accommodations for three nights at the beautiful Château Élan.

“This contest brings together three quintessential performance brands – Motovicity, KW Suspension and Skip Barber – and gives one lucky customer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to follow in the legendary footsteps of icons like Michael Andretti, Paul Newman, and 2014 Indy500 Winner Ryan Hunter-Reay,” said Motovicity Marketing Manager Brett Kinsfather.

A first-place runner up will be randomly selected to receive their choice of a KW V1, V2 or V3 coilover kit for their personal vehicle, and a randomly-selected second-place runner up winner will receive a set of ST coilovers of their choice for their personal vehicle.

Motovicity customers will automatically receive one entry for every $500 in KW or ST Suspension products purchased from Motovicity throughout the month of June, with a random drawing taking place on July 8, 2014.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with KW and Skip Barber to offer this rare opportunity to our customers, and to further demonstrate our commitment to great brands like KW, by raising dealer enthusiasm and brand awareness,” Kinsfather said.

For more information, visit blog.motovicity.com or call to speak to a sales representative at 888.SPEED.16. Contest open to Motovicity customers only. For official rules, log onto your customer account at Motovicity.com and click on KW Official Promotion Rules in the toolbar.

Premium synthetic lubricant manufacturer, Royal Purple, announced that it will be the official lubricant for Indiana-based Lingenfelter Performance Engineering. Beginning immediately, Royal Purple products will be used in all Lingenfelter-tuned vehicles, including the Chevrolet Reaper high-performance pick-up truck, C7 Corvette, Camaro and Cadillac CTS-V.
 
Lingenfelter will recommend Royal Purple’s full line of premium lubricants and additives, such as gear oil, power steering fluid, transmission fluid, coolant and fuel system additives and greases, for its customers’ high-performance cars and trucks.
 
Customers who take delivery of Lingenfelter-tuned vehicles will also receive a certificate for additional Royal Purple oil to be used at the vehicle’s first oil change.
 
In addition to serving as Lingenfelter’s official lubricant provider for its passenger cars and trucks, Royal Purple will provide its products to the Lingenfelter race team for road and drag racing campaigns. Royal Purple’s branding will be featured prominently on the L28 Camaro during the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational, at drag strips across the country and on the team’s trailer and fire suits. For its part, Lingenfelter also becomes an authorized distributor of Royal Purple’s full line of automotive products.
 
“We’re tremendously excited to be working with Lingenfelter,” said Royal Purple President, Bryan Yourdon. “With more than 40 years of experience in the tuning industry, Lingenfelter is a fixture of modern automotive performance. The company builds some of the fastest cars on the planet and we’re excited to help them continue to outperform with our full line of products.”
 
“The Royal Purple premium quality brand meshes perfectly with our company’s dedication to the highest levels of performance.  That’s why we’re recommending their products to be used in our performance tuned automobiles and specialty trucks,” said Ken Lingenfelter, CEO/owner, Lingenfelter Performance Engineering.
 
For additional information on Royal Purple’s full line of lubricants, visit www.royalpurpleconsumer.com, and for additional information on Lingenfelter, its products and services, visit www.lingenfelter.com.
 

Jackslash Media Inc of Brownsburg, IN, announces the debut of its newly produced weekly television show on MAVTV, named “The Dirty 30”. The show will launch the first of its over thirty, 30 minute episodes on Thursday, June 5th at 12:30pmPT/5:30pmET.

After a successful breakout year hosting “Flip The Switch” on MAVTV, Jackslash Media has expanded and diversified its open wheel racing coverage. The redesigned, fresh format for 2014 coverage includes (7) USAC National Sprint Car races, (8) POWRI Dirt- Midget races, (5) California based King of the West “KWS” Winged 410 Sprint races, (10) Indiana Non-Wing Sprint Car races in addition to other surprises throughout the year.

Sean Buckley (CEO of Jackslash Media) boasts, “We’re super excited and honored just to have the opportunity to work with a network like MAVTV. They’ve done so much for us and have allowed us to showcase our sport that has lacked quality National TV coverage in recent years. The relationship has really afforded us to cover a few different types of racing and move racers and sponsors into the limelight. We now have the platform to carry any type of short track racing people have always wanted.”

As an added bonus to the racing community, Jackslash Media Inc. is also offering extremely affordable marketing packages via “The Dirty 30”. Just as race teams require sponsors in order to race, TV shows require sponsors in order to exist as well. If you’re a business owner that has always wanted to bring their products or services to the national stage, or a race team who would like to surprise one of their sponsors with a gift, here’s your chance. Advertising rates are priced per episode and are a fraction of the average show which airs nationally. Custom tailored packages of 3-5 episodes or a full season are available, all which include extensive social media interaction per race weekend. For advertising information on “The Dirty 30” please contact Anthony Knighten at 317-903-7234 or send an email to Wingboard33@aol.com. Be sure to visit www.jackslash.com for the greatest sprint car & midget video coverage and don’t forget to follow @GoJackslash on Twitter and Facebook. Use #Dirty30 and #MAVTV while viewing the show to get in on the action!