Motovicity Distribution has launched their “Ticket to Ride Sweepstakes,” which will give away a 2013 Scion FR-S and 2013 Ford Mustang with an assortment of performance products along with each of the cars.

Winners of the project cars will then document the installation of the supplied performance parts, as well as document before and after performance tests. The sweepstakes runs through September 30, 2013, and is open to all current and future Motovicity customers.

Because Motovicity is a wholesale-only distributor, only registered performance parts retailers and participating speed shops are eligible to participate. Winners will be selected from a random ticket drawing in early October.

Once the winners have received their prize vehicles, the builds will begin. Motovicity and MotoIQ will provide regular updates on the progress of the installations, and the final project cars will be performance tested by a professional racecar driver on a closed track to analyze the performance gains.

Among the participating companies are: Vibrant Performance, Exedy, StopTech, Royal Purple, Sparco and Gates Racing are supporting both project builds. With AEM Electronics, HKS, Eibach and Energy Suspension supporting the Scion FR-S build, and KW, Whiteline, BBK and STACK supporting the Mustang build specifically.

For more information on the sweepstakes or contest rules, or to register, go to www.motovicity.com/tickettoride or call Motovicity at 888/SPEED-16.

Officials of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series have announced that Dart Machinery will return as the title sponsor of the 37th Annual DART Winternationals.

The event will be held February 10-16 at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, Florida.

For the eighth consecutive year, Dart Machinery will sponsor the famed event and help kick off the 2013 season for the premier national touring series. 

The 37th Annual DART Winternationals is a week-long event with six (6) straight nights of racing, including a complete show of Hot Laps, RED BUCK Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains, PRC Strawberry Dash, and a feature event every night.
 
The 37th Annual DART Winternationals at the famed "Clay by the Bay" will pay out over $200,000 in purse monies during the week.

The event gets started on Sunday night, Feb. 10, with an open practice session. Racing action begins on Monday, Feb. 11, with the series running a full show, paying $5,000 to win, on both Monday and Tuesday nights. Then on Wednesday and Thursday nights, drivers will compete for $7,000 to win. The final two nights, Friday and Saturday, will pay $10,000 to win respectively. The final two events on Friday and Saturday will be the first two points earning events of the 2013 season.
 
As title sponsor of the week-long event, Dart Machinery and the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will post a special cash bonus of $5,000 to the driver that earns the most points for the week. A special DART Winternationals points category will be kept as drivers earn points at each event. For racers to be eligible for this cash bonus, they must compete in all six nights of the 37th Annual DART Winternationals.

East Bay Raceway Park officials have added a Non-Qualifiers Race for Friday Night, Feb. 15, and one for Saturday night, Feb. 16. Racers that fail to transfer to the feature event on those nights will compete in a Non-Qualifiers race that will pay $1,000 to the winner and $100 to start for each of those two nights.
 
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, along with series partners DirtonDirt.com and Performance Rod and Custom (PRC), will also give racers two additional starting spots in the feature event each of the six nights of the 37th Annual DART Winternationals. A total of 26 cars will start the feature each night during the event. Racers will get a chance to make the feature event through an extra provisional starting spot titled the "DirtonDirt.com Fast Time Provisional". The fastest qualifier that did not earn a starting position in the feature through the Heat Races or B-Mains will start 25th each night.
 
The traditional Strawberry Dash will be sponsored by PRC this year and will give the winner of the dash a load of Florida grown strawberries and the 26th and final starting position in the feature event all six nights. No series points provisionals will be added to the starting field on the first four nights of the Winternationals.

For more information on the 37th Annual "DART Winternationals", log onto the track's website at www.eastbayracewaypark.com.
 
For the latest breaking news on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, visit the series' website at www.lucasdirt.com.

The International Hot Rod Association has welcomed North Star Dragway and its new owner Gene Nicodemus to the family of IHRA member tracks.

Located in Denton, Texas, the facility becomes the 15th track located in the state of Texas to join the IHRA family, and was named NHRA’s Most Improved Track in 2012.

North Star Dragway opened in 1995 as I-35 North Texas Dragway, and over the last 18 years has undergone significant upgrades. In the early 2000s the track was lengthened by over 800 feet, making it the longest all-concrete 1/8th mile track in the state of Texas.

The track has also added other amenities including a brand new timing tower, concession stands and brand new bathrooms in addition to 300,000 square feet of asphalt parking.

In addition to being named the 2012 NHRA Most Improved Track, North Star Dragway is the reigning NHRA Division 4 Bracket Finals champion.

It is an extremely popular facility with both the racers and the fans. Multiple outlaw events attract thousands of fans to the track during the weekends, and the weekly bracket series makes North Star Dragway a premier destination for racers in and around the Dallas area.

North Star Dragway is the first facility signed under the new IHRA ownership of Jason Rittenberry, Michael Dezer, Jospeh Lubeck and Edward Kobel.

For more information on the IHRA, its tracks and numerous racing programs, visit www.ihra.com.

In Paris, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) and the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) unveiled 32 full season entries, from 21 teams, which are representing 11 different countries, for the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship. 

The grid will include six LMP1, 12 LMP2, six LMGTE Pro and eight LMGTE Am entries, and will be joined at some events, like at Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps, by some race-by-race entries.

The LMP1 entry includes two Audi R18 e-tron quattros and two Toyota Racing Toyota TS030 hybrids, setting up a head-to-head battle for the world title in 2013 before Porsche arrives in 2014. LMP1 will also see two privateer entries and the prototype grid is further bolstered by an impressive 12 car entry in LMP2.

As well as Audi and Toyota, the prototype grid will also feature other manufacturers such as Nissan, Morgan, Lotus, Oreca, HPD-Honda, Zytek and Lola.

The grid for the GTE classes will feature 14 cars with a total of five Ferrari 458s, four Porsche 911 RSRs, four Aston Martin Vantage V8s and a single Chevrolet Corvette C6-ZR1 from reigning GTE Am team champions Larbre Competition. The battle for the LMGTE Pro title will be a three-way fight between three manufacturers who have a long and illustrious history in endurance racing, including many victories at Le Mans over the last 90 years.

“We are extremely pleased to announce a grid of 32 full season entries for the 2013 season,” said Pierre Fillon, President of the ACO. “2012 was a great first year for the championship and we hoped to secure between 28 and 30 cars on the list for 2013. To receive 32 full season entries underlines the importance of the WEC and a great indication that we have created a world championship that teams and manufacturers want to take part in."

SRT Motorsports has accepted an invitation from the ACO (Automobile Club de l'Ouest) to field two SRT Viper GTS-Rs in the LM GTE Pro class of the 2013 24 Heures du Mans, June 22-23, officially returning the Viper sports car to one of the most prestigious automobile endurance races in the world.

The Viper finished one-two at the 24 Heures du Mans in GTS class competition three consecutive years—1998 to 2000.

"Racing is truly a part of the illustrious history of Viper and a proving ground for the SRT brand," said Ralph Gilles, President and CEO – Street and Racing Technology Brand and Motorsports, Chrysler Group LLC. "Historically the Viper GTS-R has enjoyed great success at Le Mans, so we couldn't be more excited and proud to accept the challenge to return to France and continue composing the next chapter in the history of Viper racing at such an historic venue."

Beth Paretta, Director of Marketing and Operations–SRT Brand and Motorsports, and SRT Motorsports driver Marc Goossens were on hand at this week’s press conference in Paris to officially accept the invitation.

"The new SRT Viper GTS-R represents a rebirth for us in road racing by bringing an elevated level of technical sophistication to the track," Paretta said. "The invitation to return to the 24 Heures du Mans gives SRT Motorsports and the SRT Viper GTS-R the opportunity to compete on a stage with the best sports car teams from around the world."

SRT Motorsports teamed with Riley Technologies, based in Mooresville, N.C., on the design-and-build process of the SRT Viper GTS-R. Two identically prepared cars returned to competition last year at Mid-Ohio, the first of four test-and-tune races in preparation for a full 2013 schedule in the GT class in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) presented by Tequila Patron.

In addition to Goossens, drivers returning to the SRT Motorsports lineup for 2013 will be Tommy Kendall, Kuno Wittmer, Dominik Farnbacher and Jonathan Bomarito. Additional team announcements will be revealed at a later date.

General Motors will relocate its Performance Build Center, which allows engine aficionados to build their own specialty engines, from Michigan to the Bowling Green Assembly Plant, home of the Chevrolet Corvette.

The move, backed by a $3.5 million investment and slated for the first quarter of 2014, was part of a consolidation of GM Powertrain engineering sites.
   
The Performance Build Center has been the source for the 6.2L LS3 V8 engine, which powers the Corvette Grand Sport Coupe manual version; the 7.0L LS7 V8 engine for the Corvette Z06 and the 6.2L Supercharged LS9 engine for the Corvette ZR1.

The move will eventually allow Corvette customers to combine the experience of watching their Corvette being assembled with participating in the build of their vehicle’s high-performance engine. Details on which engines would be available for customer assembly will be announced in the future.

In 2011, GM announced a $131 million investment for Bowling Green Assembly, including construction of a new body shop and renovations and upgrades throughout the facility. The improvements support production of the next-generation Corvette, which Chevrolet unveiled on Jan. 13, just before the opening of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The final economic impact for the Bowling Green community is yet to be determined but will include approximately 20 created or retained jobs, specifically for the Performance Build Center. In the past year, more than 150 jobs have been added to Bowling Green Assembly and more growth is expected as production of the 2014 Corvette begins.

VP Racing Fuels, Inc. recently introduced Western States Petroleum (WSP) as the latest addition to the roster of partners in its retail brand program.

“We strive to offer the best solutions and products to our customers and with VP’s program, our existing and potentially new dealers have the opportunity to stand out from the competition,” said Steve Tolboe, WSP’s Sales Manager.
 
Western States Petroleum has distributed VP’s race fuels for nearly a decade, stocking products in bulk as well as in pre-packaged 5-gallon pails and 54-gallon drums for a wide variety of motorsport enthusiasts.

“With VP’s retail brand program, our dealers who brand their fuel stations with VP will generate new revenue by offering 100 octane street gasoline at the dispenser and race fuel in 5-gallon pails, as well as offer VP-branded cleaning and power boost additives for injection at the pump,” Tolboe added. “We’ve appreciated VP’s support over the years with their expert and knowledgeable staff and have developed a great relationship with the entire VP Racing Fuels team.”

“We’re excited to partner with Western States Petroleum in our retail brand program,” said Alan Cerwick, President of VP Racing Fuels. “The program will serve to ramp up an already-strong relationship in which we’ve come to value Western States’ dedicated staff as they guide retail customers in race fuel selection, provide trackside service at race venues and support the VP brand in myriad other ways. It’s a tribute to our program when an industry veteran like Bob Kec chooses to include us in his long-term growth plans.”

Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Western States Petroleum was founded in 1975 by Robert and Janet Kec. An active member of the Fuel & Lubricant Industry for over 40 years, Bob is a past State President of the Western Region Petroleum Marketers Association (PMAA) and state representative to the PMAA.

OMP Racing, an Italian company and leader in the design and production of safety components for the motorsport industry, and DSM, a global science based company active in health, nutrition and materials, recently signed a multi-year license agreement for the worldwide use of Dyneema in motorsport.

This DSM synthetic fiber, branded as Dyneema, is extremely light and 15 times stronger than steel.

The use of Dyneema will allow for significant increases in the performance of products currently used in motorsport, in compliance with the safety regulations imposed by the international control bodies.

Compared to other materials currently used in this field, such as carbon fibers, Kevlar and titanium, Dyneema fibers are the lightest and have excellent strength to weight ratio.

More specifically, compared with the carbon fiber T400, one of the materials commonly used in motorsport, Dyneema is about 45 percent lighter, and its strength-to-weight ratio is about 50 percent higher.

These characteristics make its use particularly suitable in an industry constantly looking for more efficient solutions in terms of safety and weight.

OMP will start using Dyneema fibers in the manufacture of safety belts. And according to studies carried out in the R&D laboratory of the Ronco Scrivia production plant near Genoa, it could enable a weight reduction of more than 40 percent compared to safety belts previously supplied to Formula 1 vehicles.

For the first time in its 39 years, the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, April 19-21, 2013, will offer night racing with the inaugural Formula DRIFT Super Drift Challenge on Friday and Saturday nights during race weekend.

The Formula DRIFT Super Drift Challenge, which will take place at 7 p.m. on the eastern end of the race circuit—turns nine, 10 and 11—is expected to feature 16 of the sport’s top cars and drivers, including 2012 Formula DRIFT champion Daigo Saito, 2011 champ Daijiro Yoshihara, plus Frederic Aasbo, Aurimas Bakchis, Michael Essa, Conrad Grunewald, Ken Gushi, Tyler McQuarrie, Robbie Nishida, Justin Pawlak, Matt Powers and others to be announced.

Friday’s action will include practice and qualifying runs, while Saturday will see the teams compete for a $25,000 prize. On Sunday, the Super Drift Challenge cars will drift the entire race circuit after the featured IZOD IndyCar Series race.

Grand Prix fans that purchase any admission ticket for Friday or Saturday racing activities will be able to see that day’s Super Drift Challenge.

Seating for the Super Drift Challenge will be in Grandstands 16, 18, 24, 25 and 26 on a first-come, first-serve basis beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Ticket prices for the three-day event range from $28 for a Friday General Admission ticket to $130 for a three-day ticket that includes Sat./Sun. reserved seating in grandstand upper levels. Pre-paid parking packages are also available, along with handicapped seating, IndyCar Paddock passes, Super Photo tickets and a wide variety of Hospitality Club packages. Fans can select and pay for their 2013 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach seats, parking and paddock passes online at the new gplb.com.

Ticket orders can also be placed by calling the toll-free ticket hotline, 888/82-SPEED.

Promoting international attendance for the 2013 Performance Racing Industry Trade Show, PRI's Arianna Maugeri (pictured) and Francisque Savinien are currently exhibiting at the 5th Annual Motorsport Expotech International in Modena, Italy.

It is the second European motorsports show PRI has exhibited in this month, following Autosport International (UK) in mid-January.


For more information on the PRI Trade Show, visit www.performanceracing.com/tradeshow.