Design Engineering is sharing its expertise and product resources with students at Ohio Technical College to help them prepare for successful automotive and powersports careers.

This private, accredited technical college located in nearby Cleveland, Ohio, provides a well-rounded education in all major areas of auto mechanics:  traditional, classic and alternative fuel, collision and restoration, welding, racing-performance, diesel mechanics and exclusive BMW training center.

The school is also well known for its PowerSport Institute, a unique program that covers repair of most major brands of motorcycle and powersport equipment—Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha and more.

Recently, three staff from DEI—Mike Zenone, Business Development Manager and Boom Mat Product Manager; Steve Garrett, DEI Art Director and Media Coordinator, and Dan Stark, DEI Technical Support and Customer Service Representative—spent time at Ohio Technical College training the college’s instructors on DEI’s and Boom Mat’s thermal and acoustic performance product lines, Ny-Trex nitrous and Ny-Trex Diesel products, Radiator Relief and related thermal additives, and CryO2 intake cooling systems and accessories.

The training reinforced how DEI-branded products can be used for custom, race and stock vehicles to enhance audio sound, dampen vibration, improve HP, or provide component protection for long-term durability and high performance.

“Our commitment is to provide products on an as need basis for the college’s project vehicles and assist with products and training from DEI Powersports for their first class PowerSport Institute," said Garrett. "Our goal is to build excitement about our products, to educate how they can be used for traditional repair to the most technically advanced race vehicle, and to support the enthusiasm and growth of the youth in the aftermarket.”

For more information, go to www.designengineering.com, call 800/264-9472, or email: sales@DesignEngineering.com.

Doug Duchardt, who joined Hendrick Motorsports as an executive in 2005, has been elevated to the newly created position of executive vice president and general manager, effective immediately. He will report to team owner Rick Hendrick and company president Marshall Carlson.

In his expanded role, Duchardt, 49, will direct all racing operations for Hendrick Motorsports, which fields four cars in the elite NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He also will manage technical relationships—encompassing engine leases and chassis purchases—while serving as primary liaison between Hendrick Motorsports and NASCAR’s competition group.

Duchardt’s responsibilities now include oversight of all competition-related personnel and departments, including teams; engines; race car construction (chassis and bodies); research and development; human performance (pit crews); and engineering.

“Doug has led by example from his first day with us,” Hendrick said. “We’re in a competitive and ever-changing industry, and he brings a global view that will be critical to our long-term success. Doug shares the organization’s values, understands the importance of relationships and has helped promote a culture of teamwork and communication. We know those are things he will lean on and grow in the years to come.”

A native of Morton, Ill., Duchardt joined Hendrick Motorsports in February 2005 as vice president of development. In that position, he directed all engine, vehicle engineering, chassis and body operations. He also oversaw the company’s work on the last two generations of Sprint Cup Series race cars, including Hendrick Motorsports’ role as the lead development team for General Motors’ new Chevrolet SS.

During Duchardt’s tenure, Hendrick Motorsports has won 84 Sprint Cup races and five series titles.

Duchardt joined General Motors as a co-op student with Buick in 1983 and went on to graduate from Missouri University of Science and Technology in 1987 with a mechanical engineering degree. He earned a master’s degree in engineering from Purdue University in 1992 and received an honorary professional degree from Missouri S&T in 2009.

After nearly a decade in various roles with the manufacturer, Duchardt joined General Motors Racing in 1996. In June 2003, he was named director of North American motor sports initiatives, overseeing programs in NASCAR, Grand-Am, American Le Mans, NHRA, IndyCar and other series. During Duchardt’s leadership of GM Racing, the Chevy Monte Carlo garnered five Sprint Cup manufacturer championships.

Longtime Hendrick Motorsports executive Ken Howes will continue to serve as vice president of competition, a role he assumed in January 2005. He will report to Duchardt.

A pair of Illinois ovals have been added to the 2013 Honda Midwest Ignite Dirt Midget calendar.

Kankakee County Speedway will host the series on Friday night, September 6, and Macon Speedway is the Saturday night, September 7 venue.

USAC’s last race at Macon found Brad Kuhn winning a Midget race there in 2007. It’s been 40 years since USAC’s late Kankakee appearance, a 1973 Midget race won by Pancho Carter.

Neither track has previously hosted the Ignite Midgets.

IRG Sports + Entertainment (IRG) has acquired Southwestern International Raceway (SWIR), formerly Merle’s SIR Dragway, located in Tucson, Arizona.

SWIR is a 110‐acre venue located at the Pima County Fairgrounds, 10 miles from downtown Tucson. The track features a dedicated quarter‐mile drag strip; it first opened in August 1997.

“The acquisition at this time is right in line with our growth strategy for 2013, since January’s purchase of the International Hot Rod Association by IRG. With our Nitro Jam series already being hosted at this facility, the Raceway will continue to be a key stop on the Nitro Jam schedule with additional IHRA events being held there,” said Jason Rittenberry, CFE, the chief executive officer of IRG.

IRG acquired the track from former owner operators Jon Bradford and Tom Koenan. Over the last 16 years, SWIR has hosted such events as the IHRA’s Nitro Jam and Thunder Jam, Pro Nitro Warm‐Up, Super Chevy Show, Pacific Street Car Association (PSCA), Import Face‐Off, and Tucson Dragway Reunion.

Driving schools, professional testing sessions, private rentals, and corporate team‐building events are also held at SWIR year‐round.

The IRG ownership group is led by managing partners, Michael Dezer and Gil Dezer of Dezer Properties, Joseph Lubeck of Landmark Apartment Trust of America, Inc., Edward Kobel of DeBartolo Development, and Jason Rittenberry, chief executive of the company. In 2008, the group purchased the historic Moroso Motorsports Park in Jupiter, Florida.

After an 18‐month, $30 million dollar renovation, the facility was re‐launched as the state‐of‐the‐art Palm Beach International Raceway (PBIR) along with the private membership club, Palm Beach Driving Club.

In 2011, the group acquired Memphis International Raceway (MIR) in Memphis, Tennessee, from Dover Motorsports, Inc., and in 2013, acquired the IHRA from Feld Entertainment, Inc. Murray D. Schwartz, Esq. served as outside legal counsel for IRG Sports + Entertainment and has been added to the Board of IRG Sports + Entertainment.

IRG will immediately take control of the operations of the track and has retained the General Manager, John Mabry, and key staff in the areas of customer service, accounting and track management. An enhanced brand identity for SWIR is in development while the newly redesigned website for the track will launch in the coming weeks.

IRG will continue to operate the remainder of the events on the 2013 schedule at SWIR, while adding new additional events for the 2014 season.

FOX Sports and NASCAR solidified their future together last October when they announced a multi-platform, multi-series media rights agreement through 2022.

Now, less than 10 months later, the two organizations announced they have extended that agreement, which begins in 2015 and runs through 2024.

In addition, FOX Sports has added exclusive rights to three additional NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events and the first 14 NASCAR Nationwide Series events of each season. FOX Sports secured exclusive rights to the entire NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season through 2022 last fall and that part of the agreement also has been extended through 2024.
 
Financial terms of the extended agreement were not disclosed.
 
NASCAR’s media rights package for 2015 and beyond is now complete with FOX Sports holding rights to the first 16 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, first 14 NASCAR Nationwide Series races and entire NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season.

NBC, which last broadcast NASCAR events in 2006, will televise the final 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, final 19 NASCAR Nationwide Series races and the NASCAR K&N Pro Series and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events beginning in 2015.
 
In total, NASCAR will have the same number of NASCAR Sprint Cup races on network television (16) as it does in the current television package. FOX Sports will broadcast nine races and NBC will show seven.
 
FOX Sports began broadcasting live NASCAR races in 2001 and will launch its new all-sports network, FOX Sports 1, on Aug. 17 with a live broadcast of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race from Michigan International Speedway as the network’s first-ever live event.

NASCAR will be an anchor property for FOX Sports 1 and has been a large part of the promotional efforts to launch the new network. This new agreement marks the return of the NASCAR Nationwide Series to FOX Sports, a series it broadcast as part of its original package beginning in 2001.
 
Summary of FOX Sports’ Exclusive Rights (2015-2024):

·       First 16 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points races of each season, including the Daytona 500
        o   Nine on FOX Sports and seven on FOX Sports 1
·       First 14 NASCAR Nationwide Series points races of each season
        o   Fourteen races on FOX Sports 1
·       NASCAR Sprint Unlimited, Budweiser Duel and NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race
·       All NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races

Brad McCown, who has owned and operated Jackson County Speedway for the past three years, has finalized a deal to purchase Atomic Speedway from current owner Jim Nier Sr.

Atomic Speedway, which is south of Chillicothe, Ohio, on Blain Highway, has been idle since Nier re-assumed ownership from Jeff and Vicki Schrader in early 2012.

McCown said he plans to run sprint cars, late models, street stocks, modifieds and sport mods at Atomic Speedway, with a handful of Saturday night races likely to be scheduled for later this year.

A racer himself, McCown actually started his career at Atomic Speedway's 3/8-mile dirt track, which previously operated as K-C Raceway.

“We could hear the announcers from my house,” McCown told the Chillicothe Gazette. “I just wanted to race, but my parents were big fans of racing and we were always at the track.”

The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) and Continental Tire have reached a multi-year partnership agreement that will make Continental Tire the exclusive tire supplier in three classes during next year’s inaugural United SportsCar Racing season.

Starting with next January’s Rolex 24 At Daytona—the season-opening United SportsCar Racing event—Continental’s exclusivity will extend to the new series’ Prototype (P), Prototype Challenge (PC) and GT Daytona (GTD) classes.

The GT Le Mans (GTLM) category will be open to multiple tire manufacturers.

Continental Tire also will return as title sponsor and exclusive tire supplier of the IMSA Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (CTSCC), a developmental series currently sanctioned by GRAND-AM Road Racing.

Starting next year, the CTSCC and United SportsCar Racing will run under IMSA sanctioning, resulting from the merger of GRAND-AM, IMSA and the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) Presented by Tequila Patrón.

“This is a proud day for the future of United SportsCar Racing as we solidify a partnership that already has roots in both GRAND-AM and the ALMS,” said Ed Bennett, who will serve as chief executive officer of IMSA.

“And in solidifying this partnership we also are introducing the important element of stability across three classes in United SportsCar Racing – and the IMSA Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. Continental Tire’s partnership and support, vital to the business of the ALMS and GRAND-AM this season, will be even more so in 2014 and beyond.”

Continental Tire will continue to use their exclusive racing tire from their ExtremeContact line of tires.

In addition, Continental Tire will continue to provide full, first-class at-track support at all United SportsCar Racing and CTSCC events. As part of the agreement, Continental Tire will receive logo placement on cars and will continue to activate at-track via hospitality, signage, event entitlements and other marketing initiatives. Continental Tire will also support the series off-track through a variety of promotions, marketing events and TV.

Continental Tire debuted as the title sponsor and exclusive tire supplier for the CTSCC in 2010. In 2011, the global company became the official tire of GRAND-AM as well as exclusive tire supplier to both the CTSCC and Rolex Series. At the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida, in March, Continental Tire debuted as the presenting sponsor and exclusive tire provider for the PC class in the ALMS.

Also carrying over to United SportsCar Racing from the ALMS is the open tire specification for what will be the GTLM class. Plans for additional tire manufacturers to compete in the manufacturer-based class will be announced as relationships are finalized.

For more information, visit www.unitedsportscar.com.

The 2013 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards postseason banquet will be held December 14 in Indianapolis, Indiana, alongside the 26th Annual Performance Racing Industry Trade Show.
 
This year's banquet will honor the 2013 series champion, as well as other top series drivers and special award winners from the 61st season in ARCA Racing Series history.
 
It will be the second consecutive year that the banquet will be held in the Sagamore Ballroom at the Indiana Convention Center. The public is welcome to attend.
 
"It's an honor for PRI to have the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule its postseason awards banquet in Indianapolis the week of the PRI Trade Show," said John Kilroy, producer of the PRI Trade Show. "ARCA has a long and storied heritage of excellence in racing. PRI welcomes all the great ARCA teams to Race Industry Week 2013. We have 1100 exhibiting companies who certainly want to meet up with all of them at the PRI Trade Show!"
 
The banquet reception will take place from 5 to 6:15 p.m., with the awards program scheduled to start about 6 p.m. The event is open to the public, which must buy tickets by December 2. Tickets are $100.  
 
ARCA Racing Series teams and sponsors may register and pay online at www.arcaracing.com, while non-members may contact Shalene Williams at 734/847-6726 or via email at swilliams@arcaracing.com.
 
The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards has crowned 30 ARCA national champions in 60 seasons since 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 26 states since its inception. This year, the series visited Wisconsin's Road America for the first time.
 
The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is among the leading auto racing sanctioning bodies in the country. Founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum, the organization administers more than 100 events each year in multiple racing series, including the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, the ARCA/CRA Super Series, the ARCA Truck Series and the ARCA Midwest Tour, plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways.
 
Banquet attendees are encouraged to reserve hotel rooms as soon as possible, as area hotels are expected to be full in light of the events planned for Indianapolis during the weekend, including the PRI Trade Show.
 
For additional banquet information, or information on hotel room reservations, click here.
 
More than 1100 exhibitors will display the latest advances in racing products and race engineering at the 2013 PRI Trade Show, where thousands of racing professionals will scour the aisles to source the new technology that will be winning races next year. To pre-register for the PRI Show, click here.

Jessi Combs has been selected as WyoTech’s official spokesperson.

After graduating from WyoTech's Laramie campus in 2004, Combs became a successful fabricator and television personality. She will represent the school at selected events and speak to students at WyoTech campuses across the country.

“We’re thrilled to have Jessi Combs represent WyoTech,” said Michael Stiglich, president of WyoTech. “As a proud WyoTech graduate, she is an outstanding example of what dedication and perseverance can achieve. She’s an amazing role model, not only for women, but also for all who wish to achieve their dreams. Jessi truly has a passion for her craft.”

As official spokesperson, Combs has already inspired hundreds of WyoTech students at the Laramie campus in June of this year. During her visit, she demonstrated her welding skills, signed autographs and spoke about her experiences in the automotive and racing industries.

On September 28, Combs will visit the WyoTech campus in Blairsville, Pa., where she’ll deliver her message and continue to raise awareness of the value of a WyoTech automotive technical education.

Combs attended WyoTech in Laramie, Wyo., where she studied collision/refinishing, chassis fabrication, street rod fabrication and trim/upholstery, graduating with a diploma in Street Rod and Custom Fabrication.

The school provided her first fabrication job when she and another student were hired to build a car from the ground up in six months to debut at the Specialty Equipment Marketing Association’s (SEMA) trade show. The car was auctioned for charity, making Combs’ first project a success and marking the beginning of a successful career.

“I think it's great that I can talk to new students about my experience at WyoTech and how it has helped me get to where I am today,” said Combs. “I want to inspire them to do great things and never give up.”

Combs’ was a guest fabricator on the set of Overhaulin’ and was soon hired as the co-host of Xtreme 4x4, part of the Powerblock series on Spike TV. She held this position for four years and 90+ episodes. After parting ways with the Xtreme 4x4 crew due to an accident that should have left her in a wheelchair, Combs made appearances on shows like Two Guys Garage, TruckU, Full Throttle TV and more. 

Today, Combs co-hosts All Girls Garage and Overhaulin’ airing on Velocity, as well as The List: 1001 Car Things To Do Before You Die, which airs on AOL’s Autoblog.com and SPEED.