A new expert presenter has been announced for PRI's special digital marketing conference, Winning the eRace, which takes place at the Indiana Convention Center on the afternoon before exhibits open for the 26th Annual PRI Trade Show.

Lorraine Ball, who is based just outside of Indianapolis, is a highly acclaimed speaker on both email marketing and social media marketing. She will be presenting as a representative of Constant Contact.

A little more background:

Lorraine Ball spent 20 years in corporate America, including with Carrier and Lennox, before she came to her senses. Frustrated by the resistance to change, indecision, and lack of entrepreneurial spirit, Lorraine gave up the fancy VP office, huge staff, and big budget.

Today, you can find her at Roundpeg, a small marketing firm based in Carmel, Indiana, helping small businesses become big businesses. Along with an extraordinarily talented team, she shares what she knows about marketing strategy, web design, and inbound, email and social media marketing.

Lorraine has an MBA from the University of Texas and a BA in education from Queens College, City University of New York.  She has been a member of the faculty at the University Of Indianapolis, Indiana Institute of Technology and Marion College.

See more at her YouTube channel.

After a hugely successful debut in 2012, PRI's Winning the eRace program returns for an afternoon of digital marketing solutions. The four-hour program includes presentations by Ball, followed by Tim Odom of AAM Group, and finally a dynamic social media strategy session with panelists Steve Wolcott of ProMedia, Brian Lounsberry of Motovicity Distribution, and Chris Douglas of COMP Performance Group.     

The conference is scheduled from 1-5 p.m. on Wednesday, December 11, 2013, in Room 243 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. It is free of charge for all registered PRI Show attendees.  

For more on the PRI Trade Show, visit pri2013.com.

Motovicity Distribution, an automotive performance aftermarket distributor, announced the signing of a new master distribution agreement with Hitachi Automotive Systems America, Inc., parent of Tokico Performance Shocks. 
 


With the new exclusive master distribution agreement in place, Motovicity issued a purchase order to restore the pipeline of Tokico performance springs and shocks to North America. Motovicity will support Tokico wholesale, direct accounts and retailers, in addition to providing US marketing and customer support for the brand.
 


“This represents a brand new start for Tokico in North America and is great news to those who have come to rely on Tokico’s OE-quality performance, depth of applications and outstanding value for decades,” said Motovicity CEO Dave Ziozios.
 


The all-new Tokico inventory should be up to normal distribution levels in Q2 2014, with some backorders being filled by the end of 2013. All previous issues with obsolete inventory have been resolved, Ziozios added. 
 


US inventory levels of Tokico product for retailers and tier suppliers dwindled over the past year after the prior master distributor was unable to meet contractual obligations. 
 


The Japan-based Tokico has been a leading manufacturer of performance suspension systems for OEM and aftermarket applications for more than 60 years, and has enjoyed a solid reputation in the US for its performance and value—especially among sports/compact enthusiasts. 
 


“We are pleased to partner with Motovicity due to their impressive footprint in the high performance market,” said Fred Pakshir, vice president and general manager, Hitachi Automotive Systems Americas. “We are confident their reputation for efficient order fulfillment will guarantee a seamless transition.”
 


With the master distribution agreement, Tokico joins Motovicity’s line of exclusive brands, including HKS, Kelford and Quaife. Currently, Motovicity distributes more than 150 of the top performance brands for the sport compact and modern muscle segments, with a better than 98-percent same-day fill rate on products ordered. 


IHRA Motorsports is pleased to announce that John Donaldson joins the IHRA Motorsports Sales Team as Senior Director of Corporate Partnerships. He will primarily be responsible for the sales of sponsorships for both of the IHRA’s national touring series—the Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series and Thunder Jam.
 
Combined with digital experience for the past six years, Donaldson’s previous experience includes season ticket sales and promotions for the New Jersey Devils, sponsorship and exhibit sales for Penton Media, trade show sales, marketing and operations for National Business Media, corporate ticket packages and partnerships for Super Bowl XXXIX, and business development and suite sales for the Denver Broncos.
 
“John offers the IHRA sponsorship division and our corporate partners alike both a proficiency in traditional and contemporary sports sponsorships. His previous success with NFL and NHL properties, combined with his creativity in the digital marketing arena, will be valuable assets to IHRA Motorsports’ corporate partners,” noted Daniel Carpenter, Vice President of Corporate Partnerships for IRG Sports + Entertainment.

Based in the Jupiter, Florida office of IRG Sports + Entertainment, Donaldson can be reached at 561/578-5613 or JDonaldson@IHRA.com.

The Manufacturers Series, which is comprised of the Super Chevy Show, Fun Ford Weekend and Mega Mopar Action automotive events, is geared up for the 2014 season with the release of the new 33-event schedule that includes the dates for the newest host track to join the tour, US 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Michigan.

All three branded Series tours will make a stop at the “Fastest Track in Michigan,” giving Chevrolet, Ford and Mopar fans in the Great Lakes region a place to see the finest show cars and fastest drag cars in the area.

“We are excited to have US 131 Motorsports Park join the Manufacturers Series events for our Chevy, Ford and Mopar fans in Michigan to showcase Detroit iron and competition of the American brands,” said Lex Dudas, Manufacturers Series president.

The Super Chevy Show presented by Chevrolet Performance will include 12 events in 2014 beginning in Jupiter, Florida, at Palm Beach International Raceway with a new date of April 4-6, and ending at Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas, Oct. 11-12. Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas, will be returning to a two-day Saturday-Sunday event May 17-18, 2014 and will share a weekend doubleheader with Virginia Motorsports Park in Petersburg, Virginia.

Royal Purple Raceway will host the first of 12 Blue Oval Fun Ford Weekend dates for the 2014 season on March 29, with US 131 Motorsports Park kicking off mid-season as the sixth event on July 13. Texas Motorplex will host the final event for 2014 on Nov. 8, with a later date to beat the Texas heat.

Texas Motorplex will kick-off the nine-event Mega Mopar Action Series March 29, while Mopar Action Magazine welcomes US 131 Motorsports Park to its namesake Series May 15. Virginia Motorsports Park and Palm Beach Int’l Raceway will share a weekend in September as the first doubleheader for the Series on the September 20-21, weekend with Auto Club Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, California, wrapping up the season Oct. 4-5, 2014.

2014 Super Chevy Show Presented by Chevrolet Performance Schedule

April 4-6 Palm Beach Int’l Raceway Jupiter, Fla.

April 11-13 Memphis Int’l Raceway Memphis, Tenn.

May 17-18 Texas Motorplex Ennis, Texas

May 17-18 Virginia Motorsports Park Petersburg, Va.

May 30-June 1 U.S. 131 Motorsports Park Martin, Mich.

June 7-8 Auto Club Famoso Raceway Bakersfield, Calif.

June 20-22 Gateway Motorsports Park St. Louis, Mo.

July 11-13 Maple Grove Raceway Reading, Pa.

August 15-16 Bandimere Speedway Denver, Colo.

Sept. 26-28 Bristol Dragway Bristol, Tenn.

October 3-5 Rockingham Dragway Rockingham, N.C.

October 11-12 Royal Purple Raceway Baytown, Texas

2014 Fun Ford Weekend Schedule


March 29 Royal Purple Raceway Baytown, Texas

April 26-27 Rockingham Dragway Rockingham, N.C.

June 6-7 Memphis Int’l Raceway Memphis, Tenn.

June 14-15 Virginia Motorsports Park Petersburg, Va.

June 22 Bandimere Speedway Denver, Colo.

July 13 U.S. 131 Motorsports Park Martin, Mich.

July 18-19 Gateway Motorsports Park St. Louis, Mo.

August 29-30 Bristol Dragway Bristol, Tenn.

Sept. 6-7 Auto Club Famoso Raceway Bakersfield, Calif.

Sept. 13 Maple Grove Raceway Reading, Pa.

Sept. 19-20 Palm Beach Int’l Raceway Jupiter, Fla.

November 8 Texas Motorplex Ennis, Texas

2014 Mega Mopar Action Schedule


March 29 Texas Motorplex Ennis, Texas

April 12 Rockingham Dragway Rockingham, N.C.

May 18 U.S. 131 Motorsports Park Martin, Mich.

June 1 Bandimere Speedway Denver, Colo.

June 8 Memphis Int’l Raceway Memphis, Tenn.

June 21 Maple Grove Raceway Reading, Pa.

Sept. 20-21 Virginia Motorsports Park Petersburg, Va.

Sept. 21 Palm Beach Int’l Raceway Jupiter, Fla.

Oct. 4-5 Auto Club Famoso Raceway Bakersfield, Calif.

Prestolite Performance, a performance auto parts manufacturer of brands including Mr. Gasket, ACCEL, ACCEL Motorcycle, Hays, Lakewood, Mallory and Prestolite Proconnect, announced it has changed its name to ACCEL Performance Group effective immediately.

The name change, first announced at the company’s press conference during the 2013 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas, is the next step in a major rebranding strategy and growth initiative launched by ACCEL Performance Group President, Don Barry, since assuming his role in January 2012.  

As part of the name change, each of the brands manufactured by Prestolite Performance will continue to benefit from a host of marketing assets, however two—Mr. Gasket and ACCEL—will undergo significant branding identity and positioning overhauls making them flagships of the group with clearer, separate, target markets, from which the other brands will operate.

ACCEL will focus on providing the performance minded enthusiasts with the latest ignition and fuel system technologies to make their machines faster and more efficient. Mr. Gasket, while still focused on the performance market, will emphasize serving restorers and nostalgic hot rod builders, helping them experience their automotive passion with Mr. Gasket’s broad catalog of appearance and performance parts.

“With both Mr. Gasket and ACCEL we want to continue to create performance parts that inspire and unite generations around the world; keeping this hobby viable for years to come,” said Barry. “This new branding strategy is our first step in continuing to do so.”

In addition to the name change to ACCEL Performance Group and segmenting each of the brands more clearly, Mr. Gasket and ACCEL also unveiled new logos and will soon launch an integrated marketing program. For additional information on ACCEL Performance Group and its existing portfolio of brands and the complete line of products, visit www.accelnation.com.

A record 290 pre-entries have been received for this weekend’s IMCA Duel In The Desert at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Two hundred and twenty-five IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified drivers from 19 states and three Canadian provinces, and 65 IMCA SportMod drivers from 16 states and two provinces are entered in the November 6–9 special.

Modifieds race for $7,777 to win and a minimum of $777 to start their Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot quali­fier on the half-mile Dirt Track at LVMS on Saturday.

“There are only two events in the country that draw this many Modifieds and both are IMCA sanctioned. The number of cars and the quality of competition mean the best of the best are coming to the Duel In The Desert this weekend,” said IMCA Vice President of Operations Brett Root. “The quality of racing is exceptional and there’s no better place to hold a special event like this than Las Vegas.”

Preliminary Modified features on Thursday and Friday both pay $777 to win. Both Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Southern SportMods will compete in the same races with the existing rules for each division. Their features pay $500 to win on Friday and $777 to win on Saturday.

The National Auto Sport Association (NASA) is pleased to announce an exciting new change to the 2014 NASA Championships presented by Toyo Tires. Beginning in 2014, NASA will transition what has traditionally been a single championship event format to that of a dual championship event format hosting its NASA Eastern States Championship at Road Atlanta on August 29–31, 2014 and the NASA Western States Championship at Sonoma Raceway on November 7–9, 2014.

This move will lessen the time required for competitors to attend the NASA Championships as long tows to reach an event on the other side of the country will no longer be necessary. Additionally, NASA will revamp the weekend schedule to provide competitors with a condensed Friday through Sunday format in place of the previous Thursday to Sunday schedule. This change will make the event much easier for a larger number of competitors to attend as it will greatly lessen the time commitment required to compete at the event.

"This new format is designed to provide more NASA competitors the opportunity to participate in a Championship level event," said Ryan Flaherty, NASA National Chairman. "We received a great deal of input from our members and considered numerous options available to us and concluded that a dual Championship format would best serve our competitors.  A significant number of our members are not able to take a week off work and travel thousands of miles to attend, so it is clear that we needed to do something that provides them with the opportunity to compete in a NASA Championship event each year much closer to their home base. We look forward to hosting the big fields we expect to see at our events on both coasts in 2014."

The new dual Championship format will work much like the current traditional event with the exception that there will now be an event on the West coast and on the East coast in the same year instead of alternating between both coasts. Moreover, NASA will move the Championship event to different tracks on a yearly basis, which will add to the excitement and give drivers a chance to try out new tracks each year. Competitors can expect many of the same fantastic benefits available to them in previous years at the new format events next season. From the famous trackside gatherings and wonderfully lucrative contingency programs to the extremely competitive racing, both events will live up to the NASA Championships name.

Look for additional announcements regarding the 2014 NASA Championships events in the coming weeks.

Global Rallycross is pleased to announce a multi-year agreement with Red Bull as the series’ title sponsor and official energy drink. The partnership will mark the first primary sponsorship for Global Rallycross since its inception in 2011.

“We see the team at Red Bull not just as our sponsor, but truly as our partner in helping us to build Global Rallycross into the premier motorsports platform,” said Colin Dyne, CEO of Global Rallycross. “Their legacy of growing brands in the motorsports arena, from Formula One to motocross and beyond, makes them the perfect partner to take Global Rallycross to the next level.”

The 2014 series calendar, consisting of 10–11 races, will be announced in late November.  Fans can still expect the fastest and most exciting racing in all of motorsports, but with Red Bull’s added marketing and event expertise, they can look forward to an even higher-octane entertainment experience.

Promoting the sport to the masses and helping bring new competitors into karting, a group of industry leaders have joined forces to support a cost-friendly program. With the Briggs & Stratton LO206 program gaining popularity North of the border in Canada, it is now set to take on a whole new element in the United States with support from McLaughlin Motorsports, Top Kart USA and Victory Karts.

With a poor economy and the rising costs of karting, the sport has decreased in size over the past several seasons.  With the 2014 Florida Winter Tour (FWT) just around the corner a group of concerned industry leaders got together to do something about this problem.

Dave Klaus from Briggs & Stratton Racing, Mike McKnight from Aim Sports, Brent Barron from Inferno Racing Clutches, Jim Frantz from Faster Motors with engine assembly, Bill Wright owner of the Florida Winter Tour (FWT) and Blake Deister from Top Kart USA/Victory Kart/McLaughlin Motorsports have teamed up to promote a cost effective way to enter or stay involved in the sport. This year’s Formula Kart weekends of the FWT will include three Briggs & Stratton LO206 classes. These classes are seeing growth at the club level due to the affordability and reliability of the engine and components and the extreme parity from engine to engine. Not to mention, the on-track action helps drivers learn the fundamentals of driving and the wheel-to-wheel competition is second to none.

Bill McLaughlin Jr CEO of McLaughlin Motorsports/Top Kart USA/Victory kart stated, “We need to grow the sport even more than ever at the club level. Entries are down, we are seeing more and more new karters leaving the sport after a short time and the frustration level of the rest of us is on the rise. It was for those reasons that we started to manufacture an extremely affordable, easy to tune, made in America chassis in Victory Kart. This chassis will be the centerpiece of our development efforts. We’ll showcase this package at the 2014 Florida Winter Tour and it will also be viewable at the 2013 SKUSA Super Nationals in Las Vegas.”

McLaughlin Motorsports will have available ten Victory Kart chassis with the Senior LO206 engine, Inferno Clutches manufactured by The Hilliard Corporation, and Mychron 4 data systems for affordable arrive-and-drive opportunities at all 2014 Florida Winter Tour Formula Kart Racing events.

Victory Kart will also anti up a $500 per race-day purse, with $250 going to the daily winner and $250 going to the highest finisher on a Victory Chassis.

In addition to the per event cash prizes, the points champion of the Senior L0206 class at the Florida Winter Tour will receive an additional $500 cash along with the big Palm trophy. The highest finisher that participated on a Victory Kart chassis at all three event weekends will receive a brand new Victory Kart/LO206 package.

Briggs and Stratton Racing has agreed to subsidize the entry fee with $100 for the first 10 drivers to register for the January FWT Formula Kart Racing event weekend and will also provide a $100 “Hard Charger” award at each final for all six race days.

Bill Wright will provide a $100 discount to any LO206 Senior driver who registers for all three Formula Kart Racing weekends prior to December 31, 2013. Keep in mind that registration for the FWT opens Monday, November 4.

Bill Wright goes on to say, “I like the LO206 program because it has many of the attributes that make the Rotax program attractive, but at a very low entry cost. It has a sealed motor, very restrictive factory written regulations and factory provided tech tools. Components are plentiful and relatively inexpensive. And most importantly Briggs & Stratton is directly involved in supporting the class.”

For more information on the arrive-and-drive opportunities please visit www.topkartusa.net or email us directly at sales@topkartusa.net.

For more information about the 2014 FWT Formula Kart Racing events check the official web site at www.floridawintertour.com.

Celebrating 30 years in business, Proform will host an array of events at its booth (23667) at the 2013 SEMA Show. Among these celebrations is the Pink Engine Giveaway that will benefit breast cancer research. One lucky person will win a 425 horsepower Chevrolet Performance ZZ383 crate engine.

Additionally, Proform will have its 2014 catalogs available fresh off the press, along with a new product release—Digital Mini Shift Light.

Miss Proform, Amber Hay, will be onsite signing posters, and YouTube star Stephanie Lynn, host of "Stephanie's Power Shop," will be showcasing LSX power.

There will also be photo opps of three blinged out Chevy engines.