Dale Coyne Racing is welcoming back championship- and Indianapolis 500-winning team manager Mitch Davis to lead the team as it enters its 41st season of NTT IndyCar Series competition in 2024.

Davis brings over 40 years of successful motorsports experience, with multiple championship and race wins. He worked for teams including Galles Racing, Patrick Racing, Chip Ganassi Racing, Newman Haas Racing, and was team manager at Dale Coyne Racing when the team earned its first NTT IndyCar Series win in 2009 with Justin Wilson.

“I’m excited to be back at Dale Coyne Racing and thankful to Dale for this opportunity,” Davis said. “Dale has put together a strong team of people with whom I look forward to accomplishing great things. I can’t wait to get this next season started.”

Davis spent the last three seasons at Wayne Taylor Racing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, where he helped develop the new GTP Hybrid Acura ARX-06 that finished 1-2 this year at the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

“We’re extremely pleased to have Mitch join us once again as team manager,” team owner Dale Coyne said. “Not only does he bring a wealth of experience and expertise with him, but he is also very well respected within the racing community, and I know he will be a great addition to our team.

Terry Brown, who became team manager in 2018, will stay on as special project manager while enjoying semi-retirement.

For more information about this latest move by Dale Coyne Racing, view the full announcement here.

NHRA has announced the five NHRA Camping World Drag Racing competitors in contention for the 2023 NHRA Rookie of the Year award are (in alphabetical order by last name):

• David Cuadra, Elite Motorsports, Pro Stock
• Eric Latino, KB Titan Racing, Pro Stock
• Dan Mercier, Mercier Racing, Top Fuel
• Jerry Tucker, Elite Motorsports, Pro Stock
• Chase Van Sant, White Alligator Racing, Pro Stock Motorcycle

The NHRA Rookie of the Year award recognizes the top rookie competitor who also represents the future of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. Some of the nation's leading auto racing journalists select the winner through a voting system based on the following criteria: number of events competed in, performance on and off the race track, participation in NHRA promotions and relationships with fans, sponsors and media.

Last season, Camrie Caruso was awarded the 2022 Rookie of the Year title. Other recent winners include Pro Stock's Dallas Glenn in 2021, and Top Fuel drivers Justin Ashley in 2020 and Austin Prock in 2019.

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has announced that crew chief Jason Ratcliff is set to take on the new role of team/driver coordinator with the team's NASCAR Xfinity and ARCA Menards Series programs following the completion of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship race in Phoenix, Saturday, November 4. 

Ratcliff will leverage his 24 years of experience as a crew chief to lead JGR's competition department. The 2009 NXS champion crew chief previously spent 18 years under the JGR banner.

"[Ratcliff] is a true professional and offers a veteran mindset that a lot of our younger crew chiefs and drivers could benefit immensely from," said Steve Desouza, executive vice president and general manager of JGR NXS/ARCA.

"The opportunity to help the next generation of crew chiefs and drivers is something that means a lot to me and it means the world that I get to do it at the same team that I have built my legacy with," said Ratcliff.

For more information, visit joegibbsracing.com.

Officials with the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, which features some of the top Sportsman drivers in drag racing, have announced the schedule for the 2024 season features stops at standout racing facilities across the country, including a pair of new facilities.

Beginning on February 16-17 at Orlando Speed World Dragway (Orlando), the upcoming NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series season will include a total of 45 divisional events and 22 regional events, with the year concluding November 7-10, at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The South Central Division series will also make first-time stops at Pine Valley Raceway (Lufkin, Texas) on October 18-20, and the West Central Division will visit the new Flying H Dragstrip (Kansas City area) on June 13-16. 

The season will also include 11 doubleheader events, which have been a popular attraction for race teams, drawing an impressive number of participants.

For the complete 2024 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series schedule and more details, visit the NHRA announcement or visit nhra.com.

Ford Performance in Dearborn, Michigan, has unveiled the new Mustang for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series based on the Mustang Dark Horse.

Based on the seventh-generation Mustang, this Dark Horse version adds to the lineup of racing Mustangs, and means that starting in 2024, Mustang will be eligible to race on six continents.

“What a crazy year it has been revealing our new global Mustangs for racing. The positive response from our fans around the world has been amazing, and we’re confident that this Mustang Dark Horse Cup car will be no different and that NASCAR fans will be excited to cheer us on next year,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “Our Ford Performance staff, together with our NASCAR race teams, have worked tirelessly in the wind tunnel developing this car, and I can’t wait to finally see it race on the track next season.”

Ford unveiled the all-new Mustang Dark Horse just over a year ago, marking the first new performance nameplate for Mustang since 2001. It is the most track-capable 5.0-liter V8 street-legal Mustang ever and has inspired the current roster of Mustang cars that started racing this year in the Repco Supercars Championship in Australia and Formula Drift series.

In the months ahead, Mustang Dark Horse racing variants will be eligible to compete in GT3 and GT4 classes globally and in addition, Dark Horse R will compete in the Mustang Challenge Series and many grassroots racing events.

The NASCAR Cup Series Mustang Dark Horse will debut on February 4, 2024, as part of the Clash at the Coliseum exhibition race inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Cloyes Gear & Products, Inc. (“Cloyes”), a Fort Smith, Arkansas-based designer of mission-critical timing drive systems and components for the automotive aftermarket, announced the acquisition of Rotomaster, a Mesa, Arizona-based global turbocharger and component specialist. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Since 1978, Rotomaster has maintained a deep portfolio of complete assemblies, individual components and service kits for diesel and gas-powered applications. Both Cloyes and Rotomaster’s extensive experience as tier one aftermarket suppliers will complement each other and drive significant growth and expansion for both companies.

“Today’s professional technicians recognize Cloyes’ high-quality products,” said Cloyes President and CEO John Hanighen. “Not only does the acquisition of Rotomaster demonstrate part of our company’s long-term goals and strategy, but it more importantly supports the operations efficiencies for our customers. Cloyes is enthusiastic about expanding its market presence and delivering unparalleled products and services to all our customers.”

With Rotomaster now part of the Cloyes family, the company will continue its expansion of application specific products and solutions for the most demanding vehicles on the road – now and into the future. In addition, Rotomaster covers more than 75% of the addressable vehicles-in-operation (VIO) today, which will further expand the number of Cloyes’ customers.

“We are pleased to announce our partnership with Cloyes, a move driven by the alignment of our extensive product portfolio with the high-quality manufacturing standards expected by our valued customers,” stated Garret Wiebe, Rotomaster General Manager. “Previous Rotomaster clients can look forward to a promising future, marked by a steadfast commitment to exceptional customer service, superior operational excellence, and expanded VIO coverage.”

For more information about this acquisition, view the full announcement here.

Wilwood Disc Brakes has released its "How Calipers Are Made" video, which highlights some of the engineering, manufacturing, anodizing, powdercoating, quality control, assembly and testing processes that all go into the making of a brake caliper and much more. Check out the video below and visit youtube.com/@WilwoodDiscBrakes for additional technical videos. 

Visit the Wilwood Disc Brakes Booth #24327, Central Hall, at this year's SEMA Show, to learn more about its brake calipers and more braking components.

Ford Performance has shared further details for its upcoming inaugural season of Mustang Challenge, set to begin in June 2024. The series will be the home of the Mustang Dark Horse R, the latest turnkey race car from Ford Performance that begins a potential ladder of opportunity up to Mustang GT4 and on to the ultimate expression of the Mustang racing lineup, the Mustang GT3.

The Mustang Challenge features a five-round, 10-race calendar beginning in June at Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course. In addition, the second round at Watkins Glen International will now be in alignment with IMSA's schedule change. Additionally, the Mustang Challenge finale will now be held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) as a precursor to the SRO Indianapolis 8-Hour presented by AWS endurance race as part of the Intercontinental GT Challenge championship.

Each IMSA-sanctioned event will feature two 30-minute practice sessions, one 15-minute qualifying session and two 45-minute sprint races. The field of up to 40 full season entries, with additional entries possible at rounds two through five, will be split into two classes: Dark Horse and Dark Horse Legends, the latter being an optional classification eligible to bronze-level drivers 45 years old and over.

Each race will feature a podium celebration for both classes, as well as prize money awarded to overall first through third-place finishers.

For more details, including the 2024 schedule, racing format and the prize structure, visit the IMSA announcement or visit imsa.com.

Brent Berman has been appointed vice president of sales and marketing of Specialty Products company, a Longmont, Colorado-based manufacturer of vehicle alignment tools, suspension components and oil/fuel system products. Berman, who joins Specialty from First Brands Group, will oversee sales, marketing and other key functions across Specialty Products Company, SPC Performance and Peterson Fluid Systems.

“We are thrilled to welcome Brent as our new VP of sales and marketing,” said Ben Bigelow, president and CEO of Specialty Products Company. “Brent’s aftermarket experiences and deep technical expertise will help Specialty Products Company and all of its product lines advance into the future with key product development and technical training to connect more technicians and consumers to our brands.”

Berman began his aftermarket career in the mid-1990s as a technical trainer for Cooper Automotive. Most recently, he served as vice president of enterprise/commercial support and cataloging at First Brands Group, Cleveland, Ohio. Previous roles have included: developing and managing the award-winning Garage Gurus technical training program at Federal-Mogul, Southfield, Mich., as well as creating and managing its digital content and data program; and group director of repair products, Trico Products, Rochester Hills, Mich.

For more information about Specialty Products Company, visit their website here. 

Officials with the ASA STARS National Tour have released its 2024 rulebook on starsnationaltour.com.

The rulebook is based on the rules and procedures utilized by the ASA/CRA Super Series and the ASA Southern Super Series and also clarifies major questions posed during the inaugural 2023 season, organizers stated.

"Teams choosing to run with the ASA STARS National Tour will be encouraged to plan on running a 4-barrel carburetor package in all STARS events," commented Competition Director Freddie Query.

The ASA STARS National Tour will utilize the four-barrel carbureted engine as the preferred engine package of choice, although teams will be allowed to run a two-barrel carburetor package if outlined in the "entry blank" for that event.

Click here for the full rulebook.

The 2024 ASA STARS National Tour schedule of events is expected to consist of ten race events located at premier facilities in the North, South and Midwest. Series officials expect to release the 2024 schedule by the PRI Show, December 7-9, in downtown Indianapolis. Register here.

For more information, visit starsnationaltour.com.