Four-time Indianapolis 500 starter Lee Kunzman has passed away on February 27. He was 80.

Kunzman overcame serious injuries during his career to start in "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" in 1972, 1973, 1977 and 1979. His best finish was seventh in 1973 and 1977. His best qualifying spot was 11th for his final start in 1979.

His best finish during his INDYCAR SERIES career was second in 1979 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, falling just short in a thrilling late-race duel with winner Johnny Rutherford.

After his driving career, Kunzman served as team manager for Hemelgarn Racing, which won the "500" in 1996 and the INDYCAR SERIES championship in 2000 with driver Buddy Lazier. The Hemelgarn team also finished second at Indianapolis in 1998 and 2000, with Lazier driving.

For the complete details, visit the INDYCAR announcement here.
 

Image courtesy of INDYCAR

Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) and Politecnico di Milano—Italy's largest scientific-technological university—have joined forces with Maserati and 1000 Miglia Experience Florida to carry out an ambitious high-tech initiative during the renowned competition's stop in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

IAC has returned to the Space Florida Launch and Landing Facility (LLF) at the Kennedy Space Center to set a new autonomous driving world record.

The development of the AI driver software was completed by the PoliMOVE-MSU team, which is part of the performance division of AIDA (Artificial Intelligence Driving Autonomous of Politecnico di Milano). The IAC Maserati MC20 Coupé, guided by artificial intelligence from Politecnico di Milano and modified to run autonomously, reached 197.7 mph autonomously and with no human driver on board. This surpasses the previously held absolute record for an autonomous car of 192.8 mph, set by Indy Autonomous Challenge and PoliMOVE at the same location in April 2022 with an IAC AV-21 race car.

The achievement represents a leap forward in high-speed autonomous driving development and showcases how the learnings of high-speed autonomous racing can transfer to streetcars.

For more information, visit the IAC announcement here.

Image courtesy of Indy Autonomous Challenge, Politecnico di Milano, Maserati S.p.A. and 1000 Miglia.

The BC39, the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship race held at The Dirt Track at IMS in Indianapolis, is returning to the speedway on July 1-2 for the seventh annual edition of the event.

Action among the top Midget racers in the country will open Tuesday, July 1, with the 39-lap feature race set for Wednesday night, July 2. The event honors the memory of Bryan Clauson, a three-time Indianapolis 500 starter and four-time USAC national driving champion.

For more information, visit ims.com.

Image courtesy of IMS

Four-time Indianapolis 500 Winner Helio Castroneves has been voted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame.

The sole inductee in the Class of 2025, Castroneves will be formally celebrated at the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Dinner on Thursday, May 22, at the Indiana Roof Ballroom.

Castroneves, a native of Brazil, was overwhelmingly chosen by a national panel of more than 150 journalists, participants and historians, according to IMS officials. This was Castroneves's first appearance on the ballot.

Castroneves finished his full-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES career WITH 31 race wins, 50 poles (including four at the Indianapolis 500) and 142 top-five finishes. He now serves in an ownership role with Meyer Shank Racing.

A member of the small four-time Indianapolis 500 winners club with victories in 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2021, Castroneves aims for a record fifth victory in 2025.

Read the full announcement at ims.com.

Image courtesy of IMS

Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles has announced that the "People's Champ: The Impact of Ken Block" exhibit is now open. Located on the second floor in the Bruce Meyer Family Gallery, the new exhibit honors the late motorsports icon Block, who passed away in early 2023 after a snowmobile accident.

A motorsports icon and pioneer of automotive content in the age of online media, rally driver and DC Shoes co-founder Ken Block utilized his marketing acumen, driving expertise, and automotive enthusiasm to create the enormously popular "Gymkhana" video series and Hoonigan, an automotive lifestyle brand and production company that has captivated audiences for over a decade.

By the time of Block's tragic death in 2023, the series' multiple films had amassed hundreds of millions of views. The vehicles had improved from modified street machines to one-of-a-kind, purpose-built Gymkhana monsters. The locations had progressed from empty airfields and dockyards to closed roads in metropolitan areas and perilous mountain passes. Additional shows on the Hoonigan YouTube channel, such as "Daily Transmission," "Build Breakdown," and "The Unprofessionals," showcased unique vehicle builds, high-performance driving, and the automotive antics of the Hoonigan staff. Block and the Hoonigan Media Machine team revolutionized motorsports filmmaking and became a pillar of automotive culture by producing authentic, enthusiast-centered media that was tailor-made for online viewing.

This exhibit will honor Block's legacy through a display of his most iconic vehicles and memorabilia, such as racing suits, helmets, wheels, DC Shoes, and Hoonigan merchandise, from key moments in his career.

For more information and to buy tickets, visit the Petersen Automotive Museum website here.

Image courtesy of Petersen Automotive Museum, petersen.org.

The United States Auto Club (USAC) has announced the USAC Hall of Fame Class of 2025.

USAC's 12th Hall of Fame class includes driver and car owner Jack Bowsher, driver Dave Darland, car owner and official Bob Estes, car owner and crew chief Bob Hampshire, promoters Roger and Linda Holdeman, official Tommy Hunt and driver Gordon Johncock.

The official 2025 USAC Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place at USAC headquarters in Speedway, Indiana, on Wednesday, July 2, during the BC39 festivities for the USAC NOS Energy Drink National Championship at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

For more information, including a biography on each inductee, visit usacracing.com.

Gene Hackman—known for his Hollywood acting career starring in films like "Unforgiven" and "Bonnie and Clyde," but also an endurance racer—has passed away at the age of 95. Details on his passing are limited at press time, though both Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 65, were found deceased in their New Mexico home earlier this week, according to published reports.

Hackman made his first start in his endurance racing career in February 1983 at Daytona behind the wheel of Dan Gurney's '83 Toyota Celica in the IMSA GTU category. The following year, Hackman joined the Preston & Son Enterprises team, piloting the Mazda RX-7 for the 12 Hours of Sebring race.

For more, read the Road & Track coverage here.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) Museum has announced Chuck Jones as the new chairman of the Museum's board of directors. Jones currently serves as the chief design officer at GE HealthCare and was the recipient of the White House-sponsored Smithsonian National Design Award. He is also a noted vintage Indy car restoration expert and racer, and has served on the IMS Museum board since 2019. He succeeds Rob Dyson in the position, ushering in a new era called "The Stories Behind the Spectacle Capital" campaign.

The announcement comes before the reimagined IMS Museum, which will reopen to the public on Wednesday, April 2. The facility has been closed since November 2023 while undergoing a transformation of its space and experiences. 

General admission tickets for the IMS Museum are officially on sale beginning Tuesday, March 4, at imsmuseum.org. With exciting, educational and interactive new exhibits, the Museum brings the thrill of the Indianapolis 500 and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to life.

To ensure an enjoyable experience for all guests, the Museum has moved to a timed ticket entry system. Guests should plan to arrive no more than 15 minutes before their timed entry reservation.

With a general admission ticket, visitors will have full access to all exhibits and display areas of the Museum–40,000 square feet of additional space–including the lower level, an area previously restricted to only select tours, and the newly added mezzanine featuring artifacts on view for the first time.

"The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum is excited to welcome guests back to our reimagined space when we reopen in April," IMS Museum President Joe Hale said. "Guests will not only enjoy visiting some of their favorite objects but will be able to explore significantly more exhibit space and have fun testing their skills in our immersive Qualifying Zone."

For more information, including ticket pricing and available memberships, visit the IMS announcement here.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Turn 14 Distribution, the performance warehouse distributor based in Horsham, Pennsylvania, recognizes Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels as the winner of its "Collaborative Supplier Award," Dunlop Motorcycle Tires as its "New Supplier Award" winner, and Antigravity Batteries as its "2024 Supplier of the Year" recipient.

"We believe in doing business the way it should be done, looking at our supplier relationships as long-term partnerships. These annual exclusive awards recognize partnerships from outstanding suppliers, some of which date back over almost two decades, while others are more recent after our recent entrance into the powersports market," a company release stated.

For more information, visit the Turn 14 Distribution announcement here.

Image courtesy of Turn 14 Distribution

Utah Salt Flats Racing Association has elected new officers, from left to right: Justin McAllister, Shayla McAllister, Dennis Sullivan, Vern Taylor and James Reeser.

The Utah Salt Flats Racing Association (USFRA)—the organization founded in 1976 to preserve the Bonneville Salt Flats in Wendover, Utah, and motorsports events at the historic venue—has appointed a new presidential cabinet following elections.

The new USFRA officers are Dennis Sullivan (president), Justin McAllister (vice president), Shayla McAllister (treasury), Vern Taylor (Sargent of Arms) and James Reeser (secretary).

In addition, USFRA has announced the 39th annual World of Speed is set for September 5-8, 2025, at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Participant event registration is available online here. USFRA will also host a test and tune event on June 27-29.

For more information, visit saltflats.com.

Image courtesy of USFRA