A bill is on its way to Iowa Gov. Branstad's desk to sign into law to award the Knoxville Raceway up to $2 million over the next 10 years in tax rebates.

Brian Stickel, Knoxville Raceway General Manager/Promoter, says the $2 million tax rebate will help jump start plans for a major improvement/expansion project at the track that has been in the preliminary planning stages.

"We are excited about the possibilities that this bill will help grow attendance and tourism in our great state through visitors to the Knoxville Raceway," Stickel said. "This expansion will assist in showing fans from around the world that Knoxville Raceway continues to be the leader in dirt motorsports."

The expansion plans being considered are for a four-story building to be located on the southeast corner of the track. An entry plaza and skywalk to the existing stands, additional skyboxes, a rooftop terrace, raceway offices, and retail space are all options being considered as portions of the new structure.

Early cost estimates for the project range from $6 to $8 million.

During the 2013 season, Knoxville Raceway had more than 211,000 visitors to the famous half-mile dirt track.

The inaugural Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown will utilize a unique racing format for its four-day event in January 2015.

Cocopah Speedway Director of Operations Greg Burgess and Event Competition Director Tommie Estes decided on a format that will reward passing every time a driver hits the 3/8-mile track during the 410ci sprint car extravaganza next Jan. 2-3 and Jan. 9-10.

Drivers will start each night by drawing a random pill, which will determine the lineups for the heat races. Passing points will be calculated based on the results of the heats. The qualifiers will have an inversion, which will be based on car count. The combined points earned through the heat races and qualifiers will then determine the feature lineups.

The format also provides spectators multiple opportunities to cheer for their favorite drivers, who will be on the track for at least hot laps, a heat race, a qualifier and a feature.

All four nights of the Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown will pay $12,000 to win, $6,000 for second place, $3,500 for third place and at least $1,000 to start. The complete payout can be found at www.CocopahSpeedway.com in the “Winter Heat” section.

Additionally, the registration fee will be waived for any driver who signs up prior to Aug. 1. That driver will also be allowed six pit passes per night at a discounted rate of $30 apiece.

The Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation (SSPF) will host the 15th annual Racing to Recovery Gala Saturday, May 24 at the Lucas Oil Estate in Carmel. The Gala will begin with a Hawaiian luau and auction at 4 p.m., followed by the award presentation at 5 p.m. and a dance party until 10 p.m.

During the event, SSPF founder Sam Schmidt will present the 2014 Legendary Driver Award to Dario Franchitti, the four-time Verizon IndyCar Series champion and three-time Indianapolis 500 winner who retired from racing last year.

The Racing to Recovery Gala is one of the city's premiere events leading up to the Indianapolis 500. This year's Gala is set on the grounds of the Lucas Oil Mansion in Carmel. A festive Hawaiian luau and buffet will be featured, along with Hawaiian dancers, an interactive hula contest and live music throughout the evening.

A highlight of the event will be a live and silent auction, featuring an impressive and diverse variety of items in all price ranges. The auction raises funds to support SSPF's mission to find a cure for paralysis and is the foundation's largest annual fundraising event. Last year, the event raised more than $300,000 for SSPF and spinal cord injury research.

“This year, we'll honor one of the greatest names in racing,” said Ida Cahill, president and CEO of SSPF. “It will be a memorable evening.”

On the heels of celebrating its 30th anniversary, Specialty Auto Parts U.S.A., Inc. Proform announces that Diana Gill has been appointed as the company's new Sales Manager.

Gill brings over 13 years of experience with Specialty Auto Parts with not only a strong knowledge of the day-to-day operations within the company but also of what its customers want. She has played a vital role within Specialty Auto Parts, actively participating in customer service, purchasing and inventory management.

Gill's overall experience makes the move to Sales Manager an easy transition with a new and exciting take on performance parts.

“The thing I’ve always enjoyed most at Specialty Auto Parts is interacting with our customers,” Gill said. “I am happy to be back working directly with everyone.  Specialty’s customer relationships and satisfaction are very important to me.”

For more information, please contact PROFORM Parts, 586-774-2500, dgill@proformparts.com, www.proformparts.com.

Swan Racing announced it has successfully restructured the company by finding solutions for the Nos. 26 and 30 teams in an attempt to save the jobs of the crews, the drivers, and to keep those teams competing throughout the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
 
As a result, Anthony Marlowe has merged his ownership of the No. 26 team into BK Racing, effective immediately. Cole Whitt will remain behind the wheel of the No. 26.
 
The No. 30 team has been sold to John Cohen of XxxTreme Motorsports, which will operate the team going forward and intends to compete with veteran driver J.J. Yeley. Stephen "Bones" Lane will serve as crew chief and be joined by several other former Swan Racing crewmembers.
 
Driver Parker Kligerman remains under contract with Swan Racing, which will seek to identify options for him to get back on track.
 
Team owner Brandon Davis issued the following statement:
 
"I want to first thank our employees, fans, and others in the NASCAR industry for their patience and understanding over the past several days while we work out the future of Swan Racing.
 
"As previously stated, the team is restructuring due to a lack of additional funding. However, over the past couple weeks we worked tirelessly to find an alternative to ending operations. Fortunately, we were able to find a home for the No. 26 team and the No. 30 team thanks to Anthony Marlowe and Jonathan Cohen respectively.
 
"Anthony and Jonathan are both young and ambitious NASCAR enthusiasts. It is important to keep them in the sport for the long term. I am very relieved to know that the Nos. 26 and 30 teams will be in good hands and will continue to compete the remainder of the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Most importantly, most of the team members have the opportunity to continue their employment in the sport and to support their families. This was critically important to me.
 
"Swan Racing is exploring any and all options to keep Parker Kligerman on track throughout the season. We are encouraged by the response we have received from interested parties. Parker continues to be one of the most talented young drivers in NASCAR. He brought this racing team one of its strongest results in his first race with us, and we are certain of his success in the future.
 
"We will provide updates as new information and facts are established."
 
"I respect Brandon Davis and everything he has done for the Swan Racing Company," said Marlowe. "Looking forward, my mission is to ensure Cole Whitt races in every NASCAR Sprint Cup event this season. I am thrilled about the No. 26 team merger with my new partners at BK Racing. My friend Ron Devine and the BK Ownership group really stepped up to enable me to keep the No. 26 on the track. Cole and Randy are off to an auspicious start in 2014 for a new Cup Team and we are gearing up for Richmond. In addition to the No. 26 team's performance so far this year, the new 'win and you're in' system and qualifying rules were motivating and positive factors in my continued investment in NASCAR."
 
"I've always had a good relationship with Brandon and always said if we can help each other or work together when the time is right that we should do it," said Cohen.
 
"I'm grateful for the opportunity Anthony Marlowe is giving me to continue the NASCAR Sprint Cup season," said Whitt. "I want to thank Brandon Davis and everyone at Swan Racing for the opportunity they gave me to race for the team."
 
"Although it's unfortunate we are having to scale back, I look forward to the future and the exciting things that I'm confident we will accomplish at Swan Racing or with another team," said Kligerman. "I value the relationship that I've had with Brandon Davis and am very grateful for him giving me an opportunity to compete in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Whether I continue to race with Brandon and Swan Racing or end up with another team, I will always give it my all on and off track to be the best I can be."

NASCAR announced today it has reached a multi-year agreement to renew its official partnership with Safety-Kleen, and is among several companies renewing their commitment to NASCAR in 2014. The company will continue as the Official Environmental Services Supplier of NASCAR.
 
The news comes amidst NASCAR’s second-annual NASCAR Race to Green initiative, which is galvanizing teams, tracks, drivers, Official NASCAR Partners, and fans around the theme of protecting and preserving the environment. Richardson, Texas based Safety-Kleen is owned by Norwell, Massachusetts based Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE: CLH).
 
Safety-Kleen, an Official NASCAR Partner since 2004, provides onsite trackside support with its cleaning products and through its oil recycling and re-refining services at more than 200 NASCAR-sanctioned races a year. This ensures all cleaning solvents, oil, fluids and lubricants used in NASCAR racing are recaptured and re-used into useable products.
 
“Safety-Kleen’s efforts at-track each and every race weekend has greatly contributed to NASCAR owning the largest recycling program in sports,” said Norris Scott, NASCAR vice president of partnership marketing. “Simply stated, Safety-Kleen has been a staple in our sport for years, and we are thrilled to extend our Official Partnership.”
 
A major contributor to NASCAR’s recycling efforts; Safety-Kleen became a founding partner of NASCAR Green at the inception of the platform in 2008. Since entering the sport, Safety-Kleen has collected enough race-used oil to power the Empire State Building for more than an entire year. In 2013, Safety-Kleen collected and re-refined more than 200,000 gallons of NASCAR oil at tracks and team shops.
 
Using this amount of re-refined oil avoids emitting roughly 1,550 metric tons of greenhouse gases into the environment – equal to the carbon stored in more than 39,000 trees over their lifetime. *(GHG reduction based on “Life Cycle Analysis: Safety-Kleen Product Carbon Footprint for Re-refined Base Oil,” performed by Environ International Corporation, Denver, CO.)*
 
“Safety-Kleen’s relationship with NASCAR is ideal for our customers and its fans. Safety-Kleen collects all used fluids from the tracks during race weekends – and from most team facilities year round – and then recycles or responsibly disposes of those fluids,” said Curt Knapp, Safety-Kleen executive vice president, marketing and oil re-refining sales. “This ‘closed-loop’ philosophy is by far the most environmentally responsible approach to handling these fluids.”
 
Safety-Kleen is the largest collector and re-refiner of used oil in North America. The company collects more than 200 million gallons of used oil each year, and through its recycling programs, produces approximately 140 million gallons of high-quality lubricating oil. Safety-Kleen’s services include oil collection and re-refining, as well as the management and proper disposal of spent brake fluids, oil filters, coolant and cleaning solvents. The company also provides absorbent products used for cleaning fluid spills on the track, inside NASCAR garages, and supplies NASCAR with industry-leading parts-cleaning equipment.

ECR Engines entered into a technical partnership with Convergent Science, Inc. on Wednesday to enhance its engine performance in NASCAR competition.

Convergent Science will provide computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software to study three-dimensional, multiphase moving-grid simulation of air and fuel flows through engines. The software enables optimized internal flows of air, fuel, and air/fuel mixtures through simulation.

“This is going to be a great enhancement for our engine programs,”said Richie Gilmore, chief operating officer for ECR Engines. “Convergent Science is a leader in the use of CFD software and all of our preliminary testing has yielded great results. We look forward to having them on board as we continue to improve our engine performance and durability.”

“We look forward to working with one of NASCAR’s premier race teams in this fast-paced environment and the opportunity to provide our expertise in CFD to assist in the enhancements of the ECR engine programs,” said Rob Kaczmarek, director of sales and marketing for Convergent Science. “The ECR team, along with NASCAR, is an excellent platform to strengthen our products and services, and we look forward to winning some races with them.”

Kuwait is eyeing a surge in the number of motor sport events to go along with its academy plans for young riders and drivers, the country's top racing official said.

Sheikh Athbi Nayef Jaber Al-Sabah, Chairman of Kuwait Quarter Mile Auto & Motorcycle Club (KMRC), said Kuwait is also contemplating to host a round of Kuwait Baja in the near future.

"Motor sport (in Kuwait) is picking up like never before. There was a time when motor sport was in a freeze mode but we've managed to assemble an enthusiastic group of Kuwaitis who are pushing themselves to raise the profile of the sport in our country," Sheikh Athbi said on day one of the Sealine Cross-Country Rally.

"These officials have the love for the sport—whether in drag racing, rally racing or motocross. It is a slow-paced development but we have a vision to have more events," Sheikh Athbi said confidently.

"We would like to add more events to our calender. We just don't want to be satisfied by staging the Kuwait International Rally, which is a round of the FIA Middle East Championship," he explained.

"I would like to mention that Mr Nasser bin Khalifa Al Attiyah (QMMF President) was saying to me 'why don't you think of doing a Baja race and get feedback?' Hopefully we will have a round of cross-country rally soon," Sheikh Athbi said.

Sheikh Athbi said Al Attiyah, Vice-President at FIA and FIM, was 'expertly guiding the Middle East and MENA regions with his vast experience in motor sport as an organiser of events'.

"Mr Nasser is proactive around the Gulf area, not only in the MENA region. He has been our right hand with any question that we need an answer to," Sheikh Athbi said.

"He gives us assistance when we need help. We really appreciate his support. After the MENA conference that was held here three weeks ago, a lot promising strategies have been put in place. A whole lot has been rearranged for countries with meagre (sports) funds mainly African nations. Mr Nasser is trying to bring the budgets down so that (more) countries can host events that was not possible previously," Sheikh Athbi explained.

The Kuwaiti said KMRC was keeping things simple by taking 'baby steps' before going out with full force for greater involvement in motorsports.

"Having more numbers of marshals will help us. These are the small steps that will help us and hopefully we will be a complete (motor sport) entity within the next year," Sheikh Athbi said.

"We are looking at (having) a road racing circuit. We don't need a surface for rally events as we have open desert terrain for rallies. We just finished working on a motocross track - one of the biggest tracks - close to 2kms.

"We have few national races. We just need to look at the finish touches. Things are looking good. Having these enthusiastic guys will take us forward. We will push as much as we can. That's out target," Sheikh Athbi added. Sheikh Athbi said Kuwait is keen to build 'on the country's potential in motor sport'.

"The present racing clubs are under the Public Authority of Youth and Sports. The main people have been changed. People who are serious about (motor sport) work with us. They seek no personal benefits and that was a problem that we faced in Kuwait. This is promising that people who want to work for betterment of motor sports is what we are looking at. We have to get such people in the right places," Sheikh Athbhi said. "We got great feedback after the opening round if the Kuwait International Rally," he said.

Sheikh Athbi candidly admitted that Kuwait needed better bench strength in bike and car racing.

"We have three riders. None of them are ready for the top level. Hopefully we will push them (to do better)," Sheikh Athbi said.

"You need exceptional endurance to complete a race and cross the finish line. We will be looking into it. They have places to race. We need to establish a youth group of drivers and riders to replace the older ones. We have had a few rally drivers and bikers. But when we need replacements. That's the reality.

"We are also looking at having an academy where we would like to look at having people from around the world to share their racing or administrative experience," Sheikh Athbi said. "This will promote the sport all around the region. This will cover the plans for the next five to 10 years," he said.

Varney Motor Speedway, the ¼-mile bullring situated north of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, will have a new owner just in time for the 2014 season.

Gord Bennett, an experienced racer and the former General Manager of Ohsweken Speedway, will formally take the reins of the track on May 1.

Re-branded as Full Throttle Motor Speedway, the Durham, ON, facility will begin its weekly racing schedule on May 23 and continue to the season finale on September 21. Races for the seven home divisions, plus various touring classes, will run on Friday nights before switching to a Sunday afternoon program following Labor Day.

Richard Childress Racing has named Matt Shearer as Director, Business Development for its 15-time championship organization, effective immediately.

Shearer joins RCR from Churchill Downs, Inc. where he spent the past five years in its partnership development and sales departments. The graduate of the School of Management from Purdue University also has three years of sales experience in the National Football League working with the Oakland Raiders.

He will work under the guidance of Rick Penn, Vice President of Business Development for RCR.

“First and foremost, Matt is a great person and RCR is happy to have him join our team,” Penn said. “He has experienced success at every step during his career and demonstrated he can adapt and create long-term, winning partnerships. We look forward to Matt’s contributions in bringing new partners into the RCR family.”

This will be Shearer’s first foray into motorsports, making the transition from one kind of horsepower to another.

“Richard Childress Racing is one of the most well-known and highly respected organizations in motorsports and I am honored to be part of the team,” Shearer said. “NASCAR is a powerful marketing and business development platform and RCR’s focus on performance, its roster of blue-chip partners and a strong front office team make this a compelling opportunity. I look forward to getting started in my new role.”