The Gauntlet, a brand new indoor go-karting facility nestled in Hickory, North Carolina, will host a week-long open house September 20-26, 2012, from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

The Gauntlet encourages all racing enthusiasts to come out to their 25,000-square-foot facility to test the waters for themselves. With their own go-kart, riders once signing a waiver will have the opportunity to tackle the track for themselves and see what The Gauntlet is all about.

Additionally, membership applications for The Gauntlet’s three levels of participation will be available for immediate purchase with a 10 percent discount
offered exclusively for signing up during the open house. The scheduled grand opening is set for Monday, October 1.

For more on The Gauntlet, including its membership cost and benefits, visit thegauntletkarting.com.

The 2012 Performance Open Wheel Racing, Inc. (POWRi) Season-Ending Banquet will be held on Friday, November 9, 2012, at Andre’s Banquet Facility, 4254 Telegraph Road, in St. Louis, Missouri.

The event opens at 7:30 p.m. with an open bar, dinner at 8:00 p.m., and awards at 9:00 p.m.
 
Drivers and car owner champions from the POWRi National Midget and 600cc Micro-Sprint divisions, as well as the top 10 in points and the Rookies of the Year in both classes, will be honored and will receive their year-end awards, contingencies, and point funds.  

The POWRi National Midget West driver and car owner champion will also be honored.

In order to receive an award, participants must be present. 

Tickets cost $25 and can be purchased at the door. 

RSVP by emailing POWRi at info@powri.com with the number of guests that plan on attending.

NASCAR has reinstated driver AJ Allmendinger after successful completion of the sanctioning body's Substance Abuse Policy Road to Recovery program, NASCAR announced Tuesday.

Allmendinger was suspended indefinitely from NASCAR competition after failing a drug test administered June 29 at Kentucky Speedway.

Allmendinger was suspended temporarily July 7 when the "A" sample of his urine specimen tested positive for what his representatives subsequently said was amphetamine. The suspension became indefinite on July 24, after Allmendinger's "B" sample confirmed the positive test.

Allmendinger then opted to enter the Road to Recovery program, which features individual guidelines for NASCAR members developed on a case-by-case basis.

Though Allmendinger lost his Sprint Cup Series ride in the No. 22 Penske Racing Dodge as a result of the failed drug test, he attended Saturday's IndyCar season finale at Fontana, California, as the guest of team owner Roger Penske.

After commuting to Chicagoland Speedway for Sunday's opening race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Penske said he would consider re-hiring Allmendinger for one of his open-wheel seats. Allmendinger came to NASCAR racing from a successful background in Champ Cars.

Part of Michael Shank's winning Daytona Prototype team in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona this past January, Allmendinger now is eligible to defend that title in the NASCAR-owned Grand-Am Series. Shank has said he would welcome Allmendinger's return to the car.

"I want to thank everyone for their support through this entire process," Allmendinger said in a statement. "I appreciate that NASCAR created the Road to Recovery program, and am grateful for the opportunity to return to competition. The Road to Recovery program was really helpful to me in getting my priorities reset away from the race track. And, honestly, that helped find my love of racing again and why I began racing in the first place. I'm looking forward to taking this experience and be better for it moving forward."

The Sports Car Club of America, the nation’s oldest and largest amateur racing group, has announced the formation of the U.S. Majors Tour, a series of premium national events for top-tier amateur drivers.



The 40,000-member organization has created the Majors to offer an enhanced race experience for drivers and fans, from pre-race to the product on the track to what happens after the race.



The Majors, which was piloted in 2012, will launch nationally in January and offer 24 race weekends across the country in 2013.



Drivers will be divided into four conferences, each competing for a Conference Championship.

The season culminates with the 50th running of the SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Road America next September, where the best from the Majors race with SCCA’s other nationally qualified drivers to crown national champions.





For more information about the U.S. Majors Tour, visit SCCAMajors.com; for more on the Sports Car Club of America, visit SCCA.com.

Robby Gordon’s Stadium Super Trucks and NBC Sports Group have reached an agreement to televise the 2013 Inaugural Stadium SUPER Trucks Season on NBC and NBC Sports Network.

Starting in April 2013, NBC and NBC Sports Network will televise 12 races (11 domestic and one international).

Capitalizing on what was once known as Mickey Thompson’s Off-Road Racing, Robby Gordon’s Stadium Super Trucks will feature high-flying off-road action that motorsports fans have been asking for.

The entire championship season will be broadcasted on NBC and NBC Sports Network, with the series awarding $500,000 to the Champion driver of Stadium Super Trucks.

Following is the current 2013 Stadium Super Trucks Schedule:

April 6 - University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
April 21 - Long Beach Grand Prix, Long Beach, California
April 27 - LA Coliseum, Los Angeles, California
May 4 - Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
May 18 - Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
June 8 - Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri
June 22 - Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
July 6 - Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
July 13 - Cowboys Stadium, Dallas, Texas
July 20 - Metro Dome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
August 3 - TBA (International)
November 9 - Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada

For more information, visit stadiumsupertrucks.com/sst/.

"An Afternoon with Scott Bloomquist," hosted by the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum and emceed by award-winning journalist Dave Argrabright, will highlight the activities at the non-profit museum on Friday, September 28, 2012, of the Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals. 

The event, free with a paid museum admission, will take place on the museum’s second floor from 1 to 2:30 p.m. 

According to museum executive director Bob Baker, “We have a unique opportunity this year to host a forum in which dirt late model fans can get to know the real Scott Bloomquist, a native Iowan, thanks to Dave Argabright. 

“Scott won the Late Model Knoxville Nationals in 2005 and again in ’09,” Baker added, “and he will be a major threat to win it again this year.  I think all fans will want to hear the three-time winner of the World 100 talk about his life and his National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame career.”  



For further information on “An Afternoon with Scott Bloomquist” and the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum, visit the museum’s website at www.sprintcarhof.com.

The Nissan DeltaWing is set to race in North America for the first time at the finale of the 2012 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón.



The pioneering, dart-shaped Nissan DeltaWing will compete in the 1000-mile Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda on October 17-20, 2012, at Road Atlanta. The revolutionary race car was designed to perform like a contemporary sports prototype while cutting weight, fuel consumption and tire use by half.

Monday’s announcement came at Nissan's North American headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee, with Nissan Americas Vice-Chairman, Bill Krueger, on hand.

Nissan became a founding partner in the DeltaWing project in March, and the team then faced a major challenge to get the experimental Nissan DeltaWing car and its specially developed 1.6-litre DIG-T Nissan engine, ready for the grueling Le Mans 24 Hours.
 


The project provided a test bed for Nissan to develop future innovations that can be filtered into the company's global motorsport programs as well as future road products. This will continue to be the case at Petit Le Mans, with new technology being tried during the race and further development work carried out by partner, Michelin, on its bespoke tires, specially built for the Nissan DeltaWing.  

The Nissan DeltaWing project, with ALMS founder Don Panoz as managing partner, will compete for the first time since its June debut at Le Mans. It retired from the French endurance classic after six hours, following contact with another car.



The team believes that the 1000-mile/10-hour Petit Le Mans is the perfect event for the Nissan DeltaWing to not only give fans the race finish they desire, but also demonstrate its prowess on a more traditional track, as opposed to the high-speed Le Mans circuit, which also incorporates public roads.



Spaniard Lucas Ordonez is set to race the car at Road Atlanta, along with American Le Mans Series 2011 PC class champion Gunnar Jeannette.



Panoz has hinted that this may be the first of many races in North American for DeltaWing. It’s feasible that the car could be part of the new unified North American sports car championship for 2014 when ALMS merges with GRAND-AM.
 


The Nissan DeltaWing team comprises a group of key partners including American motorsport entrepreneur Panoz; designer Bowlby; project patron and IndyCar team owner, Chip Ganassi; tire supplier, Michelin; Dan Gurney's All-American Racers organization; and Duncan Dayton's Highcroft Racing team.



The 1000-mile/10-hour Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, October 20, from Road Atlanta. ABC's broadcast begins at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, October 21. Full, live coverage starts at 11:15 a.m. ET on ESPN3.
 


The Series' website offers additional content such as live in-car cameras, and timing and scoring for all users around the world. Viewers outside the US can watch Petit Le Mans and all ALMS races live on ALMS.com.
 


Visit ALMS.com for current and future event information including tickets and area accommodations.

Rottler will hold its 5th Annual Open House on September 27-29, 2012, at company headquarters in Kent, Washington.

There is no charge to attend the three-day event, which includes live machine demonstrations and technical seminars on Friday and Saturday, a Welcome BBQ at the Rottler plant on Thursday (RSVP required), and a complimentary dinner cruise along the Puget Sound on Friday evening (RSVP required).

Open House hours are as follows:

•    Thursday, September 27, 2012 6 p.m.-8 p.m.)
•    Friday, September 28, 2012 (9 a.m.-4 p.m.)
•    Saturday, September 29, 2012 (9 a.m.-noon)

The schedule of technical seminars is as follows:

Friday, September 28, 2012

•    9:30 a.m.: Precision in Engine Bearings – beyond what you can see presented by Bruce Williams of ACL Bearing Company
•    11:00 a.m.: PRO-SIS presented by AERA
•    1:30 p.m.: Engine machining and assembly procedures that improve performance and reliability presented by David Bianchi of B&G
•    3:00 p.m.: Modern Machining Methods presented by Andy Rottler of Rottler

Saturday, September 29, 2012

•    9:00 a.m.: B&G Plant Tour in Seattle (Bus picks up at 9 a.m. at the Rottler plant)
•    9:00 a.m.-noon: Rottler CAM Training – Learn how to unlock your Rottler’s full potential

Discounted rates at the participating hotels listed below are available by mentioning "Rottler Open House." Complimentary shuttle service from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. is provided between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, either hotel below, and the Rottler Plant. Contact the hotel for details and to schedule pickups.

•    Comfort Inn: 253/872-2211
•    Holiday Inn: 253/395-4300

For more information and to RSVP, visit www.rottlermfg.com/open_house.php.

ProMedia Events, home of the #1 NMRA Keystone Automotive Ford Nationals, is gearing up for the largest all-Ford event of the year in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the weekend of October 4-7, 2012. 

The 14th Annual Nitto Tire NMRA All-Ford World Finals will invade Beech Bend Raceway and Mustangs will take over the city of Bowling Green, which has played host to major Ford events since the first World Ford Challenge back in 1998.  

The NMRA All-Ford World Finals will feature all the cars and all the stars of blue oval drag racing with racers setting their combinations “on kill” in search of world championships and exclusive Nitto Tire Diamond Tree champions rings. This extra special event will showcase everything from 6-second turbocharged outlaws to wheel-standing Renegades and everything in between. 

The TREMEC True Street class, presented by Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords, has averaged well over 100 competitors the past two years and is testimonial to the crazy street-legal performance possible with Mustangs and Fords.

This 2012 event will also bring together 10 of the most powerful, well-engineered, and gorgeous Mustangs from around the US participating in 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords King of the Street competition. Each competitor will be judged on ¼-mile performance, horsepower, and appearance with the overall champ taking home the King of the Street title.

The NMRA World Finals will also showcase a special Terminator/GT500 Shootout, where the fastest ’03/’04 Cobras and GT500’s will race against each other for yearlong bragging rights.

The NMRA World Finals also features the largest all-Ford manufacturers midway and swap meet of the year. In addition, the event will include the flame-throwing 300+ mph jet car exhibitions and the world famous NMRA burnout contest, where past participants have gone as far as blowing tires and destroying engines for the roar of Beech Bend’s crowd!

For more information on the 14th Annual NMRA All-Ford World Finals, log on to www.nmradigital.com/ky or call 714/444-2426.  

VP Racing Fuels, Inc., has announced the appointment of industry veteran Ted Tritt as Regional Manager-Branded Wholesale Business Development to support its growing retail branding program.

“The increasing number of C-store operators expressing interest in our program required additional resources to meet the demand and we’re fortunate to be able to bring someone with Ted’s experience on board,” said Alan Cerwick, President of VP Racing Fuels. “With 30-plus years in the oil business, we anticipate he’ll be a real asset for us.” 



“Ted’s experience not only in the oil and C-store industries but in real estate development give him a unique perspective on the value VP’s program brings to petroleum distributors and C-store owners,” Cerwick said.

Tritt joins VP’s previously announced Regional Managers Bryan Noonen and Matt Schuster, each with responsibility for developing VP’s branding program.


Tritt began his career with a Gulf Oil distributor in 1979. After Gulf was purchased, he spent the next 30 years between two Arkansas-based oil jobbers, representing most of the major brands and unbranded oil companies. During that time, Tritt also owned and managed retail stores, as well as several other non-oil related family owned and operated businesses.

Additionally, Tritt’s extensive experience and relationships of trust in the Southeast markets enabled him to start a consulting business providing financial, operational and transactional advice to distributors and operators.

For more information about VP’s branding program, contact:

Southeastern/Mid-Atlantic
: Ted Tritt - 210/510-8409 or ted.tritt@vpracingfuels.com



Upper Midwest/Northeast
: Matt Schuster - 210/784-6708 or matt.schuster@vpracingfuels.com



South Central/West
: Bryan Noonen - 210/289-6000 or bryan.noonen@vpracingfuels.com
 
VP Racing Fuels is best known as a world leader in performance fuel technology, fueling winners in virtually every racing category and class on land, sea and air since 1975.

VP is the Official Racing Fuel of NHRA Championship Drag Racing, American Le Mans, World of Outlaws Sprint Cars and Late Model Series and Rally America, among more than 60 VP-sponsored racing series and sanctioning bodies.



More information is available online at VPRacingFuels.com.