Dennis Taylor built the Isky Tribute T by mixing styling cues from Ed Iskenderian's original T with a modern Godzilla engine and design aesthetic.

Isky Racing Cams has built a tribute car to celebrate its 75th anniversary at the 2023 SEMA Show, and the story of how this project started began during the SEMA Show last year. While in the Isky booth, COO Nolan Jamora, Alex Taylor of HOT ROD Garage and Dennis Taylor of Hot Rods by Dennis Taylor were talking about doing a project car to celebrate Isky's 75th anniversary. After talking about Camaros and other platforms, Dennis came up with the idea of building a tribute car to celebrate Ed Iskenderian's iconic June '48 HOT ROD Magazine cover car that started it all.  

Ed's car was built in 1937 from a '23 Model T owned by Ed's friend John Athans at a time when the word "Hot Rod" did not even exist!

Dennis proposed building a car from the ground up just as Ed did in the late '30s, which meant nothing was going to be easy! After everyone agreed on the direction, the research started.

Isky definitely picked the right man for the job. In addition to being Alex and Megan Taylor's dad, Dennis and his wife Debbie have been building hot rods and show winners from the ground up since 1990! 

Hot Rods by Dennis Taylor produced many custom-built '33 Fords and '37 Fords and are known as the preeminent builders of '33 and '41 Willys, with over two hundred built. Isky wanted someone with the talent and experience to take on the giant task of designing and building a tribute car in-house in less than eight months so it could debut at the 2023 SEMA Show, and Dennis was the only one they could trust with the project. 

After discussions and what amounted to an archeological look at Ed's T in March at The Speedway Museum of American Speed in Lincoln, Nebraska, it was decided that the tribute would be based on Ed's car but have a modern engine platform and design aesthetic. Dennis wanted to make a tribute, not an exact copy. He also wanted to build it from scratch, including casting the one-of-a-kind valve covers and flying skull just as it had been done in the 1930s. After a few days of measuring and making templates of the original car, a build list was created. Speedway Motors came on board and was able to supply many of the parts needed for the build, such as the Godzilla engine that was decided on. Joe McCollough from Speedway Motors was a great source of historical information and was on the phone with Debbie constantly helping. After sourcing all the parts, including a rear end from David Freiburger that could not be found anywhere else, the race to build the car was on.

Staying true to what Ed and John did in the late 1930s, a '23 Model T was acquired so the body could be used in the build. It was in rough shape, but Dennis managed to salvage the parts and, after lots of work, ended up with a perfect body and turtle deck. From that point, the chassis started to come together. 

One of the hardest aspects was the choice to cast the valve covers. Nick Taylor of Nickky Bobby Inc. set out to design an adapter and valve covers that would fit on a Ford Godzilla engine but still look like the originals. After a lot of trial and error, Nick was able to design and 3D print the adapter and valve covers with the exact lettering script Megan Taylor provided. At this point, the easy way was to machine them out of billet, but in keeping with the spirit of the build, the pieces were used to make the molds for casting. After a week of working to get it right, Dennis and Nick were able to get good castings made. What followed was many hours of polishing.

The Tribute T represents Isky very well. As a tribute to a man and company that is celebrating its 75th anniversary, the car, much like Isky, is built on hard work, craftsmanship, family and tradition and continues a legacy of innovation and modernization. 

A few companies helped with the build and deserve many thanks: Speedway Motors, Holley, XS Power Batteries and Pro Glass. Dennis is almost finished with the build and will just make the deadline when the Tribute T is revealed at the SEMA Show, Tuesday, October 31 in the Isky Booth #22619 in Central Hall. The Tribute T is the epitome of an old school/new school build, and Isky could not be happier with the results of all the hard work.

You can follow the build series videos on YouTube, @RidingWithAlexTaylor, and Instagram @dennistaylor522 and @alextaylorracing.

Hashtags: #TeamIsky #alextaylorracing #speedwaymotors
YouTube, Facebook, Instagram: @iskyracingcams
Website: iskycams.com

Grand marshal Shav Glick when he served as the grand marshal for the Auto Club 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at California Speedway, February 2006.

Distinguished Los Angeles Times reporter Shav Glick was named the recipient of the 2024 Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence, becoming the 12th winner of the prestigious award.

Glick spent the last 37 years of his career as lead motorsports reporter for the Los Angeles Times, with his coverage of NASCAR helping to showcase the sport across Southern California.

"Shav Glick was a giant in motorsports journalism and the racing authority on the West Coast," said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France. "For decades, Shav's stories helped introduce NASCAR to a new audience, as the sport grew nationally. He had a special way of highlighting the people behind the competition, always showcasing the human element that makes NASCAR so special. Whether he was covering the NASCAR Cup Series, or a grassroots-level race, Shav's professionalism and grace embodied the best of sports journalism."

Glick has earned numerous honors, including the International Motorsports Hall of Fame (IMHOF) American Motorsports Media Award (for lifetime achievement in motorsports journalism) in 1977 and the AARWBA Angelo Angelopolous Award in 2004. In 2004, he became the first newspaper reporter inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.

Glick will be honored during NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony festivities on Jan. 19, 2024, and featured in an exhibit in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Tickets to the Induction Weekend events are available at NASCARHall.com.

Bianca Bustamante has joined the McLaren Driver Development program, becoming the first female driver to enroll. Bustamante will also represent McLaren by running the team's livery on her F1 Academy race car for the 2024 season.

At 18 years old from the Philippines, Bustamante is a promising female talent in motorsports who has been involved in racing since the age of five, winning multiple karting championships across Asia. Her involvement in the McLaren Driver Development program, led by Emanuele Pirro, will see her join the team's talent pipeline, which aims to help drivers progress toward Formula 1, IndyCar and Formula E.

In addition, McLaren has announced Cisco as the official primary partner of the McLaren Driver Development program. As part of the multi-year partnership, Cisco branding will be represented on Bustamante's race car, overalls and team kit.

For complete details, visit the McLaren announcement or mclaren.com.

Image courtesy of Trans Am

The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli has announced the 2024 schedules for its national championship, which will visit 12 venues. Officials also announced details for its Western championship, which will stop at six tracks with its eleven-race schedule.

The national championship schedule offers the return to many of the same classic venues as seasons past, as well as the addition of two tracks that have been absent from the schedule for several years.

The Western championship will see fewer event weekends but more races due to the addition of more doubleheaders, organizers said.

"We're incredibly excited to return to Pitt Race and to once again have a presence in Canada with the addition of Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. We're still looking to finalize one additional event for the TA2 class, which we hope to announce soon," said Trans Am President John Clagett.

For more information, visit gotransam.com.

2024 Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli National Championship Schedule

• February 22-25, Sebring International Raceway (Sebring, Florida)
• March 21-24, Road Atlanta (Braselton, Georgia)
• April 11-14, NOLA Motorsports Park (Avondale, Louisiana)
• May 10-11, World Wide Technology Raceway, TA2 Only (Madison, Illinois)
• May 24-27, Lime Rock Park (Lakeville, Connecticut)
• June 7-9, Pittsburgh International Race Complex, TA/XGT/SGT/GT Only (Wampum, Pennsylvania)
• June 20-23, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (Lexington, Ohio)
• June 28-30, Road America (Plymouth, Wisconsin)
• August 21-25, Watkins Glen International (Watkins Glen, New York)
• Aug. 29-Sept. 1, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada)
• October 3-6, VIRginia International Raceway (Alton, Virginia)
• Oct. 31-Nov. 3, Circuit of The Americas (Austin, Texas)

2024 Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli Western Championship Schedule

• March 1-3, Thunderhill Raceway Park, Doubleheader (Willows, California)
• April 18-21, Sonoma Raceway, Doubleheader (Sonoma, California)
• May 2-5, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Doubleheader (Salinas, California)
• July 26-28, Portland International Raceway, Doubleheader (Portland, Oregon)
• October 18-20, Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch, Doubleheader (Pahrump, Nevada)
• Oct. 31-Nov. 3, Circuit of The Americas (Austin, Texas)

Photo courtesy of Elite Motorsports, Auto Imagery

Five-time NHRA Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders has become the winningest woman in motorsports after earning her 47th career national event win at the Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex behind the wheel of her Johnson's Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/SCAG Power Equipment Camaro.

"This one means a lot," said Enders. "As a little girl that was eight years old with big dreams to be a professional driver one day, in my Jr. Dragster, then making my way through the Lucas Oil series, and now being here (in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series) for 20 years, this Wally will sit proudly among a few other special ones. I give God all the glory... Richard Freeman gave me an opportunity 10 years ago and we've never looked back. For JHG, Melling, SCAG, Gallagher, Peoplease and all of our supporters, we got it done today!"

Enders' career features many landmark achievements, including being the first woman to win a national event and a world championship in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Pro Stock category, the latter of which she's secured five times.

For the complete details, visit the Elite Motorsports announcement or elitemotorsportsllc.com. 

Ground-breaking is underway on the major repave and renovation phase of New Jersey Motorsports Park's Thunderbolt Circuit enhancement project. 
 
With 16 seasons of motorsports activities in the books, the New Jersey Motorsports Park's Thunderbolt circuit has been enjoyed by professional drivers and riders, grassroots racing clubs, and NJMP Drivers and Riders Club members. Additionally, the track has played a role in driver and rider education through various schools and development days held there. 
 
"Over a year of planning has gone into this project," commented Brad Scott, President and COO of New Jersey Motorsports Park. "To reach this milestone with ground-breaking and the physical work underway is exciting for us and the motorsports community, and the culmination of a lot of planning and effort by many people."
 
Phase 1 of the two-phase multi-year project starts October 10, 2023, beginning with the milling and removal of the existing track surface, followed by the base paving and surface paving of the original Thunderbolt circuit layout, pit lane, and chicanes. Portions of the curbing will be removed and renovated. The profile of Turn 1 will be altered slightly with the apex curbing placed further inside, taking advantage of the unused space and pavement at that point of the turn. 
 
The asphalt and concrete work will be completed by Thanksgiving.  The new track base and surface will be allowed to cure from December through February.  The final touches and line painting will be done late in February, and Thunderbolt will reopen for normal business operations in early March 2024.  

Following the 2024 season, the track will begin Phase 2 of the project which will include the addition of two new alternative course configurations inside the classic Thunderbolt circuit.

For more information about the project and to learn how to get a memento of the original track, visit the Thunderbolt announcement here. 
 

SRO America and the PRI Show are partnering to showcase sim racing through the inaugural PRI Esports Arena powered by SRO. Through this partnership, SRO America and the PRI Show aim to bring increased visibility to the world of sim racing and the ecosystem surrounding the intricate hardware and software at the heart of the sport. The 2023 PRI Show will be held in Indianapolis on December 7-9. Register here.

"Sim racing plays a key role in the motorsports industry from being a low-cost entry point for new racers entering the sport to training at racing's highest level," said PRI General Manager Jim Liaw. "This partnership with SRO America supports PRI's goal of driving innovation and is an important step in the growth of esports at the Show." 

SRO Esports has been a longstanding leader in professional sim racing and highlights brilliant sim-racing and real racing talents across a total of 5 different championships around the globe. Each championship includes five rounds, with highly competitive endurance races virtually held at some of the most prestigious tracks in the world. Comparatively, in the auto racing industry, the PRI Show is motorsports' showcase business event, bringing together 1,000 exhibitors and attracting attendees from all 50 states, further adding to the excitement and magnitude of this partnership as the two join forces. 

Esports and sim racing at the Show will also be highlighted by the participation of Advance SIM Racing, Asetek SIMSports, SimGear Motion Simulators, Podium F1 Racing and Williams F1.

SRO's presence in the sim racing industry has brought forward monumental impacts, garnering widespread attention amongst racing and gaming fans both online and in person, with over 200,000 spectators attending on-site across five events, in addition to the staggering 87 million global impressions surrounding SRO Esports as a whole.

"Sim Racing is a vital element of the professional motorsports ecosystem. From driver training to professional esports, the use of sims has grown tremendously throughout the years," said Vice President of SRO Motorsports America, Robbie Montinola. "We are excited to work with our friends at PRI to showcase competitive esports at this year's PRI Show." 

The ongoing project will see SRO producing live Esports competitions each show day, competing on Assetto Corsa Competizione, the official game of Fanatec GT World Challenge powered by AWS. The feature races will provide 28 invitational slots in two sanctioned classes: Sim Pros and Real World Pros. Interested drivers are encouraged to register to compete. 

The events will be hosted and streamed across both SRO and PRI's channels, bringing the world of sim racing to larger audiences. The interactive nature of the events will also provide show attendees with the opportunity to jump in the driver's seat and test drive SRO's simulators throughout the PRI Show as well. 

The interest in SRO Esports is on the rise, and with over 1.1 million social engagements, a 28% increase in global digital viewership, and a reach of 18 million across social platforms, it is evident that it will only continue to grow given its engaged fanbase. As SRO America and PRI present new, innovative ways of bringing drivers and audiences closer to the action, the partnership also serves as a way of bridging the gap between the real world and the digital ecosystem.

Check out the Esports Arena on the PRI Show floorplan. For more information, visit sro-motorsports.com.

Image courtesy of Devil's Bowl Speedway

Devil's Bowl Speedway, the historical half-mile dirt track in Mesquite, Texas, will close following the World of Outlaws doubleheader, October 20-21, as announced by track promoter Lanny Ross Edwards, who has confirmed the sale of the property.

The track became known as the "birthplace of the World of Outlaws," hosting the Series' inaugural event on March 18, 1978, which was won by Jimmy Boyd. Since then, it has been a marquee stop on the tour and has seen 88 World of Outlaws Sprint Car events in total.

Three-time World of Outlaws champion Sammy Swindell holds the record for most Series wins at the track with 18. Twenty-time Series champion Steve Kinser is second with 14. Of active competitors, 10-time World of Outlaws champion Donny Schatz and Logan Schuchart are tied with three wins at the track.

To help give Devil's Bowl Speedway a proper send-off, the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series has increased the purse by more than $30,000 for the track's final weekend. The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Stampede will now see drivers contend for a $12,000 payday on Friday, and in honor of the first and final years the World of Outlaws raced at Devil's Bowl, Saturday's purse will pay $20,023 to the winner and $1,978 to start.

With the increases, the weekend's overall purse is now at nearly $140,000 for the two-day weekend.

The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Stampede is also the final stop on the 2023 tour before the championship-deciding World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, Nov. 1-4.

Tickets for the Devil's Bowl Speedway's final two races are available online. The event will also be streamed live on DIRTVision.

For more information, visit devilsbowl.com.

Speedway Motors--the Lincoln, Nebraska-based manufacturer, retailer and distributor of high-quality automotive parts and racing products--has unveiled its new 77,000-square-foot manufacturing facility located at 1401 W. Bond Circle in Lincoln, Nebraska. 

"Speedway Motors is growing in Lincoln. Our new manufacturing facility allows us to produce more quality products right here in Lincoln," said Clay Smith, president and CEO of Speedway Motors. "We are proud to have a team of talented people designing, engineering and building affordable parts to serve our customers."

The new state-of-the-art machine shop was unveiled with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, which was highlighted by remarks from Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird, Lincoln Chamber of Commerce President Jason Ball, and Smith of Speedway Motors.

"Speedway Motors is the driving force behind locally-made, state-of-the-art automotive parts that help customers--and their cars--perform at the highest level," said Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird. "We are excited that Speedway is expanding in Lincoln and continuing to grow opportunity in our community, as it has for the last 70 years." 

The new facility is equipped with cutting-edge equipment, including CNC metal cutting machines, welding, robotic welding, lasers, press brakes and various other metal fabrication machines. 

"We wanted to create a modern environment to work in that's efficient, intuitive and has room to grow," said Dave Wallace, the director of manufacturing at Speedway Motors. "We are excited to move our manufacturing team into the newly renovated and expanded facility."

Speedway Motors is hiring a CNC machinist, among other positions, at the new facility. For more information, visit speedwaymotors.com/Featured/Careers. 

Officials with IMSA have announced Ken Fukuda as the recipient of the IMSA Diverse Driver Development Scholarship for the 2024-25 seasons.

The scholarship rewards a female or member of an ethnic minority classification with a strong desire to compete in IMSA who has logged outstanding race results or shown proven on-track potential in junior racing categories, along with the ability to create a compelling strategy to compete in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge or IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge.

Among the benefits of the scholarship are a full-season premium prepaid entry fee for 2024 in one of those series and 50% of the prepaid entry fee for 2025. Support for the scholarship comes from IMSA and partners Michelin, VP Racing Fuels, OMP, Bell, Recaro and LAT Images.

Past recipients include Jaden Conwright and Courtney Crone, the latter who will continue to receive partial benefits for the 2024 season as part of the two-year program.

"IMSA and all the partners that are involved in the scholarship are just a testament to how special it is," Fukuda said. "I'm overwhelmed and truly gracious."

For the complete details, visit the IMSA announcement or visit imsa.com.