Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series officials have announced an amendment to the series schedule for the weekend of July 26 and 27.

The series has replaced the scheduled visit to Stateline Speedway in Busti, New York, on Friday, July 26 with the previous re-scheduled show at Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex that was set to run on Sunday, July 28. The series will now race in Markleysburg, Pennsylvania at the "Knob" on Friday night, July 26.

This event at Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex is a make-up date for the rained out event that was scheduled in April. The LOLMDS event at the "Knob" on July 26 will be the first race of the two days of racing that weekend in the Northeast for the national touring series for super dirt late models.
 
The second event scheduled for that weekend in July will take place at Hagerstown Speedway in Hagerstown, Maryland, Saturday night, July 27. The series will visit Hagerstown Speedway for the second time in 2013 and sanction the 32nd Annual "Cononcocheague 50."

Both Friday night's event at Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex and Saturday night's events at Hagerstown Speedway will include LOLMDS Hot Laps, RED BUCK Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains, and 50-lap feature events, paying $10,000 to win and $800 to start.
 
For more information about Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex, visit their website at www.roaringknob.com. For more information about Hagerstown Speedway, visit their website at www.Hagerstownspeedway.com.
 
For the latest breaking news on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, visit the series' website at www.lucasdirt.com.

Event Purse:
$10,000 to win - 1. $10,000, 2. $5500, 3. $3500, 4. $2750, 5. $2250, 6. $1800, 7. $1500, 8. $1300, 9. $1200, 10. $1100, 11. $1075, 12. $1050, 13. $1025, 14. $1000, 15. $950, 16. $925, 17. $900, 18. $875, 19. $850, 20. $825, 21. $800, 22. $800, 23. $800, 24. $800.
 
Tire Rule:
Left Rear/Fronts - Hoosier Rib 1300, 1325
Right Rear - Hoosier 01,02, LM20, 04

On the morning of December 12, 2013, the great heritage of the Grand Opening Breakfast at the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show continues with the special appearance of one of racing's greatest champions, Richard Petty.
 
Known to many simply as "The King," NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty is the most decorated driver in the history of NASCAR racing, winning a record 200 career races and seven NASCAR Cup championships during his illustrious career. Today, Petty is as busy as ever, and spends much of his time overseeing the operations of Richard Petty Motorsports, a three-car team competing in NASCAR's highest levels.
 
"We're honored to have Richard Petty make his first-ever appearance at the PRI Trade Show's Grand Opening Breakfast," said John Kilroy, producer of the PRI Trade Show. "Everybody in the business of auto racing owes a lot to Richard, and the Petty family, for all they've done to establish NASCAR racing as one of America's most popular sports.
 
"This is going to be fun. Richard represents so much of NASCAR history, and Dave Despain is a terrific motorsports journalist, sure to draw out the best racing stories," continued Kilroy.
 
Once again, Despain will present a live version of his popular Wind Tunnel TV program, which airs on the Fox Sports Speed Channel, during the Grand Opening Breakfast, on the morning of the first exhibit day of the PRI Trade Show.
 
The Grand Opening Breakfast begins at 8 a.m., Thursday, December 12, 2013, with doors set to open at 7 a.m. It will be held in the Sagamore Ballroom of the Indiana Convention Center.
 
The PRI Trade Show takes place Thursday, Friday and Saturday, December 12-14, 2013, in Indianapolis. Approximately 1100 industry suppliers occupying 3300 booths will exhibit the latest developments in auto racing technology before 40,000 attendees from the US and 70 countries. It is the premier trade show for motorsports professionals throughout the world. The Show is open to the trade only; race fans are prohibited.
 
This year, the IMIS Show is being consolidated into the PRI Trade Show, which makes its return to Indianapolis after eight years in Orlando, Florida. The Show offers unparalleled access and exposure for racing businesspeople, including retailers of racing components, race engine builders, performance WDs, race car builders, and race track owners and operators, as well as professional race teams.
 
One of the highlights of each PRI Trade Show is the Engine Charity Sweepstakes, organized by Sunnen Products Company and PRI, in which a race engine is raffled off to raise funds for the Victory Junction camp started by Kyle and Pattie Petty in honor of their son, Adam. It is a year-round camping facility that serves children, ages 6 to 16, with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses.
 
For more information on Victory Junction, go to www.victoryjunction.org.
 
To register for the PRI Trade Show, or for more information, go to www.performanceracing.com.

USAC, American Honda Motor Company and its racing division Honda Performance Development (HPD) debuted a prototype installation of the 2.4 L engine recently in three Honda Racing/HPD USAC Ignite Midget feature events at a pair of Michigan race tracks.

A pair of “top-five” finishes resulted as the car, driven by series regular Gage Walker, actually led several laps during one of the three features. Walker, a former Honda USAC .25 Midget Champion, was very competitive and worked closely with Spike Chassis owner John Godfrey in the events at M40 Speedway in Jones, Michigan, and at Springport (Mich.) Motor Speedway.

The Honda Racing/HPD platform is a non-points entry in the 2013 series and is competing to evaluate performance and uniformity within the Focus platform.

"The results were very positive considering the engine’s first weekend at the track. The folks at Honda Performance Development and Stanton Racing have invested a lot of time and energy into this new platform and the results are starting to show," said USAC Director James Spink.

Additional on-track testing and event participation are planned in the near future, and the engine is expected to be ready for sale this fall.

These tests follow another successful Honda-powered outing at Santa Maria (California) Speedway, where Jake Swanson earned a feature victory in the Honda USAC Western Midget series.

Following a thorough review, NASCAR announced that it will not assess penalties to the teams that had to change out the spacers that support the hinge bar of the car’s roof flaps last week at Daytona International Speedway.

There were 16 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams and 15 NASCAR Nationwide Series teams that were involved.
 
“We examined this from every aspect we possibly could and determined that there would be no penalties involved,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition.

“Based upon our inspection and subsequent review, it was our determination that the functionality and safety aspects of the roof flaps were not compromised and the on track competition would not be impacted," he continued. "Moving forward we will work with the roof flap manufacturer and the race teams to evaluate and optimize the associated installation hardware, review the process in its totality and communicate in a timely manner to the garage area any revisions that we determine need to be made.”

Sports Car Club of America, Inc. has announced the locations of the next three SCCA National Championship Runoffs, including a long-awaited trip to the West Coast and return appearances to two historic venues.

National Champions will be crowned at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in 2014, Daytona International Speedway in 2015 and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 2016.

The return to the West Coast and Monterey’s Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca comes 50 years after the inaugural event at Riverside in 1964. The event alternated between Riverside and Daytona for six years. Once again, Daytona will follow a West Coast event. Mid-Ohio was the Runoffs host from 1994-2005.

“Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Daytona, and Mid-Ohio are three of the premier race tracks in the country, if not the world,” SCCA President & CEO Jeff Dahnert said. “Each is a true test of our racers and all have unique qualities to help us crown our National Champions.”

The annual rotation, a break from recent tradition, came from lengthy discussion among members of the SCCA Board of Directors—as did the trip to the West Coast.

“The future of the Runoffs has been a topic of discussion amongst the SCCA Board of Directors and the National Staff for well over a year,” Dahnert said. “We had two goals for the event moving forward—to move the event around the country geographically, and to continue to visit the country’s top tracks. We’ve accomplished both.”

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca becomes just the seventh track to host the Runoffs in the event’s 50-year history, and marks the first time a National Champion will be crowned west of the Rocky Mountains since 1968 at Riverside International Raceway, in Riverside, California.

"The SCCA Runoffs embodies the true essence of sports car racing," Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca CEO & General Manager Gill Campbell said. "This is a great platform for amateur road racers and we are proud to be a part of the crowning of a National Champion."

The road course at Daytona International Speedway is the home to the Rolex 24 at Daytona, and hosted the Runoffs previously in 1965, 1967 and 1969. The Runoffs will utilize the 12-turn, 3.56-mile infield and oval circuit that will show off both the handling and horsepower of many Club Racing machines.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve been able to crown SCCA National Champions at Daytona, and we’re looking forward to welcoming back the best amateur road racers in the country,” Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III said. “The mix of sports car and open-wheel classes from the SCCA will make for a unique and exciting event.”

Of the three venues, Mid-Ohio has the most recent Runoffs records. With 12 previous engagements, only Road Atlanta, with 24, has seen the Runoffs more.

“It's great to have the SCCA Runoffs back at Mid-Ohio as amateur racing helped build the history of this track,” Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course President Craig Rust said. “Over the past few years many of our fans have asked about the Runoffs returning so we know they will be excited to welcome them back in 2016.”

Dates have yet to be confirmed for the 2014 SCCA National Championship Runoffs or beyond. The 50th Runoffs will be held September 16-22, 2013, at Road America for the fifth consecutive year.

The 2014 event will hold special synergy, as Mazda serves as both the track’s title sponsor and the official car of the SCCA.

“Club Racing is the heart and soul of Mazda Motorsports,” Mazda Motorsports Director John Doonan said. “We are proud to help bring the biggest club racing event in the country to our home track for 2014.  We’re thrilled that the SCCA will begin its second 50 years of Runoffs history at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.”

Following an incident at the 2013 German Grand Prix in which a cameraman was injured by a flying wheel, Formula One racing’s governing body, the FIA, has announced an immediate ban on anyone other than event marshals and team personnel being present in the pit lane during races and qualifying sessions.

Access for approved media will be confined to the pit wall.

The Nurburgring incident occurred when, following a pit stop, a wheel became detached from the Red Bull Racing car of Mark Webber as he made his way toward the pit-lane exit. The loose wheel struck a television cameraman who was injured as a result. He is expected to make a full recovery.

In order to reduce the risk of similar accidents in the future, two rules changes planned for 2014 are now due to be implemented in time for the next 2013 round. All team personnel working on a car during a stop will now be required to wear head protection, and the pit-lane speed limit during races will be cut from 100km/h to 80km/h (with the exception of Melbourne, Monaco and Singapore, where due to track configuration the limit will remain at 60km/h).

The FIA is also expecting a written report from Red Bull Racing which will be shared with other teams in order to help improve pit-lane safety.

The Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series has hired Brad Smith of Winston-Salem, N.C., as Tour Development Manager. 

Smith will be the liaison among the series, the tracks, the local GM dealers at each venue, and the community.
 
Smith has been involved in motorsports from many aspects as a competitor, announcer, and manufacturer. He is best known as “Bad Brad,” the announcer from America’s first motorsports reality program “Madhouse” that aired on the History Channel in 2010.
 
The Chevrolet Super Late Model Series is a new racing series in which the race cars will be powered by the Chevrolet Performance CT 525 Engine that is based on the LS production engine that comes in the Chevrolet Corvette, Camaro, and SS. 

The $7000 all-aluminum engine is built and sealed at the factory to prevent any expensive modifications.
 
It is this concept that Smith will be selling to GM Dealerships and the communities around the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series events, as the series will be bringing the sport back to a “Win On Sunday, Sell On Monday” theme.
 
In addition to his duties with the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series, Smith also works with Velocita Custom Driving Suits, which are worn by several competitors in motorsports. Velocita is also a sponsor of the CPSLMS’s sister series, the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.
 
The 2013 Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series will open on August 2 at Penton Raceway in Penton, Alabama, and then move to East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City, Alabama, on August 3 for a pair of $3000-to-win races.
 
For more information about the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series, visit the series website at www.525superseries.com.

IndyCar has updated procedures for standing starts, which will be implemented at Race 1 of the Toronto and Houston doubleheader weekends.

Highlights of the standing start procedures from 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series rulebook include:

Countdown - The safety car will lead the formation lap and drivers will follow single-file in starting order.

Formation Lap - During the formation lap, drivers will remain in starting order with no overtaking. The speed of the formation lap will be set by the safety car.

Grid - At the end of the formation lap, drivers will take their starting positions with the front wheels of the car remaining within its designated orange grid line.

A five-second declaration will be made via radio by the Race Director prior to the start of the light sequence. The starting sequence will begin when the first two rows of red lights on the lighting panel illuminate. The red lights will continue to fill from the bottom of the light panel two rows at a time, for a total of six steps (12 rows).
 
Once the panel is filled with red lights, there will be a delay between .5 and 3 seconds and the panel will switch to all green lights and the race will begin.
 
False Start - A false start shall be declared when a car moves forward or is out of its assigned position before completion of the light sequence. A penalty will be imposed for a false start.
 
Aborted Start - The Race Director can declare an aborted start before the final row of red lights is illuminated on the lighting panel. If the start is aborted, the full-course caution lights will be turned on.

In the event of an aborted start, a rolling start shall be implemented. Any competitors whose actions result in an aborted start will move to the rear of the field.

Standing starts will be implemented at Race 1 of the Honda Indy Toronto on July 13 and the Shell/Pennzoil Houston Grand Prix on Oct. 5. Race 2 of the doubleheader weekends will utilize traditional rolling starts.

Advanced Clean Air Technologies Global (ACAT Global), manufacturer of lightweight and efficient catalytic converter substrates, has hired Eric Fulcher as vice president of global operations.

Fulcher will oversee all aspects of the business and focus on the growth of ACAT Global installing the systems and fundamentals to increase ACAT's international presence in the automotive, commercial vehicle and powersports industries.

“The level of experience Eric has in operations management is a great find for us,” said Joseph A. Moch, President and CEO of ACAT Global. “His knowledge and expertise will certainly make our business units run more efficiently to help support the growth we are experiencing.”

Prior to joining ACAT, Fulcher was most recently the vice president of continuous improvement for the NAO Division and the Asia-division industrial and quality director for the Faurecia Group in Shanghai, China. While there, he was responsible for the operations and quality functions for the Faurecia Emission Control Technologies BG.

Fulcher had previously been director of advanced manufacturing engineering for the Lear Corporation in Madison Heights, Michigan.

Fulcher holds a Master’s of Science degree in systems engineering from Oakland University, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Oakland University.

For more on ACAT Global, visit www.acatglobal.com.