General Tire and Team Lucas have extended their comprehensive sponsorship program for three seasons, taking them through 2016.

This season will be General Tire’s eighth straight as a member of Team Lucas, an innovative marketing initiative.

“We have everything we had before and we’ve increased our sponsorship level with Team Lucas overall,” General Tire Director of Marketing Travis Roffler said. “In 2014 we’re doing more event entitlement and event presentation. Forrest Lucas, Jamie Devney and the entire Team Lucas staff are second to none when it comes making the most of your marketing budget.”

General Tire will be an event and television sponsor in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (where it also is the Official Tire), Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, Lucas Oil Drag Boat Series, Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series and Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League. It also will have a major presence at Lucas Oil Speedway, the “Diamond of Dirt Tracks,” in Wheatland, Mo.

“General Tire and Team Lucas have been steadfast partners in building our program and we’re thrilled to have General Tire extend and expand its involvement with us,” Lucas Oil Executive Vice-President Bob Patison said. “It has been and will continue to be a great company to do business with.”

General Tire’s Team GT also provides support to Lucas Oil Off Road Racing drivers Carl Renezeder, Ryan Beat, Doug Fortin and Robby Woods.

 

 

 

 

Leading the field to the green at this weekend’s TUDOR race at Long Beach will be the new EcoBoost-Powered Ford Taurus SHO.

This new pace car signifies the beginning of a three-year agreement between Ford and the IMSA, with Ford now being the “Official Automotive Partner” of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship and the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge.

Ford’s new Roush Yates-prepped twin-turbo 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine won its first TUDOR Championship race last month, powering the No. 01 Telcel Chip Ganassi Racing Riley DP co-driven by Scott Pruett, Memo Rojas and Marino Franchitti to the overall and Prototype class victory in the Twelve Hours of Sebring. It was Ford’s fourth overall victory in the Twelve Hours of Sebring and the manufacturer’s first since taking the 1969 Central Florida endurance classic.

“When you see the Ford EcoBoost Riley prototypes racing, you’re truly seeing Ford Motor Company’s latest technology proven on the race track,” said Jamie Allison, director of Ford Racing. “That’s why the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship is an important platform for Ford Racing and Ford. Racing the technology supports the development of production vehicles consumers drive every day, and vice-versa.”

Ford EcoBoost engines are the power of choice of Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates and Michael Shank Racing with Curb/Agajanian in the TUDOR Championship. Last October, a Michael Shank Racing with Curb/Agajanian, Ford EcoBoost-powered Riley DP set the track record on the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway tri-oval at 222.971 mph (40.364 seconds), as well as Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) 10-kilometer (203.010 mph) and 10-mile (210.017 mph) world records.

In addition to the TUDOR Championship program, five Ford Mustang Boss 302Rs compete in the 2014 Continental Tire Challenge. Ford has 38 victories and 22 pole positions in Continental Tire Challenge competition.

“Ford’s multi-year commitment to IMSA and the TUDOR Championship is another very important partnership for us,” said IMSA Vice President, Marketing David Pettit. “Likewise, Ford has enjoyed a long and successful history with its iconic Mustangs in the Continental Tire Challenge. Both series allow Ford to showcase its impressive technology – which transfers directly to its consumer products – benefitting all involved in this partnership.”

The Tequila Patron Sports Car Showcase at Long Beach will be broadcast LIVE on Fox Sports 1 at 6 p.m. ET, Saturday, with the new Ford Taurus pace car leading the way.

Max-Trac Tire Co., Inc. (dba Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels) has selected William (Bill) Pasco as Northeast Regional Marketing Manager. Pasco is responsible for driving profitability and growth through marketing and dealer support.  

Formerly Territory Sales Manager for Mr. Gasket company, Pasco brings 13 years of automotive industry experience to his new role with Mickey Thompson.

“I really enjoy working in this industry, and it’s great to be a part of the Mickey Thompson team,” stated Bill Pasco. “I look forward to making a measurable contribution to the company while growing many of my existing relationships within the industry.”

An Ohio native, Pasco holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and a minor in Marketing from Kent State University.

Motovicity Distribution, a performance automotive aftermarket parts distributor, announces the addition of Innovate Motorsports to its continuously growing line of performance tuning parts and accessories.

Based in Irvine, California, Innovate Motorsports manufactures universal digital tuning tools, including an array of wideband air/fuel ratio (AFR) meters, sensors, gauges and data acquisition systems.
 
Its mainstay products consist of both handheld and permanent install wideband AFR sensors and data loggers. Innovate also offers an OT-2 OBD-II vehicle interface app for the Apple iPhone and iPod touch.

Beyond tuning, Innovate recently developed a belt-drive twin-screw supercharger kit for the popular Subaru BRZ/Scion FR-S platform, coming in several variations from a Stage 1 tuner system to a liquid intercooled Stage 2 system.

“We’re pleased to add Innovate Motorsports to our lineup of tuning parts and accessories,” said Motovicity Sales Manager Ryan Balicki. “This creates new opportunities for our customers to meet the growing market demand for reliable tuning accessories.”

Motovicity will stock a wide selection of Innovate Motorsports products. For more information about Innovate and other new lines, please call 888.SPEED.16.

Flying mud, dust and grime rule the popular Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series. But keeping dirt out of engines is essential for racing success, which is why the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series announced FRAM Filtration, a leading U.S. oil filter manufacturer, as a 2014 sponsor.
 
FRAM is welcomed into the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series' 16-event season starting March 22-23 at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, Arizona.

Josh Gordon, FRAM Filtration Marketing and Sales Director, said sponsorship of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series supports the off-road racing community while providing a platform for research and development.
 
"We're excited to partner with Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series to showcase the importance of FRAM's filtration products to  automotive fans and competitors in this very popular off-road racing series," Gordon said. "The 16 events planned in 2014 are an excellent opportunity to excite and educate fans and competitors on FRAM's capabilities."
 
Ritchie Lewis, Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Director, said the commitment from FRAM further signifies the commercial success of the televised off-road series, and confirms the value of supporting fans and competitors of this popular motorsport.
 
"Every vehicle bounding around Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series events can withstand bumps, rollovers and flips. But the smallest piece of dirt gets into the engine; race over," Lewis said. "That's why FRAM's technology is important to our racing and why we're so happy to have them aboard as a valued sponsor."

In honor of National Military Appreciation Month in May, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is offering free general admission to all active military in uniform who attend the Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix, powered by Mazda on Saturday May 3.

The Monterey Peninsula’s love affair with world-class racing traces its beginnings to the inaugural running of the Pebble Beach Road Races in 1950. Those sports car events quickly outgrew the public roads of the Del Monte Forest yet the popularity of the races and the financial impact on the community had impressed the military authorities at Fort Ord and they wanted to pick up where Pebble Beach left off.
 
In 1957 the Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP), a group of local businessmen dedicated to keeping sports car racing alive on the Monterey Peninsula, began negotiations with the Army to build a race track on Fort Ord property. Major General W.M. Breckenridge cut the ribbon at the new facility for its first race November 9, 1957.
 

The day will include opportunities for autograph sessions, tech talks, driver meet and greets, VIP hot laps and garage tours, and feature a special Military Hospitality Area sponsored by Freedom Autosport and MAZDA Motorsports.


On May 3, active military are requested to be in uniform with a military ID. In order to buy tickets for other days at a discount, they should contact the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca ticket office directly - in advance. 800/327-7322 and receive 30 percent military discount.
 
Visit www.MazdaRaceway.com for more information.

The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum will host “Sprint Car 101: The Knoxville Fire & Rescue Team” program on Thursday, April 17, at 7 p.m. The program is free and open to the public, and it will feature past and present members of the famed Knoxville Raceway Fire and Rescue team.

According to museum curator Tom Schmeh, “I spoke with Barb O’Brien last fall about this type of a program, which was suggested by one of our regular Sprint Car 101 attendees, and she was very supportive." 

"With Knoxville Raceway’s opening night coming up on April 19, this just seemed like the right time to have this program and to learn about life on the Fire & Rescue team," he continued. "It is a group, currently led by Mark Worrall, that is respected worldwide, so it will be interesting to learn about this part of the sport from their perspective. Hopefully we can get some video to show of them in action, too. The program will again be held on the museum’s second floor.”

Those individuals interested in learning more about the “Sprint Car 101” Third Thursday Series at the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum are urged to visit www.sprintcarhof.com.

The 2014 slate for the Speedway Motors ASCS Warrior Region has been updated.

Two shows have been added to the lineup at the Double X Speedway in California, Missouri, on Thursday, July 3 and Sunday, July 6. The Independence Day Weekend events hinge around a Saturday appearance at the high-banked Randolph County Raceway.

The 2014 season for the Speedway Motors ASCS Warrior Region begins on April 19 with a co-sanctioned event at the Springfield Raceway in Springfield, Missouri, with the American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region.

For further updates regarding the ASCS Nation, log onto www.ascsracing.com.

Updated (as of April 5, 2014) 
Speedway Motors Warrior Region 2014 Schedule:

4/19/2014 - Springfield Raceway - Springfield, MO

5/3/2014 - Lucas Oil Speedway - Wheatland, MO

5/8/2014 - Lakeside Speedway - Kansas City, KS**

5/25/2014 - Double X Speedway - California, MO

6/13/2014 - U.S. 36 Raceway - Cameron, MO

6/21/2014 - Lucas Oil Speedway - Wheatland, MO**

7/3/2014 - Double X Speedway - California, MO

7/5/2014 - Randolph County Raceway - Moberly, MO

7/6/2014 - Double X Speedway - California, MO

7/20/2014 - Double X Speedway - California, MO

8/17/2014 - Quincy Raceways - Quincy, IL

8/30/2014 - Randolph County Raceway - Moberly, MO

8/31/2014 - Randolph County Raceway - Moberly, MO

9/13/2014 - U.S. 36 Raceway - Cameron, MO

9/26/2014 - Lucas Oil Speedway - Wheatland, MO**

9/27/2014 - Lucas Oil Speedway - Wheatland, MO**

**Denotes events held in conjunction with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour.

Officials with Kutztown, Pennsylvania-based Action Track have announced that VP Racing Fuels will be its exclusive on-site fuel provider in 2014, with VP Racing Fuels products and Road Runner methanol to be supplied by VP distributor Road Runner Race Fuels. 

VP also will sponsor a VP Small Engine Fuels Night at the track, which will be activated with on-site sales of VP-SEF by H.B. Steele & Son, Inc. of Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania.

"With top quality VP Racing Fuels products and methanol from Road Runner available, it’s a perfect package for racers," said Jim Kelly, Eastern Regional Manager for VP, based in Newark, Delaware. "With H.B. Steele promoting our VP Small Engine Fuels to the racers in the pits and consumers in the stands, VP’s red, white and blue will really be flying there this season.”
 
For more information, visit actiontrackusa.com, VPRacingFuels.com or VP-SEF.com.

Bad Boy Mowers in association with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series has announced the Bad Boy Mowers Fan Appreciation Contest. Bad Boy Mowers is giving away a Brand New Bad Boy ZT Elite Series Zero-Turn Mower featuring a Kohler Engine.

The Grand Prize winner will be drawn at the series season finale at the Dirt Track World Championship in Portsmouth, Ohio, on October 18.

The Bad Boy Fan Appreciation Contest is open to fans, drivers, crews and anyone that registers for a chance to win the Bad Boy Mower. The contest details will be posted on all the social media pages for both the LOLMDS and Bad Boy Mowers.

To register for a chance to win the Grand Prize Mower from Bad Boy Mowers, log on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series official website at www.lucasdirt.com and click on the Bad Boy Mower Contest picture on the front page and follow the instructions to submit your entry. You can also register for a chance to win the mower at www.badboymowers.com/lolmds.

When you click on the above link, the contest page will open; submit your information to enter the contest. Fans can also register to win the mower at all Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series TV events and selected other series events.

The Bad Boy Mowers display tent will be on display in the vendor midway at the TV races on the schedule where everyone can fill out the registration form and enter it in the contest box at the Bad Boy Mowers display tent.

To learn more about Bad Boy Mowers and to locate a dealer, visit their website at www.Badboymowers.com.

For the latest breaking news about the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, including the 2014 tour schedule, TV schedule, drivers, sponsors and more information about the series, visit the official website at www.lucasdirt.com.