Following a comprehensive review of all available audio and video communications from last Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway, along with interviews with team personnel, NASCAR announced Friday the following decision:

· Both the Front Row Motorsports and Penske Racing organizations have been placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31 for violating Section 12-1 (Actions detrimental to stock car racing).

· A 13th car—the No. 24—would be added to this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

“Based on all of our findings this week, we determined both Front Row Motorsports and Penske Racing organizations would be placed on probation for the remainder of this season,” said Brian France, NASCAR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Additionally, based upon the totality of our findings, to be fair and equitable we decided that adding a 13th car to this year’s Chase is the appropriate action.

“Beginning with our decision Monday, which resulted in an unprecedented team penalty, and continuing with further examination of actions involving two other race teams, it is clear to us that attempts to manipulate the results impacted the Chase field.

“The integrity of our sport remains the cornerstone of NASCAR, and our actions this week speak to our commitment to ensure a level playing field for all competitors.”

Additionally, NASCAR will conduct a mandatory meeting with drivers, owners, crew chiefs and other team personnel tomorrow to address this issue moving forward.

...

Jeff Gordon (No. 24) finished one point behind Joey Logano (Penske Racing) for 10th place in the standings after the regular-season finale at Richmond—Logano would have owned the tiebreaker had they finished with the same number of points. The top 10 in the standings were guaranteed a berth in the postseason.

Shortly after the announcement, Gordon posted on Twitter: "Wow we just gained 1250 points! Very appreciative of @NASCAR consideration on this matter as well as fans overwhelming support."

He later added: "Think this is the first time I could actually hear the excitement in all of your tweets not just read them. Thank you all! #Team24"

Since the checkered flag fell at Richmond, Michael Waltrip Racing has been fined $300,000 and docked driver and owner points following a NASCAR investigation for attempting to manipulate the outcome of a race.
MWR's three drivers were all docked 50 points, which knocked Martin Truex Jr. out of the postseason in favor of Ryan Newman.

In addition to Gordon being added into the postseason, Front Row Motorsports and Penske Racing are on probation until the end of the year, Helton announced. There was question over whether those two teams had improper communication during the Richmond race.

"More than anything, it’s just right thing to do,” France said in making the Gordon announcement. “There were too many things that went on Saturday night that provided a clear disadvantage."

Gordon's addition into the postseason means all four Hendrick Motorsports cars are in the running for the championship.

“I applaud NASCAR for taking the time for a full review," Rick Hendrick said in a press release. "What occurred at Richmond was not of their making, and they’ve had to wrestle with some very difficult decisions throughout the week. I know everything done by NASCAR has been a sincere effort to be fair and ultimately do what’s best for our sport and our fans.

“We’re extremely proud to have all four cars in the Chase for the second consecutive season. Jeff and the No. 24 team earned this spot, and we’re going to leave everything on the race track during these last 10 (races). The support this week from our fans and partners has been incredible, and I’m proud of everyone at Hendrick Motorsports for the effort that’s gotten us here. The Chase is going to be exciting.”

When Top Fuel drag racer Doug Herbert lost his teenage sons John and James in an auto accident several years ago, he made the decision to do something to help save other people’s children.

As a result he created B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe), a free driving school that teaches teenagers safe driving techniques. Thursday Herbert hosted the annual B.R.A.K.E.S. banquet at the Embassy Suites in Concord, North Carolina.

With a star-studded group of attendees and supporters, the event raised money through silent and live auctions as well as the sale of tables for the dinner.

Special awards were presented during the evening to B.R.A.K.E.S. supporters. The Foundation Award went to Hendrick Automotive Group, while a pair of Danielle Lee Kennedy Awards were handed out, with one going to Carol White, who raised funds in order to honor her son who was killed in an auto accident by bringing a B.R.A.K.E.S. class to Juneau, Alaska. The second Kennedy Award went to NHRA Pro Stock champion Allen Johnson for his work in bussing kids from his Tennessee hometown to brakes classes in Charlotte.

Appreciation Awards were presented to UPS and the North Carolina State Patrol, while the Wheels In Motion Award went to KIA Motors. Finally, the Vision Award went to B.R.A.K.E.S. supporters Tom and Joan Kalimanis.

Among the attendees were Speedway Motors Chairman Bruton Smith and former Charlotte Motor Speedway President H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler. The two have rarely attended the same function since Wheeler left SMI several years ago.

“I have no idea how we got these two in the same room,” Herbert joked, “but I’m glad they are here.”

Others on hand included drag racers David Grubnic, Tony Schumacher, Greg Anderson, Jack Beckman, Shirley Muldowney, who is a B.R.A.K.E.S. board member and Clay Millican. Two-time NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Randy LaJoie, former Penske Racing executive Don Miller and NHRA President Tom Compton were also among the attendees.

NASCAR is investigating the possibility of collusion between the Penske and Front Row teams in the Richmond Sprint Cup race, but says it currently has no firm evidence.

In the wake of the race-fixing scandal involving Michael Waltrip Racing, the Associated Press published transcripts of radio communication between Joey Logano's Penske team and the Front Row squad of David Gilliland.

Logano passed Gilliland in the closing stages to finish 22nd in the race, a result that earned him the first Chase spot of his career.

A NASCAR statement said that the matter was being investigated but was not so far seen as an issue.

"NASCAR is aware of reports about the #22 [Logano] and #38 [Gilliland] radio communications at Richmond International Raceway and is looking into it, but has yet to see anything in full context that requires any action," it said.

In the event, Logano's Chase place was secure regardless of whether he passed Gilliland.

Waltrip driver Martin Truex Jr lost his Chase spot to Ryan Newman when NASCAR heavily penalized the MWR team for attempting to manipulate the race results to ensure Truex beat rivals to the final Chase wildcard entry.

Radio instructions for unnecessary pitstops by Truex's teammates Clint Bowyer and Brian Vickers were central to the penalty. A late spin by Bowyer also aroused suspicion, but NASCAR could find no proof it was deliberate.

For 25 years, the PRI Trade Show has offered a host of memorable personal experiences, from terrific conversations with industry friends, fun events like the Grand Opening Breakfast, insightful business management seminars and more fun out on the town as racers took over the city.

However, if you boil it down to numbers, the main objective for attending buyers is pretty much one thing: new racing products. It’s the never-ending search for hot new parts engineered to push the envelope of speed, according to the first-ever survey of buyers and exhibitors at the PRI Trade Show, conducted last year under the direction of Gavin Knapp, senior market research manager for SEMA.

We very much appreciate Gavin’s work as the numbers verified the PRI Trade Show is working at a very powerful level for attending buyers. 88% of the 656 buyers surveyed said the company’s business objective for attending the PRI Trade Show is new racing products. A remarkable 93% said their objective was met.

With an even stronger array of racing companies exhibiting in the 2013 PRI Trade Show, we predict the ‘new racing products’ experience will reach a new level in satisfying attending buyers from throughout the US, as well as 72 countries.

Product display was named by 86% of those surveyed as the number one thing that attracts a buyer into an exhibitor’s booth.

Other PRI Trade Show key objectives reported by the surveyed buyers include the following:
    •Get ideas (75%)
    •Keep up to date on industry trends (73%)
    •Get technical information (70%)
    •See existing vendors (67%)
    •See specific products (67%)
    •Find new vendors (65%)
In pursuing such important objectives, attendees overwhelmingly reported they were satisfied with the Show, with 87% reporting a “good” or “excellent” experience (Not one person reported a “poor” experience). 89% said the PRI Trade Show is worth the time and cost to attend. Half have attended six shows or more.

We should also mention the survey results demonstrated the PRI Trade Show is a smart investment for exhibiting companies. 85% of buyers reported they are more likely to buy from a company that exhibits in the PRI Trade Show. 63% placed an order while at the Show. On average, PRI buyers purchased from 13 exhibitors in the months following the Show. They added an average of three new racing product lines.

At PRI, we like to remain in close contact with our exhibitors and attendees. They’re straight shooters, and we’ve improved the Show over the years according to what industry folks have told us directly, face to face. After all these years, it’s good news to have a survey back up the notion so completely that the formula works...the PRI Trade Show is THE PLACE to go each year for new racing products!

Dart Machinery has been named the title sponsor of this weekend’s Extreme Outlaw Pro Mod Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park.

One of the biggest backers of the EOPM series, Dart stepped up its support by securing the title rights to EOPM’s marquee event.

“We couldn’t be happier to announce Dart as the title sponsor of our biggest race,” said EOPM Race Director Rick Moore. “We’ve enjoyed the support of some of the most respected names in the industry this season, and having Dick Maskin and Dart Machinery behind us means a ton.”

Dart Machinery, located in Troy, Michigan, is an industry leader in high performance cylinder heads, intake manifolds and engine blocks. Many EOPM teams and their engine builders rely on Dart components to produce race-winning horsepower.

Virginia Motorsports Park in Petersburg, Virginia, is the home track for EOPM, which has quickly become one of the most prominent regional Pro Modified organizations in the country. The Dart EOPM Nationals will mark the series’ fourth visit to the track this season.

“Each race at VMP seems to be more exciting than the previous one,” Moore said. “Allen Carpenter and his team do an excellent job with the facility and the track surface is always top-notch. We had a record-setting field of cars at our last race here in August, and with a perfect fall weather forecast and some of the best Pro Mod cars on the East Coast qualifying for a 16-car field, we’re in for a heck of a show.”

The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) announced that TUDOR—an innovative and retro-chic brand— has been named entitlement partner for the next five years of what now will be known as the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.

The IMSA announcement precedes TUDOR’s official US launch during New York Fashion Week.

“The 2014 season will feature the rebirth and revitalization of sports car racing in North America, and therefore it’s the ideal time to introduce a premium watch brand like TUDOR to our US fans and partners, as well as further solidify our relationship with the international motorsports community,” said IMSA CEO Ed Bennett. “This is a natural progression of the fantastic relationship we’ve cherished for decades with our partners at Rolex.

“In TUDOR, we have an optimal match for the Championship, as its brand attributes align with ours, specifically its Grantour collection that was created for sports car aficionados.”

The TUDOR United SportsCar Championship extends ties of the prestigious Swiss watchmaking market to premier US sports car racing dating back to 1959, when NASCAR Founder and IMSA Co-Founder Bill France Sr. and Rolex formed their initial relationship. Rolex will continue to serve as Title Sponsor of the annual Rolex 24 At Daytona and Official Timepiece at Sebring Int’l Raceway and the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida.

“For years TUDOR has been inspired by motorsports,” said TUDOR Brand Manager Russell Kelly. “This new partnership between TUDOR and IMSA allows us to elevate our commitment to sports car racing. This is the perfect alignment between partners dedicated to performance and precision.”

In 1926, Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf registered “The Tudor” brand and established Montres Tudor SA in 1946. From 2009 to 2011, TUDOR had a partnership with Porsche Motorsports as Timing Partner, and two years later, it began its collaboration with Ducati as global Timing Partner. Its affiliation with the FIA World Endurance Championship—which includes a race in Austin, Texas, alongside the American Le Mans Series race later this month—commenced this year.

“Not only do TUDOR’s brand attributes of performance, prestige and elegance align with the nature and character of endurance sports car racing, but clearly, we are the only form of motorsport in which the race length is determined by time, not distance,” said IMSA President Scott Atherton. “Based on our mutual strengths, a watch and timing partner is a superb match for our series. We’re pleased that TUDOR recognizes that our passionate fans are absolutely the right clientele for them.”

The inaugural TUDOR United SportsCar Championship will debut next January with the 52nd Rolex 24 At Daytona. The complete 2014 schedule will be announced at a later date.

An assortment of global influencers, accomplished dignitaries and high-profile executives headlined the 2013 NASCAR Green Summit Delivered by UPS in Chicago, Illinois. Commemorating five years of innovative changes to the sport’s environmental footprint, the event examined the substantive initiatives that have helped make NASCAR the sports sustainability leader.
 
Among those who addressed summit attendees were: Former Vice President of the United States & Chairman of The Climate Reality Project Al Gore; Retired U.S. Army General Wesley K. Clark; US Hockey Hall of Famer Mike Richter; Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Lead Scientist Allen Hershkowitz; Deputy Undersecretary for Science and Energy at the US Department of Energy Dr. Michael Knotek; and the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Senior Policy Counsel in the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Matt Bogoshian.
 
Founded on NASCAR Chairman & CEO Brian France’s vision, NASCAR Green has grown exponentially into one of the most powerful environmental awareness platforms in the country. NASCAR owns the largest recycling, tree planting and renewable energy programs in all of sports. It also put nearly five million competition miles on Sunoco Green E15, a biofuel blended with 15 percent American-made ethanol made from American-grown corn.
 
Importantly, these efforts are aligned with NASCAR fan values and behaviors. According to a 2013 study commissioned by NASCAR and conducted by Toluna, NASCAR fans are approximately twice as likely as non-fans to indicate their household is very green – always looking for new ways to positively impact the environment.
 
“We take an enormous amount of pride in the collective effort that has been put forth across our entire industry to positively impact the environment over the last half decade,” said France. “It’s our mission to pass along a cleaner and healthier environment for generations to come by championing sustainable behavior to our millions of fans.”
 
The 2013 NASCAR Green Summit delivered by UPS recognized a number of Official NASCAR Partners that continue to push the bar in driving sustainable behavior. The program included executives from some of the world’s most influential brands, such as Coca-Cola, Ford Motor Company, Eaton, General Motors, Liberty Tire, Safety-Kleen, Sprint, Sunoco, Toyota and presenting partner UPS.  
 
Also, NASCAR formally announced it will enter into strategic collaborations with the Department of Energy (DOE) and the NRDC.
 
·         NASCAR and the DOE will collaborate on advancing the adoption of clean energy technologies. Specifically, NASCAR has deployed Eaton EV charging stations for employee use at its corporate office locations in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Concord, N.C., with plans to install another station in Charlotte, N.C., by the end of the year. Additionally, the DOE and NASCAR will collaborate to identify partnership opportunities, which may include universities, national laboratories, and private sector companies for the purpose of conducting clean energy and auto-related research. 
 
·         NASCAR and the NRDC will collaborate on several initiatives in the areas of energy usage, waste management and food consumption. Specifically, NASCAR and NRDC will work to promote energy efficiency at NASCAR-sanctioned racing facilities as well as NASCAR corporate facilities. The two entities will also work together to educate NASCAR fans about the benefits of renewable energy and promote healthy food options in collaboration with concessionaires at NASCAR-sanctioned racing facilities.
 
“Dedication, innovative thought and a shared vision to better the environment has led to NASCAR entering into two separate Memorandums of Understanding with the DOE and NRDC,” said Dr. Michael Lynch, NASCAR Managing Director of Green Innovation. “These new alliances demonstrate NASCAR’s commitment to driving sustainable behavior amongst our fans.”
 
Additionally, NASCAR honored a number of sanctioned tracks for their dedication to making a positive impact on the environment. Auto Club Speedway, Darlington Raceway, Daytona International Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Michigan International Speedway, Pocono Raceway, Richmond International Raceway, Sonoma Raceway and Watkins Glen International all received special awards.  

National Bronze & Metals, Inc. will be hosting an open house on October 11, 2013, to celebrate its 30th anniversary.

Get ready for a genuine Texas celebration, including a night of great Tex-Mex food, drinks, live music, plant tours, and of course, one great time with the NBM staff.

The event will take place at NBM's Houston, Texas, facility from 3:30–9:00 p.m.. For out-of-the-area guests, NBM has partnered with the nearby Sheraton Houston Brookhollow, offering its corporate rate of $89/night. And shuttles will be offered from the hotel to NBM's corporate office for all the festivites.

RSVP online at www.nbmmetals.com/anniversaryrsvp or call 713/869-9600 and ask for Zubair.

Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, a hose and fittings manufacturer, has opened a second US facility in Santa Ana, California alongside its Concord, North Carolina US headquarters and UK operations. 

The southern California shop mirrors the Concord facility, but on a smaller scale, with hose assembly, pressure testing and parts sales available.

Industry veteran Kevin Cochran will oversee operations.

The shop is located in the Harbor Business Center at:  3617 W MacArthur Blvd, Unit 507, Santa Ana, CA 92704 USA; Phone: 714-415-0080; Email: socalsales@bmrsusa.com.
 

DC Electronics announces that it's now working in partnership with Super B Batteries and will be distributing the company’s range of Lithium race batteries, which are suitable for motorcycles, karts, race cars, aviation and electric vehicles.

Super B designs and manufactures a range of high-tech starter and deep-cycle energy batteries, ranging from tiny 2600mAh starter batteries to powerful 160Ah deep cycle energy batteries. Located in Hengelo, The Netherlands, Super B was one of the first manufacturers to bring Lithium Ion Phosphate starter batteries to the racing market.

Super B’s starter batteries are designed and engineered to offer clients fantastic performance with peace of mind and reliability, whether fitted to a 125cc go kart or an LMP1 race car. All of Super B’s products are made to be 100 percent reliable under the most extreme conditions and the range performs better than lead-acid batteries.

David Cunliffe, director and co-founder of DC Electronics, said, “Super B is a world leader in Lithium Ion Phosphate batteries and we are delighted to be offering our clients their range of products. We are now able to supply Super B’s batteries for a range of vehicles including motorcycles, karts, race cars, aviation and electric vehicles.”

Steven Bradshaw, UK representative of Super B, added, “We are really excited to be working with DC Electronics and to have the company as our distributor. Super B provides the best Lithium Ion Phosphate technology and we strive to be the world’s leading manufacturer of Lithium Ion batteries, aiming to continually exceed customer expectations through innovation and operational excellence.”

DC Electronics is one of the motorsport industry’s leading manufacturers of custom built electrical systems with over 15 years’ experience. The UK Head Office is based in Maldon, Essex and also has a successful US production facility in Mooresville, North Carolina. DC Electronics has worldwide distributors for its products, ensuring it is at the forefront of innovation and technology on a global scale.

Products designed and built by the company have been used in championships worldwide, including NASCAR, Formula 1, IndyCar, World Rally, Superbike and even F1 Powerboats.

For further information on DC Electronics visit www.wiringlooms.com or call +44(0)1621 856 451 (UK) or +1 (704) 230 4649 (US).

For further information on Super B, please visit www.super-b.com/en/.