Pro All Stars Series officials have released the 2014 tentative schedule for the PASS South Super Late Models.

The PASS South Super Late Model schedule will be highlighted by the return of the series to two of the South’s most prolific half-mile speedways. The season will begin Feb. 7-8 and will begin both the PASS South and PASS National seasons by kicking off Florida Speedweeks with the Winter Meltdown at New Smyrna Speedway.

Greenville Pickens Speedway returns for two events in 2014. The historic South Carolina track first began hosting stock car events in 1946 and was once a hotbed for Super Late Model racing. In addition to the season opener, Greenville-Pickens Speedway will once again host the Firecracker 150 on July 3. That event returns to Greenville-Pickens where it was held from 2008-2010.

PASS South and the PASS National series will once again contest the Easter Bunny 150 at Hickory Motor Speedway on April 19 and will conclude the season on Nov. 22 with Mason Dixon Meltdown at Southern National Motorsports Park. Since their inceptions in 2006, both the Easter Bunny 150 and the Mason Dixon Meltdown have grown in stature to become two of the premier events in short track racing. Additionally, two Virginia tracks will join the PASS South Super Late Model family of tracks with both Franklin County Speedway and Lonesome Pine Raceway hosting the series for the first time in 2014.

“We are very pleased to be able to release our 2014 PASS South Super Late Model schedule at such an early date,” said PASS President Tom Mayberry. “We’ve had great support from our competitors this year and we hope by releasing our schedule in November that will give them plenty of time to prepare for next year. We’ve got some great tracks returning to the schedule and we look forward to making lasting relationships at our new venues as well.”

Southern National Motorsports Park in Kenly, N.C., will host three PASS South Super Late Models in 2014 on May 31, July 12, and the Mason Dixon Meltdown on Nov. 22. Hickory Motor Speedway will also host multiple events with the Easter Bunny 150 on April 19 and the Over The Mountain 150 on Sept. 20.

Dillon Motor Speedway will host the 9th Annual South Carolina Clash on March 8. Orange County Speedway, a favorite of many PASS South Super Late Model competitors, returns for a ninth straight year with the Orange Blossom Special on April 5. Caraway Speedway will also be back as the PASS South Super Late Models will compete as part of the popular 12th Annual North-South Shootout on date in November still yet to be determined.

South Boston Speedway will host two PASS South events in 2014 on June 7 and August 16. Fellow Virginia racetracks Franklin County Speedway and Lonesome Pine Raceway will host PASS events for the first time ever in 2014. Franklin County Speedway has seen a revival this year under veteran racing promoter Langley Austin and will welcome the PASS South Super Late Models to the facility on June 21. Likewise, the picturesque Lonesome Pine Raceway in Southwest Virginia will see the return of Super Late Models for the first time in more than a decade on Aug. 2.

The PASS Pro Late Models will compete in at least 11 companion events with the PASS South Super Late Models in 2014 with up to two additional dates being added.

Although the 2014 schedule is nearly complete, additional dates could be added in May and on Oct. 18 by Dec. 4, 2013. Look for schedules for the PASS North Super Late Models, PASS Modifieds, and PASS Sportsman to be released in the near future.

2014 Pro All Stars Series South Schedule

Date – Track – Location
Feb. 7-8 – New Smyrna Speedway – New Smyrna Beach, Fla.
March 1 – Greenville Pickens Speedway – Greenville, S.C.
March 8 – Dillon Motor Speedway – Dillon, S.C.
April 5 – Orange County Speedway – Rougemont, N.C.
April 19 – Hickory Motor Speedway – Hickory, N.C.
May TBA – TBA – TBA
May 31 – Southern National Motorsports Park – Kenly, N.C.
June 7 – South Boston Speedway – South Boston, Va.
June 21 – Franklin County Speedway – Callaway, Va.
July 3 – Greenville Pickens Speedway – Greenville, S.C.
July 12 – Southern National Motorsports Park – Kenly, N.C.
Aug. 2 – Lonesome Pine Raceway – Coeburn, Va.
Aug. 16 – South Boston Speedway – South Boston, Va.
Sept. 20 – Hickory Motor Speedway – Hickory, N.C.
Oct. 18 – TBA – TBA
Nov. TBA – Caraway Speedway – Asheboro, N.C.
Nov. 22 – Southern National Motorsports Park – Kenly, N.C.

Mario Andretti, the only driver to capture the Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500 and a Formula One World Championship, headlines this year’s inductees into the National Motorsports Hall of Fame.

Along with Andretti, NASCAR championship-winning crew chief Ray Evernham and veteran motorsports writer Steve Waid will also be honored when the 2013 class is inducted January 25 in Concord, North Carolina.

During a racing career that spanned more than four decades, Andretti won 33 times in Indy Car, 19 in CART and 12 in Formula One. The versatile driver made 14 starts in NASCAR’s top series, winning the 1967 Daytona 500 in only his second start in the premier event.

Evernham, currently a race-day analyst for ESPN, was the crew chief for driver Jeff Gordon when the Hendrick Motorsports tandem won NASCAR titles in 1995, 1997 and 1998. Forty-seven of Gordon’s 88 career wins came with Evernham calling the shots. Evernham also helped usher Dodge back into NASCAR competition in 2000, and as a team owner saw his Evernham Motorsports organization win 13 times in Cup.

Waid, who has covered NASCAR for more than four decades, began reporting on NASCAR for daily newspapers before joining the staff of Grand National Scene and eventually GN Illustrated, where he held the position of publisher. He is a former winner of the NMPA’s George Cunningham Award and was presented the Henry T. McLemore Award for outstanding lifetime achievement in motorsports journalism in 1989.

The NMPA Hall of Fame, located on the grounds of Darlington (South Carolina) Raceway, was founded in 1965.

Forward Sports Marketing (FSM) an industry leading agency for sponsor placement and experiential marketing in the sport of professional drag racing is proud to announce that Brian Skurdal has joined the agency as a Director of National Sponsorships.
 
“We are excited to add someone of Brian’s caliber to our organization,” said FSM Managing Partner, Ryan Haas. “As our agency has grown since 2006, we’ve added a significant number of clients that require representatives to help reach their revenue goals. Brian brings ready-made assets to achieve those objectives.”
 
Brian has 22 years of experience in the sports marketing industry representing teams, leagues, various sports properties.  On behalf of major corporations he’s negotiated and activated endorsement relationships with professional athletes, including Larry Bird, Brett Favre, and Alex Rodriguez. He also managed Sprint corporate partnership with Petty Enterprises and managed Pepsi and Mountain Dew brand relationships with various NASCAR teams. Outside of sports, Brian worked with the United Nations, leading a team who created The Positive Peace Award; the UN version of the Nobel peace prize.
 
FSM works with race teams, series, and sanctioning bodies to match up product and service oriented promotions that increase exposure, create new business, and generate return on investment for sponsors.
 
Brian received his Bachelor’s Degree in Business & Economics from Central Missouri University. He is married with three children and lives in Raymore, Missouri.

The Lucas Oil MLRA schedule has taken shape for the 2014 season and boasts a slew of new race tracks, along with a number of tracks fans and drivers are extremely familiar with.

“Ernie Leftwich and I have worked extremely hard to put together a quality schedule for 2014,” said Series Director Dan Robinson. “We worked hard to strike a balance between what works well for our northern and southern contingent of drivers and fans. We are also excited to be able to showcase Lucas Oil and our series at a host of new tracks this year, too.”

The 26th season will get underway April 4-5 at I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Nebraska, for the Spring Meltdown. Then it will be on to Lucas Oil Speedway for the MLRA Spring Nationals, which has been expanded into a two-day show. New tracks in Independence and Davenport, Iowa, dot the schedule on May 9 and 10. The following weekend the first two of four races will be held at Outlaw Motorsports Park in Muskogee, Oklahoma. The Crown Jewel Lucas Oil Show Me 100 will bring down the month of May.

June looks to prove busiest for the Lucas Oil MLRA with six races on the docket. Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa, and Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa, are primed for races June 12 and 13. Familiar venues in Kansas, Humboldt Speedway and Thunder Hill Speedway will commence the following weekend.  I-80 Speedway and Adams County Speedway will wind up the month.

An Independence Day weekend blowout July 4-5 at the Salina Highbanks Speedway will begin the month of July with a bang. The rest of the month will see the tour compete with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series at Tri City Speedway in Granite City, Illinois. They race again with the LOLMDS at both Lucas Oil Speedway for the Diamond Nationals and I-80 Speedway for the Silver Dollar Nationals.

The final weekend in Nebraska is Aug. 8-9 at Junction Motor Speedway for the annual King of the Hill Challenge. Return trips to Thunder Hill Speedway and Lucas Oil Speedway are also confirmed. Outlaw Motorsports Park picked up Sept. 19-20 dates. The season is scheduled to end with a new event Oct. 10-11 at Lucas Oil Speedway.

2014 Lucas Oil Late MLRA Schedule


April 4-5 – I-80 Speedway – Greenwood, Neb.

April 11-12 – Lucas Oil Speedway – Wheatland, Mo.

May 9 – Davenport Speedway – Davenport, Iowa

May 10 – Independence Motor Speedway – Independence, Iowa

May 16-17 – Outlaw Motorsports Park – Muskogee, Okla.

May 22-24 – Lucas Oil Speedway – Wheatland, Mo.

June 12 – Southern Iowa Speedway – Oskaloosa, Iowa

June 13 – Lee County Speedway – Donnellson, Iowa

June 20 – Humboldt Speedway – Humboldt, Kan.

June 21 – Thunderhill Speedway – Mayetta, Kan.

June 27 – I-80 Speedway – Greenwood, Neb.

June 28 – Adams County Speedway – Corning, Iowa

July 4-5  – Salina Highbanks – Salina, Kan.

July 11 – Tri-City Speedway – Granite City, Ill.

July 12 – Lucas Oil Speedway – Wheatland, Mo.

July 17-19 – I-80 Speedway – Greenwood, Neb.

Aug. 8-9 – Junction Motor Speedway – McCool Junction, Neb.

Aug. 23 – Thunderhill Speedway – Mayetta, Kan.

Aug. 30 – Lucas Oil Speedway – Wheatland, Mo.

Sept. 19-20 – Outlaw Motor Speedway – Muskogee, Okla.

Oct. 10-11 – Lucas Oil Speedway – Wheatland, Mo.

Coinciding with the PRI Show's big return to Indy this year, several brand-new events have been planned for Race Industry Week 2013. Among them is Education Day, which takes place Wednesday, December 11—the day before the PRI Trade Show floor opens—at the Indiana Convention Center.

Patterned after the already successful Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) Education Day, 15 Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC) member companies will present one-hour product training presentations to PRI Trade Show attendees.

Three seminars will each run concurrently over five, one-hour time slots beginning at 9:00 am.



“The HRIA Education Day is wildly successful,” said MPMC Chairman Vic Wood of Aeromotive. “The PRI Show seemed a perfect venue to try the same template for MPMC companies. We originally were planning to implement it in 2014, but after presenting the idea to John Kilroy and his PRI team, the decision was made to go for it this year. We’ll start with just the 15 companies this year, and see how it goes. But I see no reason why this shouldn’t expand to 30 or 40 companies one day, as soon as attendees realize the opportunity it presents.”

The following MPMC companies were selected via a first-come, first-served online registration April 30:

    •    COMP Cams
    •    Flaming River
    •    Flowmaster
    •    Hedman Hedders
    •    Jiffy-Tite
    •    Joe Gibbs Driven
    •    Lunati
    •    MAHLE
    •    MSD Performance
    •    Painless Performance Products
    •    Phoenix Race Tire
    •    Quarter Master
    •    Ron Francis Wiring
    •    Trend Performance/Diamond Racing
    •    Turbosmart USA

Interested attendees are invited to view session topics and register today.

For additional information, contact Jim Skelly at jimsk@sema.org.

A legacy that began when NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. and John and Peggy Bishop co-founded the original International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) in 1969 took a step into the future today at the International Motorsports Center (IMC).
 
IMSA and International Speedway Corporation (ISC) Chairman Jim France—the son of Bill France Sr.—joined IMSA CEO Ed Bennett and NASCAR President Mike Helton to unveil the addition of IMSA logos to signage outside the eight-story IMC building that is headquarters to IMSA, NASCAR and ISC.
 
The “new” IMSA is the result of a merger between the Daytona Beach-based GRAND-AM Road Racing, which operated and sanctioned the Rolex Sports Car Series as its top series, and the previous iteration of IMSA, which was based in Braselton, Georgia, and sanctioned the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón and its development and single-make series. The Rolex Series and ALMS have merged to create the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, which makes its debut in 2014 with the 52nd Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 25-26.
 
“It’s been an exciting year merging GRAND-AM with the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón, so it’s an honor today to unveil the new IMSA logo that has united us all,” Bennett said. “One of the first things we needed to do was establish the sanctioning body for our new venture, and based on a great deal of feedback, the obvious choice was to return to IMSA. Today was made possible by the great vision of the France family, the important relationship between Jim France and Don Panoz (founder of the ALMS), and the tireless effort and cooperation from our industry partners and employees.”
 
The International Motorsports Center is just the fourth home to IMSA in its existence. It was based in Bridgeport, Connecticut, from its founding through the conclusion of the 1988 season when it moved to Tampa, Florida. IMSA had been based in Braselton since 2001.
 
“Daytona never lost its connection to sports car racing and the passion Jim France has for it was instrumental in IMSA’s return to Daytona in the International Motorsports Center along with NASCAR and the International Speedway Corporation,” said Helton. “Jim’s father, Bill France, Sr., and mother, Annie B. France, and John and Peggy Bishop first created IMSA back in 1969 because of the passion the France family had for motorsports beginning even before NASCAR’s inception in 1948. Today’s unveiling is as much symbolic and fun as it is a business announcement because it’s like IMSA has come back home after all these years. The opportunity and the excitement that we can collectively contribute to more motorsports under our umbrella is right before us.”

Randy Simpson has been named general manager of Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. Simpson will oversee the daily operations of the historic multipurpose facility in Brownsburg, Indiana.

“We are thrilled to have such a passionate individual like Randy to take over as the new general manager of Lucas Oil Raceway,” said Curt Winiecki, NHRA controller, who also oversees operations at all of NHRA’s owned and operated facilities. “He brings a tremendous amount of knowledge about our sport to the position, and we are confident his efforts will ensure continued success at one of the busiest motorsports facilities in the country.”

Prior to joining Lucas Oil Raceway, Simpson worked at Chicagoland Speedway & Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Illinois. Most recently, he was the event development manager, where he oversaw event planning, promotions, and budgeting as well as track preparation and marketing strategies and served as a spokesperson.

Simpson is also an accomplished drag racer; he was a 1997 NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League national champion, won the 2005 Division 3 Race of Champions, and was a track champion at Route 66 Raceway in 1999 and 2005. He has raced in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series in Stock eliminator and has competed numerous times at Lucas Oil Raceway.

“Having grown up as a fan and racer at Lucas Oil Raceway and now being here in this capacity is very exciting, and I have a great sense of respect for the history and tradition that comes with the racetrack,” Simpson said. “It is going to be an exciting 2014 season, and I look forward to leading a very talented and hardworking team. Making this year extra special is the 60th anniversary of the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals and the celebrations taking place around the historic event.”

Simpson, who relocated to the Brownsburg area from Streator, Illinois, began his new role of general manager November 18. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Illinois State University.

Lucas Oil Raceway is a multipurpose facility featuring an oval, 2.5-mile road course, and the world-famous dragstrip, which is home to the most prestigious drag race, the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals held annually during Labor Day weekend. The .686-mile oval holds yearly USAC and CRA events. Numerous car clubs, automobile manufacturers, and racing enthusiasts hold events on the 15-turn road course during the season.

Veteran crew chief Lee Beard has been named Top Fuel and Funny Car Consultant to NHRA and will work closely on Top Fuel and Funny Car initiatives with NHRA's tech department, the drag racing sanctioning body announced.

“Lee's vast experience in the sport, as well as his knowledge of current technologies, will be a valuable addition to the NHRA Tech Department,” said Glen Gray, vice president of technical operations for NHRA. “We are looking forward to having Lee, with his knowledge and experience in nitro racing, work alongside us to continue to improve these two categories.”

Beard is a three-time NHRA world champion who has earned 55 victories and 66 No. 1 qualifying positions during his 33-year career. As a crew chief, he guided Gary Ormsby to the Top Fuel world championship in 1989, and served as team manager for Larry Minor Racing when Cruz Pedregon won his first Funny Car title in 1992. He also served as team manager at Don Schumacher Racing when Tony Schumacher won the Top Fuel world championship in 2009.

In addition to Ormsby and Pedregon, Beard has tuned for many top NHRA drivers, including Kenny Bernstein, Cory McClenathan, Ed McCulloch, Antron Brown, Whit Bazemore, Steve Torrence, Rod Fuller, Pat Austin and Jerry Ruth.

“Having had success in both Top Fuel and Funny Car racing during my career, I feel uniquely qualified for this position,” Beard said. “I am looking forward to assisting NHRA's tech department and working with the entire nitro racing community in this new position.”

Phoenix Racing announced that Steve Addington will serve as competition director for the team and crew chief of the No. 51 Chevrolet for the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. The move brings experienced leadership to the team that will compete fulltime in 2014 under owner Harry Scott, Jr.
 
"In my opinion Steve is the perfect guy for the job," said Scott. "He is part of the Chevrolet family, the Hendrick family and I feel fortunate that he is now part of our family.
 
"I also want to thank Jimmy Elledge for stepping in at a critical time this season and serving as the interim crew chief for the past six races," Scott said. "We look forward to hopefully working with Jimmy again down the road."
 
"I am thrilled to be part of the Phoenix Racing team and working with Harry," said Addington. "Harry has a vision to make this team a championship contender and I am excited to be part of it."
 
Addington has served as a crew chief in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for ten years and has amassed 20 wins, 66 Top 5s and 105 Top 10s during that time.
 
He was crew chief for Kyle Busch in 2008 when they won eight races. That year included a stretch where they won seven out of 14 races including at varied tracks such as Talladega, Darlington and Sonoma.
 
During 2010–2011, Addington was crew chief for Kyle's big brother Kurt Busch and won four races and had 17 Top 5s and 33 Top 10s. During the 2010 season the Kurt Busch–Addington tandem pulled off the Charlotte sweep winning the Sprint All-star and the Coca-Cola 600.
 
Most recently Addington was Tony Stewart's crew chief. The Stewart–Addington combination won at Dover International Speedway this season along with five Top 5s and eight Top 10s before Stewart was injured ending his season. In 2012, the combo racked up three wins, 12 Top 5s and 16 Top 10s on the way to a 9th place finish in the championship points standings.
 
Scott purchased Phoenix Racing in September of this year from James Finch. Since then a number of drivers have piloted the No. 51 including Justin Allgaier, Michael McDowell and Kyle Larson.
 
Additional information about the 2014 driver of the No. 51 Phoenix Racing Chevrolet and its sponsor will be announced at a later date.

Following a carefully planned transition period, Circuit of The Americas (COTA) announced that Steve Sexton is departing as its chief executive officer. Jason Dial, company president, will assume the role of CEO.

“This was a tough decision for me to make, but the timing is right,” Sexton said. “Our team’s accomplishments in the last three years have been remarkable, and I am very proud and privileged to have worked with a group of experienced and dedicated individuals, who’ve proven time and again that nothing is impossible. Our just-completed Formula 1 United States Grand Prix is further evidence of the exceptional experience that the COTA can deliver. And to see the way that the City of Austin, Travis County and the State of Texas have embraced our accomplishments is incredibly rewarding.

“We’ve done a considerable amount of heavy lifting the past few years, and the time is right for me to pass the executive torch to Jason Dial, who is well positioned to lead COTA into its next chapter. The enormous effort required to build and launch an internationally renowned company in a matter of months has left little time for anything but work. I’m looking forward to taking a break and spending time with my family who sacrificed a lot while we were fully focused on opening the circuit and putting COTA on a path for long-term success. I am so proud of the team we’ve assembled and the impact they’ve had in a short amount of time. Big things are on the horizon for Circuit of The Americas, and I am thrilled to have been here to start the COTA story.”