The Trans Am Series has announced the 18 inductees that will make up the inaugural class of the Trans Am Hall of Fame.

Members of the new Trans Am Hall of Fame will range from the series’ earliest winners and champions to influential figures who have shaped modern motorsports, as well as groundbreaking competitors still competing in the Trans Am Series.

The inaugural class will be inducted at Sebring International Raceway—where the series made its debut in 1966—during a ceremony on February 21.

See the list of inductees below and read a full biography on each inductee here.

Inaugural Class of the Trans Am Hall of Fame:

• John Clagett
• Wally Dallenbach Jr.
• Mark Donohue (Inducted Posthumously)
• Chris Dyson
• Ron Fellows
• George Follmer
• Ernie Francis Jr.
• Paul Gentilozzi
• Dan Gurney (Inducted Posthumously)
• Parnelli Jones (Inducted Posthumously)
• Tommy Kendall
• Roger Penske
• Greg Pickett
• Scott Pruett
• Willy T. Ribbs
• Jack Roush
• Amy Ruman
• Bob Tullius

For more information, visit gotransam.com.

MAHLE Motorsport North America--the manufacturer of pistons technology based in Fletcher, North Carolina--is celebrating the company's 25th anniversary in 2025.

Established in 2000, MAHLE Motorsport has become one of the industry's leading suppliers of forged pistons and rings, expanding into all forms of racing and beyond. MAHLE Motorsport built its success by leaning on MAHLE's 100+ years of global automotive history. What began in the 1920s with one aluminum piston in a small family workshop has evolved into one of the most advanced lightweight, low-drag pistons with unmatched performance and durability that's won races and championships around the world, including NASCAR and World of Outlaws. Racers may be familiar with MAHLE Motorsport's POWERPAK lineup--with more than 1,200 off-the-shelf applications--and the company's custom pistons capabilities.

"MAHLE Motorsport has seen phenomenal growth since first launching 25 years ago. From our start as a small division to being the leader in motorsport piston technology, we are incredibly proud of where we are and how we got here," said Brad Green, plant manager of MAHLE Motorsport. "The trust and support shown by our customers has been nothing short of incredible. Our loyal racers, series partners, dealers, distributors, retail partners and commercial and consumer end users have all contributed to our growth, and we can't thank them enough."

MAHLE Motorsport will celebrate the 25-year milestone throughout the year with giveaways and event promotions, the company said.

For more information, visit MAHLEmotorsport.com.

President Trump announced plans to impose a series of new tariffs against China, Mexico and Canada on February 1, including a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico, as well as a 10% additional tariff on imports from China.

PRI urges our industry to adopt a calm, rational view of the announcement. President Trump has traditionally used tariffs as bargaining chips to shape international policy, and this is already playing out in real time; Mexico on Monday secured a one-month pause in their tariffs by agreeing to send soldiers to the United States-Mexican border to stop the flow of drugs and migrants. 

"It's important to understand how President Donald Trump has historically used tariffs, which he sees as negotiating tools to create leverage against other nations on issues unrelated to trade, like immigration and defense spending," said Karen Bailey-Chapman, PRI and SEMA's senior vice president for public and government affairs. "The president has also shown a willingness to withdraw or suspend them when a deal is reached. As a result, what you see in the headlines does not always materialize." 

Below are highlights on the tariffs: 

• President Trump issued three executive orders (EOs) imposing tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico and China. The tariffs were implemented under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), citing a national emergency related to illegal immigration and flow of illicit drugs into the United States, like fentanyl. 
• Tariff rates are as follows:
  • 25% tariff on most goods from Canada, and a 10% tariff on energy from Canada. 
  • A 25% tariff on goods from Mexico has been delayed until March 4 and is pending ongoing negotiations between the two countries. 
  • 10% on goods from China. 
• The tariffs apply to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. EST on Tuesday, February 4.
• Goods loaded onto vessels at the port of loading or in transit on the final mode of transportation prior to entry into the United States before 12:01 a.m. EST on February 1 are not subject to the additional duty, subject to certification requirements with United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP). 
• The EOs state that the tariffs will remain in effect until the president determines that the countries have taken "sufficient action to alleviate the crisis." The EOs do not outline any exceptions nor establish an exemption process.  

Responses from Affected Countries: 

Canada:  

• Prior to a 30-day reprieve, Canada said it will impose retaliatory tariffs of 25% on $155 billion United States goods.  
• Tariffs on $30 billion were to take effect on Tuesday, February 4.  
  • Click here for a list of products impacted.  
  • Tariffs on the remaining $125 billion will take effect on February 25. 
• Tariffs will apply to a range of United States exports, including alcoholic beverages, agricultural products, clothing, sports equipment and household appliances. The list of products subject to the initial $30 billion in tariffs can be found here. 

Mexico:  

• Prior to the United States delaying the implementation of tariffs on Mexico, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum shared that her country will implement tariff and non-tariff measures in response to the tariffs. Sheinbaum emphasized the need for bilateral cooperation and called for discussions on trade policy. 

China: 

• The Chinese government denounced the new 10% tariff.  
• China stated that it will file a complaint with the World Trade Organization and is preparing additional countermeasures. 

PRI and SEMA are in active communications with lawmakers and political leaders about the specific impacts these proposed tariffs have on the industry. We welcome your feedback on direct impacts the tariffs are having on your business. The organization will continue to provide updates on tariff and trade policies as these issues continue to evolve. 

For additional information, contact Eric Snyder, PRI's senior director of federal government affairs, at erics@sema.org. 

Image courtesy of Shutterstock

PRI and SEMA's advocacy plates will be piled high this coming year, as efforts in Washington, D.C., and statehouses nationwide kick into high gear to support and protect the grassroots racing community and automotive aftermarket industry. To help members understand where we are focusing our energies, PRI and SEMA are pleased to share their 2025 Advocacy Agenda.

The agenda highlights a series of critical priorities, including:

• Protecting the right to repair and modify vehicles
• Halting electric vehicle mandates and preserving vehicle choice
• Preserving access to public lands for recreational use
• Shaping tax policies that help small businesses
• Defense of classic vehicles and collector rights
• Protection of small businesses from regulatory overreach.

Start by reading an introductory letter from PRI and SEMA leadership. Then, download the 2025 Advocacy Agenda to learn how PRI and SEMA are advocating on your behalf.

Eldora Speedway's new general manager brings a wealth of racing and race management experience to the track he knows so well.
 

For Levi Jones, taking the role of general manager for Eldora Speedway in New Weston, Ohio, is like coming home, even though he is from Illinois. But he knows Eldora as well as anyone, having raced and won there often. Jones won six of his seven USAC championships with Tony Stewart, who has owned Eldora since 2004.

After his driving career ended, Jones stepped into management. He held numerous positions with USAC, including national series competition director in 2015–2019 and then executive vice president until October 2021. In that role, he helped expand the organization's scope beyond open wheel racing to also include youth racing, off-road competition, rally, and sports car racing. He left USAC to become director of Indy NXT, the main development and support series for the NTT IndyCar Series.

Jones filled his new role at Eldora in September 2024, four months after the death of Jerry Gappens, who had been in the position since 2022. The two knew each other very well and worked together in USAC events. Jones came on board just in time to jump into the 4-Crown Nationals Weekend and, two weeks later, the $100,000-to-win Dirt Track World Championship Week.
"It was beneficial just to be here and then work with the whole team," Jones told PRI. "I was able to work with sprint cars and late models, and really every division in a short time span." 

To read the complete one-on-one interview for free, sign up for a digital subscription to PRI Magazine on Zinio here.    

Once you download the Zinio mobile app or are logged into Zinio on a desktop browser, you will gain immediate access to more than a year's worth of content, including "Newly Appointed: Levi Jones" here and more PRI Show coverage in the January/February 2025 issue here. 

Three days, thousands of motorsports products from more than 1,000 exhibitors, and filling every foot of the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium, here is just a brief pictorial from the 2024 PRI Show.

Highlights include the Grand Opening Breakfast, PRI Education seminars, Hot Rodders of Tomorrow, PRI Podcast Studio, product debuts, trailers, championship-winning race vehicles, boosted engines, and much, much more. With such a variety of vehicles housed in one location at the same time, we have put together a photo gallery of these cars and engines, which you can visit here...

To read the complete article for free, sign up for a digital subscription to PRI Magazine on Zinio here.    

Once you download the Zinio mobile app or are logged into Zinio on a desktop browser, you will gain immediate access to more than a year's worth of content, including "The Best of the PRI Show in Photos" here and more PRI Show coverage in the January/February 2025 issue here. 

The LS/LT engine platform continues to grow in popularity with racers, engine builders, and aftermarket suppliers who are embracing the possibilities.

When Mike DuSold of DuSold Designs in Lewisville, Texas, needed to source and develop a powertrain for his wicked-looking 1968 Camaro that would race at Pike's Peak and on the Time Attack circuit, he started with the GM LS architecture.

"The LS platform has a ton of aftermarket support, and you can make power with them very reliably," explained DuSold. "There are great cylinder-head and intake-manifold designs. It's a well-known engine platform and what we were looking for in a car like this. I needed the ability to run 1,300 horsepower but not do it with an engine that's wound super tight."

The LS engine platform was first introduced in the 1997 C5 Corvette, and dedicated variations were developed for pickups, SUVs, and sports car models out of the General Motors lineups. The first engine from this family was the LS1, and enthusiasts have since referred to all Gen III and Gen IV small block GM engines as the LS, even though many of the RPO ordering codes don't start with LS...

To read the complete article for free, sign up for a digital subscription to PRI Magazine on Zinio here.    

Once you download the Zinio mobile app or are logged into Zinio on a desktop browser, you will gain immediate access to more than a year's worth of content, including "The Rise of the Unstoppable LS/LT Race Engine" here and more PRI Show coverage in the January/February 2025 issue here. 

Ford Motor Company is planning to launch a factory prototype effort in the FIA World Endurance Championship beginning in 2027.  

Ford Performance will lead the full factory team in WEC with the aim of again competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The marque captured four overall victories at the event between 1966 and 1969.

The American manufacturer has more recently competed in the race, first in 2016 with the Ford GT in GTLM and more recently with the Ford Mustang GT3 in 2024.

Additional details will be released at a later date.

For the full announcement, visit ford.com.

Registration for HOT ROD Drag Week 2025 opens on Saturday, February 22 at 9:00 a.m. EST.

The annual event will visit four Mid-Atlantic cities in the race to determine the "Fastest Street Car in America."

Scheduled for September 14 through September 19, HOT ROD Drag Week 2025 will be hosted at the Maryland International Raceway and will also hit Numedia Dragway in Numedia, Pennsylvania; Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pennsylvania; and Cecil County Dragway in Rising Sun, Maryland.

HOT ROD Drag Week puts competitors through five days of drag racing, requiring racers to drive their vehicles on a specified route from city to city, approximately 1,000 miles, while securing the quickest possible elapsed time across the five days.

For the latest information, visit motortrend.com/events/hot-rod-drag-week, and see the full schedule below (subject to change):

BluePrint Engines and the Racing Promotion Monthly (RPM) Newsletter and Workshops have agreed to a three-year partnership to support the RPM Newsletter and RPM @ Daytona and RPM @ Reno Workshops.

The agreement begins with the 2025 RPM @ Daytona Workshops and will continue through the 54th edition of the event in 2027.

"Blueprint Engines is proud to be partnering with the RPM workshops. Like hot rods and classic musclecars, racing is an integral part of America," the Kearney, Nebraska-based company said in a statement announcing the partnership. "As BluePrint continues to grow, we have developed a line of engines used for grassroots motorsports named BluePrint Motorsports. We felt strongly [about] developing a relationship with track owners and sanctioning bodies, along with racers directly. We are here to learn and serve the grassroots circle-track market."

The 52nd Annual RPM @ Daytona Workshops will be held at the Shores in Daytona Beach Shores, Florida, and begins on February 9.

For more information, visit promotersnewsletter.com or blueprintengines.com.