One new date has been added to the 2013 USAC racing calendar while another has been removed.

The 4th “Chad McDaniel Memorial” Midget race at Solomon Valley Raceway in Beloit, Kansas, joins the USAC National Dirt Midget calendar on Tuesday night, July 30.

The Beloit Midget race joins a week of activity filled with USAC National Midget racing, preceding the August 1-3 “Belleville Midget Nationals” at the half-mile North Central Kansas Free Fair oval.

The July 7 Traxxas USAC Silver Crown race at the Milwaukee (Wisconsin) Mile has been removed due to scheduling conflicts at the facility.

Also, tickets for the June 29 “Rocky Mountain Classic” Traxxas Silver Crown race at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colorado, are now on sale and can be ordered through http://pikespeakjune29th.eventbrite.com.

The race at the quarter-mile dirt Beloit oval honors the memory of the late Concordia, Kansas, driver who lost his life while competing in a 2009 USAC National Midget race at Knoxville, Iowa.

The race will be the first for USAC at the Beloit oval, where past “Chad McDaniel Memorial” winners have included Brad Kuhn (2010) and Scott Hatton (2012). Rain forced the 2011 cancellation.

NASCAR has announced the qualifying and race procedures for the inaugural “Mudsummer Classic,” the highly anticipated NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Eldora Speedway on July 24.

Unlike asphalt tracks, dirt tracks have historically used a format much different than typical races and that will be the case for this event, the first NASCAR national series race held on dirt in more than 40 years.

The race will feature a traditional two-lap qualifying session, five qualifying races, one last-chance race, and a champion’s provisional to determine the 30-truck starting field. The top-20 in owners’ points entering the race event will have a guaranteed starting position.

Additional details for each round of qualifying:

Qualifying:
•    Two-lap qualifying determines starting position for the qualifying races

Qualifying Races:
•    Five qualifying races
•    Eight laps each; only green flag laps count
•    Five trucks transfer from each qualifying race
•    Lineup for the qualifying races will be based on qualifying speeds with four locked-in trucks (trucks in the top 20)
•    The top-five trucks in qualifying will start on the pole for their respective qualifying race
•    Highest finishing non-locked-in truck will transfer to race from each qualifying race
•    At the completion of the qualifying races, 25 trucks will have earned spots into the feature.

Last Chance Race:
•    15 laps; only green flag laps count
•    The top-four finishers will transfer to the feature and start in positions 26-29
•    The lineup will be based on the finish from the qualifying races

Starting position No. 30 will go to the most recent past series’ champion who has not already qualified. If the 30th starting position is not filled by an eligible champion, it will be assigned to the next highest finishing truck in the Last Chance Race.

The race length and format are also new for the series. The race will be 150 laps divided into three segments. The segments will be 60, 50 and 40 laps.

There will be pit stops between each segment, with teams having the opportunity to change tires and work on their trucks.

More details on the event schedule will be released later this spring.

The “Mudsummer Classic” will be the first NASCAR national touring series event held on dirt since NASCAR’s premier series competed on September 30, 1970, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Richard Petty won the Home State 200 at the one-mile State Fairgrounds Speedway.

Having discontinued its factory supported program in the American Le Mans Series for this year, Porsche has confirmed it will make the United SportsCar Racing series its primary focus for the new 911 RSR, potentially with a full works effort when it debuts in North America in 2014.

The German manufacturer's all-new GTE contender was unveiled recently at Paul Ricard, ahead of a two-car factory program in this year's FIA World Endurance Championship, which will see Porsche take on Aston Martin and Ferrari in the GTE-Pro ranks.

A decision on its GTE program for 2014 has yet to be made, according to Head of Porsche Motorsport, Hartmut Kristen, who, however, has already committed to the car’s participation in the newly named USCR.

Its future in the WEC beyond this year remains unknown at this time.

Robert (Trey) Capps has been named director of NHRA’s South Central Division.

Capps has been involved in the sport of drag racing for more than 15 years, serving in a variety of positions at the track level as well as an event director. 
 


Most recently, Capps worked at ProMedia as event director for the NMCA Muscle Car Nationals, and before that as a track technical consultant.

He joined ProMedia after a five-year stint with Texas Motorplex as an event coordinator, competition director, and track crew member.

Capps graduated from the University of North Texas with a Bachelor of Science degree in recreation and leisure studies and a minor in manufacturing engineering technology.

Capps begins his new role as Division 4 director on April 18. He and his wife will relocate to Texas from Southern California.

NHRA’s South Central Division is responsible for conducting and overseeing drag racing activities in Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. There are nine NHRA member tracks in the region: two in Louisiana, two in Oklahoma, and five in Texas.

Motovicity Distribution, a leading performance automotive parts distributor, has announced six new HKS Pro Dealers in the US and Canada.

The new HKS-selected Pro Dealer shops gain exclusive access to proprietary HKS tuning and technical assets, and will function as full-service HKS expert tuning facilities.

The new HKS Pro Dealers are:

Jotech Motorsports, Garland, TX; joetechracing.com
Forged Performance, Marietta, GA; forgedperformance.com
Evasive Motorsports, Santa Fe Springs, CA; evasivemotorsports.com
RCTS Canada, Calgary, Alberta; monsterhorsepower.com
Kaizen Tuning, Boxboro, MA; kaizentuning.com
Ivey Technologies, Linden, NJ; iveytune.com

“We’re very pleased to work with each of these establishments and HKS to renew the Pro Dealer Network,” said Scott Cole, Motovicity brand manager. “The main benefit is the new dealer network gives users factory authorized HKS services for tuning and installation.”

Among the benefits of being an HKS Pro Dealer are access to proprietary HKS ECM code for powertrain tuning, direct access to HKS factory technical support, unique marketing status and access to customer referrals through Motovicity.

As HKS’s master North American distributor, Motovicity manages product inventories and supports HKS marketing and customer support in the US, Mexico and Canada. For 2013, HKS is introducing a new line of products, including innovative low-friction supercharger kits for the FR-S/BRZ and small displacement engines, a new line of monotube performance tuned struts and several new engine controller units.

HKS, which recently celebrated its 40th Anniversary, is one of the iconic brands in the tuner industry, and is often credited as one of the founding brands in the sport compact tuner industry.  

For more information on Pro Dealers or to order HKS products, call Motovicity at (888) SPEED-16, or visit the HKS-Motovicity website at www.motovicity.com/hks.

HKS Pro Dealer Contact Information:

Jotech Motorsports
3513 Dividend Dr
Garland, TX  75042-7607
Phone: (972) 494-2100
Fax: (972) 494-1300
Web: www.jotechracing.com
 
Forged Performance
498 Cobb Pkwy S
Marietta, GA  30060-9214
Phone: (770) 792-0202
Fax: (770) 792-0203
Web: www.forgedperformance.com
 
Evasive Motorsports
11829 Hamden Place
Sante Fe Springs, CA  90670
Phone: (626) 336-3400
Fax: (626) 336-3406
Web: www.evasivemotorsports.com
 
RCTS Canada
526 Cleveland Cres SE
Calgary, AB  T2G-4A9
Phone: (403) 259-3106
Fax: (403) 253-6004
Web: www.monsterhorsepower.com

Kaizen Tuning
873 Massachusetts Ave.
Boxboro, MA  01719-1410
Phone: (978) 266-9900
Fax: (978) 266-9902
Web: www.kaizentuning.com
 
Ivey Technologies
1300 E Elizabeth Ave
Linden, NJ  07036-2049
Phone: (908) 925-8700
Fax: (908) 925-8702
Web: www.iveytune.com

Racepak, a leading manufacturer of data acquisition and instrumentation products, is now selling MSD products direct from their facility in Rancho Santa Margarita, California.
 
Racepak is known for its acclaimed data acquisition tools such as their V300SD or V500 data recorders with over 60 channels of data. The latest innovation, SmartWire, is a power control module that solves the wiring complexity of any race car.
 
Customers can now order virtually all of MSD's race-focused products along with their Racepak order.
 
Call Racepak's customer service line at 949/709-5555 or visit www.racepak.com.

Kristin Sowinski this month was named Communications and Marketing Coordinator for Jiffy-tite OEM, Aftermarket and Motorsports initiatives.

Kristin has a unique background particularly suited for this role. Her experience includes Media, Marketing, and Web/Public Relations roles for World Racing Group at Watkins Glen, New York and Concord, North Carolina.

She also has experience as an Event Planner for Charlotte Motor Speedway located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Her most recent assignment was Promotions Assistant for Entercom Communications in Amherst, New York.

Kristin's extensive background will be valuable in this new role as she helps in the development of new Aftermarket initiatives, as well as helping to manage the most aggressive Motorsports Consumer marketing campaign the company has ever implemented.

Kristin is a graduate of D'Youville College in Buffalo, New York, where she earned her Bachelor's degree in Business Management with a concentration in Marketing and Sports Media.

Jiffy-tite Inc. is a Tier II OEM supplier of fluid connection systems for the automotive industry. For more information about Jiffy-tite Motorsports, visit www.jiffy-tite.com.

NASCAR has announced 25 nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s fifth induction class, and included among the diverse group are five newcomers whose achievements are cornerstones of the sport’s origins and continue to fuel its growth in contemporary times.
 
Of the 25 nominees, 20 return from last year’s group. Five are first-timers with varying backgrounds in the sport: second generation NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion Dale Jarrett; Maurice Petty, for more than three decades the chief engine builder for Petty Enterprises; five-time NASCAR weekly series national champion Larry Phillips; race track builder and owner Bruton Smith; and 1960 NASCAR premier series champion Rex White.
 
From that list, five inductees will be elected by the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel, which includes a nationwide fan vote on NASCAR.COM. Voting Day for the 2014 class will be May 22. Fans can attend the announcement at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina.
 
This round of nominees was selected by a 21-person Nominating Committee consisting of representatives from NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame and track owners from both major facilities and historic short tracks.
 
The NASCAR Hall of Fame’s 2014 inductees will be determined by a 54-member Voting Panel, which includes the entire Nominating Committee, media members, manufacturer representatives, retired competitors (drivers, owners and crew chiefs) and recognized industry leaders. In addition, the fan vote will result in the Voting Panel’s final ballot. Fan voting on NASCAR.COM is open now through May 21 at noon.
 
Following are the 25 nominees, listed alphabetically:
 
Red Byron, first NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion, in 1949
Richard Childress, 11-time car owner champion in NASCAR’s three national series
Jerry Cook, six-time NASCAR Modified champion
H. Clay Earles, founder of Martinsville Speedway
Tim Flock, two-time NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion
Ray Fox, legendary engine builder and owner of cars driven by Buck Baker, Junior Johnson and others
Anne Bledsoe France, helped build the sport with husband Bill France Sr. Affectionately known as "Annie B.," she is the first woman to be nominated for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Rick Hendrick, 13-time car owner champion in NASCAR’s three national series
Jack Ingram, two-time NASCAR Busch (now Nationwide) Series champion and three-time Late Model Sportsman champion
Bobby Isaac, 1970 NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion
Dale Jarrett, 1999 NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion and three-time Daytona 500 winner
Fred Lorenzen, 26 wins and winner of the Daytona 500 and World 600
Raymond Parks, NASCAR’s first champion car owner
Benny Parsons, 1973 NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion
Maurice Petty, chief engine builder for Petty Enterprises
Larry Phillips, only five-time NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national champion
Les Richter, former NASCAR executive; former president of Riverside International Raceway
Fireball Roberts, 33 NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series wins, including the 1962 Daytona 500
T. Wayne Robertson, helped raise NASCAR popularity as R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company senior VP
Wendell Scott, NASCAR trailblazer was the first African-American NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series race winner, and first to be nominated for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Ralph Seagraves, formed groundbreaking Winston-NASCAR partnership as executive with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
O. Bruton Smith, builder of Charlotte Motor Speedway and architect of Speedway Motorsports Inc.
Curtis Turner, early personality, called the "Babe Ruth of stock car racing"
Joe Weatherly, two-time NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion
Rex White, 1960 NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion

Detailed information about the 25 nominees is available at NASCAR.COM (www.nascar.com/halloffame).

Hawk Performance has expanded its sponsorship of the ARCA Racing Series for the 2013 season.

The supplier of "severe duty and high-performance friction products" will sponsor the series, with which it has been involved for four years, and become an official track sponsor at Road America, a venue ARCA will visit for the first time this season.
 
“Since Hawk Performance is an official track sponsor at Road America and with the largest brake pad application range in the industry, it’s a perfect time to bring the ARCA Racing Series to one of the greatest road racing tracks,” said Hawk Performance marketing manager Cody Currie.
 
The 2013 ARCA series began in February at Daytona and is scheduled to visit Road America in June.

After a nine-year hiatus pursuing other business opportunities, Nick Arias III has rejoined Arias Pistons, Gardena, California.

Arias brings much of the knowledge and experience he acquired during that time to be integrated into the daily operations at Arias Pistons to enhance product quality and customer service.

As domestic sales and new business development manager, his responsibilities will include custom and shelf order processing, technical assistance, engineering input and exploration of new business prospects. This technical background will lend itself to communication with engine builders, racers and general consumers to guide them toward the most appropriate forged pistons and hardware for their applications.

“During time I was away, Arias made great strides in quality and precision,” said Nick Arias III. “I’m excited to rejoin the company that I have so much history with, and leverage my relationships and knowledge to spread the word about Arias Pistons.”

As a veteran of the automotive aftermarket industry, Arias has over 35 years of experience in design, manufacture and application of pistons and engine components. He attended races with his father, Nick Arias Jr., since age five, began working in the family business at age seven, and built and raced dragsters since the age of 19.

In addition to dragsters, Arias has raced sprint cars, karts and lakesters, and is a member of the Bonneville 200 MPH Club and El Mirage 200 MPH Club.