NASCAR has announced the postseason awards dates for the annual NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards and the NASCAR Night of Champions Touring Series Awards, set for Dec. 13 and 14 at the NASCAR Hall of Fame/Charlotte Convention Center.
 
The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards will take place Friday, Dec. 13. Among those honored will be the 2013 national champion, as well as track champions from 55 tracks across the United States and Canada, state and provincial champions and top rookies.
 
On the following evening, NASCAR’s touring series champions will be recognized at the traditional NASCAR Night of Champions Touring Awards. Set for Saturday, Dec. 14, honorees will include the champions from the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1, Mexico’s NASCAR Toyota Series and Euro-Racecar NASCAR Touring Series.
 
Both the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards and the NASCAR Night of Champions Touring Series Awards will be streamed live on NASCARHomeTracks.com.
 
NASCAR previously announced the date for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards (Dec. 6 at Wynn Las Vegas) and the NASCAR Nationwide-NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Awards (Nov. 18 at Loews Miami Beach).

ASA Racing is offering the ASA Advantage Benefit Plan, which allows individuals to purchase affordable health and/or life insurance plans for themselves, their family and even their employees if they own a small business.

The program is available to all those racing in the ASA community and not just limited to ASA members. To search out the right plan for individuals, families or employees, visit: speedwayeduseries.com/asa_advantage or asa-racing.com.

The ASA Advantage Benefit Plan is a partnership with AmWINS Group Benefits—a provider of association insurance for association members. It is available in every state and offers many of the familiar and prominent insurance names with options available in:

·         Health Insurance
·         Term Life Insurance
·         Simplified Issue
·         Dental Plan (not available in all states)
·         Prescription plan
·         Pet Insurance
·         Small Business

AmWINS has relationships with more than 200 leading insurance carriers and benefit manufacturers, which enables the ASA Advantage Benefit Plan to provide members a broad access of benefit solutions.

When Sports Car Club of America launched the U.S. Majors Tour last September, one of the primary goals was to cluster competition amongst the best racers in the SafeRacer National Series.

Through the first eight Majors races of 2013, that target has been reached, with car counts up nearly 19 percent from 2012.

Comparing the 2013 Majors Tour races to the equivalent National Races a season ago, four of the early season races—Auto Club Speedway, Road Atlanta, VIRginia International Raceway, and Summit Point—individually increased more than 20 percent. The early May race at Summit Point led the way with an increase of 28.24 percent average attendance per day, well above the 18.96 percent jump across the board.

Those numbers ignore the March debut at Circuit of the Americas, which hosted a season-high 936 entries during both days of the doubleheader.

“This is a transition year for the U.S. Majors Tour and the entire Club Racing program, but we have been very pleased with the increased car counts thus far,” SCCA President & CEO Jeff Dahnert said. “All of the events thus far have seen an increase from 2012, with all but one increasing more than 16 percent.

The data includes the opening eight events on the 19-event schedule. Each of the remaining events, with the exception of the WeatherTech June Sprints at Road America, are doubleheaders. The June Sprints offers a bonus race for half of the run groups on the weekend.

The U.S. Majors Tour is divided into four geographic conferences to give SCCA Club Racers a championship experience without cross-country travel. Each of the four Conferences—Eastern, Northern, Mid-States and Western—will crown a champion in all 28 Runoffs-eligible classes.

The U.S. Majors Tour is the top level of SCCA’s strong amateur racing program.

More information on the SCCA U.S. Majors Tour is available at www.sccamajors.com.

Renault SAS has signed on as official Technical Partner of Spark Racing Technology to supply the Formula E cars to be entered in the FIA Formula E Championship.

The agreement was signed by Patrice Ratti, Renault Sport Technologies Managing Director and as a Renault SAS representative, Alejandro Agag, CEO of Formula E Holdings and Frédéric Vasseur, President of Spark Racing Technologies.

Renault’s ongoing involvement in motor racing’s series provides it with a unique technological laboratory, giving it an edge not only in the world of production vehicles but also on the race track. Renault’s technological excellence extends not only in F1 but also in all Z.E. range.

Spark Racing Technology sided toward this technological expertise to optimize the electric and electronic layout. The 42 Formula E single-seaters built for the beginning of the first season will be named "Spark-Renault."

For more information, visit formula-e-news.com.

ESPN, together with the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) and Irwindale Event Center, will present X Games Los Angeles 2013 on August 1-4, with more than 200 athletes in competition venues and event spaces in and around L.A. LIVE, STAPLES Center and—for the first time—Irwindale Speedway. 

ESPN and ABC will combine to offer 19 live hours of X Games Los Angeles 2013 original programming; WatchESPN will carry every event on ESPN networks; and an additional four-and-a-half hours of original content will be available across computers, smartphones, tablets and Xbox in the US.
 
Celebrating its 11th consecutive and final year in Southern California, X Games Los Angeles will debut the discipline of Gymkhana. Made popular by driver Ken Block, it will premier as Ford Gymkhana Grid at Irwindale Speedway and accompany Ford RallyCross. 

Based off the popular Gymkhana driving technique, Ford Gymkhana Grid features drivers competing head to head on a specifically designed course consisting of cones, tires, barrels and other obstacles. The race will require drivers to perform figure eights, 180-degree spins and other advanced driving techniques to get through the course as quickly as possible.  

In addition to Rally disciplines, Irwindale Speedway will also host Skateboard and BMX Big Air, X Games Music and X Fest elements.
 
"We're obviously thrilled to have been chosen to be part of the 2013 X Games Los Angeles," said Jim Cohan, CEO, Irwindale Event Center. "We know that Irwindale's reputation as a first class sports venue for NASCAR, NHRA, USAC, and Formula Drift will take another leap forward with this booking.
 
Bringing four nights of X Games to the Speedway is a strong vote of confidence in our facility, and even more importantly, for our management staff. ...We're quite honored."
 

The NHRA has fined a Pro Stock racer and a Pro Stock team for committing rules infractions last weekend at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway.

NHRA Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson was fined $5000 and penalized 10 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series championship points for removal of safety equipment (lifting of helmet shield), which is prohibited from the time the vehicle leaves the starting line until the vehicle is on the return road as outlined
in the 2013 NHRA Rulebook. 
  


The Elite Motorsports Pro Stock team was fined $10,000 and its driver Rickie Jones penalized 25 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series championship points for improper modification of the Electrimotion Pro Stock Shutoff Controller Kit, required in all Pro Stock vehicles.

The Electrimotion Pro Stock Shutoff Controller Kit is a safety element installed on Pro Stock vehicles to assist an impaired driver in stopping the race vehicle beyond the finish line. Modification or tampering with the Electrimotion Pro Stock Shutoff Controller Kit is strictly prohibited, per the 2013 NHRA Rulebook.

Both fines must be paid in full prior to the driver or team being allowed to participate at any future NHRA events. Both fines are appealable.

NASCAR has announced the postseason awards dates for the annual NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, set for Monday, November 18 at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida.
 
For the fifth consecutive season, the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will share the awards stage, honoring the series driver and owner champions as well as the top-five drivers in each series.
 
For the first time in two years, NASCAR will crown a new champion in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, as reigning two-time titlist Ricky Stenhouse Jr. now races full time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

JR Motorsports driver Regan Smith currently owns the top spot in the standings, followed by three-time IndyCar champion Sam Hornish Jr., last year’s championship runner-up Elliott Sadler, Justin Allgaier and Brian Vickers.
 
Reigning NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion James Buescher returned to the series in 2013 to defend his crown, and currently ranks sixth after four races. Johnny Sauter leads the points, followed by Matt Crafton and a trio of young rising stars Jeb Burton, Ryan Blaney and Ty Dillon.
 
NASCAR previously announced the date for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards—December 6 at Wynn Las Vegas.

The brand-new Kern County Raceway Park, fueled by Monster Energy, will make history with its Grand Opening on May 18. 

The state-of-the-art half-mile and quarter-mile speedways have been developed for nearly 10 years and will officially bring NASCAR back to Bakersfield with "KGET-TV Opening Night."
 
Saturday's event will look to bring back the strong tradition of pavement racing in Bakersfield and will offer racing for drivers as young as five years old!
 
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series sanctioned races will make up the bulk of the 24-race schedule, running through October 26. 

Saturday night's opener is headlined by the prestigious 100 lap NASCAR Pro Late Model feature that pays $8,000 to the race winner. NASCAR CITGO Lubricants Late Models will run a 50 lap event on the half-mile as well for $2,500 to win.
 
Quarter-mile racing during the grand opening will include the INEX Legends for $1000 to win and Bandoleros, with Mini Dwarfs racing on the one-eight mile.

All told, the five divisions will race for nearly $50,000 in cash and prizes in one of the most lucrative pavement short track events on the West Coast.
 
On May 17, track officials will turn on the lights for team to get one last practice around the speedway before the racing action begins the following night. The pit gates will open at 3 p.m. with practice from 5 p.m.-9 p.m., with no charge for the Bandolero and Mini Dwarf drivers.
 
Saturday night's action will include practice and qualifying leading up to the 6 p.m. opening ceremonies and racing. Spectator gates and the ticket box office will open at 4 p.m.
 
The CITGO Lubricants Late Models will compete in 18 points races at the speedway as they race for NASCAR state and national points. 
 
For more on Kern County Raceway Park, visit www.kernraceway.com.

Darr Lawson, whose mechanical expertise contributed to last year’s phenomenal USAC Traxxas Silver Crown success for RW/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports, has been named USAC’s Director of Competition and Technical Director.

Lawson, 33, who hails from Kokomo, Indiana, will oversee all competition and rules applications in his new role with USAC.

A tool maker with a degree from Vincennes University in Indiana, Lawson assisted sprint car driver Tim Cox in the early 1990s and raced mini-sprints and sprint cars in central Indiana.

In 2007 he worked with driver Brady Short and car owner Scott Benic, then joined the RW Motorsports team of Lederach, Pennsylvania, in 2008.

As general manager for the RW/Curb-Agajanian team, he orchestrated last season’s USAC Traxxas Silver Crown Car Owner Championship as drivers Bryan Clauson, Bobby Santos and Jerry Coons Jr. swept five of the eight series races.

“I look forward to this new challenge,” said Lawson. “I feel my expertise provides a good fit for this area of the sport and I am excited about the season ahead and the future of USAC and its participants.”

George Barris, Eric Grant, Wade Kawasaki and Joe Schubeck will be inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame, an honor that recognizes an elite group of individuals for raising the stature or growth or the automotive specialty-equipment industry.

 

Hundreds of industry professionals will gather and pay tribute to the new Hall of Fame members during the SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser, Friday, July 26, at the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel & Conference Center in Pomona, California.

George Barris: George Barris is a legendary vehicle customizer, well-known for his celebrity creations that include the Batmobile, Munster Koach, KITT from Nightrider and the Dukes of Hazard’s General Lee. 
 


In addition to building vehicles, Barris authored many “how to” articles for magazines, such as Hot Rod Magazine, Motor Trend, Car Craft and Rod & Custom. 
 


As a pioneer and icon in the industry, Barris continues to actively influence the industry’s styles and trends. A regular attendee at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Barris is admired and respected by many in the industry. 
 


Eric Grant: When issues such as clean air and emissions began to arise in the 1960s, SEMA turned to Eric Grant for guidance. At the time, Grant represented the government agency that eventually evolved to be the California Air Resources Board.
 


Grant met with SEMA members and advised them about the situation, so much so that Grant became an ally for the association and eventually came to serve as SEMA’s executive director. 
 


As the association’s executive director, Grant was instrumental in advocating for the SEMA industry and helping to solve a number of industry compliance issues.
 


Wade Kawasaki: During Wade Kawasaki’s 30-year career, he has volunteered and contributed to dozens of SEMA projects. 
 


In addition to serving several terms on the SEMA Board of Directors, Kawasaki is a past Chairman for the SEMA Show Committee, Governance Committee, International Task Force, and Audit Review Committee.

He was instrumental in the creation of the SEMA Political Action Committee (PAC) and the SEMA Young Executives Network (YEN), and he served as the association’s Secretary/Treasuring working alongside the Board of Directors.  
 


His SEMA Hall of Fame induction follows a number of honors that have been bestowed upon him, including 1996 SEMA Young Executive of the Year, 2003 SEMA Chairman’s Service Award recipient, and 2007 SEMA Person of the Year. 
 


Joe Schubeck: Known by many as “Gentleman Joe,” Joe Schubeck began his top-fuel racing career in the 1960s. While he spent many years successfully racing, his greatest contribution to the industry came during his post-racing career.
 


Schubeck founded Lakewood Industries, which manufactured life-saving racing products such as the bell housing that many continue to refer to simply as the “Lakewood.” 
 


Schubeck was a former SEMA Board Member and served on the association’s first Safety Committee. An avid enthusiast and contributor to the industry, he continues to attend the SEMA Show annually. 
 


SEMA is the parent company of Performance Racing Industry. For more information about the SEMA Hall of Fame, visit www.sema.org/hof.