Toyota Motor Corp. is the first company to land naming rights at the revamped Daytona International Speedway.

The Japanese automaker and International Speedway Corp., which owns the famous Florida track, announced the deal Thursday at the Chicago Auto Show.

The 11-year agreement, which begins in 2015, will provide Toyota with naming rights to one of the five massive fan entrances at the redesigned speedway. Toyota will have more than 20,000 square feet with which to work with.

The deal makes Toyota an official partner of the Daytona 500 and gives the company pace-car privileges.

Daytona is undergoing a $400 million renovation.

SCORE International, based in Reno, has announced the removal of the 2014 SCORE Reno 500 desert race from its SCORE World Desert Championship series for this year, citing a number of issues that could not be resolved prior to presenting the first SCORE race in Reno this coming July.

“The SCORE Reno 500 has been removed from this year's schedule because of several mitigating circumstances that would not be able to be resolved in time to guarantee the overall quality event that is necessary for SCORE International,” commented Roger Norman, SCORE CEO and President. “We are committed to the vision of having a SCORE race in Reno in the future but we must be able to assure our racer community and sponsors that it will be of the same quality as is recognized around the world for SCORE.

“We regret this decision but we believe it is in the best interest of all concerned. When we do have our first SCORE race in Reno it will be memorable and it will be up to the standards and requirements of SCORE International.”

Norman, a former top SCORE desert racer who purchased SCORE at the end of 2012, did produce Reno 500 races the last two years under the umbrella of the High Desert Racing Association, which he has merged this year with the world-renown SCORE to form the SCORE World Desert Championship series. The Reno 500 was held in 2012 and 2013 on property east of Reno at Norman’s Tahoe Reno Motorplex.

Now with five races for 2014, the SCORE World Desert Championship series will include three races on Mexico’s Baja California peninsula and two in Southern California.

The season opener will be the 28th Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 to be held in San Felipe, Mexico on Feb. 27-March 2. Round 2 will be the first US race in the new SCORE World Desert Championship series—the 2nd SCORE Imperial Valley 250 in Plaster City, California.

Season finale for the new series will be the iconic 47th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, the legendary granddaddy of all desert races. This year’s event, Nov. 12-16, will be a race down Mexico’s majestic Baja California peninsula, starting in Ensenada, Baja California, and finishing in La Paz, Baja California Sur.

SCORE races in Mexico and the United States include competition for 35 Pro and 6 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs.

With its corporate headquarters in Reno, Nev., the SCORE Tech shop is located in El Cajon, California, just east of San Diego.

Irwindale Speedway and Dragstrip will honor its 2013 NASCAR and NHRA champions at a special dinner and awards ceremony at the Courtyard by Marriott Monrovia. 
 
The event is set for Friday evening, March 7, and will begin with an informal reception at 6:30pm followed by dinner at 7:00pm, with the awards presentations following directly thereafter.
 
"We're all very proud of all of our 2013 Champions, from our Speedway and Dragstrip," said IEC's President/CEO Jim Cohan. "2013 was great for our new operations team, and 2014 promises to be even better. Congratulations to all of our champions, their crews, their families, and their car owners!  We're all looking forward to another great year of racing."
 
Reserved seat tickets for the Friday, March 7, event are priced at $35.00 each and will go on sale at the IEC offices by phone on Tuesday, February 11, at 10am.  (626) 358-1100
 
The Courtyard by Marriott Monrovia is located at 700 West Huntington Drive right at the 210 freeway and features special Irwindale Event Center pricing for all competitors and fans. The facility is a proud sponsor and preferred hotel of Irwindale Event Center.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway will honor racing icon Mario Andretti in celebration of the 45th anniversary of his Indianapolis 500 victory during Legends Day Honoring Mario Andretti on May 24.

Andretti, the 1965 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year, will participate in a question-and-answer session with fans on the IMS Pagoda Plaza Stage and will also sign autographs.

“I am so honored to be part of Legends Day this year, at a place I truly love,” said Andretti, who drove the to victory from the second-place starting position in the 53rd Indianapolis 500. “I just can’t explain how it feels to be treated so well by the people in Indianapolis even long after retiring from the sport. They certainly love tradition. I’m proud to have had a part in the Speedway tradition for as long as I have and feel spoiled that the fans treat me and the other drivers like kings. I just can’t thank them enough. I’m looking forward to May and to being part of Legends Day.”

Andretti is renowned as one the most versatile racers of all time and was named Driver of the Century by the Associated Press in 2000. He won everything from the Pikes Peak Hill Climb to the Daytona 500 to the Formula One championship.

Andretti won the pole at Indianapolis in 1966, 1967 and 1987, and finished as the runner-up in The Greatest Spectacle in Racing in 1981 and 1985. He scored top-10 finishes 11 times in 29 “500″ starts, and led 556 laps, which is still third among all-time lap leaders.

Other featured events on Legends Day include the annual public drivers’ meeting on pit road adjacent to the tower terrace grandstand, autograph sessions with the Indianapolis 500 starting field of 33 drivers and former Indy 500 drivers, and a huge Indianapolis 500 memorabilia show.

Red Bull Global Rallycross enters the 2014 season, its fourth full year of competition, set for an incredible breakout year. With a radically improved calendar, factory-backed competition, and the introduction of title sponsor Red Bull, the 2014 Red Bull Global Rallycross season will build on three years of solid foundations to produce incredible, high-flying competition.

Coming off of a strong 2013 season finale on the Las Vegas Strip, Red Bull Global Rallycross will debut a number of new and exciting venues similar in scope to that event. The 10-race calendar, comprised of mostly standalone events, will run from May to early November. In 2014, Red Bull Global Rallycross will visit the following markets:

• May 17-18: Barbados
• June 7: Austin, TX
• June 21-22: Washington, DC
• July 19-20: New York, NY
• July 25-26: Charlotte, NC
• August 2-3: Detroit, MI
• August 22-23: Daytona, FL
• September 19-20: Los Angeles, CA
• September 26-27: Seattle, WA
• November 5: Las Vegas, NV

The 2014 Red Bull Global Rallycross season will also be marked by significant major partnerships, both on and off the track. The addition of Red Bull will allow the series to participate at incredible new venues and further enhance fan experience with improved hospitality, local promotion and interactive displays. Royal Purple and GoPro are among major sponsors set to return to the sport with significantly increased participation.

The season’s first race will be held at the Top Gear Festival Barbados, marking the series’ first visit to the Caribbean. Red Bull GRC at Top Gear Festival Barbados will be the first partnership between the two entities and will kick off an action-packed summer of rallycross competition.

Racing superstars Ken Block, Tanner Foust, Scott Speed and Travis Pastrana are among the many world-class talents who will compete in Red Bull Global Rallycross in 2014. Factory-backed organizations from Ford, Subaru and Hyundai will compete, while Volkswagen will enter the series with longtime IndyCar front-runners Andretti Autosport, contributing to the strongest driver and team lineup in the world of rallycross.

With so many new and exciting developments, the 2014 Red Bull Global Rallycross season should have something to captivate all motorsports and action sports fans alike. Look for more major announcements from the series as the start of the season approaches.

The 2014 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule will feature Canada’s best stock car drivers banging fenders at 10 venues in five provinces, from Nova Scotia to Alberta. The 11-race slate will start on Victoria Day weekend as part of Canadian Tire Motorsport Park’s popular Speedfest weekend and culminate at its traditional Kawartha Speedway date in September.
 
The schedule announcement is highlighted by the return of the late summer companion date with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at CTMP, as well as the additions of a pair of short tracks. The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series has added an early June trip to Quebec to take on the quarter-mile track at Autodrome Chaudiére and a mid-July visit to another short track at Alberta’s Edmonton International Raceway.
 
“The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series’ blend of exciting ovals and top-shelf road courses from Alberta to Nova Scotia with several stops in between continues to provide race fans across the country a high level of competition,” said George Silbermann, NASCAR vice president, regional and touring series. “The two new additions to the calendar along with the extremely successful second date at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park set up another thrilling championship battle.”
 
TSN, Canada’s sport leader, again will be the television home of the Canadian Tire Series as it has since the series’ inaugural season in 2007. RDS, the French-language sister station to TSN, also will continue to provide coverage through its primary channel along with its secondary outlet at RDS2. Complete programming details will be announced at a later date.
 
The 2014 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule rundown:
 
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park – The Canadian Tire Series’ eighth season kicks off at the Victoria Day SpeedFest on May 18 and joins the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on an Aug. 31 return to the legendary Ontario road course.
 
Autodrome Chaudiére – The series makes it inaugural visit to the high-banked asphalt oval situated just south of Quebec City on June 14 in the first of four Quebec dates this year. The track opened in 1992 as a dirt track and was paved in 2005.
 
Circuit ICAR – A July 16 date at the challenging 2.113-mile road course in Mirabel, Que., is in store as the series make its fourth appearance at the airport circuit. The tight turns and concrete surface provides plenty of excitement for the drivers and fans.
 
Edmonton International Raceway – The annual Western Canadian swing gets underway with the inaugural visit on July 11 to the Alberta quarter-mile that has been a long-standing member of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.
 
Auto Clearing Speedway – The western swing concludes on July 16 at the fast .333-mile Saskatchewan oval. Capacity crowds have been on hand in each of the series’ five visits to the track.
 
Autodrome St. Eustache – After a successful return in 2013 to the .4-mile flat oval located just minutes from Montreal, a July 26 date is on the books in front of the passionate Quebec fans.
 
Circuit de Trois-Rivieres – The Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres is one of the highlights of every Canadian Tire Series season. This year a longer 200-kilometer race is scheduled for Aug. 10.
 
Riverside International Speedway – Series competitors always circle the annual visit – slated for Aug. 16 – to the Canadian Maritimes to battle on the high-banked oval located in Antigonish, N.S.
 
Barrie Speedway – The .333-mile tri-oval never fails to provide excitement. This season’s trip to the cozy Ontario oval is scheduled for Sept. 6.
 
Kawartha Speedway – The traditional crowning of the new NASCAR Canadian Tire Series champion at the .375-mile track in Ontario is on tap for Sept. 20.
 
2014 NASCAR CANADIAN TIRE SERIES SCHEDULE:
 
Date; Track (Length); Location
Sun., May 18; Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (2.459-mile road course); Bowmanville, Ont.
Sat., June 14; Autodrome Chaudiére (.25-mile); Vallée-Jonction, Que.
Sun., July 6; Circuit ICAR (2.113-mile road course); Mirabel, Que.
Fri., July 11; Edmonton International Raceway (.25-mile); Wetaskiwin, Alta.
Wed., July 16; Auto Clearing Motor Speedway (.333-mile); Saskatoon, Sask.
Sat., July 26; Autodrome St. Eustache (.4-mile); St. Eustache, Que.
Sun., Aug. 10; Circuit de Trois-Rivieres (1.53-mile road course); Trois-Rivieres, Que.
Sat., Aug, 16; Riverside International Speedway (.333-mile); Antigonish, N.S.
Sun., Aug. 31; Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (2.459-mile road course); Bowmanville, Ont.
Sat., Sept 6; Barrie Speedway (.333-mile); Barrie, Ont.
Sat., Sept. 20; Kawartha Speedway (.375-mile); Peterborough, Ont.
 
*Subject to change
 

Harry Scott Jr. announced that Phoenix Racing has been renamed HScott Motorsports. The rebranding of the team comes five months after Scott purchased the team from James Finch. As part of this announcement, the company unveiled its new branding, including a new logo, website and social media accounts.
 
"I am truly looking forward to the 2014 season," said Scott. "We have two great drivers in place with Justin Allgaier and Bobby Labonte, we've partnered with great sponsors and the team is ready and excited for Daytona. Now that we have launched the HScott Motorsports brand, everything is in place. We can't wait for the season to get started and to get back to racing."
 
To learn more about the newly rebranded team, its drivers and partners, please visit www.HScottMotorsports.com. You can also keep up with the team via its Facebook page, at www.Facebook.com/HScottMotorsports, and on Twitter (@TeamHSM51 and @TeamHSM52) and Instagram (TeamHSM51).
 
Upon purchasing the team last year, Scott pledged to establish a team with a focus on the future and eventually competing for a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship. During this past offseason, HScott Motorsports signed Justin Allgaier to drive the No. 51 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet SS fulltime and Bobby Labonte to drive the No. 52 Chevrolet SS for a number of races, including the Daytona 500. HScott Motorsports also expanded its relationship with Hendrick Motorsports, which historically has been providing engines to the team.
 
Allgaier has four starts for HScott Motorsports and will compete for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year honors after finishing fifth in the 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series championship points. Labonte, the 2000 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) champion, has won 21 NSCS races in his career, which started in 1991, and will bring veteran leadership to HScott Motorsports this season.
 
The team also hired NSCS veteran Steve Addington to serve as competition director and the crew chief for the No. 51 driven by Allgaier. Jimmy Elledge, who served as interim crew chief for Allgaier in 2013, remains with the team and will be crew chief for Labonte's No. 52 team.
 
James Finch, former owner of Phoenix Racing, has remained a trusted advisor to the team and will be listed as the owner of Labonte's No. 52 Chevy. The No. 51 BRANDT Chevrolet SS and No. 52 HScott Motorsports Chevrolet SS will both compete in the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, February 23.

For the first time, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will host more than 500 of the world’s finest and most historic race cars as they compete on the recently reconfigured road course as well as running exhibition events on the famed 2.5-mile oval as part of the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association’s Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational June 6-8.

The races will showcase a wide variety of cars including cars that competed in past Indianapolis 500s, cars from the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series, Formula One, Grand-Am prototypes and Trans-Am.

In addition, American racing cars from makes like Chevrolet will compete with historic race cars from Ferrari, Porsche, Jaguar, MG and many others in 12 different classes of racing. A special class will also feature open-wheel race cars with Indianapolis 500 or other historic racing background.

“Indianapolis Motor Speedway fans appreciate and enjoy the history of racing and welcoming this event to IMS is the perfect way to celebrate racing history with cars that have competed in all different classes and many different venues over the last 100 years,” said J. Douglas Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway president. “SVRA events are incredibly fan friendly, offering everyone the rare opportunity to get close to the historic racecars, talk to the owners and drivers, and trade stories about racing’s heritage. When you combine the story of each of the cars competing to the over 100 years of history and stories of competition at IMS, this will be an unforgettable weekend of racing.”

The Sportscar Vintage Racing Association is one of the oldest and largest of the vintage racing organizations in the United States. Originally called the Southeast Vintage Racing Association and founded in 1981, the organization has become the premier vintage racing organization in the United States with more than 1500 members.

“We are extremely pleased and excited to present the first vintage racing event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” said SVRA President and CEO Tony Parella. “We are confident that the incredible heritage and geographic location of the Speedway will make the Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational the largest Vintage event ever held in the United States.”

The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) and IRG Sports + Entertainment welcome Dan Driscoll and Nate VanZudien to the IHRA family with roles in contingency, sales and partner services.

Driscoll joins the team after eight years as owner and manager at Cedar Falls Raceway as he takes over as Director of Contingency and Drag Review Sales with IHRA. VanZudien will serve as IHRA’s new Partner Services Manager for the entire IHRA network after more than a decade at Cordova Dragway Park.
 
“I have been around drag racing since 1968 and I love every minute of it. My real passion is working with people and that is really what makes me a perfect fit in this role,” Driscoll said. “Contingency is a big deal for racers. They look at it as part of their plan as far as where they are going to race and I look forward to building that program back to a level that is attractive for racers and worthwhile for all of the great sponsors involved.”
 
Driscoll began his career in the drag racing industry in 1968 at Cordova Dragway Park and has spent most of his life in and around the sport. He has spent time at Norwalk Raceway Park and IHRA before taking over as owner and manager of Cedar Falls Raceway eight years ago.

In addition to his role as Director of Contingency Sales, Driscoll will also head up the sales team on the brand new Drag Review Magazine as the IHRA team reworks the magazine and brings it to a new level in 2014.

“There is definitely room for growth in the magazine and with the positive changes that are currently being implemented, we hope that DRM will return to its status as a magazine racers of all levels look forward to receiving each month,” Driscoll said.

VanZudien joins the IHRA team after more than a decade at Cordova Dragway Park. There, VanZudien took on numerous roles including operations, tech and sponsor services. VanZudien also spent time at Pittsburgh Raceway Park and at Carquest before joining the IHRA team.
 
VanZudien will serve as IHRA’s Partner Services Manager, heading up IHRA’s intricate network of sponsors, racers and special programs.

“I am really looking forward to this opportunity and this new road that lies ahead,” VanZudien said. “It is very exciting to be a part of the IHRA family and I look forward to meeting with all of the great partners IHRA has in the drag racing industry and helping grow our programs to better give back to the great racers in the IHRA community.”

Both Driscoll and VanZudien will join the IHRA team at all Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series national events in 2014 and at over major events throughout the season.

For more information on the IHRA and its many programs, visit www.ihra.com for complete details.

As part of its wide-ranging initiatives to transform its competition model, NASCAR announced enhancements to its penalty structure and appeals process beginning this season. In addition to these changes, NASCAR also announced the appointment of a Final Appeals Officer for the sport.
 
“NASCAR’s Deterrence System is designed to help maintain the integrity and competitive balance of our sport while sending a clear message that rules violations will not be tolerated,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president of racing operations. “This is a more transparent and effective model that specifically spells out that ‘X’ infraction equals ‘X’ penalty for technical infractions.
 
“At the same time, we believe the Appeals process allows a fair opportunity for our NASCAR Members to be heard, and have penalty disputes resolved by an impartial, relevant group of people with the ability to handle the complexities inherent in any appeal. This system has been tailored specifically to fit the needs of our sport.”
 
Bryan Moss, former president at Gulfstream Aerospace, has been selected as the Final Appeals Officer. Moss will hear matters on appeal from the lower three-member Appeals Panel, and serve as the last decision on penalty disputes for the sport.
 
NASCAR’s Deterrence System
NASCAR’s Deterrence System is easily understood and specifically lays out exactly what disciplinary action will be taken depending on the type of technical infraction listed from warnings to six penalty levels in ascending order. Some of the Deterrence System elements include:
 
• The system starts with warnings (W) issued for very minor infractions, then are grouped into six levels – P1 (least significant) to P6 (most significant).
• Lower P levels list penalty options from which NASCAR may select (fines or points) while higher P levels are an all-inclusive combination of multiple penalty elements (points and fine and suspension, etc.).
• At the highest three levels of the system, if a rules infraction is discovered in post-race inspection, the one or more additional penalty elements are added on top of the standard prescribed penalty.
• Repeat offenses by the same car are addressed via a “recurrence multiplier,” i.e. if a P4 penalty was received and a second P4 or higher infraction occurs in the same season, the subsequent penalty increases 50% above the normal standard.
• Suspensions are explained in greater detail.
• Behavioral infractions are still handled on case-by-case basis and are not built into the W, P1-P6 structure.
 
The 2014 Rule Book will explain how and why NASCAR issues penalties as well as the factors considered when determining a penalty. The Rule Book also will detail the types of infractions that fall within each level by citing examples that are included but not limited to:
 
• Warnings are issued instead of penalties for certain types of minor, first-time infractions.
• P1 penalties may result from multiple warnings to the same team.
• P2 penalties may include but are not limited to violations such as hollow components, expiration of certain safety certification or improper installation of a safety feature, or minor bracket and fasteners violations.
• P3 penalty options may include but are not limited to violations such as unauthorized parts, measurement failures, parts that fail their intended use, or coil spring violation.
• P4 level infractions may include but are not limited to violations such as devices that circumvent NASCAR templates and measuring equipment, or unapproved added weight.
• P5 level may include but are not limited to violations such as combustion-enhancing additives in the oil, oil filter, air filter element or devices, systems, omissions, etc., that affect the normal airflow over the body.
• P6 level may include but are not limited to violations such as affecting the internal workings and performance of the engine, modifying the pre-certified chassis, traction control or affecting EFI or the ECU.
 
The National Motorsports Appeals Panel
The new Appeals process continues to provide two tiers for resolving disputes. On the first level before a three-member Appeals Panel, NASCAR has the burden of showing that a penalty violation has occurred. On the second and final level, only a NASCAR Member is allowed to appeal and they have the burden of showing the Final Appeals Officer that the panel decision was incorrect.
 
Some other Appeals changes include:
• Clearly identifying the procedural rights of NASCAR Members
• Detailing responsibilities of parties throughout the process
• Allowing parties the option to submit summaries on issues before the Appeals Panel
• Allowing NASCAR Members named in the penalty to be present during the entire hearing
• Appeals Administrator is not allowed to be present during panel deliberations
• Creating a clear Expedited Appeals Procedure when necessary
• Changing the name of the Appeals Panel to The National Motorsports Appeals Panel
 
For Deterrence System charts per national series and an Appeals process flowchart, please visit NASCARMedia.com or NASCAR.com.