Amid rumors of a possible split between the Warrior Region and the American Sprint Car Series, the Missouri arm of the ASCS Nation will remain for the 2014 season.

Talking with Larry Hol about the coming season, the longtime Warrior Region official envisions growing the series both in terms of races, and corporate support.

“What I really want to see happen is to begin developing more partnerships with Missouri based companies to help support Sprint Car racing and the drivers and at the same time, bring them into the racing fold. Missouri has always been kind of a hotbed for open wheel racing, and I don’t want to see that diminishing,” Hol said.

Working on the 2014 slate, 15 to 20 events are planned for the coming season with the goal of expanding that number close to 24 in the coming years.

“We just need to find some new venues, and increase the entertainment value built up in the place we are going to,” said Hol of the coming season.

Jerry Jenkins, who will continue assisting the Speedway Motors Warrior Region in 2014 commented about the coming season.

“We’re excited for the direction that ASCS is going. We all have the same interest with growing Sprint Car racing,” said Jenkins. “This is a series that allows the young drivers a place to start and we want to expand upon that. Sprint Car racing has a lot of roots in Missouri. I grew up in racing with my father racing Sprint Cars, so it’s a great passion of mine. I’m very excited to be a part of Sprint Car racing and be able to continue that tradition that has been in Missouri for so many years.”

One of the goals of the 2014 season is to help build a bigger points fund for the Warrior Region drivers. Working with Emmett Hahn, a presenting sponsor for the region is being sought. Another plan of Hol’s for 2014 is to bring Heat Race sponsors that will reward drivers, and also help build up the Warrior Region’s point’s fund.

A 2014 lineup is scheduled for release shortly after the start of the New Year.

Australian motoring enthusiast Rod Wade, aka the Vintage Adventurer, has set a new world record in the Ocean to Ocean Driving Challenge with Evans Waterless Coolant running through the engine of his 1930 Model A Ford. The non-stop drive was completed in 50 hours, 20 minutes and 6 seconds, beating his goal by almost 10 hours. The journey began Friday morning, precisely at 12:01 am, where Wade and his co-driver, Michael Flanders, filled a bottle with water from the Atlantic Ocean.

The engine ran reliably through snow and rain, and hills and plains, until arrival at California’s Venice Beach Saturday night at 11:20 pm, where they poured the water from the Atlantic into the Pacific Ocean, officially completing the Ocean 2 Ocean Challenge.

Wade and Flanders traveled the 2947 mile trip averaging just over 58 miles per hour without any water in the cooling system, and without worries of overheating either. Evans Waterless Coolant was used to ensure the cooling system functioned under demanding conditions.

Just before departure Wade said, “Evans waterless coolant performed so well when we drove through Asia in the hot summer that we insisted on using it for this trip. We are very confident with Evans.”  

This past June, the car completed the Peking to Paris Rally, considered to be the world’s greatest motoring challenge. Along this rigorous route, Evans waterless coolant successfully demonstrated its capabilities of performing under extreme conditions.

With a boiling point of 375°F, Evans High Performance Coolant will function well past the failure point of water-based coolants. Evans High Performance Coolant provides permanent cooling protection for the life of the engine, and protects against corrosion, electrolysis and cavitation erosion.

The next goal of the Vintage Adventurer team will be to take on the Ocean to Ocean Australia, again in the Model A Ford. Scheduled for June 2014, that event is a timed challenge from Queensland to Fremantle and return. Wade’s goal is to raise awareness and much needed money for Kidney Health Australia and the American Kidney Fund.

NASCAR has set a new guidelines that will govern and require approval for race naming rights sold by race tracks starting in 2014. It's called "The NRA Rule."

The new policy—established about six months after the National Rifle Association sponsored the Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway—was revealed in sanction agreements filed Friday by Dover Motorsports Inc. with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

“As part of the normal course of annually reviewing our sanction language, there are some changes that take place,” NASCAR spokesman David Higdon said. “This is one of those situations. We previously said we’d take a look at this area of the sanctioning agreements, adjust as needed, and that’s what we’ve done.”

In other words, NASCAR followed up on a promise it made back in April when Higdon said the controversial NRA sponsorship “has made it clear that we need to take a closer look at our approval process moving forward, as current circumstances need to be factored in when making decisions."

TMS officials have indicated the NRA will not return as the race sponsor. Whether NASCAR would now reject the NRA was not immediately clear since NASCAR has not received a request. But what is clear is that it would face more scrutiny in the past when NASCAR’s sanction agreements did not require formal approval and simply said, “NASCAR reserves the right to approve or disapprove any advertising, sponsorship or similar agreement in connection with the event.”

The 2014 sanction agreement now states that tracks must submit for approval all race entitlement sponsors.

“(NASCAR) will disapprove a prospective entitlement sponsor only if such prospective entitlement sponsor’s brand has been tarnished by, controversy, crisis or circumstance such that its association with the event would damage the NASCAR brand or the image of the sport or … it would damage the (broadcasting) network’s ability to sell advertising,” the sanction agreement states.

Among other parts of the process:

• NASCAR will keep the identity of prospective sponsors a secret and limit which NASCAR employees have knowledge of the request.

• If NASCAR rejects a sponsor, it will consider a modified sponsorship, the substitution of another brand owned by the same company or reconsider the sponsorship at a time when the company’s brand image has recovered.

• Tracks can appeal the decision to a three-member committee made up of NASCAR President Mike Helton, NASCAR Senior Vice President of Racing Operations Steve O’Donnell and one other NASCAR vice president.

“It is imperative that NASCAR events and industry sponsors reflect of the image of NASCAR as one of the world’s most successful and exciting sports entertainment properties and that fans feel comfortable and welcome attending or watching NEM (NASCAR Event Management) events,” the sanction agreement states.

“Therefore, NEM reserves the right to approve or disapprove any advertising, sponsorship or similar agreement in connection with the event.”

The other major change in the sanction agreement is that NASCAR says it will pay for the use of its new Air Titan track drying system at events, but it can require its use. In the past, tracks were responsible for all jet fuel used for jet driers.

Dover lists sanction and purse fees at $12.461 million total for its two Cup races, up from $12.172 million in 2013. For 2014, approximately $7.298 million of Dover’s purse is paid for by NASCAR’s television contract while Dover is responsible for approximately $5.163 million in purse and sanction fees—approximately $120,000 more than in 2013 for its two races, something which could at least partially cover Air Titan costs.

Dover will clear an approximate total of $21.1 million in television money for its two Cup races.

The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will hold it's annual Championship Awards Banquet next month, on Thursday, December 12, at the magnificent Lucas Estate in Carmel, Indiana. Along with honoring Jimmy Owens as the 2013 National Champion, Billy Moyer Jr. as the JRi Shocks Rookie of the Year—Presented by Dunn-Benson Ford, the series will hand out a copious amount of cash and product awards to the various point category winners of the 2013 season.
 
The series will honor the Ohlin's Chassis Builder of the Year, Bloomquist Chassis, winning the title for the fifth year in a row and will receive a cash and product award from Ohlins Shocks. Seven different drivers won feature events using a Bloomquist Chassis giving the manufacturer 19 wins on the series in 2013.
 
In the quest for the COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Award, Cornett Racing Engines won the prestigious award for the fifth time in a row and recorded 12 feature wins on the series in 2013. Cornett Racing Engines will receive a cash award and several product awards from COMP Cams, Edelbrock, CV Products, Roush Yates Performance Parts and Dyer's Top Rods.



As the series champion, Jimmy Owens will not only collect the lion's share of the series points fund money, but will also collect several cash bonuses and product awards, boosting his banquet awards to over $104,000 for 2013. Owens won the Sunoco Race For Gas point category and will receive a cash bonus from Sunoco Race Fuels. At the banquet, he will also receive an additional cash bonus from Sunoco for winning the Lucas Oil Show-Me 100, as a Sunoco driver, under the Sunoco Road to Wheatland program. Owens will receive a cash award for winning the Sweet Mfg. TV Points Challenge - Presented by E3 Spark Plugs for earning the most points in the TV races this year. Owens also will receive a cash bonus for earning the most points under the ASi Crown Jewel Cup - Presented by DirtonDirt.com point category. In a new point category this year to the series, The Keyser Mfg. Points Leader Challenge, Owens will earn an additional cash and product award from Keyser Manufacturing for earning the most points under this category. Owens will also receive a product award from Dyer's Top Rods for winning the series championship.



Earl Pearson Jr. will be honored as the Allstar Performer of the Year for winning this category based on top performances during the season. Pearson will receive a cash and product award from Allstar Performance. Pearson also earned the most RED BUCK Fast Time points and he will receive a cash award from RED BUCK at the banquet. Dennis Erb Jr. will receive a cash award for winning the Optima Batteries Hard Charger of the Year award, after earning the most points in this category during the season. Erb clinched this award at the last race of the season by advancing 18 positions in the feature event at the DTWC. Steve Francis will receive a cash award for winning the most heat races on the series in 2013. Francis won 12 heat races in 2013 just edging out Owens with 11 heat race wins. John Blankenship will receive an impressive diamond ring from Dan Robinson of Lucas Oil Speedway for winning this year's Diamond Nationals.
 
Outerwears will honor two crew chiefs this year with cash awards. Heather Lyne will receive the Outerwears "Outstanding Crew Chief of the Year " award (Erb) and Chris Fox will be honored once again and will receive a check as the "Champion Crew Chief" (Owens) in 2013.
 
"The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series is incredibly honored to have so many companies involved with the series and offering incentives and special awards to drivers that follow the series. We want to thank all of our kind sponsors for their commitment and support of the series and for their willingness to reward drivers that follow our series throughout the year," stated Ritchie Lewis, Director of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.

Since October 1, 2011, Central Missouri Speedway has set idle without the sounds of race engines making their way around the track.

However, that silence will end in the spring of 2014 when the track reopens.

Track owners Earl and Susan Walls have decided to come out of retirement and will once again operate the track during the coming season. Although CMS has not hosted a racing event in over two years, the interest to reopen the track from drivers and fans alike is clearly evident and has not gone unnoticed by the 18-year CMS promoters and their staff.

“Most of the CMS staff remained active in racing in various roles after Susan and I originally retired from promoting the track,” said Earl Walls. “Anytime we get together, they tell me stories of how they are constantly asked by drivers and fans when the track will reopen, the answer to that question is 2014.”

Details regarding the coming season will be released in the near future according to Walls who stated, “CMS is back, we will pick up where we left off and pay the modifieds $1,000-to-win.”

In order to complete the endurance racing pyramid the Automobile Club de l’Ouest announces the creation of a new sports-prototype category baptized LM P3 (Le Mans Prototype 3). In 2015, this car that opens the door to endurance racing will be eligible for the Asian Le Mans and European Le Mans Series.
 
The aim of this new prototype is to supply teams and drivers with a low-cost ensemble, which will allow them to make their debut in endurance racing with a prototype whose characteristics are similar to an LM P (Le Mans Prototype).


This LM P3 will provide a second series of prototypes for the Asian and European Continental Championships. The LM P2 category (Le Mans Prototype 2) will remain the blue riband category in these competitions.

The exact characteristics of the car will be defined by the ACO in the coming weeks taking into account the following elements: a single engine-gearbox power train, a single tire manufacturer, and all constructors/manufacturers who wish to build chassis will be free to do so.


The level of performance will be situated between that of an LM P2 and an LM GTE Am. Nonetheless, the turnkey sales price is fixed at 150 000 euros. The technical regulations will also implement the lowest possible running costs thanks to a capped price of spare parts, the use of a single engine-gearbox power train per season, a limited number of particularly hard-wearing tires, etc.

This new car will replace Formula Le Mans, baptized LM PC, Le Mans Prototype Challenge in North America, although the latter will continue to race in the Tudor United SportsCar Championship.


In 2014 and 2015 in order to ensure a transition period until the new LM P3s arrive on the market, the second category of prototypes in the Asian Le Mans Series will consist of cars having received an FIA CN homologation.


Only Group CN cars equipped with a carbon chassis will make up this second prototype category in the 2014 Asian Le Mans Series. During the following one the CNs will race with the LM P3s.


In the European Le Mans Series for which the CN Groups are not eligible, the LM P3s will replace the Formula Le Mans in 2015.

Welcome to the 26th Annual Performance Racing Industry Trade Show! It’s come a long way since that first PRI Trade Show in Louisville, and it certainly made a strategic change in course this year, consolidating two racing trade shows into one, and bringing PRI back to Indy. The good news is that the formula still works. The big 414-page Show Issue is one clue to the value that awaits racing professionals making the trip to Indianapolis.

You won’t find a greater array of new racing products and precision machining equipment anywhere else in the world. You won’t find more motorsports professionals all in one place all in one time anywhere else in the world. And you won’t find a better host city for the racing industry’s trade show than Indianapolis.

Add it all up and you’ll agree that this year’s PRI Trade Show is going to be a real barnburner. The 2013 PRI Trade Show features more exhibits of hardcore racing products than last year, with roughly 200 more racing companies exhibiting. In addition, PRI had to expand its initial block of Show hotels in order to accommodate the demand by attending buyers.

The big magnet for this event is the new racing technology on display throughout the Indiana Convention Center. The ingenuity exhibitors pour into their newest generation of racing components is what everybody comes to experience as they look ahead to the next racing season. The creativity of the displays makes it easy to shop for new racing products. And the technical personnel working the exhibits makes the PRI Trade Show the best place to get questions answered, from issues of horsepower to setup and everything inbetween. Thank you, exhibitors!

At PRI, the entire team worked hard and fast this year  to relocate the PRI Trade Show to Indianapolis. We’re proud of what we were able to accomplish, and we’re ready to finish the job on-site. We’re ready to help you with any questions or challenges that may arise in Indy. We’d also like to thank the SEMA team for all the ways they make SEMA’s considerable resources available to us.

Finally, we’d like to thank the VisitIndy team, as well as the Indiana Convention Center team, for all of their help this past year. We worked together as partners for the good of the racing industry, and we know the industry is going to enjoy the results. Downtown Indy is going to be a lot of fun—and a lot of business is going get done after-hours—when the exhibit aisles close for the day and racers pour into nearby restaurants and nightspots.

Enjoy your PRI Trade Show visit, and all that our fine host city has to offer!

Officials from the United States Modified Touring Series released a tentative schedule of events for the 2014 season, and both fans and drivers will find a 74-night slate that features both traditional favorites and several pleasant surprises.

The 2014 USMTS Casey’s Cup Series campaign kicks off at the South Texas Speedway in Corpus Christi, Feb. 6-8, and then moves to the Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas, for the fifth annual Lecolift Texas Spring Nationals, Feb. 13-15.

From there, the series treks to El Paso (Texas) Speedway Park for two nights, Feb. 21-22, before heading up the road to the Southern New Mexico Speedway in Las Cruces, Feb. 27-28 and March 1.

Each of the three-day shows will by $2,000 to win Thursday, $3,000 to win Friday and $4,000 to win Saturday. The two-day clash in El Paso will pay $2,000 and $3,000 to win, respectively.
The USMTS has visited the Royal Purple Raceway at least once in each of the last seven seasons. The series’ lone journey to the South Texas Speedway came in 2007 with Jason Hughes and David Horner taking the wins on the first two nights before rain thwarted the finale of the tripleheader.

This will be the first-ever visit by the USMTS in El Paso and Las Cruces. However, both tracks host the similar USRA Modifieds during their weekly Friday and Saturday night programs throughout the year, as well as some well-attended special events that routinely draw the best dirt modified aces on the planet.

The February swing of races will also serve as one of four USMTS regions for 2014 with its own lucrative points fund, so by March 2 the regional champion will be crowned and the first group of drivers will be qualified for the 2014 Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s National Championship.

After a two-week rest, the series returns to the West Siloam (Okla.) Speedway for the 6th Annual Sooner Nationals on March 14, and the ninth Annual Spring Fling @ The Bullring at the Humboldt (Kan.) Speedway on Saturday, March 15 – a warm-up for the first crown jewel event of the season two weeks later at ‘The Hummer.’

The nation’s elite dirt modified racers return to Humboldt on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, March 27-29, for King of America IV and a $10,000 top prize up for grabs. The event is one of five high-paying, multi-day, non-points events dotting the 2014 calendar.

The Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., will host two premier events during the summer starting with the fourth annual World Modified Dirt Track Championship, July 25-27 and ending with the 16th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree slated for Sept. 18-20.

Three more mega-events are slated for the fall season, beginning with the co-sanctioned USRA Nationals at the Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., Oct. 2-4. The series will then descend on the Salina Highbanks Speedway in Pryor Creek, Okla., for the second annual Sooner Showdown, Oct. 23-25.

The USMTS will close the curtain on the 2014 season with the eighth annual Winter Nationals, Nov. 6-8, but unlike the last seven times, the three-day blockbuster event will now take place at the Ark-La-Tex Speedway in Vivian, La.

In addition to the aforementioned El Paso Speedway Park and Southern New Mexico Speedway, the USMTS will also make first-ever visit to one more racetracks when the series invades the Lanny Edwards’ Lawton (Okla.) Speedway on May 15.

The Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup will begin on Friday, Aug. 1, and for the second straight year it all begins at the Batesville Motor Speedway in Locust Grove, Ark. A little less than two months later, the 2014 USMTS National Champion will be crowned at the ‘The Creek’ during the Featherlite Fall Jamboree.

More USMTS Casey’s Cup Series dates are expected to be finalized in the coming weeks. Complete details regarding regional alignments, points funds and a highly-anticipated loyalty program are also forthcoming.

USMTS Casey’s Cup Series:


Feb. 6-8 – South Texas Speedway – Corpus Christi, Texas

Feb 13-15 – Royal Purple Raceway – Baytown, Texas

Feb. 21-22 – El Paso Speedway Park – El Paso, Texas

Feb. 27-March 1 – Southern New Mexico Speedway – Las Cruces, N.M.

March 14 – West Siloam Speedway – Colcord, Okla.

March 15 – Humboldt Speedway – Humboldt, Kan.

April 11 – Lakeside Speedway – Kansas City, Kan.

April 12 – Salina Highbanks Speedway – Pryor Creek, Okla.

April 25 – Bloomfield Speedway – Bloomfield, Iowa

April 26 – I-35 Speedway – Winston, Mo.

May 8 – Rice Lake Speedway – Rice Lake, Wis.

May 9 – Mississippi Thunder Speedway – Fountain City, Wis.

May 10 – Ogilvie Raceway – Ogilvie, Minn.

May 14 – Devil’s Bowl Speedway – Mesquite, Texas

May 15 – Lawton Speedway – Lawton, Okla.

May 17 – Southern Oklahoma Speedway – Ardmore, Okla.

May 22 – Highway 3 Raceway – Allison, Iowa

May 23 – Chateau Raceway – Lansing, Minn.

May 24 – Deer Creek Speedway – Spring Valley, Minn.

May 25 – Upper Iowa Speedway – Decorah, Iowa

June 4 – Hancock County Speedway – Britt, Iowa

June 5 – Fairmont Raceway – Fairmont, Minn.

June 6 – Rapid Speedway – Rock Rapids, Iowa

June 10 – AMSOIL Speedway – Superior, Wis.

June 13-14 – Cedar Lake Speedway – New Richmond, Wis.

June 19 – 81 Speedway – Park City, Kan.

June 21 – Route 66 Motor Speedway – Amarillo, Texas

June 25 – Devil’s Bowl Speedway – Mesquite, Texas

June 28 – Southern Oklahoma Speedway – Ardmore, Okla.

July 15 – Lakeside Speedway – Kansas City, Kan.

July 16 – Caney Valley Speedway – Caney, Kan

July 18-19 – I-80 Speedway – Greenwood, Neb.

The Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup:


Aug. 1 – Batesville Motor Speedway – Locust Grove, Ark.

Aug. 2 – West Plains Motor Speedway – West Plains, Mo.

Aug. 3 – Monett Speedway – Monett, Mo.

Aug. 8 – Humboldt Speedway – Humboldt, Kan.

Aug. 9 – Lucas Oil Speedway – Wheatland, Mo.

Aug. 10 – West Siloam Speedway – Colcord, Okla.

Aug. 14 – Rice Lake Speedway – Rice Lake, Wis.

Aug. 15 – Mississippi Thunder Speedway – Fountain City, Wis.

Aug. 16 – Ogilvie Raceway – Ogilvie, Minn.

Aug. 22 – Lakeside Speedway – Kansas City, Kan.

Aug. 23 – Salina Highbanks Speedway – Pryor Creek, Okla.

Aug. 28 – Highway 3 Raceway – Allison, Iowa

Aug. 29 – Chateau Raceway – Lansing, Minn.

Aug. 30 – Deer Creek Speedway – Spring Valley, Minn.

Aug. 31 – Cresco Speedway – Cresco, Iowa

Sept. 18-20 – Deer Creek Speedway – Spring Valley, Minn.

Crown Jewel Events (non-points):


March 27-29 – Humboldt Speedway – Humboldt, Kan. (King of America IV)

July 24-26 – Deer Creek Speedway – Spring Valley, Minn. (Fourth Annual World Modified Dirt Track Championship)

Oct. 3-4 – Lakeside Speedway – Kansas City, Kan. (Inaugural USRA Nationals)

Oct. 23-25 – Salina Highbanks Speedway – Pryor Creek, Okla. (Second Annual Sooner Showdown)

Nov. 6-8 – Ark-La-Tex Speedway – Vivian, La. (Eighth Annual Winter Nationals)

The .375-mile high-banked paved tri-oval will feature NASCAR Late Model Stock Cars as its premier division, and will be the only will be the only Friday night NASCAR Whelen All-American Series track in North Carolina.

The track is located in eastern North Carolina, about 90 miles east of Raleigh, North Carolina, or 20 miles north of Greenville. It is owned by Wayne Perry and operated by his son, track president Chris Perry.

“East Carolina Motor Speedway is a perfect fit for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series,” said Bob Duvall, NASCAR senior director, business development. “Wayne and Chris Perry are committed to providing a home for great Friday night racing and family entertainment.”

Established in 1982, the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series is NASCAR’s national championship program for weekly short track auto racing. More than 50 paved and dirt tracks throughout the United States and Canada participate.

East Carolina Motor Speedway opened in 1990. The Perry family purchased the facility in 2005 and leased it out through 2011. They assumed management and promotion of the track in 2012 and put the facility on a constant rejuvenation program.

“We want people to be proud of where they race,” Wayne Perry said. “We have a great race track. Our first job was to create an environment that our participants and fans can like. Our next step is to put East Carolina Motor Speedway on the NASCAR racing map.”

“NASCAR brings credibility, visibility and recognition and that’s what we want,” Chris Perry said. “We want East Carolina Motor Speedway and Robersonville to be a destination people feel good about supporting.”

As the only Friday night NASCAR Whelen All-American Series track in the state, the speedway could become a hub for North Carolina and Virginia drivers chasing state and national NASCAR points.

“Our NASCAR Late Model Stock Car division is based on the NASCAR rule book so we can welcome teams inside and outside our immediate area,” Wayne Perry said. “We invite all of them to stop in for a visit.”

East Carolina Motor Speedway is a challenging tri-oval. The turns are banked at 24 degrees and straightaways at 10 degrees. The start-finish line is at the pinnacle of the tri-oval, much like Daytona International Speedway.

“It’s tight and it’s a racers track,” Chris Perry said. “It has a lot of personality.”

The Perry family has been in the automotive business for five generations. They began operating a General Motors dealership in Elizabeth City, N.C., in 1916, two years before Chevrolet became a GM brand. Today’s Perry Auto Group operates two dealerships in Elizabeth City including Performance Chevrolet and Carolina Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram. Wayne Perry is president of Perry Auto Group and Chris Perry is vice president and general manager.

The family has been involved with stock car racing since the 1950s beginning with Wayne Perry’s uncle Harry and father Lowell. Harry Perry set two records participating in speed trials on “The Flying Mile” shore course of Ormond Beach, Fla., in the early 1950s. He was a contemporary and friend of NASCAR founder Bill France. Perry occasionally fielded a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car in the mid-1950s for drivers including Ray Platte and Joe Weatherly. Harry and Lowell Perry fielded a NASCAR Modified Sportsman car driven by Shelton McNair in the 1959 Permatex 250 at the new Daytona International Speedway. Wayne Perry attended a Daytona beach-road course race in the 1950s and the inaugural Daytona 500 in 1959.

“I met Bill France when I was 13 years old. That’s when I told my dad that’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to race,” Wayne Perry said.

Wayne and Chris Perry raced Late Models for a time at southeast at tracks including Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Speedway, South Boston (Va.) Speedway, Richmond (Va.) International Raceway, Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, Langley Speedway in Hampton, Va., and Southern National Motorsports Park in Kenly, N.C.

With the addition of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model Stock Cars in 2014, East Carolina Motor Speedway will have a five division show. The track’s 2013 divisional champions include Wesley Johnson, Late Models; Glenn Avery, Street Stocks; Andy Ipock, Mini Stocks; and Duane Walker, Ucar.

The track website is www.ecspeedway.com.

NASCAR-licensed Division I drivers are eligible to compete for NASCAR Whelen All-American Series championships and special awards at the track, state and national level. NASCAR special award programs are also available for support division drivers.

Pavement Late Model driver Lee Pulliam, 24, of Semora, N.C., win the 2013 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national championship.

Connecticut-based Whelen Engineering is the series’ title sponsor. Whelen Engineering is a leading manufacturer of automotive, aviation, industrial and emergency vehicle lighting. NASCAR tracks and pace cars across North America are among the many showcases for Whelen products.

Following the extremely productive recent tests at Sebring and Daytona, TRG-AMR North America has taken the next step for 2014.

The team has officially entered the TUDOR United Sports Car Championship GTD class with two full season “Platinum” entries. The entries and approvals by IMSA will guarantee that two of the internationally successful Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 vehicles will be a part of the full 2014 season.

This is the first time in more than 30 years that this iconic brand will compete in the North American endurance racing scene with a U.S.-based team. For all, this opportunity to bring such a highly sought after and historic marque such as Aston Martin to North American sports car fans from coast-to-coast is tremendously exciting news.

While the driver line-up for both cars has yet to be finalized, the team has used the Balance of Performance tests as well as numerous additional test days to undergo extensive driver evaluations.

Following a further round of testing in December and early January, TRG-AMR will announce its full season driver line-ups.

“I feel like this has been 20 years in the making for all of us,” said Kevin Buckler, TRG team owner. “We have been one of the biggest supporters of sports car racing and particularly this class since we started racing in 1992. I am so proud of what TRG has done over the past two decades in evolving into a GT powerhouse and a solid racing and business organization. To have the opportunity to officially represent one of the most iconic and revered, street and racing marques in the world, is a perfect fit for where our organization has now evolved. We will be proud to represent and to race the Aston Martin Racing cars here in North America, not only for ourselves, but for any and all interested teams or partners.”