Officials with North Wilkesboro Speedway--the short paved oval just east of North Wilkesboro, North Carolina--have invited the public to a complimentary open house and opening night debut of new renovations. 

The Open House is set for Wednesday, May 10, from 5-9 p.m. as preparations continue for the prestigious NASCAR All-Star Race Week, May 16-21.

The event includes appearances from former NASCAR crew chief Jeff Hammond and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers, including Spencer Boyd; Matt DeBenedetto; Christian Eckes; and Jake Garcia. In addition, for a donation to Speedway Children's Charities, fans can get their photo taken on the historic Victory Lane. 

Speedway officials will also dedicate grandstands and reveal the return of a fan favorite, the Turn 3 Tyson manual scoreboard. The evening will also be filled with music, food trucks, souvenir stands open for business, and All-Star Race Week tickets for sale. The night will cap off with a new Musco LED tracklights debut in a lights-to-music display.

For more information, visit northwilkesborospeedway.com.

Officials with the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship have announced the Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) class will no longer compete on the schedule following the 2023 season. The division will instead compete in the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge through the current 2026 homologation period. 

The announcement follows the introduction of the hybrid-powered Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class this season, which joined the GT Daytona Pro (GTD PRO), GT Daytona (GTD), and the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2). 

For more information, visit imsa.com.

Toyota has announced that, as part of a partnership with Legacy Motor Club (M.C.) that begins next season, Toyota will field eight full-time Toyota Camry TRDs in the NASCAR Cup Series, with two entries for Legacy M.C. 

"All of us at Toyota are thrilled to add Legacy Motor Club to our NASCAR family," said Jack Hollis, executive vice president of Toyota Motor North America and president of Toyota Motor Sales. 

The eight full-time Toyota Camry TRD entries are the most Toyota-supported entries to compete in the Cup Series since 2011.

Legacy M.C. is co-owned by seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson and GMS Racing owner and businessman Maury Gallagher. Johnson partnered with Gallagher's Petty GMS team at the end of 2022 and guided the rebrand to Legacy M.C. beginning in 2023.

For more information, visit the Toyota announcement here or visit toyota.com/usa. 

Hot Shot's Secret--the Mt. Gilead, Ohio-based manufacturer of diesel additives and performance racing oils and fluids--has announced an expansion of its National Tractor Pullers Association (NTPA) Championship Pulling Series sponsorship for 2023. The new agreement establishes a six-event bonus series and point fund titled the Hot Shot's Secret Challenge. This points challenge will provide a payout in excess of $30,000 to the top three-point earners per division.

"NTPA is a great series that we have been a proud sponsor since 2020. Coupled with our Title Sponsorship of the NHRDA and ODSS, we are now represented prominently at all leading diesel motorsports industry events and series," said Hot Shot's Secret Brand Manager Josh Steinmetz. "The Challenge provides a fun and exciting series within the points chase, and it will all culminate at the National Tractor Pulling Championship in Bowling Green, Ohio." 

The Hot Shot's Secret Challenge establishes a four-hook series for Light Modifieds; a six-hook series for Light Super Stock and Super Semi; an eight-hook series for Super Stock Open, Super Farm, Pro Stock, Four Wheel Drive, Super Stock Diesel 4x4, Modified, and Unlimited; a 10-hook series for Super Stock Diesel and Two Wheel Drive; and a 12-hook series for Modified Minis.

The 2023 Hot Shot's Secret Challenge will be contested during the Farley Nationals in Farley, Iowa (June 9-10); the Budweiser Dairyland Super Nationals in Tomah, Wisconsin (June 22-24); the Lions Super Pull of the South in Chapel Hill, Tennessee (July 21-22); the Fort Recovery Grand Nationals in Fort Recovery, Ohio (July 28-29); the North Iowa Nationals in Rockwell, Iowa (August 3-5); and the National Tractor Pulling Championships in Bowling Green, Ohio (August 17-19).

For more information, visit the NTPA announcement here or visit hotshotsecret.com.

PRI's Washington, DC, advocacy team invites members to join the PRI Political Action Committee (PAC) for the Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 13. What better way to kick off summer than inside a fully catered "Gasoline Alley" luxury suite with exclusive indoor and rooftop views?

What role does the PAC have within PRI? United States law restricts groups like PRI from directly funding elections. However, our members' voices need to be heard! A PAC allows members to pool their resources to support lawmakers and candidates who stand up for the racing industry. 

Purchase required to attend. Interested in the event or have questions? Contact Alicia Steger at alicias@sema.org. 

The SEMA California Rally is just around the corner (June 8 in Sacramento, California), and PRI and SEMA members based in the state are invited to register at sema.org/carally. This event is an excellent opportunity for PRI-member companies to advocate for the motorsports and automotive aftermarket industry with key lawmakers.

The industry will come together to discuss issues, such as supporting new vehicle technologies, manufacturing tax incentives, and the CARB Executive Order process. By attending the Rally, PRI and SEMA members will have the chance to meet with lawmakers and their staff to advocate for policies that will benefit the industry.

The SEMA California Rally is open to all PRI- and SEMA-member companies based in California, and registration is now open. Members can register at sema.org/carally, where they will also find lodging information. PRI's Washington, DC staff encourages all members based in California to register for this event and participate in the advocacy efforts.

The motorsports and automotive aftermarket industries face significant challenges, and our voices must be heard. By attending the SEMA California Rally, we can make our concerns known and advocate for policies supporting our industries' growth and innovation.

Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to advocate for your business. Register for the SEMA California Rally today at sema.org/carally. 

Galex Fox, left, and Dave Darland, right. Photo courtesy of John Mahoney, USAC

Champion car owner, mechanic, engine builder, and crew chief Galen Fox has passed away. He was 84.

Fox--from Bloomington, Indiana--was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2002 and into the USAC Hall of Fame in 2021. He was also honored with USAC's Mechanical Achievement award in 2003.

His legacy continues with his two sons, Brad and Steve Fox, who have a combined 19 USAC National Sprint Car victories under their name as team owners, two of which with Brad as the driver. In addition, Galen's grandson, Brayden Fox, also races USAC sprint cars. 

For more information, visit the USAC announcement here. 

Officials with IMSA have announced the finalists for the 2024-25 IMSA Diverse Driver Development Scholarship. The recipient, to be named later this year, will receive benefits worth more than $250,000 to assist them in competing in one of three IMSA-sanctioned series during the 2024 season.

Over the next few months, the 10 selected candidates will participate in a series of learning modules to bolster their off-track skills and assist them in approaching teams and submitting their final business plans. The 2024-25 scholarship recipient will be announced in the fall. 

The list of candidates for the third annual IMSA Diverse Driver Development Scholarship consists of eight men and two women, and four of the candidates were finalists in past years. 

The candidates are Antonio Abrom (21; Winston, Georgia); Andrea Castro (24; New York, New York); Sabre Cook* (28; Carmel, Indiana); Ken Fukuda (35; Beacon, New York); Heather Hadley (21; Sherrills Ford, North Carolina); Bryson Lew* (20; Salt Lake City, Utah); Kyle Loh* (24; San Jose, California); Baley Monette (27; Alpharetta, Georgia); Brad Perez* (26; Kannapolis, North Carolina); and Westin Workman (18; Charlotte, North Carolina). An asterisk (*) indicates a finalist in a previous year.

For more information, visit the IMSA announcement here or visit imsa.com.

A closer look at how racing and performance industry members are using social media to enhance their customer service efforts.

Social media users utilize various platforms as a means to interact with businesses. When customers have problems with a product, need information, or have questions, more of them are now turning to direct messaging (DM) on social media rather than going through a website or phoning the company. So, in addition to using social media for marketing purposes, companies must also maintain quality customer service throughout their channels.

“I have been managing social media for about six years now, and the amount of people who come to social media looking for product information has drastically increased,” noted Kasey Tarnutzer of QA1, Lakeville, Minnesota. “A lot of people use it as a way to get a quick response versus sending an email and maybe having to wait a few days for a response. They want to get all the information they can in one place. While our phones still ring relatively consistently throughout the day, we get about 30–35 tech questions a day on our social channels.”

Over one billion messages are exchanged between users and businesses every month on Facebook Messenger, and that’s expected to continue to increase on all platforms. In recent polling, more than 64% of people preferred to message on social media rather than call a business. And more than 70% of people expect to message businesses more in the future for customer service questions. Additionally, great customer service is motivation to recommend a brand online. So, top-notch “customer service on social media channels is essential,” Tarnutzer said.

Depending on the company resources, some businesses prefer to use an automated response to inquiries if they don’t have enough manpower to monitor DMs. An automated response typically lets people know that the company doesn’t check messages regularly and directs them to call or email for a quicker response, or get more information on their website. Other companies have dedicated staff to respond to all messages in a timely manner. Some utilize a combination of both.

QA1 uses automated messages on Facebook outside of normal business hours “so the end user knows we are not available at that specific moment. But we respond as soon as we can when it’s within normal business hours,” Tarnutzer said. “I feel that you have to set some boundaries on social media, and people need to understand that we are not always readily available. During our business hours, we do not have any automated messaging. We monitor and respond within that day.”

What is an ideal response? First, when appropriate, businesses should always respond to inquiries. A potential customer who reaches out and doesn’t get a response can very easily take their business to a competitor. But simply responding is not enough. Response time is just as important.

“I would say proper response time is definitely within the day that they send a message,” Tarnutzer noted. “Taking the time to respond goes a long way. We do our best to answer all their questions in the messages and get them on their way to their purchase. I often get messages from people saying. ‘Wow, I appreciate the fast response,’ or ‘I didn’t even think you guys would read this.’

“Having a personality and connecting with them is essential, too,” Tarnutzer added. “They need to know they aren’t talking to a robot. People who are monitoring social media channels in this industry need to be enthusiasts and share the passion with them on some level. It helps with the credibility and the trust they put in you when asking for help or recommendations.”

Some platforms offer messaging features to help with timely responses or “away” responses in off-hours. Facebook has Away Messaging and Instant Replies. Instagram has a similar feature called Quick Replies. In many cases, the automated responses can be customized to provide a more personal touch.

However you decide to handle your social media messaging, just make sure customers are receiving a response, whether automated or otherwise. Quality customer service goes a long way.

Trackhouse Entertainment Group--the owner of the NASCAR team Trackhouse Racing operated by Justin Marks and Armando Christian Pérez (Pitbull)--has announced ownership of the kart racing destination in Mooresville, North Carolina, now known as Trackhouse Motorplex. 

Formerly GoPro Motorplex, the property features a 7/10-mile paved track with 11 turns with a design inspired by the Kartdromo Parma circuit in Italy. 

"The entire Trackhouse family is tremendously grateful to our friends at GoPro for their support over the years. Their work was instrumental in creating America's premier outdoor karting facility, and we're excited to take it to the next level," said Trackhouse founder Marks. 

Racing events include visits from the STARS Championship Series (May 4-6); Karting Challenge (May 20-21); IAME USA Grand National Championship (July 13-16); and the United States Pro Kart Series (October 5-8).

For more information, visit trackhousemotorplex.com or trackhouse.com.