MSD, an industry leader in the manufacturing and marketing of ignition and EFI fuel system products, has named Robert Campbell as its Marketing Services Manager.
 
Campbell, who has worked at MSD since 2005, will be in charge of managing and directing a talented marketing services team.

MSD, known since its formation for its multiple spark discharge technology, has a complete internal graphic and creative department established to support the needs of the market and its marketing department.
 
Campbell started at MSD in the graphics department as a graphic designer in 2005 and has utilized his skills in print design, illustration, photography and videography.

Prior to joining MSD, Campbell's work included projects with world renowned companies such as Lucas Films, Fox Entertainment and Warner Brothers. In addition, he spent significant creative time working on accounts such as Hasbro and Helen of Troy and has experience in all manners of marketing and advertising including print, radio, web and television.
 
Robert is a graduate of the University of Texas- El Paso with a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts and majored in Graphic Design.

To learn more about MSD, visit www.MSDPerformance.com.

Officials of the United States Speed Association in Lebanon, Indiana, and Anderson Speedway have announced they will add Saturday September 21, to the Sprint Car Challenge Series Built by the UAW schedule.



The high banks of Anderson Speedway are home to the Pay Less Little 500, the richest race in pavement sprint car racing. The historic track also hosted the inaugural race, the Glen Niebel Classic, for the Sprint Car Challenge Series Built by the UAW in April. 



Jacob Wilson won the 65th Pay Less Little 500 in May, while Aaron Pierce topped the podium at the April Glen Niebel Classic.

California’s Tony Hunt currently stands on top of the Sprint Car Challenge Series Point standings.

The Speedway Motors family is mourning the loss of Joyce Smith, “Mrs. Speedway.”

Joyce, who died August 4 after a courageous 34-month battle with cancer, was co-founder of Speedway Motors. She was the wife of “Speedy” Bill Smith, mother to Carson, Craig, Clay and Jason Smith, and a great friend to an extended family of thousands of Speedway Motors employees, business associates and customers.

Joyce Smith played an integral role in the Speedway Motors business since its inception in 1952. Fresh out of college, Joyce loaned her new husband, “Speedy” Bill, the $300 he needed to start the Lincoln, Nebraska-based speed shop. She worked alongside him for the next 61 years, initially serving as Speedway’s bookkeeper, parts runner and counter girl, and always as a financial officer, corporate secretary and treasurer.

Through the decades, Joyce provided crucial support to all facets of the Speedway Motors business.

“Every step, every minute, every day, she’s been right there with me,” said “Speedy” Bill in his biography, Fast Company. “I could not have reached this point without her. Even if I had made it this far, it wouldn’t have been near as much fun without her. Joyce was the glue that held everything together.”

Joyce’s six-decade involvement with Speedway Motors earned her a wonderful reputation throughout the racing world and performance industry. She likely attended more races, car shows and trade shows than anyone in America.

Since their inception, she walked the fields of Hershey, the aisles of SEMA and PRI, the pits at Daytona, and the lanes of nearly every NSRA Street Rod Nationals. Her tremendous impact on the automotive community was recognized in 2005 when she was honored with the Goodguys Woman of the Year Award.

As the proud co-founder of the Museum of American Speed, Joyce was able to share her profound love of racing and rodding with future generations.

The Smith family is extremely grateful for the thousands of friends and fans Joyce has in the racing and street rodding communities, but has respectfully requested privacy during this emotional time. Funeral services will be private. A public celebration of life is scheduled for late September.  

In lieu of flowers, the Smith family asks that friends share their memories of Joyce through a memorial at the Museum of American Speed:

Joyce Smith Memorial
Museum of American Speed
599 Oak Creek Dr.
Lincoln, NE 68528
ForJoyce@MuseumofAmericanSpeed.com

Online racer registration has officially opened for entries who will be competing in 40 Pro and 8 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs in November’s 46th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000.

The legendary season-finale of the SCORE Desert Series will be held Nov. 13-17, starting and finishing in Mexico’s Baja California Norte in Ensenada, 65 miles south of the U.S. border at San Diego along the Pacific Ocean.

Racer registration is available at www.score-international.com.

In his first season as CEO and President of SCORE International, Roger Norman has also announced that the live drawing for starting positions, by class, will be held for the second straight year in the massive SCOREville display at the popular 2013 Lucas Oil Off-Road Expo at the Fairplex in Pomona, Calif.
    
“As we continue to implement our initiatives into the overall structure and foundation of SCORE, we recognize the importance and significance of the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 in the world of motorsports and are working diligently to expand the reach and impact of the event even further,” commented Norman. “The Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 is a great treasure and we are treating it with the care and respect it deserves. We are honored and humbled to be in the position we are to help maintain the stature and enhance the legacy of this amazing race.”
    
Registration has the Pro classes broken into three levels for Pro car and truck classes, a fourth for the Sportsman car and truck classes, one for Pro motorcycles and ATVs and one for Sportsman motorcycles and ATVs.
    
SCORE has also announced that this year’s race will have the longest course in history for the years when it is a loop race. This year’s course will be approximately 922 miles, starting and finishing in Ensenada and covering both sides of the Baja California peninsula in the Baja Notre state from Ensenada on the Pacific Ocean over to San Felipe on the Sea of Cortez and back.
    
The longest previous course distance in the 26 previous years it has been a loop race was 822 miles in 1985.  The longest loop course since 2000 was 808 miles in 2003. The longest distance the course traveled in the history of this race was the once-in-lifetime 2000 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 which covered a total of 1,679.54 miles from Ensenada to Cabo San Lucas.
    
More details regarding the race will be announced over the next several weeks on the SCORE website at www.score-international.com.

A number of top companies from around the world will occupy the High-Performance Computing & Testing Technology Zone at the 2013 Performance Racing Industry Trade Show in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Firms specializing in simulation software, computational fluid dynamics, finite element analysis, vehicle dynamics, advanced testing facilities and more can be found in the 100 exhibit aisle during the annual Trade Show, which takes place December 12-14, at the Indiana Convention Center.

By early August, those companies included:

* Function SIM
* Michelin's Laurens Proving Grounds
* Morse Measurements LLC
* Altair
* Cape
* SOVA Motion
* Kistler Instrument Corp
* OptimumG
* Spaghetti Menders
* Mechanical Simulation
* Total SIM
* Chassissim
* Woolf Aircraft
* Aerodyn/A2 Wind
* UOIT/Automotive Centre

For specific booth locations, visit the PRI Trade Show's online Interactive Floor Plan.

Known as the "Annual Epicenter of New Racing Technology," the PRI Trade Show will bring over 1100 exhibitors and more than 40,000 motorsports professionals to Indianapolis for the world's premier event dedicated to hardcore racing.

For more information or to register for the PRI Show, visit www.pri2013.com.

Moving from the 25,000-square-foot building that ATL Ltd. has called home for 13 years, the company will relocate all of its office and production facilities to a 100,000-square-foot site in Denbigh, Milton Keynes—just four miles south of its current Central Milton Keynes location.
 
This means that ATL will still be ideally located for most motorsports customers, and only 20 minutes away from Silverstone.
 
The move will coincide with the appointment of Will Goff (former Mercedes AMG F1 Quality Manager) as ATL's Head of Quality—bolstering a raft of major quality developments at ATL, which have included the introduction of on-screen 3D manufacturing instructions for production technicians and the integration of a full ISO9001 Quality Management System (QMS), of which a Stage 1 audit has been successfully completed.
 
ATL is now involved with several ongoing aerospace, defense and marine projects, which justify their own production areas.

With such a large amount of floor space available, project-specific modular production bays can now be introduced, along with dedicated areas for the assembly of particular types of cells, such as UAV fuel cells and pillow-style fluid bulk-storage (10,000+ liters) bladders.

Research, development and testing are big aspects of these projects, so it will be possible to dedicate more room to installing custom testing rigs, jigs, and any other prototype validation hardware.
 
Sales of metallic tanks and containers (for fuel, oil, water and other fluids) into defense and motorsports continue to increase, so the availability of extra space will allow more fabrication bays to be created and new CNC machining centers to be installed—helping to maintain growth in this area of the business.
 
Modern office suites already exist within the new building, and the office layout will allow for important expansion of the Design Department, which is necessary given ATL's ever-increasing portfolio of defense and aerospace customers. Sales and Design staff will now be located in closer proximity to the Production Management and Quality Control Departments, offering improved contact with prototype builds and work in progress.
 
The establishment of permanent, purpose-built showroom displays will mean that it will be possible for the ATL Sales Team to conduct product training workshops for ATL's International Agent/Distributor Network.

Combined with well-appointed Goods-In/Out and Reception areas, the ATL customer experience will improve, whether a customer purchases products directly or through the well-established ATL Agent network.
 
Internal construction work within the building is well under way, and the re-fit and relocation is expected to be complete by mid-October.

For more information, visit www.atlltd.com.

World of Speed, a nonprofit experiential motorsports exposition, has purchased an 80,000-square-foot building in Wilsonville, Oregon, as the permanent home for an auto racing and performance car tourism destination and an auto industry educational program.

“We’ve been looking for a home for nearly a year,” said Tony Thacker, executive director, World of Speed. “Our vision is to showcase our amazing car collection in a destination tourist attraction that supports the visitor industry, and inspires young people to explore career opportunities in the auto industry in a fun and exciting environment.”  

World of Speed plans to occupy the former location of Town and Country Jeep Dodge in Wilsonville, which will be organized to accommodate more than 100 vehicles, a workshop area, and space for educational activities. Melvin Mark Brokerage Company represented World of Speed in its purchase of the building.

Wilsonville Mayor Tim Knapp, an avid show-car fan who also restores older vehicles, said, “World of Speed has the potential to be an exciting new asset not just to Wilsonville, but also for the entire Portland region and state. This attraction can be a real draw for visitors from across the country and even internationally that complements the City’s tourism strategy now under development. The Wilsonville community looks forward to hosting World of Speed.”

World of Speed’s collection is comprised of race and performance cars from various venues including NASCAR, land speed racing, drag racing, open wheel, sports cars and motorcycles. The collection includes classic American muscle cars as well as racecars with a Pacific Northwest connection.

Through interactive exhibits and hands-on activities, World of Speed will offer visitors a behind-the-scenes view of the world of racing. Recently, Ford Motor Company donated a Mustang that will be reconfigured into a hands-on display to showcase how a car is constructed, what materials are used and how materials are recycled. A real Indy car will function as a simulator for fans of all ages, while a car formerly raced by Danica Patrick should appeal to female visitors.

Several historic racecars are in the collection including Mickey Thompson’s famous record-breaking Assault, Herm Petersen’s Northwest Terror, and the Gaines Markley/Rob Bruins National Hot Rod Association Top Fuel Championship Car from 1979. World of Speed is also undertaking restoration responsibilities for any need that arises.

Programming and activities will expose young people to the opportunities available in the auto industry, and to help educate them to enter the workforce or advance to specialized education. A curriculum will be developed under the supervision of Mr. Thacker.

The auto industry touches nearly two million people in jobs ranging from design, assembly and repair of vehicles. According to Thacker, that figure doesn’t include the performance aftermarket and racing industry that is estimated to be $30 billion by the Specialty Equipment Market Association. A typical professional NASCAR team might employ up to 140 people including cooks, marketers and race mechanics.     
    
“This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to showcase this sport,” said Thacker. “Vocational educational has all but disappeared from our schools at a time when the auto industry needs designers, engineers and mechanics more than ever. Oregon is the perfect location to attract and inspire young people to explore the array of promising careers in a very dynamic and popular industry. We are proud to offer this opportunity and to greet our new visitors.”

Plans for redevelopment are under way. The World of Speed is expected to open in the fall of 2014.

A Grand Tradition: There’s no other way to say it: Summer at PRI is an exciting time. While racers and their teams are working hard to harness every last ounce of horsepower, the crew here in Laguna Beach, California, is pounding away in preparation for the world’s greatest annual gathering of motorsports professionals.

And this year’s PRI Trade Show carries special significance. Not only does it come with added momentum from last year’s consolidation with the IMIS, but in December we’re bringing over 1100 exhibiting companies, and more than 40,000 attendees from all 50 states and 70-plus countries, to the Racing Capital of the World, Indianapolis!

What’s more, we’ve just confirmed that a favorite industry tradition, the Grand Opening Breakfast that kicks off the first day of Trade Show exhibits, will feature the return of Dave Despain and his popular Wind Tunnel TV program. For several years now Despain has entertained PRI audiences with his unique stories and insights—and big-name guests—from the world of auto racing. And, we've also learned that Dave’s guest at the Breakfast will be “The King,” Richard Petty. For more details, click here.

The Mentor Among Us: One of the highlights of PRI’s recent swing through North Carolina was our visit with master engine builder Keith Dorton of Automotive Specialists. Dorton’s standing in the pantheon of circle track engine builders is well established. He’s a legend pure and simple. And walking through his Concord, North Carolina, facility felt a bit like a tour of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory—if only giant candy bars were race engines.

At any rate, Dorton was more than generous with his time, expertise and access, and for that we’re truly grateful. But amid the shop talk, Dorton disclosed something about himself that probably doesn’t get the recognition it deserves: For the last two years Dorton has volunteered each week at a nearby youth detention center, where he teaches an hour-long engine building class to four students over a span of five weeks. In fact, on the fifth week the boys come out to the shop for some hands-on training.

Dorton explained: “I try to teach them that if a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing right. It also lets them know that there are people out there who care about you. That’s one of the main reasons I do it.” And that’s what we call making an impact!

Trackside Traction: True, we were told ahead of time that CV Products ran one of the top retail operations in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area. But when we arrived at their Mooresville store in early summer it quickly became evident what a well-oiled machine this actually is. Store Manager Nathan Childress was a genuine reflection of the service, availability and knowledge that brings CV Products repeat business from top racers at all levels and disciplines (asphalt, dirt, drag, etc.) of motorsports.

It was especially interesting to learn of CV’s extensive efforts beyond the store itself. According to Childress, the company regularly dispatches trailers stocked with specific products to different tracks around the region. “For example,” he told us, “we’ve picked up good business recently in the dirt market, so we send a trailer to those tracks with dirt products only. And we take totally stocked trailers to all the ARCA races, all the [Sprint] Cup races, all the sports car races. I also have an engine guy who goes to all the NHRA races—so everyone who works here, we all have our niches.”

Always nice to hear how top retailers are staying ahead of the game.

Going Out On Top: Junior Johnson did it in 1966. And last month seven-time USAC national champion racer Levi Jones announced his retirement from active driving, opting instead to focus on the family business. Here’s wishing Jones, whose most recent win came May 24, in the prestigious Hoosier Hundred, much success in future endeavors.

Andersen Promotions, which will oversee the licensing and operation of Firestone Indy Lights in 2014, announced that a new car for the series will be introduced for the 2015 season.

The current Dallara chassis will see several updates to enhance its performance for 2014.

The majority of the updates will be applicable on the new race car to assist with budgets.

“In an ideal world, we would be debuting a new Firestone Indy Lights car next season,” Andersen Promotions CEO and owner Dan Andersen said. “Unfortunately, with our very recent acquisition of the series, there isn’t enough time to accomplish this for 2014.

"Safety is paramount, and we also want a race car that is attractive and interesting to drivers worldwide," he added. "By enhancing the current chassis, bringing in new engine and tire partners to activate and support the series while also reducing costs and offering strong incentive programs to current and potential teams, we give ourselves time to do the job properly."

The selection of a chassis designer/manufacturer for the new car will be announced within 90 days from proposals submitted by four major manufacturers. The process is being overseen by Tony Cotman, president and founder of NZR Consulting and the former IndyCar vice president of competition.

The new car will debut for testing in the second half of the 2014 season.

Andersen and IndyCar president of competition and operations Derrick Walker announced July 12 that Andersen Promotions would license the series—the third rung of the Mazda Road to Indy ladder. IndyCar will continue support through sanctioning and race operations.

In the buildup to drag racing's biggest event, the Chevrolet Performance US Nationals, Performance Racing Industry and the Indiana Motorsports Association will host a Racer’s Appreciation Dinner in Indianapolis later this month.  

Race teams, manufacturers, suppliers, and industry supporters are invited to a special dinner at the Don Schumacher Racing Hospitality Center, near the Parks Tower at Lucas Oil Raceway, during the Test N Tune for the Chevrolet Performance US Nationals on Wednesday, August 21.

Dinner will be served from 4:45-6:15 p.m.; invited guests may arrive as early as 3:00 p.m.

The event was developed by PRI and the IMA as a way to connect with race teams, manufacturers and industry leaders in anticipation of the motorsports industry’s convergence in Indianapolis, December 12-14, for the 26th Annual PRI Trade Show.

"Working with the Indiana Motorsports Association was a key first goal in PRI's return to Indianapolis, and we have something very cool coming up with this big test session for the US Nationals," said John Kilroy, producer of the PRI Trade Show. "With the IMA's help, we'll organize a tasty BBQ dinner for the teams, and deliver our message that this year's PRI Trade Show is a 'can't miss' event for today's top professional race teams. This is going to be fun."

Participating sponsors and partners include Don Schumacher Racing, Lucas Oil Raceway Park, Centerplate Catering, Mello Yello and Coca-Cola.

For additional information or to RSVP, email PRI's Jeff Swoboda at jeffs@performanceracing.com.