For the fifth consecutive year, B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe) will be inviting many of the brightest stars from the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, the fans who follow them, and supporters of this lifesaving 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to gather for the B.R.A.K.E.S. Benefit Dinner at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Concord, North Carolina, on Thursday, September 13.

This year's dinner, which follows the organization’s annual golf tournament earlier that day, will feature an added touch of Hollywood: The special guest speaker will be Rudy Ruettiger, whose life story inspired the motion picture Rudy starring Sean Astin. Now an inspirational speaker, Ruettiger is a natural choice to address those attending the B.R.A.K.E.S. affair.

A silent and live auction including sports and entertainment memorabilia, several special travel getaways, and a host of unique items to benefit B.R.A.K.E.S. will also be part of the evening’s program.

A cocktail hour is scheduled for 6 p.m., and dinner will be served at 7 p.m. Tickets are $150 per person.



Earlier that day, NHRA stars will be going rounds of a different kind as they join their fans at beautiful Rocky River Golf Club adjacent to zMAX Dragway for the B.R.A.K.E.S. Benefit Golf Tournament.

All NHRA fans and those looking to help support B.R.A.K.E.S. are invited to take part in this upbeat fundraising event, in which they can play side by side with their favorite NHRA drivers.

Many of the NHRA’s brightest stars are expected to participate. Awards are planned for the first-, second-, and third-place finishers, and contests for Closest to the Pin, Hole in One, and Longest Drive will be held. Lunch will be provided, and shuttle buses will be in service from the Embassy Suites Hotel and zMAX Dragway to Rocky River Golf Club.

The event will conclude with the 5th annual B.R.A.K.E.S. Benefit Dinner at the Embassy Suites Hotel.

The golf-tournament entry fee is $100 for a single player or $400 per team, with foursomes available. Professional drivers will enjoy complimentary registration.

For more information on B.R.A.K.E.S. or to make a tax-deductible donation, log on to www.putonthebrakes.com.

JR Motorsports and its competition director of five years, Tony Eury Sr., have announced the decision to amicably part ways, effective Friday.

Eury is a winner of 55 NASCAR races in both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series as a crew chief. He has 28 years in the NASCAR industry, the last five of which were served as competition director and crew chief for JR Motorsports. The company has amassed all nine of its victories under Eury’s watch. JR Motorsports’ last victory came on September 4, 2010, with driver Jamie McMurray.

In an effort to improve performance, a crew chief swap was implemented in April between Eury Sr. and Bruce Cook. Cook took over the company’s flagship No. 88 team driven by Cole Whitt, while Eury turned his attention to the partial entry No. 5 team driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Ron Fellows while still serving as competition director. Whitt responded with two top-fives and eight top-10s in 19 races, while the Earnhardt/Fellows duo scored fifth-place finishes in three of its four races.

The No. 5 entry has no more races scheduled in 2012. Eury Sr.’s son, Tony Eury Jr., remains crew chief for JR Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet and co-owner of the company with Earnhardt Jr. and Earnhardt-Miller.

Eury came to JR Motorsports in 2007, compiling seven wins, 48 top-fives and 86 top-10s as crew chief of the No. 88 team. Prior to that he spent 21 years at Dale Earnhardt Inc., where he won two Nationwide Series championships with Earnhardt Jr. in 1998 and 1999.

We applaud the Quarter Mile Foundation's "night to remember" in the tribute roast it organized for Linda Vaughn, a true icon in motorsports culture and a neighbor just down the road a piece to PRI. The tribute was held at the “Sports Palace” at the Lucas Family Estate in Carmel, Indiana on Wednesday, August 29. Here's a report by Steve Cole, of the Quarter Mile Foundation:

The building was filled to capacity with over 300 attendees, who witnessed a “love fest” tribute to the “Queen of Speed.” The overall tone of the roasters was one of respect, admiration and love for one of motorsports’ most beloved icons.  There were funny stories, but many were tributes to Linda’s unwavering love of the motorsports and the performance aftermarket communities.

Presented by the Quarter Mile Foundation, the event was a fund-raising effort for the Foundation and to assist Linda.  The room was a powerful mixture of figures from many motorsports disciplines – drag racing, open wheel, stock car, road racing and fans – all intent upon paying respect to one of the most beloved and enduring non-racer legends of modern times.

The evening opened with a huge surprise, as Darrell Gwynn came into the room dressed in drag as Linda, complete with the Hurst shifter arching up from the back of his electric wheelchair.  After the obligatory photo shots were completed, Master of Ceremonies Bob Frey had the daunting task of keeping a semblance of order in an evening that seemed to feed on the energy in the room – everyone running at “wide open throttle.”

Starting with Jack (“Doc”) Watson, the list of roasters who followed were a “Who’s Who” of the motorsports and performance aftermarket world – Paul Candies, Jeg Coughlin, Jr., Bob Glidden, Lyn St. James, Corky Coker, John Force, Bob Bruegging, Chip Ganassi and John Menzler.  Each related his or her personal stories of Linda, and how her connections helped influence their lives or those of friends.

Interspersed between the Roasters’ comments were spirited bidding wars over a dozen live auction items.  The bidding often led to comedic exchanges – the most notable being with John Force and Tony Stewart – which left the audience in stitches.

Traci Hrudka, Chairman of the Quarter Mile Foundation said, “We were able to build off the very successful Roast of Don Garlits at the NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Calif. in February. Linda’s Roast took four months of planning, and I felt like a wedding planner.    The Foundation worked very closely with the staff at the Lucas Family Estate, and the evening’s results speak for themselves, with the very positive feedback from the audience was nothing but a huge plus.   
    
“The belief of the Lucas family in the Foundation’s undertaking to do the historical documentary and the support of Linda, as well as the support of so many companies, racers and fans made the evening an entertaining and financial success.  The funds which were generated will be a tremendous help to Linda personally, as well as to the Foundation to continue to record the recollections of the legends and pioneers of drag racing and the performance aftermarket for posterity.”

The Linda Vaughn Tribute Roast will be available on a DVD, and will be available through the Quarter Mile Foundation’s website: www.quartermilefoundation.org.  

Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, will host a Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, benefitting the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, on September 15, before IZOD IndyCar Series racing begins at 5:50 p.m.

The event is dedicated to local, state, and federal public safety professionals, and all festivities will take place in the area just outside the Speedway.



Law Enforcement Appreciation Day will give citizens the chance to meet and say thank you to some of the men and women who serve their communities each and every day. This event will also provide race fans and law enforcement supporters a rare glimpse into an array of equipment used by law enforcement officers.

On display will be public safety vehicles, tactical equipment, aircraft and more. Interactive awareness exhibits will also be set up for fans to experience the dangers of distracted driving.

For public safety professionals, vendors will showcase the latest and greatest in law enforcement equipment.

Auto Club Speedway will pause during pre-race ceremonies to honor the service and sacrifice of 11 California law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in 2011 and 2012. The tribute to these officers will conclude with a statewide, multi-agency helicopter flyover.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.autoclubspeedway.com/Vanity-Pages/2012/NLEOMF.aspx.

National Performance Warehouse Companies has announced the addition of its ninth location as a result of its acquisition of Motor Warehouse in Sacramento, Californa.

This is NPW's second acquisition in 30 days. Late last month, the Miami, Florida-based company announced that it had purchased Karbelt Warehouse in Ajax, Ontario.
 


Motor Warehouse specializes in engine parts, everything from an LS-6 to a Hemi, Coyote, Cummins, 1929 Cadillac or an engine kit for a Model T, according to Larry Pacey, NPW president and CEO.
 


Motor Warehouse, which has been in the engine parts business since 1933, will maintain its current staff and management team.

For more on National Performance Warehouse, visit enationalperformance.com.

Crane Cams has been recognized as a recipient of the 2012 Florida Companies to Watch  award, an honor presented by the Florida Economic Gardening Institute (GrowFL) at the University of Central Florida.

In its 2nd year, Florida Companies to Watch is presented by SunTrust Banks and the University of Central Florida in association with the Edward Lowe Foundation and with special support from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.
 
Fifty companies from across the state of Florida will receive their recognition at an awards gala on Friday, October 19, at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando, Florida.

Florida Companies to Watch is an awards program that celebrates privately held second-stage companies headquartered in the state. To be eligible, applicants must employ between six and 99 full-time equivalent employees and have between $750,000 and $50 million in annual revenue or working capital in place.

Awardees are selected for demonstrating the intent and capacity to grow based on employee or sales growth, exceptional entrepreneurial leadership, sustainable competitive advantage, outstanding corporate culture, inspired community giving and other notable strengths.


Crane Cams was founded in 1953 and has grown to be an internationally respected leader in the manufacture of high performance camshafts, valve train, and ignition components.

Today, Crane Cams is owned by George and Ken Smith, who have achieved global recognition for their leadership of S&S Cycle, as well as their passion for racing and hotrod cars. With a cadre of experienced engineers and technicians, plus newly enhanced manufacturing and R&D capabilities, Crane Cams stands ready to provide customers with technically superior, precision-made products and excellent service.


Crane Cams has significant manufacturing resources to rely on, including state-of-the-art CNC machining centers and Spintrons. The company has the ability to produce fully digitized camshafts using Landis CNC equipment, as well as grinding cams via traditional methods using production masters.

With the industry's largest camshaft database, which exceeds 80,000 grinds, an impressive manufacturing capability, and an experienced tech staff (most of whom have 15+ years service with Crane Cams), the company stands ready to provide customers with industry-leading quality products and superior service.

For more information on Crane Cams, visit www.cranecams.com.

Hundreds of race engine builders will arrive early in Orlando the week of the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show to attend the three-day Advanced Engineering Technology Conference (AETC). It is the oldest and most respected race engine conference in the world, and will feature a broad spectrum of speakers this year.

The AETC begins on Monday morning, November 26, and continues through Wednesday, November 28. The PRI Trade Show begins Thursday morning, November 29, and continues through Saturday, December 1. Over 1000 companies will exhibit in the PRI Trade Show, with 38,000 racing industry professionals in attendance. Both events are part of Race Industry Week 2012 in Orlando.

With more speakers yet to be announced, the current list of AETC speakers includes Brad Green, Mahle; Chris Brown, ARP Fasteners; Tim Anderson, Racepak; Billy Godbold, Comp Cams; Mark Cronquist and Scott Diehl, Driven Racing Oil; Mike Osterhaus, Melling; Bob Sturk, Federal Mogul; and Dr. Robert Prucka and Justin Callies from Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research.

"The AETC focuses on the most innovative ways to make big-time horsepower," wrote Jeff Huneycutt in his article on the conference in Circle Track magazine this year.

"It's one of the most important weeks of the year for anyone in the business of building race engines," said John Kilroy, producer of the PRI Trade Show. "The AETC provides plenty of insight into the cutting edge of race engine technology today. Then, all the great brand names in race engine parts are on display in the PRI Trade Show. Plus, the famed Machinery Row in the PRI Trade Show offers a full line-up of the latest advances in precision machining equipment. It's a total package with serious ROI!"

New for this year's Show is the High-Performance Computing & Testing Technologies Zone, which has proven to be a welcome new concept with motorsport engineering companies. Ten companies have committed to exhibit in this special space on the PRI Trade Show floor.

For more information, and to register for the AETC (there is a fee to attend), go to www.aetconline.com.

For more information on the PRI Trade Show, and to register for credentials at no charge, go to www.performanceracing.com/tradeshow.

The Flowmaster NMCA WEST series announces that its final event, the Nitto Tire NMCA WEST World Street Finals, has moved and will now take place at Auto Club Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, CA, the weekend of October 26-28, 2012.  

This event was originally to be held at the Fontana dragstrip, which has been temporarily shut down pending the building of a sound wall as part of a court order.  

Racers and fans will descend upon Famoso's famed raceway October 26-28 to see the best in West Coast street-legal drag racing that includes 200+ mph Pro Street cars, wild outlaws, nostalgia street cars, True Street racing, bracket racing, and more!

NMCA WEST also will be hosting a year-end banquet and ceremony where all top-10 class racers will receive custom jackets and all class champions will receive NHRA Unleashed Wallys, courtesy of Aerospace Components, and Nitto Tire Diamond Tree Champions rings!

For more information on NMCA WEST, log on to www.NMCAdigital.com or call 714/444-2426.

DRP Performance Products, Inc., a manufacturer of innovative tools and components for the high performance racing industry, has sold its remaining inventory of general racing parts to Carl’s Racing Products of Ashland, Virginia. 

DRP will continue to manufacture and sell its premium line of tools, equipment, driveline and brake system components for asphalt and dirt race teams.
 
“The decision to completely exit the general parts business was made a few years ago,” said Lynnie Doughton, VP of DRP Performance Products. "It was just a matter of timing. We needed more space to add equipment and Danny (Corker) with Carl’s expressed interest at the right time."

DRP classifies “general parts” as commodity products manufactured by companies other than DRP, such as Afco, Howe, Wilwood, etc. These products will continue to be available through Carl’s Racing at competitive prices. 

DRP is continuing to grow its product line of suspension analysis equipment, set-up tools, low drag hub components, lightweight axles, brake system components and accessories.
 
DRP Performance, located in Rocky Mount, Virginia, designs, manufactures and sells premium quality suspension analysis and setup equipment, tools, driveline and brake system components for the automotive racing industry. The company can be reached at 888/399-6074 or online at www.DRPperformance.com.

Carl’s Racing Products can be reached at 804/368-8761 or online at Carlsracing.com.

Plans have been announced for a landmark merger of GRAND-AM Road Racing and the American Le Mans Series (ALMS).



Under terms of the merger, the following entities will combine with GRAND-AM: the American Le Mans Series; the International Motor Sports Association, which sanctions ALMS events; the Road Atlanta race track facility in Braselton, Georgia.; the Chateau Elan Hotel and Conference Center in Sebring, Florida; and Sebring International Raceway, via a reassignment of the lease agreement with the Sebring Airport Authority to operate the raceway.

Both sanctioning bodies will continue to operate separate schedules in 2013 before racing under one banner in 2014 beginning with North America’s premier sports car race, the 52nd annual Rolex 24 At Daytona. A board of directors has been formed to operate the new combined organization with GRAND-AM founder Jim France as chairman and ALMS founder Don Panoz as vice chairman. Other members: NASCAR Vice Chair/Executive Vice President Lesa France Kennedy, GRAND-AM President/CEO Ed Bennett, ALMS President/CEO Scott Atherton and NASCAR Vice President/Deputy General Counsel Karen Leetzow.



Post-merger branding still is being determined for the new organization and its principal series, as are specifics regarding the 2014 schedule. Also, the competitive class structure and technical rules beginning in 2014 have yet to be finalized.



The ALMS began operations in 1999, with GRAND-AM debuting in 2000. Both organizations were created in the aftermath of the late-’90s departure of the highly popular IMSA Camel GT circuit in North America. IMSA was founded in 1969 by John Bishop and then-NASCAR President Bill France Sr.



Collectively, this merger involves a total of eight sports car series racing throughout North America. GRAND-AM sanctions and operates the Rolex Sports Car Series, the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge and the TOTAL Performance Showcase. GRAND-AM also sanctions the Ferrari Challenge that is operated by Ferrari North America. IMSA is the sanctioning body for the ALMS, the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama Series, the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda Series and the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin.



For more information on the ALMS, visit www.alms.com.

For more on GRAND AM Road Racing, visit www.grand-am.com.