Michelle McCullough has been named media relations manager for the National Hot Rod Association.

McCullough joins the NHRA after interning the last three years at Auto Club Speedway in Southern California, where she assisted with the coordination of all NASCAR events. She also worked in the media relations department at New Mexico State University from 2007 to 2011 covering all Division I sports.

In her new position, McCullough will provide media outreach for the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, as well as support other NHRA communications programs. In addition, she will assist with research and statistical projects, maintain relationships with national media outlets and contribute to all NHRA Communications Department publications.

McCullough received a bachelor’s degree in journalism with an emphasis in public relations and a minor in sports marketing from New Mexico State University. A native of Las Cruces, New Mexico, she recently relocated to the West Coast and resides in Ontario, California.

Victory Junction is hosting its Second Annual Camp Challenge Ride on September 8, 2012, to raise money to help chronically ill children attend camp.

This cycling event will start and finish at Victory Junction, in Randleman, North Carolina. Each bike rider will choose from one of three route options; 15, 30 and 62.5 mile. The registration fee is $50 with a $200 fundraising commitment.

The Camp Challenge Ride will also offer participants, attendees, and volunteers the opportunity to tour the grounds of Victory Junction and partake in some of the camper activities like miniature golf, the maze, movies, NASCARnival games, and much more.

This event is made possible through the generosity of Wishes by Wyndham, the philanthropic foundation of Wyndham Worldwide, one of the world’s largest hospitality companies.

All of the funds raised through the Camp Challenge Ride will help Victory Junction continue to fulfill their mission of providing life-changing camping experiences to children with chronic medical conditions and serious illnesses in a medically safe environment.

For additional information on the Camp Challenge Ride, visit www.teamseriousfun.org/victoryjunction or contact Hannah McNeill at campchallenge@victoryjunction.org.

Roush Yates Engines announced today that it will provide Ford FR9 engines to Penske Racing beginning with the 2013 NASCAR season. 



Penske Racing announced earlier this year that it would be returning to Ford Racing in 2013 in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series. 



Penske Racing fielded Ford entries from 1991 through 2002.



Penske Racing's decision effectively supports a "One Ford" aspect that top officials at Ford Motor Company see as a key to continued success.



In 2004, Roush and Yates combined their respective Ford engine programs to provide engine packages available to all Ford Racing teams. In its first year of operations, Roush Yates powered Roush Fenway Racing's No. 97 team to the Sprint Cup Series Championship.

Moderator David Mills of Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia’s Premier Speedway will lead a discussion titled “International Sprint Car Racing” at his Knoxville Nationals Fan Fair forum on Thursday, August 9, at 11 a.m. with 2011 New Zealand Sprint Car champion Jonathan Allard, up-and-coming world traveler Kyle Larson and 2002-2003 World Series Sprintcars (WSS) champion Daryn Pittman.

The forum features three Americans, who have traveled Down Under to compete, discussing global sprint car competition.  



The current schedule of Thursday’s events for the seventh annual Knoxville Nationals Fan Fair, to be held on the second floor of the Donald Lamberti National Sprint Car Museum, is as follows:



11 a.m.: “International Sprint Car Racing” with host David Mills (Premier Speedway) & special guests Daryn Pittman, Jonathan Allard and Kyle Larson in Theater
 


1 p.m.: “Meet the Knoxville Regulars” with host Bill Wright (Knoxville Raceway) & special guests Davey Heskin, Terry McCarl, Austin McCarl, Carson McCarl, Dusty Zomer, Mark Dobmeier, Bronson Maeschen, Don Droud, Jr., and Josh and Jarrod Schneiderman in Theater
 


3 p.m.: “Women in Sprint Car Racing” with host Stacy Ervin (Knoxville Raceway) & special guests Naomi Grimes, Linda Selvage, Teri Riggins, Kendra Jacobs (Winged Nation), Lori McCarl (Front Row Challenge Enterprises) and Barb O’Brien (Knoxville Raceway Fire & Rescue) in Conference Center.

For more information visit sprintcarhof.com.

Following three days of Knoxville Nationals Fan Fair forums in the theater on the second floor of the National Sprint Car Museum, the 42-seat venue will come alive on Saturday, August 11, with several exciting sprint car racing films. 

Headlining the day’s agenda is Kevin Kjergaard’s video titled “Doug Wolfgang: His Story,” which is making its public premiere. The best of previous International Reel Wheel Film Festivals will round out the schedule, including Brandon Bingham’s “Knoxville Nationals: Dirt, Sweat & Tears,” Dennis Doornbos’ “Open Road: Inside the National Sprint Tour,” and Sean Buckley’s “Follow the Corn 2: Next Level.”



The schedule in the theater on Saturday, August 11, is as follows:



10 a.m. – “Doug Wolfgang: His Story” by Kevin Kjergaard (50 minutes)

11 a.m. – “Follow the Corn 2: Next Level” by Sean Buckley (57 minutes)

Noon – “Doug Wolfgang: His Story” (encore)

1 p.m. – “Open Road: Inside the National Sprint Tour” by Dennis Doornbos (60 minutes)

2 p.m. - “Doug Wolfgang: His Story” (encore)

3 p.m. – “Knoxville Nationals: Dirt, Sweat & Tears” by Brandon Bingham (42 minutes)

4 p.m. – “Doug Wolfgang: His Story” (encore)



For further information on the Knoxville Nationals Fan Fair forums and film, visit the museum’s website at www.sprintcarhof.com.

The NMCA and Chevrolet Performance are presenting the 6th Annual Chevrolet Performance LSX Shootout, which will once again take place at Lucas Oil Raceway Park in Indianapolis, Indiana, the weekend of October 11-14, 2012.

The event, held in conjunction with the NMCA World Finals, is the largest LS gathering in the US.

The LSX Shootout features heads-up racing for the fastest LS-powered cars in the world, index-style and True Street racing for competitors of all levels, and a giant all LS-powered car show.  

With over $50,000 in cash and prizes, the LSX Shootout’s heads-up classes include JE Pistons LSX Drag Radial, ERL Performance All Motor, and Holley EFI Real Street.

Nitto Tires and Camaro Performers magazine are sponsoring the 5th Gen Camaro Challenge, an index class for new Camaros only, and GM High-Tech Performance will sponsor a heads-up 5th Gen Camaro Shootout on Sunday consisting of the fastest cars from the Camaro Challenge class.  

The Shootout also features two classes for mild to wild street-type LS-powered vehicles, Proform Racing LSX Rumble and TREMEC LSX True Street Challenge.  

Chevrolet Performance will also present special cash and prizes to the fastest LS-powered individual makes and models with their World’s Fastest LS Challenge.
 
The 2012 Chevrolet Performance LSX Shootout will also feature an all-LS car show for performance enthusiasts who want to show off their muscle cars and hot rods. The LSX Shootout’s special two-day car show will give away an assortment of awards to classes for 5th gen Camaros, 4th gen Camaros & Firebirds, Corvettes, Cadillacs, GTOs, Trailblazers, and LSX hybrids.

For more information, specific class rules and purses, car show questions, event information, ticket pricing, vendor space, and hotel arrangements, log on to www.nmcadigital.com/lsxshootout or call 714/444-2426.

Car numbers issued to drivers competing at the September 3-8 IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals will be assigned on a first-registered basis.

Which means the sooner they call the IMCA home office to get entered, the better chance they’ll have at getting the car number they want.

First and second number choices are listed on the entry form (available here) that is posted on the IMCA and Boone Speedway websites.

Drivers in all six divisions can call IMCA at 319/472-2201 to complete the entry process or download and mail the form to the home office.

Early entry fees paid by August 24 are $40 for Modifieds, $50 for Late Models, $25 for Stock Cars, Hobby Stocks and Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods, and $15 for Mach-1 Sport Compacts.

Entry fees paid or postmarked after August 24 are $60 for Modifieds, $70 for Late Models, $45 for Stock Cars, Hobby Stocks and SportMods, and $25 for Sport Compacts.

Drivers registering by phone or mail can also indicate if they’re eligible to compete for one of the four race of champions events: The Harris Auto Racing Modified RoC, the Sunoco Race Fuels Stock Car RoC, and Arnold Motor Supply RoCs for Hobby Stocks and for SportMods.

Management of Mercer Raceway Park announced that an addition has been made to the annual Meet Your Heroes Night.

The program, which was moved to September 8 due to inclement weather, will now include a tribute to Cowboy Brian Steinman, who was injured in a Sprint Car accident at Lernerville Speedway and has been hospitalized for treatment of burns and broken bones since the night of the accident.

“This gives us a chance to recognize Cowboy’s contributions to the sport,” said track owner Bill Altman. “He is a popular driver with the fans and his fellow competitors, so it is appropriate for us to recognize Cowboy on this night that is dedicated to fan interaction.”

Prior to his accident, Steinman was a regular in the Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Car ranks.

In addition to the usual meet and greet session held on the front stretch, fans will get the opportunity to purchase special tribute T-shirts. The shirts will be on sale at Mercer Raceway Park and Lernerville Speedway.

Plus, every fan who wears a Steinman T-shirt to the track on September 8, or who buys one at the Park, will get a dollar discount off the regular admission price.

Proceeds of the T-shirt sale will all go to the Brian Steinman Recovery Fund.

For more information, visit mercerracewaypark.com.

Senior World Karting Association Gold Cup classes that previously competed on 6” tires will make the change to the Bridgestone YLC 4.50x5” front tire and Bridgestone YLC 7.10x5” rear tire, effective at round four of the 2012 series, the Performance North / Jammer Clutches Nationals August 17-19 at Pittsburgh International Race Complex.

The front max rim size to be allowed for the 4.50x5” YLC tire to be 6.5” inside and max 7” outside. The rear rim size to be used with the 7.10x5” YLC tire to be 9.25” inside and a max of 9.75” outside.

Tech for compliance would be the stated outside max dimensions, i.e., 7” max front and 9.75” max rear.

Questions can be directed to the Gold Cup Competition Committee. For more information, visit www.worldkarting.com/index.php/staff/competition-committee.

Champion NHRA drag racer Jack Beckman will be the guest of honor on Thursday, August 9, 2012, at Irwindale Dragstrip.

The NHRA Mopar driver, who was born in Granada Hills, California, and makes his home in nearby Norco, pilots the Valvoline NextGen Nitro Funny Car for Don Schumacher Racing in championship drag racing events across the country.


"We plan on presenting Jack with the 'Key' to the 'Strip on August 9," said Irwindale facilities manager Bob Klein. "This guy is one of our true local heroes, everyone loves "Fast" Jack Beckman. He's a real winner in all of our books, and this chance to tell him that right here at our little strip is a big deal for all of us."


The inscription will not only recognize Beckman as a great racer, but as an even greater human being.  A cancer survivor, Beckman has become a highly respected spokesperson in the fight against the deadly disease.

But Beckman won't be at the Irwindale Event Center 'Strip just for the glory. MoparMax.com is putting him to work as Thursday night's crew chief on their Maulin' Magnum race car, driven by young drag racing phenom and MoparMax.com Contributing Editor Alex Rogeo.
 
Backman has instructed over 7,000 students at Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School since 1998, and he'll be giving Alex instruction and advice.