To help answer any remaining questions racing professionals may have, Performance Racing Industry has compiled answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding SEMA's purchase of the IMIS Show.

The goal is to fully communicate what the racing industry can expect regarding consolidation of the IMIS and PRI shows into the 2013 PRI Trade Show in Indianapolis.

"It's important to have open channels of communication regarding any concerns that racing professionals may have," said John Kilroy, producer of the PRI Trade Show. "So, we've produced a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) document to keep the industry informed."

"PRI will remain PRI, and provide an outstanding trade show experience for the racing industry once again in 2013," said Kilroy, noting that the PRI team continues to operate out of its longtime headquarters in Laguna Beach, California. "We are working with the considerable resources of SEMA to explore ways to improve the Show, and I believe racing professionals will enjoy the new things we're planning when it comes to our seminars and events."

Among other topics, the FAQ provides the following information:

•    The PRI Trade Show will remain a hardcore racing trade show.
•    PRI will provide the same great customer service to all of its exhibiting companies, irregardless of whether a company may have exhibited only in the IMIS previously.
•    Neither attendees nor exhibitors will be required to join SEMA to participate in the PRI Trade Show.
•    The safety and technical educational programming of IMIS will continue at the 2013 PRI Trade Show, much of it in the new Race Safety & Technology Center.
•    The PRI Trade Show will be racer-friendly, as it expands its attendance beyond racing businesses to include race teams.

For the entire FAQ, go to www.prishow.org/IndyFAQ.

The 2013 Performance Racing Industry Trade Show takes place December 12-14, in the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. It will feature exhibits by 1100 racing companies. Approximately 40,000 racing professionals are expected to attend from across the US, and 72 countries.

Founded in 1963, the SEMA trade association provides services and resources to businesses in the automotive specialty equipment industry. Members include manufacturers, distributors, retailers and marketers of products that enhance the styling and functionality of cars, trucks and SUVs. In addition to producing the premier automotive accessories trade show, where more than 100,000 individuals come to do business, SEMA offers education, research and several publications specifically targeted to the industry. The association also represents its members with a legislative advocacy group.

Eight additional inductees into the USAC Hall of Fame have been announced, joining the 12 inaugural inductees announced in 2012.

The new class includes four drivers, one car owner, one mechanic, one official and one race organizer. An additional four inductees will be selected by popular vote from a list of 16 eligibles released this week through social media.

The second annual USAC Hall of Fame induction ceremonies will be held May 18 at Raceway Park in Indianapolis, Indiana, in conjunction with the annual USAC “Hall of Fame Classic” Traxxas Silver Crown Championship race.

The eight-member class of inductees just announced consists of Earl Baltes, Henry Banks, Pancho Carter, Al and Bobby Unser, A.J. Watson, Don White and Bob Wilke.

Earl Baltes built the famed Eldora Speedway in 1954 and in 2003 hosted the richest Sprint car race in the world – the “Mopar Million” – the USAC event which offered a total purse of one million dollars. Serving as a race organizer at seven different race tracks in Ohio and Indiana, Baltes presented a remarkable 287 USAC races and was twice honored as the USAC “Race Organizer of the Year.”

Henry Banks, who passed away in 1994, left a significant legacy with the United States Auto Club. He served as USAC’s Competition Director during the formative years between 1959 and 1969. His driving career began in 1932 and he earned the 1941 ARDC Midget title before winning the 1950 AAA National Driving Championships. He was a six-time starter in the Indianapolis 500 and the 1962 winner of the prestigious Eddie Edenburn Award made a cameo appearance in the racing classic Roar of the Crowd. He is also a member of the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame.

Pancho Carter, the son of 2012 USAC Hall of Fame inductee Duane Carter, earned 70 USAC National feature victories in various series and became USAC’s inaugural Triple Crown Champion, winning the 1972 Midget, 1974 and 1976 Sprint Car and 1978 Silver Crown titles. The 1974 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year posted 17 Indianapolis 500 starts, winning the pole in 1985 and finishing third in 1982. A member of both the National Sprint Car and Midget Halls of Fame, he won the 1981 Michigan 500 at Michigan International Speedway.

Al Unser, one of only three four-time winners of the Indianapolis 500 (1970-71-78-87), posted a total of 48 wins in USAC National competition. A three-time USAC National Driving Champion, he also won the 1973 Silver Crown title and strung together a remarkable four consecutive Hoosier Hundred wins between 1970 and 1973. The 1978 International Race of Champions king, Al continues to lead all drivers in terms of Indianapolis 500 laps led at 612. He also won races in the USAC Stock Car and Formula 5000 Championship.

Bobby Unser is the only driver to win USAC feature events in five different decades! He capped his career with the 1993 title in the USAC Fast Masters after scoring three wins in the Indianapolis 500 (1968, 1975 and 1981). A two-time USAC National Driving Champ, he also won the 1975 IROC title and totaled 43 USAC feature wins in a variety of categories during his career. Part of his legend includes a sensational 13 victories in the prestigious Pikes Peak Hill Climb in Colorado.

A.J. Watson’s expertise as a car builder and mechanic earned his cars seven victories at the Indianapolis 500. Drivers Bob Sweikert, Pat Flaherty, Rodger Ward, Jim Rathmann, Parnelli Jones and A.J. Foyt all piloted Watson creations to victory lane. A member of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, Watson scored 27 wins as a USAC Sprint Car owner and is also a member of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame. In 1958 Rathmann piloted a Watson-built car to victory in the “Race of Two Worlds” 500-mile event at Monza, Italy. A.J. was awarded USAC’s Eddie Edenburn Award in 1983 and Lincoln Electric Mechanical Achievement Award in 2006. Between 1961 and 1969 A.J. participated as a member of the USAC Board of Directors.

Don White is the winningest USAC Stock Car driver of all time. Known as the “Richard Petty of the North,” White earned 53 victories in the USAC ranks and posted a remarkable 14 wins at the famed Milwaukee Mile. The iconic leader of the Keokuk, Iowa racing clan, he competed in NASCAR races between 1950 and 1972 and in 1966 finished third in a 100-miler behind Paul Goldsmith and Richard Petty at Daytona Beach, Fla.

Patriarch of the famed Wilke Racing family, Bob was Rodger Ward’s car owner at the 1959 Indianapolis 500 and returned with Ward to win in 1962. He also added a 1968 victory at Indy with Bobby Unser. The Wilke family holds the all-time lead in terms of USAC feature race wins – 145 – with 31 different drivers earning National wins in their cars, which also earned numerous USAC car owner championships. In 2003 the family was awarded USAC’s Jim Blunk Award in recognition of their contributions to Midget auto racing.

The inaugural 12 inductees announced in 2012 included (alphabetically) J.C. Agajanian, Mario Andretti, Gary Bettenhausen, Tom Binford, Jimmy Bryan, Duane Carter, A.J. Foyt, Tony Hulman, Parnelli Jones, Mel Kenyon, Roger McCluskey and Rich Vogler.

Online voting for the final four inductees is now available by accessing the following link: http://apps.facebook.com/my-polls/erwcl.

Admiration of legends captivates participants that aspire to achieve a fraction of the greatness displayed by the leaders of any game.

Arnold Palmer continues to amaze, and his contribution is backed by the striking power of his loyal army of fans. Arnie’s Army lives on as his living legend continues to grow. Golf is his game—he made it so.

Games ask us to perform at our highest level in the face of the best competition. Putting the white ball in the cup is surprisingly similar to being given a cup after winning a race.

When our leaders move beyond the playing limits of their respective sport, the true legends continue to excel for the duration of the career of life. Learning from their wisdom is what motivates mortals and stirs the passion of people that aspire to feel a fraction of the greatness that legends display. The playing days of greats stretches into the grandeur of eternity.

Arnold Palmer is the pro that continues to lead. He continues to teach, lead and inspire by simply being himself. His mere presence produces the awe of greatness that has been hand woven from the fabric of royalty. Luckily, the legend that is Arnold Palmer is able to feel the reward of appreciation, as his legend is still etching itself in time.

Arnold Palmer played with style—his own style. The perspiration of his legendary swing is replaced by the brilliance of sustained inspiration. Arnold was the spectacle, and now he is the pinnacle. Years of wisdom sets a bar that is the envy of peers and casual fans alike. Those he touches feel important, and that is why he is firmly established in the lore of historical prominence.

Arnold represents a playing era which places an indelible stamp in time. In all sport, it is natural to compare the era of today to that of the past. The debates that competition in the past was fiercer than that of today will rage on until the sun swallows the earth. The gravity of time has allowed the grains of sand to transfer poetically from Palmer’s hourglass of life. The remaining grains on top of his hourglass may be less in quantity, but every grain is packed with history. The spark of Palmer’s playing days is now the embers of history. We can appreciate the legend that provokes positive emotion.

Racing has many eras. Many a racing bench has heard the argument that racing was better in years past. The endless debate is what keeps the green one waving and the checkered one falling. Thinking back to the past reminds racing elders of days when racing was better. Rivalries were stronger and competition was fierce. Grandstands were packed and fans were filled with passion demonstrated by alcohol-enhanced fist fights of the day.

Competitors of today will insist that it is harder than ever to win. Technology and higher expenses make winning a real achievement. When I think back to the leaders of the past I can think of those that committed to getting the most. At the time, pure focus on winning didn’t allow me to appreciate the contributions of so many that sacrificed so I could compete. Winning was the only thought, and it blinded me from noticing all those that did the selfless work of putting on the show.

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Racing in the Northwest is still filled with great racers, but the competition and events are more fragmented. Fans still come, but the grandstands are dotted with too much empty space, and squeezing together to make room for more butts on the bleachers has yet to return. Car counts in the past were strong, and my series had full fields. A top five finish was hard fought every night out.

I wish I could go back and see my leaders in the way that I admire Arnold Palmer. The Northwest racing scene has many definable eras. In my day I could count on Melinda Moulaison to have her Northwest Racing Enterprises parts trailer at every event. Melinda knew what parts to stock, and she carried inventory that serviced the NW Tour series.

Making money was secondary to ensuring that every car was ready for the green flag. Melinda worked hard and ran her business with the passion of a race team. More than once, Melinda supplied parts on a handshake so that all teams could make the starting lineup. Melinda was vital to the series and her participation was about passion—financial stuff was secondary. She prepared her parts trailer as if it were going to line up on the starting grid. I wish I could have been more vocal in relating to what Melinda did for the Northwest racing scene, as she did a lot. So did Doug Jefferies, Dave Fuge and many more.

The peers of my racing era worked hard, and as time goes on some of the people I battled at the track found that health issues placed too few grains of sand in their hourglass. John King was a tough racer and prominent Northwest crew chief. He was also a good family man, and his wife Beth was with him every step of the way. Winning and losing made zero difference to Beth—pride in her family was her definition of winning. John did the things to make her proud often.

John King won his share of races as a NW crew chief. John worked with many, including NW legend Ron Eaton. King was knowledgeable about every bolt on a race car. While battling health issues, John moved out of the crew chief role and took on officiating at South Sound Speedway. He bent all the rules as a competitor, and his knowledge served the South Sound tech line well.

Just a few months ago I had a discussion with South Sound promoter Nick Behn. We chatted about how John went about the business of tech. Nick talked about how there was a balance in applying the rules so that competition was fair, but applying the rules rigidly sent too many cars home.  John, like all tech officials, was underappreciated and had to battle teams relating to the application of rules—he had to battle the promoter, too, that searched for the balance of fairness and full fields. King was tough, but being fair came from his core.

King’s toughness helped him battle cancer publically for a long time. I am not sure which battle was tougher. Enforcing rules is extremely hard; battling health is something John just did—fanfare not required. John King was a racer, and he made decisions based on his unwavering support for the sport he lived. Recently, cancer shortened his time, but the tenacity he displayed gave him the resolve to officiate in the style he believed in. John King left his mark, and wife Beth knows the health battle was hard.

Often, dealing with racers in the tech line was harder for John, as he refused to let health dictate his actions. Racers took their toll, but cancer took a NW legend before his peers could truly recognize the great contribution he made in racing. I wish we took notice of legends while they could enjoy a few accolades. Wife Beth knows and can always be proud of the legend that lived in her home. King John lives on, and his family can take at least one accolade from me.

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The NW Tour, known as “The Tour,” was a NASCAR sanctioned series, and Daytona provided the framework back in the late eighties. NW competitors put on a show and traveled 20 times a year, bringing big-time Stock Car racing to small West Coast towns. The yearly Northwest vs. Southwest clash in Phoenix was the Super Bowl, pitting the NW against the California-dominated SW Tour.

Daytona is a long way from the Northwest, and their rules simply didn’t consider the needs and limitations faced by West Coast racing. The sands of “The Beach” drifted differently than the dunes of the West.

I often found myself debating the color of grey when it came to getting my cars through the NW tech line. Cheating the rules was never my style, and I always prepared cars between the lines of the unwritten rules. Admittedly, I pushed the limits to keep up with the competition that had more money in their tow rigs than my teams had in their entire operations. Burnt green money colored the trees of California. Finding green on rain-painted Washington trees was easy. Finding NW green on numbered paper was elusive.

I didn’t appreciate it at the time, but Northwest Tour Series Director Gib Repass was the unsung legend of my era in NW racing. His faithful army came to battle and could be counted on week after week and year after year. Daytona considered anything west of the Rockies to be California, creating language barriers that left much up to interpretation.

Washington, Oregon, and California were just one big state from the view of the world headquarters of Stock Car racing. As the rule book traveled across country, something was lost in its implementation as it landed in the NW hands of Gib Repass.  

More than once I found myself “discussing” the definition of legal. Apparently I pushed the window, but always made it through the tech line with flying colors, or maybe with colorful metaphors flying—I can’t remember! Gib often saw things in black and white while I painted my shades of grey at least 50 ways.

The Gib Repass-led “Tour” used Arnold Palmer like wisdom to contain the personalities of a variety of race teams. Gib was an old-school guy and a good man. Repass understood how to blend the needs of well-funded teams and skillfully hand-tailored rules for teams with fewer resources, giving them a fair chance to compete.

Gib understood the needs of the hard-working lower buck teams, as he was a former driver and car owner that scrapped and scrimped so that he could race his blue #40. He knew racing from all sides. His driving and car owner knowledge allowed him to view the work and expenses all too well. Gib gave the benefit of the doubt often and left it behind. Never once did he use a break given in the past to support a call in the present. What was done was done, and each week was new.

More than once I battled Repass, as I would fight for my vision of the rules. Gib was sneaky smart, and he applied rules in a fashion that created more than full fields. “B” mains were common, and his choices made sure the playing field was level. Even when he helped out a low buck team, he balanced the field with amazing dexterity, making sure that one-eye-closed calls didn’t affect race day outcomes.

Today, the A mains in the NW are half full. B mains are yet to return, even though fields are beginning to grow. The passion and rivalries of yesteryear are on the mend, but something is missing in comparison. This era is still searching for its stamp.

Gib lived the small-town life and ran a big-time series. He had the unwavering support of his loving wife Jean. Jean Repass would manage the “Tour” finances and checked teams in the back gate with the stability and consistency that allowed Gib to focus on his Tour Director demands. Her devotion and quiet demeanor made it easy to see how they had a life-long marriage.

Gib assembled a loyal tech team that was part of his entourage, and it seemed his tech team was together forever. Roy Selby, Jim Michelson, Norm and GB were mainstays on the Repass officiating crew—there were many more, but these guys are the ones I liked to pick on.

Behind the scenes the NW tech guys had their wives contributing. Much unseen work is required to put on a traveling circus each week—year-end banquets were bonus material for added work. All of the invisible work was done for the pure joy of it, as getting paid any real money was outside of what Daytona passed to the Repass-led team. The better halves of these guys did so much thankless work without the true recognition that they deserved. I do wish I could go back and thank the tech team and their partners in life.

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I remember being a thorn in the side of the NW tech team on more than one occasion. Ok, it was a lot of occasions. Working 10-hour days at a day job and then going to the race shop every night until well past midnight created a strong opinion come Saturday night. I am afraid to admit that the thorn from me would be described by the officiating team as a “royal pain in the arse.”

I am certain that more than one NW race team misses the days that Gib Repass and team led the NW Racing scene—they were a devoted team.

When the NW Tour came to town, it was an event. Many races were in small towns, and when NASCAR came to compete, the regional stars had plenty of devoted local fans. Gib and Jean Repass did a ton to hold it all together. Plenty of us complained about officiating, as the heat of the moment blinded us to the commitment that Repass and team brought to our era.

Looking back I can see the legend, and it is easy to say that the Gib Repass-led officiating crew made an impact on the NW Racing scene. Sure, we have tons of people that belong in the NW Hall of Fame. Racing had full fields and full grandstands with Gib at the helm. A fair man worked hard to manage each race team based on their merits. His wisdom bound a group together. Our group just did not realize how good they had it.

Looking back, we can all see it now. Gib, Jean, Roy, GB, Jim, Norm and many more led racing and put their stamp on a time and created an era. Gib was taken from us far too soon, and his leadership becomes more recognized each and every day—I am sure he runs a clean tech line upstairs and smiles upon us kids that have the grey hair we gave to him.

The team he assembled worked hard, and were there every week doing the thankless work while pulling out the thorns put in their sides by me and many others.

Gib has moved on to a better place and is survived by wife Jean. The life of a Series Director is tough. The job is filled with management of many personalities. Egos must be herded forward in an environment where emotions are elevated to the highest levels.

Gib Repass stamped an era that is captured in time. The photos of the past are merely a reflection of the impression he made. I wish I could have known that one day I would view Gib Repass just as I appreciate the living legend that is Arnold Palmer. The two men are the same, but inspire from completely different worlds.

Truth be told, I wish I would have told Gib he was great back then, as I sure know it now. I didn’t know how then, but can easily do it now. So Gib, thanks man—the next Arnold Palmer is on me.

Go Forward
Move Ahead

Jeff Butcher

MSD Performance's Atomic EFI LS System earned the honor of Best New Product in the Engine Components Category at last weekend’s 15th annual Hotrod & Restoration Trade Show in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The trade show gives out seven Innovation Awards, one for each different category.

"The response to our new Atomic LS has been nothing short of spectacular. Adding this award on top of the other awards we have received is assurance that we have done everything right again. We are humbled to receive this recognition from such a respected organization as the Hot Rod and Restoration folks. It supports our view that this segment of the market is seeking the best equipment to make their LS engine swap clean, easy and aesthetically pleasing," said Manny Grijalva, VP of Marketing and Sales at MSD.

The Atomic LS platform incorporates the electronics into the fuel rails and has no bulky ECU or wiring harness to mount, which means no mess of wires to route around the engine. This Wired-Less design mounts simply and cleanly on the engine, greatly improving the overall aesthetics of the vehicle. The Atomic EFI LS Kit is available for LS2/LS3 engines (PN 2950) and LS7 engines (PN 2960).

For more information about the latest in EFI technology, visit the website at www.atomicefi.com; to learn more about MSD Performance, go to www.msdperformance.com. 

The West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame recently announced their 2013 inductee class, which consists of west coast racers and owners that have made a significant mark on the sport of racing.

The 2013 West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame Inductees are:

Derrike Cope—
Winner of the 1990 Daytona 500

Ron Hornaday Jr.—
Four-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion

Buddy Jobe—
Former owner and developer of Phoenix International Raceway

Chad Little—
1987 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Champion and Current Tour Director for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

Randy Lynch—
2007 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Car Owner Champion

The Hall will induct the class of 2013 in Napa, California, on June 20, 2013, at a gala at the Meritage Resort.

The Hall, which inducted its inaugural class in 2002, was founded in 2001. It memorializes significant contributors to the sport’s development and history, including designers, engineers, mechanics, drivers, racetrack owners, promoters, publicists and members of the motorsports media.

For more information, visit the website at www.westcoaststockcarhalloffame.com/.

As a supporter of Sportsman racing within the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), Chrysler Group LLC’s Mopar brand will continue to recognize its roots with the establishment of the “Tom Hoover Sportsman Challenge” beginning this season, along with enhancements to its contingency program.

The winner of Mopar’s Tom Hoover Sportsman Challenge will be determined by selecting the Sportsman Class racer that amasses the most points earned in a season during NHRA sanctioned races at the wheel of a Chrysler Group vehicle, competing in either Stock or Super Stock classes nationwide.

The winner will be awarded a $4,260 purse, as a nod to the 426 HEMI, and presented with a special commemorative Mopar trophy, as well as a plaque with their name engraved on it. All National event winners will continue to be eligible for the “Mopar National Event Winner” decal to proudly display on their Chrysler vehicle.

“Mopar’s Tom Hoover Sportsman Challenge was created in anticipation of many planned celebrations for next year’s 50th anniversary of the introduction of the 426 Race HEMI engine,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, the Chrysler Group’s service, parts and customer-care brand. "It also is a thank you to all loyal and dedicated Sportsman racers for their passion for Mopar vehicles and NHRA drag racing.”

The competition and trophy are named in honor of the “Father of the 426 HEMI” Tom Hoover, a retired Chrysler engineer and original member of the Ramchargers team, whose passion for high-performance engine design and racing helped launch and build Chrysler’s motorsport program in the 1960s.

Amongst his many contributions are the 426 HEMI, HEMI and small-block Pro Stock cars, and involvement in the development of the Funny Car.

Hoover also oversaw field development of the HEMI and other race parts through the efforts of sponsored racers nationwide. He was an avid Super Stock racer, built motors and raced on weekends much like Sportsman racers currently competing in NHRA events nationwide.

Mopar will also be making some enhancements to its contingency program for the Sportsman classes in the 2013 NHRA Full Throttle and Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. The long-running Mopar Contingency Program offers financial awards to Mopar-powered grassroots racers competing with specified Mopar parts.

In addition to the Tom Hoover Sportsman Challenge, Mopar will continue sponsorship of the annual “HEMI Challenge” held at the U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis since 2001.

Mopar also is hosting Sportsman barbecues for those competing in Chrysler Group vehicles at the Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., Mopar Mile High Nationals in Denver, and at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.

Next year, Mopar will mark the 50th anniversary of the 426 Race HEMI engine, first introduced in February 1964, with a number of planned celebrations.

Bilstein Shock Absorbers, which has been involved with Baja racing for four decades, is joining the widely popular short course racing industry by partnering with Lucas Oil to advertise on national television at the 2013 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series.



To market its latest products, Bilstein will be running commercials on CBS Sports Network, NBC Sports Network and MAVTV American Real Network during the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series and Best In the Desert Racing, produced and aired by Lucas Oil. Bilstein will also be the Title Sponsor for all of the Lucas Oil Modifieds’ Trophy Dash events and air in-show elements during the Modifieds race programming.



“The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series is a great fit for our off-road marketing objectives," said Steven Beaty, Aftermarket and Motorsport President of Bilstein. "We are thrilled to be a part of this rapidly growing series and we look forward to sharing our new truck products and our technology with the racers and fans through these events.”

For more information, visit www.bilsteinUS.com.

ACO and United SportsCar Racing have announced a global strategic agreement to continue a relationship that started between ACO and ALMS 14 years ago to promote endurance racing in North America and the link with the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

This global agreement consists of two parts: The first part is a specific licensing agreement that will allow selected competitors in United SportsCar Racing to have entries in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The agreement also allows the use of the name ‘Petit Le Mans’ for the Road Atlanta event.

The second part is a Strategic Alliance agreement between the ACO and United SportsCar Racing to explore and develop new avenues and horizons for endurance racing together in North America.

"The ACO is delighted through this alliance partnership that goes beyond a simple licensing agreement, to continue our collaboration that started 14 years ago, with Don Panoz and the creation of ALMS, and that has been of great benefit to both partners," said Pierre Fillon, President of the ACO. "This Strategic Alliance will lead to a close collaboration between the ACO and United SportsCar Racing to promote, develop and reinforce endurance racing in North America. Through this global agreement, I am convinced endurance racing will continue to be in safe hands in North America for many years to come."

United SportsCar Racing begins its inaugural season in 2014, and while the ACO is the governing body of Le Mans-style racing, United SportsCar Racing remains independent from the ACO’s group of sanctioned series around the globe.

The opening round of the 2014 United SportsCar Racing season is the 52nd running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Automobili Lamborghini has announced its single marque racing series, the Lamborghini Super Trofeo, will launch in North America in 2013.  The North American series will be sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association [IMSA] this year and will race predominantly alongside GRAND-AM and American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón events.


"The ultimate single-make series," featuring the 570 hp, V10, permanent four-wheel drive Lamborghini Gallardo Super Trofeo, was first debuted in Europe in 2009, with a second, Asian series launching in 2012.

Now in its fifth and second year in Europe and Asia respectively, the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America is the perfect series for Pro-Am racers, ensuring maximum track time for participants with practice, qualifying and two 50-minute races during two-day race weekends.


The only one-make, four-wheel drive series in the world ensures exciting action from 20-plus grids on track while off track competitors and VIPs enjoy exceptional Italian hospitality in unique Lamborghini style.


While IMSA will run the North American series in 2013, Lamborghini has confirmed a long-term agreement for the series to run under the same sanctioning body that will be responsible for the unified North American sports car championship, the United SportsCar Racing series. 

In 2013, the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America will race on either GRAND-AM or IMSA race weekends with the exception of the final USA race of the season, which will be run alongside IndyCar at Fontana, California.


At the end of 2013, the winners of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America will also be invited to take part in a world ‘final’ in Italy, alongside Super Trofeo winners from the European and Asian series.


“We’re delighted to extend our race series into the North American market, which reflects both the recognition and success of our race series worldwide, and the importance of the USA to Lamborghini,” said President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini Stephan Winkelmann.

“Our international motorsport program, under our newly defined Squadra Corse department within Lamborghini, is the pinnacle of our various Lamborghini driving experiences, from test driving to our instructional academy and finally racing in the Super Trofeo and our new GT3 program. The US market for Lamborghini was up 50 percent in 2012 over 2011 and we continue to see the growth of our brand here: this is the perfect time to formally launch Lamborghini motorsport in the USA.”


“We’re extremely excited to be bringing the Super Trofeo to the USA,” said Lamborghini America COO Michael Lock. “The Lamborghini marque continues to gain recognition and followers apace in the USA, and motorsport is the perfect way to open the door further on our brand and our technical competence, for both our customers and also our fans.”


“The American Le Mans Series, IMSA and GRAND-AM have all enjoyed considerable success with single-make series throughout our collective history,” said ALMS President and CEO Scott Atherton. “The reason for that success is based largely on the fact that people aspire to race these types of cars on North America’s most legendary circuits. We are honored that Lamborghini has chosen us to help deliver that experience to Super Trofeo competitors and fans.”


“We are thrilled to welcome another of the world’s premium automotive brands in Lamborghini to our family,” said GRAND-AM President and CEO Ed Bennett. “We believe this series will bring even more excitement to GRAND-AM and ALMS events this year and well into the future. Sports car fans appreciate exotic cars, and the Lamborghini Gallardo definitely qualifies as an exotic car.”

AED Motorsport Products has recently acquired equipment to produce custom Aerotube (aka Streamline) in-house for the motorsports and aircraft industries.

Manufacturing will continue as it has the past eight years, with improved lead times and length capacity. AED has been providing Aerotube profiles for applications in IndyCar, Drag Racing, Sports Cars and light aircraft in 4130 Chrome Moly, Aluminum, Stainless and Mild Steels as well as titanium.

Aerotube will also be produced in Docol R8, once raw material is in the states.

The overall quality of AED's process is far superior to traditional old school methods of drawing the material—in finish, straightness, dimensional consistency and batch repeatability, according to President Al Lowe, who added that many of AED's customers have refined their engineering designs and manufacturing processes to maximize these advantages.

Additionally, he said, their capabilities are perfect for short runs as little as 12’ (5.6 meters) up to production volumes of hundreds of feet.

With the equipment in-house, AED expects to look at greater opportunities in racing by offering non-traditional materials in these shapes, as well as presenting to hot rod and light aircraft manufacturers.

The company has 14 different tools to produce a large catalog of over 225 potential material, profile and dimensional variations.

Contact AED sales for further details and pricing: 888/413-0233 or 317/334-0569; www.aedmotorsport.com or www.4130tube.com.