All IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified and IMCA Late Model drivers who purchase their 2014 competitor’s license by June 1 receive a $100 gift certificate from TomCat Performance.

Certificates can be applied to the purchase of a RaceGators transmission from TomCat, the wholesale division and in-house brand of Mooresville, NC-based Carolina Racing Supply, and are included in decal packets now being mailed from the IMCA home office.

Certificates worth $200 for each 2014 Modified or Late Model track title are also good toward the purchase of a RaceGators transmission.

More information about RaceGators transmissions is available by calling Carolina Racing Supply at 704/662-8299 and at the www.racegatorstransmission.com website.


This is TomCat's fourth season as an IMCA marketing partner.

"Last year we added three transmission giveaways at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s and we’ll continue that as part of the program in 2014," said IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder. "It is great to know the support of Carolina Racing Supply and TomCat Performance continues to grow and we’re very proud to work alongside them."

Unfavorable weather in Canada the last few months has delayed the track repaving project at Mission Raceway Park in Mission, B.C. As a result, the NHRA Lucas Oil Series event originally scheduled for June has been rescheduled to September 5-7.

The format for the Lucas Oil Regional event remains unchanged and will feature Top Alcohol Dragsters and Funny Cars. It also will include the NHRA Harley-Davidson Drag Series as originally scheduled.

The daily event schedule will remain the same with tech inspection and a track-hosted test-and-tune session on Thursday, September 4. Event qualifying and time trials will begin Friday morning, September 5.

The event’s rescheduling also will affect the Northwest National Open Series schedule. Changes to impacted events will be announced soon on the Northwest Division webpage, www.nhradiv6.com.

Honda Performance Development has been named the official engine supplier for the new Formula Lites series.

Honda’s production 2.4 liter, four-cylinder Honda K24 engine is set to power the Formula Lites Crawford FL15 chassis.

Formula Lites is a racing series emphasizing economy and safety while giving drivers the opportunity to develop their skills with the goal of progressing into higher levels of open-wheel racing. The series is sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA).

Sonoma Raceway is helping to develop the next generation of engineers and scientists with an all-new youth education initiative for the 2014 race season.

The raceway’s goal is to provide real-world experiences and programs to educate students about the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) as they relate to motorsports events and business.

As the centerpiece of the program, Sonoma Raceway will partner with Kid Scoop News and Friedman’s Home Improvement on a gravity-powered car challenge, which will culminate at the Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event in June. Three North Bay schools will take part in the program, which challenges students to develop and construct a gravity-powered car, test the effects of different factors, and race them down a sloped track.

Three local schools will take the green flag on this year’s challenge, including Petaluma’s Meadow Elementary School, Napa Junction Elementary School, a local STEM Magnet School, and Waldo Rohnert Elementary School in Rohnert Park.

The cars developed by these student engineers will race in a series of qualifying rounds leading up to the NASCAR race weekend. The finalists from the qualifying rounds will battle for victory in the final round at Lean1 Pole Day at Sonoma Raceway on Saturday, June 21. The winners of the 2014 Friedman’s STEM Car Challenge will receive a trophy and tickets to Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 race.

Sports Car Club of America President Lisa Noble announced Tuesday the hiring of Heyward Wagner to head the SCCA’s new Experiential Programs department.

The department’s focus is in the development of entry-level programs geared to both new and existing members, and the enhancement of social aspects for those participating in all of SCCA’s programs. The department will act as a research and development program for SCCA members, establishing programs that currently fall outside of the traditional markets served by Club Racing, Solo or Rally. SCCA Region programs to activate membership at a local level will also fall under the new department.

“The Experiential Programs Department will open up SCCA to new members through a mix of new programs and Club enhancements, including elements that fall outside of our traditional window,” Noble said. “Heyward’s enthusiasm, knowledge base, experience and creativity make him a perfect fit to head this new department, and we’re looking forward to the future as we grow as a Club.”

The department is tasked with the development of programs that are driven by experience as opposed to pure competition. Concepts in development include the expansion of the Starting Line Program to offer a wider range of entry-level performance driving opportunities as well as a program designed to incorporate aspects of Solo, PDX, Time Trial, RallyCross and Rally into a single event. At the same time, the department is working to improve the member experience within the core programs by providing training opportunities and leading the effort to better incorporate technology and social activities into both events and communications.

Rick Myers, SCCA manager, Region Development, will join Wagner in the Experiential Programs Department. Myers has worked at SCCA for six years and brings both working relationships with Regions and a wealth of knowledge in the implementation of technology-driven programs. Myers will continue to work closely with Region leadership.

Wagner is a lifelong SCCA member who was serving as the solo communications manager. Wagner started the SoloMatters newsletter and developed and implemented the Tire Rack SCCA Starting Line school that opened in 2013 to introduce new autocrossers to the sport with professional coaching and training.

“Having grown up in an active SCCA family and been a participant myself for nearly two decades, I am strongly of the opinion that the essence of SCCA membership is experienced through participation,” Wagner said.

“I believe that participation can be fun, competitive and social, whether it is in-person or online. It is the goal of this department to find ways to infuse each of these elements into events and give members the best possible experience.“

DIYAutoTune, a manufacturer of specialized plug-n-play and professional engine management systems, announced that its powerhouse Nissan 240SX Land Speed contender driven by owner/CEO, Jerry Hoffmann, has broken the world record for the F-motor Blown Gas Coupe class this weekend at the East Coast Timing Association's Ohio Mile in Wilmington, Ohio.  

After dealing with dangerous 30mph wind gusts on the rural one-mile landing strip, DIYAutoTune's 240SX demolished the previous 165.25 mph record with an official speed of 177.09 mph, its fastest time of the weekend.

After breaking the record, CEO Hoffmann was quoted as saying that his record-breaking pass “only required an average of 33 percent throttle (according to the data logs from the on-board MS3 Pro), so if I can get her to stick to the pavement, and all else goes well, we could see well over 200mph before we get on the salt.” Referring to the holy grail of land speed racing's illustrious Bonneville Salt Flats, Hoffmann intends to set the bar high at Speed Week this upcoming August 9-15.

Officials with the Midwest Junior Super Series (MJSS) announced that VP Racing Fuels has been named Official Fuel of the Midwest-based NHRA Junior Drag Racing Series.  According to MJSS founder and director, David Beimfohr, and volunteer director of marketing, 2012 NHRA Top Fuel World Champion Antron Brown, VP’s sponsorship includes a contingency program as well as title sponsorship of the VP Racing Fuels Midwest Nationals on June 6-8 at Crossroads Dragway at Terre Haute, Indiana.
 
“It is a real blessing for VP Racing Fuels to join our Midwest Junior Super Series because it’s for such a great cause - the development of our youth,” Brown said. “The philosophy of our series includes sportsmanship, but goes beyond that to include life lessons. VP joining our series is a big step toward our plan to grow it into the best NHRA Junior Drag Racing program in the country and ensure it’s a series that will be around for a long, long time.”
 
"We’re excited to be a part of the Midwest Junior Super Series,” said Jason Rueckert, VP’s Regional Manager-Midwest.  “We look forward to building relationships with young racers that are the future of the sport of drag racing.  Working with such a great series as the MJSS, we’re happy to help bring Junior racing to the next level."
 
More information about the Midwest Junior Super Series can be found online at midwestjrseries.com. To learn more about VP Racing Fuels, visit them online at VPRacingFuels.com.

For nearly forty years, VP’s fuels have earned a reputation for superior power and consistency as they’ve fueled champions in virtually every form of motorsport–from drag racing, circle track and road racing to motocross, off-road, off-shore and even airplane racing.

Premium synthetic lubricant manufacturer Royal Purple announced it has joined forces with Subaru Rally Team USA in a multi-year agreement. The team, managed by Subaru technical partner Vermont SportsCar, will begin to utilize Royal Purple products in each of its factory Rally and Rallycross teams.

Subaru Rally Team USA has won the Rally America National Championship seven of the last eight years with drivers Travis Pastrana and David Higgins, and now also fields a two-car effort in the burgeoning Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship with drivers Bucky Lasek and Sverre Isachsen.
 
“We are excited to begin working with Royal Purple,” explains Lance Smith, Owner and President at Vermont SportsCar. “A technical partnership with a brand like Royal Purple, who has a deep understanding of the demands of motorsports, is a positive move for our team and we all look forward to the performance gains they will give us across all our racing efforts.”
 
Royal Purple produces a wide range of high performance racing lubricants and has a strong heritage within motorsports. Vermont SportsCar will immediately begin testing and working with the full spectrum of Royal Purple products at both their in-house engine dyno as well as in the Rally America and Red Bull Global Rallycross competition series.
 
“We are looking forward to our partnership with the Subaru Rally Team USA, and welcome the opportunity to demonstrate our product’s ability to outperform in their rally cars across two strong racing series in 2014,” said Bryan Yourdon, Royal Purple President.
 
Subaru Rally Team USA will be hard to miss in 2014 with the Redbull Global Rallycross Championship recently announcing NBC as its 2014 network partner. Nine of the ten rounds will air on NBC, with re-runs airing on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN). The RedBull Global Rallycross event at the ESPN X Games in Austin, Texas will air on ESPN.  Meanwhile, all rounds of the team’s title defense in the Rally America National Championship will be broadcast on NBCSN and the team’s popular Launch Control documentary web-series is back for a second season, with episodes airing every other Wednesday beginning this month.

Pocono Raceway President/CEO Brandon Igdalsky this week joined Pennsylvania First Lady Susan Corbett and Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse to announce a unique NASCAR Hauler Parade coming to the capital city on Thursday, June 5, 2014.

“We are pleased to announce yet another exciting event that will draw visitors to Pennsylvania this year," Mrs. Corbett said. “The governor and I are excited that the NASCAR Hauler Parade will be traveling through Harrisburg and we look forward to welcoming visitors to the state’s capital.”

This is the first time an official hauler parade will come through Pennsylvania and offer NASCAR fans the opportunity to see the iconic haulers up close, at no charge.

The hauler parade will feature 15-20 trucks representing Chip Ganassi Racing, Penske Racing, and Hendrick Motorsports teams as they make their way to the Pocono 400, which will take place June 6-8 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania.

In addition to transporting the race cars, a racing hauler is designed to be a NASCAR driver’s home away from home. The trucks serve multiple purposes while on the road, from workshops to conference rooms.

“We are thrilled to kick off the Pocono 400 weekend with this unique experience in Harrisburg,” said Brandon Igdalsky, Pocono Raceway President and CEO. “We often say we have the best race fans in the world so we hope to see many of them cheering on the haulers on June 5.”

The haulers will be staged at the Farm Show Complex for general public viewing from 10:00–11:30 a.m. on June 5. The hauler parade will then drive to the Capitol Complex, where the trucks will pause for pictures as they pass the State Capitol building.

For more information, go to www.visitPA.com or www.poconoraceway.com.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based fuel company Sunoco will become an official sponsor of NHRA in 2015.

Activation of the sponsorship will include a comprehensive package of television spots, digital presence, on-site visibility, and NHRA-themed consumer and retail promotions designed to increase attendance and television viewership.

The 10-year agreement calls for Sunoco to become the official racing fuel of NHRA and will be the exclusive on-site gasoline and nitromethane supplier at all NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series national events. Sunoco gasoline will be the spec racing gasoline in the Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle categories at national events and Competition eliminator categories at both national and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series events.

"The fuel supplier is one of the most integral partnerships that a racing sanctioning body can have," said Tom Compton, NHRA president. "We’ve had great partners in the past, however, Sunoco not only will provide our racers quality products, but our companies will be great marketing partners to increase awareness of NHRA Drag Racing and the Sunoco brand."

According to Graham Light, NHRA senior vice president of racing operations, "Sunoco will fulfill our ongoing commitment to provide a 'spec' fuel that keeps the playing field level. Fuel shouldn’t be a competition variable. Sunoco also will have on-site service and technical support at national events and testing sessions."