The “Turkey Night Grand Prix” USAC Mopar National/Western Midget race is returning to a dirt track for the first time in 14 years.

Perris (California) Auto Speedway will host the November 22 event, which for the past 13 years has been contested at Irwindale Speedway. The feature event is 98 laps around the Perris half-mile in honor of longtime race organizer J.C. Agajanian, whose family now presents the annual classic.

Perris hosted the race in 1996 as Billy Boat scored the second of what would be three consecutive “Turkey Night” triumphs for him at three different tracks. The race’s last appearance on dirt came in 1998 at Bakersfield (California) Speedway, as Jay Drake took home the hardware.

“Turkey Night” has been held at nine different venues in its 78-year history. This year’s race marks the 72nd running of the race, which began at Gilmore Stadium in Los Angeles, California, in 1934, a race won by Bob Swanson.

The ensuing years have seen the race held at Gardena Stadium, Ascot Park, 605 Speedway, Saugus Speedway, Bakersfield, Perris, Ventura Raceway and Irwindale.

Boat’s three victories have been eclipsed only by the remarkable Ron Shuman, who compiled eight wins in the yearly race.

Defending two-time USAC National Drivers Champion Bryan Clauson of Noblesville, Indiana, hopes to join Boat this year in the three-time winner category. He is expected to be joined by defending race winner Caleb Armstrong of New Castle, Indiana, who was the winner on the Irwindale pavement last November. Two other “active” race winners are Bobby East and Jason Leffler, while former race winners Dave Darland, Bobby Santos and Billy Wease remain active in the sport.

Perris Auto Speedway has hosted a total of 203 USAC events (as of August 20, 2012), including 145 Sprint races, as it has become the home of the popular AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Series. A total of 22 USAC Midget races have been held at Perris since the first 16 years ago.

Advance tickets for the 72nd running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix will go on sale Monday, August 27. Fans can purchase tickets online at www.tix.com or by calling 800/595-4849.

The Motorsport Industry Association (MIA) has appointed Don Taylor as its development director for the West Coast Region of the US.

Taylor will join his two fellow directors Jeremy Byrne, who represents the North region, and Michael Bailey in the South East.

All three positions demonstrate the MIA’s strong links with the ever-growing US motorsport market, and cement the association’s capabilities in representing its members, and growing their businesses, in this all important market.

Taylor has been a consultant with an automobile manufacturer on their racing program strategy, and recently served as senior advisor, Competition Rules for the 100 MPG, Automotive X Prize, an efficient vehicle design competition.

He also held the position of senior director, national technical operations at the National Hot Rod Association, where he was responsible for driver safety and improvements. 

As a group manager at GM Racing, based in Charlotte, he guided the factory NASCAR, drag racing, and motorsports safety programs.

He began his career as an engineer and stylist on various production and concept car projects at Ford.

Taylor may be contacted at dontaylor500@aol.com, or +1 626-688-2817.

For more information regarding the MIA, contact Faye Callaghan or St John White on 01926 776900 or fayec@provapr.co.uk.

Two veteran racers from two different venues of professional motorsports have teamed up to carry the message of B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible and Keep Everyone Safe) to a national TV audience in two recently produced public service announcements.

NASCAR’s Kyle Busch, driver of the Joe Gibbs Racing #18 M&M’s Toyota, and 4-time IHRA Top Fuel World Champion and 10-time NHRA national event winner Doug Herbert have collaborated on two PSA’s which will soon be airing on various broadcast and cable television networks in the coming months.

The theme of the announcements, produced by ESPN’s Dave Dobson, emphasizes the dangers of young drivers texting or otherwise being distracted when behind the wheel and how the Teen Pro-Active Driving Schools offered by B.R.A.K.E.S. as a free public service can teach those youthful motorists life-saving driving skills.

The PSA’s feature thought-provoking photographs of the fatal automobile accident in 2008 which claimed the life of Herbert’s two young sons, Jon, 17, and James, 12, that served as the inspiration and motivation for the creation of the non-profit 501c3 organization.

To view the 45-second version of the new B.R.A.K.E.S. PSA, go to http://youtu.be/FWJVvbyq3-I

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

January 1, 2013, marks the introduction of division-wide allowance of the GM 604 crate engine by IMCA Modifieds.

It will be the first time in the 35-year history of the class that an engine which cannot be claimed is allowed in sanctioned competition.
Modified drivers can continue competing with a claim engine.

Crate engines are already options for drivers in the IMCA SportMod and Hobby Stock divisions.

The crate won’t be legal for use at any sanctioned Modified event in 2012, such as the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals, JR Motorsports Hawkeye Dirt Tour races or the Duel In The Desert.

Any 604 motor used next season will be required to have GM tamper-proof seals and IMCA seals.

For more information, visit www.imca.com.

The Army National Guard will continue as a primary sponsor of the No. 88 Sprint Cup Series team and driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. after extending its relationship with Hendrick Motorsports through the 2013 NASCAR season.

The National Guard will receive primary paint schemes in 20 Sprint Cup races, including the 2013 Daytona 500, and prominent brand placement during all non-primary events.

The National Guard’s association with Hendrick Motorsports began with sponsorship of the No. 25 Sprint Cup team for the 2007 season. Its most recent contract, which included 18 primary paint schemes per year with the No. 88 team, was set to expire at the end of 2012.

Currently fourth in the 2012 Sprint Cup standings, Earnhardt has one victory and 15 top-10 finishes through 22 points-paying races this season. The Kannapolis, North Carolina, native is seventh on Forbes’ list of America’s most influential athletes and the top-ranked NASCAR driver in Bloomberg Businessweek’s “Power 100.”

The USAC Western Midgets and CRA Sprint Car Series will pay a visit to the High Desert on Sunday night.

Scott Burns, an ex-racer out of Mentone now living in Running Springs, has refurbished the quarter-mile dirt track located on the San Bernardino County Fairgrounds at 14800 Seventh Street in Victorville, California, which is now known as the Route 66 Motorplex.

The venue previously hosted a weekly date, but has been dark for the past two years. There is no set schedule yet.

Hall of Fame drivers Wally Pankratz and Rip Williams will be among Sunday’s participants, who also include Mike Spencer, Williams' sons Cody and Austin, Ronnie Gardner, Brody Roa and Ryan Bernal.

Hot laps start at 4 p.m., followed by qualifying, heat races and the main. Admission is $15 for adults, with military, seniors and students at $10 and children $5.

PRI held a fun luncheon in conjunction with the Sprint Car Hall of Fame during the Knoxville Nationals, and I was just want to thank the 80 members of the racing industry who joined us up in the Hall of Fame on Turn 2. Bob Baker, of the Sprint Car Hall of Fame, is a most congenial host, and we're very grateful to be able to work with him and his equally congenial team. The food from the nearby Rib Shack was outstanding. And it was great for PRI's Reed Morales, Jeff Swoboda and myself to catch up with the folks in attendance, who included a full spectrum of industry segments--retailers, parts manufacturers, car builders, sanctioning bodies and more.

It's the second luncheon PRI has organized with the Sprint Car Hall of Fame, and grew in attendance this year. So, it looks like we have a new racing industry tradition on our hands. A trip to the Knoxville Nationals every year is fine with us. It's a piece of racing heaven. Dedicated fans, many of whom have attended year after year for decades. There are a lot of people from out-of-state, too, up in the grandstands. The people all seem so nice. Then, you get to see some of sprint car racing's best, at the top of their game, on a dirt track perfectly prepared. The racing action is outrageous. If there was ever a good reason for YouTube, it would be footage of Sammy Swindell keeping his car off the wall and on the ground in one of Thursday night's heat races. Wow. A lot of moments you hold your breath. A lot of moments where you can't quite believe what just happened.

The Sprint Car Hall of Fame museum is always a wonderful stop on our visits to Knoxville. This year, there was a special exhibit in honor of Jeff Gordon. Also, we discovered in the Hall of Fame volumes of every issue of National Speed Sport News ever printed. It was great fun to flip through the mid-1960s edition.

Here are photos of the luncheon. Thank you all for coming. And thank you, Bob and your Hall of Fame team, for working with us to organize this fun event.

Drag racing icon Roy Hill’s Drag Racing School is now the Official Drag Racing School of Ford Racing.



The first feature of the new partnership will allow all 2013 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet buyers to attend Roy Hill’s Drag Racing School free of charge.



The debut of this new program is slated for August 23-24 before the 2012 Ford Racing Cobra Jet Showdown that is being held in conjunction with the 6th annual JE Pistons NMCA Muscle Car Nationals at Milan Dragway in Milan, Michigan.



Before heading to Milan, Hill will be racing the James Finch-owned Cobra Jets at Maple Grove Raceway for the Fun Ford Weekend on August 18-19. He and fellow Ford Racing hero Hubert Platt will also pick the top 25 cars on display as guest judges for the car show.



The stops in Maple Grove and Milan will certainly be highlights of Hill’s season, but defending the Phoenix Racing team’s Super Stock titles at the 58th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals on Labor Day weekend is also a priority.



After the U.S. Nationals, Hill will return to competition at zMax Dragway near Charlotte, North Carolina, where another school for Cobra Jet buyers is scheduled prior to the 5th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals.

In October, Hill will host a corporate event for Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated along with executives from select food chains and convenience stores affiliated with Coca-Cola.



Visit www.royhillsdragracingschool.com for more information about Roy Hill’s Drag Racing School and the team’s Ford Mustang Cobra Jet Super Stock program.

Russ Deane, General Counsel at SEMA recently became a member of the Bonneville 200 MPH Club and, in the process, broke a world record.

Deane set a new world land speed mark of more than 226 mph for four-cylinder production cars (SRT-4, aka Dodge Neon), surpassing the previous record of 224 mph for a Class F/PS vehicle.

Deane and his Hinckley Automotive race team were participating in Speed Week at the Bonneville Salt Flats. His race team includes Jim Hinckley, Dave Harris (chief), Craig Ohlson, Camel Joe George, Troy Cheney, Stuart Gosswein and Jim Hinckley Jr.

K1Racegear in Carlsbad, California, recently announced the addition of Bob Harris as the company's new General Manager. 

Harris made the move to the expanding motorsports safety company in May of this year following more than a decade with K&N Engineering that included work within the Sports Marketing department and serving as Corporate Race Accounts Manager.

K1Racegear was founded in 2005 and started in the karting world. Today, the company continues to have a strong presence in the karting scene, including sponsoring Team USA with custom driving suits and apparel.  

In addition to his new career path, Harris will continue with his passion for drag racing on track with several events planned yet this season, where he will be donning his own new K1Racegear custom fire suit.

Harris points out that K1Racegear will also be on hand with a display booth at the PRI Show at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, November 29 through December 1, 2012.

For more information on K1Racegear, visit www.K1Racegear.com; Harris may be reached directly by calling 760/268-0710 or emailing bob.harris@k1racegear.com.