Officials with Penske Entertainment’s IndyCar have announced NTT and NTT data have extended the entitlement partnership of North America’s premier open-wheel motorsports series, the NTT IndyCar Series. NTT has served as the title sponsor since 2019.

The new multiyear agreement will have NTT and NTT DATA continue as the Official Technology Partner for IndyCar, the NTT IndyCar Series, Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Indianapolis, Indiana), the Indianapolis 500, and the NASCAR Brickyard weekend at IMS. 

“NTT is an excellent partner across our enterprise with strong expertise and a deep commitment to our sport,” said Roger Penske, chairman of Penske Corporation. “From Smart Venue technology at the Racing Capital of the World to the reimagined series mobile application, NTT is transforming the fan experience in new and innovative ways. We look forward to a bright future together.”

Additional partnership highlights include outfitting IMS as a “Smart Venue” with artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled security technologies; IndyCar app enhancements; and an expanded IndyCar data experience with more race and driver data than before. 

For more information, visit the IndyCar announcement here or visit indycar.com.

Officials with the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) based in Glendora, California, have announced the addition of Mike Eames as the Division Director of the Northwest Division, also known as Division 6. Eames will oversee NHRA member tracks in Alaska, Alberta (Canada), British Columbia (Canada), Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.

Before the announcement, Eames served as the general manager at Rocky Mountain Raceways (West Valley City, Utah), awarded NHRA Division 7 Track of the Year in 2018 under his leadership. He also has spent time in the NHRA announcer’s booth at NHRA divisional and national events.

Eames joins a team of division directors who oversee the seven NHRA divisions throughout the United States and internationally. The Northwest Division sees several Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series events throughout the season and the Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways in Seattle as part of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series.

For more information, visit nhra.com.

Stan Lester—the founder of the Carnesville, Georgia-based FASTRAK Racing Series and the ULTIMATE Super Late Model Series—has sold both series to Bill and Stacy Lupinos. Bill, currently the FASTRAK vice president, also owns and operates FASTRAK’s Heart of America USLMS (ULTIMATE HoA) and Richmond Speedway in Richmond, Kentucky, with his wife, Stacy. 

“I am honored to have this opportunity and continue the legacy [founder and owner Stan Lester] has built. Working directly with Stan over the past few months, I have learned a lot and will absolutely continue to reach out to him on a regular basis,” said Bill. “The goal is to find a Series Director for FASTRAK and ULTIMATE HoA in the future.” 

“This is probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” said Lester. “I want to express to the racing community how much I appreciate being a part of the industry. I have fought hard for the benefit of the teams. I remember so clearly when we began in 2004; our focus and mission statement was only to control two of the most expensive things in dirt racing: tires and engines. We have been successful at that and changed the face of dirt racing forever with the Chevrolet crate engines. I remember... people saying it would never work... but today, crate engines have become prevalent in the sport, and I’m glad we had a small part of that creation. I suppose you can call that successful.”

For more information, visit the FASTRAK announcement here or visit fastrakracing.com.

Tick Performance—the performance parts manufacturer based in Mount Airy, North Carolina—is under new ownership. Joey Anderson and Matt Goins have taken over operations from Jonathan Atkins, son of the founder Johnny Atkins. 

Goins is the company’s lead product engineer, while Anderson helped create the company’s first e-commerce site, among other roles. The two purchased the business in a 50/50 split, according to a company release. 

“I’m proud of the men and leaders [Joey and Matt] have become while at Tick, and I have no doubt they will continue to grow the company by making awesome products as always and treating people right,” said Jonathan Atkins, who will continue to work with JA Competition Engines, a dealer of Tick Performance products. 

Tick Performance specializes in T-56/TR-6060 and F-body performance. The company announced plans to expand into more offerings, with new Dodge and Corvette applications coming this year.

For more information, visit tickperformance.com.

Motorsports members and performance enthusiasts across the nation may soon have something to celebrate. Colorado officials have finalized the state’s draft 2023 Colorado Electric Vehicle (EV) Plan, which, once approved, will permit the sale of new internal combustion engine (ICE) powered vehicles—a surprising move in the California Air Resources Board (CARB)-following state. The state is expected to formally adopt the draft later this year.  

Similarly, the New Hampshire House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted to defeat a PRI- and SEMA-opposed bill, one that would have required the Granite State to adopt California’s low- and ZEV standards and ban the sale of new gas- and diesel-powered cars starting in 2035.  

Meanwhile, lawmakers in Iowa and Texas have introduced PRI-supported legislation to ensure consumer choice of vehicle powerplants and fuel. The bills would prevent a county or city from limiting access to certain types of power sources. Under current law in both states, sales of new gas- and diesel-powered vehicles may be threatened if narrow energy policies are adopted. To contact Iowa lawmakers in support of the bill, visit https://p2a.co/3onxsPK. Texas lawmakers may be contacted at https://p2a.co/6xVzCqm.  

“We believe racers and race teams, not the government, should be allowed to choose the type of vehicle technology that best serves them at the race track,” said Christian Robinson, Senior Director, State Government Affairs & Grassroots.  
 
For more information, contact Christian Robinson at christianr@sema.org.   

The PRI and SEMA legislative team will provide the industry with an update on the association’s advocacy efforts during an open virtual meeting on Friday, March 31, at 1:00 p.m. PT/4:00 p.m. ET. RSVP here.   

All members and industry professionals are invited to join the meeting, where they will gain an understanding of how the government affairs team in Washington, D.C., is advocating for the industry and its businesses.

Attendees will receive federal and state updates, specifically on the RPM Act, and an overview of the advocacy communications strategy they aim to utilize.

RSVP for the event here and receive a recording of the meeting afterward. 

Officials with the Brownsburg, Indiana-based Tezos All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 organization have announced Kevin Nouse has been promoted to the position of series director for 2023 and beyond.

Nouse is a sprint car racing veteran who joined All Star as a technical official in 2022, when he also served as a point of contact between the pit area and scoring tower. Nouse will maintain responsibilities on the grounds before transitioning to the scoring tower in 2024.

“This is a brand-new role, but with the company I’m surrounded by, I’m confident it will be a quick and smooth transition. It’s been my goal from the start to continue to mold the Series into a ‘racer-friendly series.’ There’s always room for improvement, and we’ll take whatever steps necessary to learn from prior seasons and make the All Star Circuit of Champions one of the best traveling organizations in the country,” said Nouse.

In addition, longtime scorer and current operations director, Ross Paulson, will assume the race director role in 2023. Brad Hockaday will serve as the scorer for most events. The voice of the All Stars, Blake Anderson, will continue as the series announcer. The All Stars will also welcome back technical officials: Ken Osborne, John Menear, and Steve Topper. Erin Noel returns as pit steward and social media content creator. Jeffry “Gooch” Patterson will drive the official series pace truck.

The All Star Circuit of Champions points season begins at Attica Raceway Park (Attica, Ohio) for the Core & Main Spring Nationals on April 7–8.

For more information, visit allstarsprint.com.

Officials with the National Auto Sport Association (NASA) have announced co-founder and executive director, Jerry Kunzman, will retire in 2023. He will continue to serve as the regional director of NASA’s Northern California region.

Jeremy Croiset, current COO, will replace Kunzman as CEO. 

“We have a very strong team at NASA National, and I feel it is an opportune time to pass the torch. Jeremy is well positioned after almost two decades with the company to assume my role within the company, and I feel he’s more than qualified to push NASA to even greater heights,” Kunzman said in a series release. 

NASA was founded by Kunzman and Ali Arsham in 1991. Croiset joined the organization in 2005 to help manage sponsorship and marketing duties. In 2010, he was promoted to director of business development before being named vice president in 2018. In April 2020, he was named COO. 

For more information, visit drivenasa.com.

Officials with Formula DRIFT have announced updates ahead of the opening of its 20th anniversary season in 2023. 

A brand-new qualifying format will feature a deductive system with judges quantifying mistakes, in a nod to the old school with a new twist. Officials will also introduce a rotating panel of judges. Former driver and FD Japan judge Robbie Nishida will join regulars Ryan Lanteigne, Brian Eggert, and Chris Uhl. Three will judge each round, while the fourth becomes a driver’s steward before they trade places to keep things fresh.

In addition, competitors will also utilize brand-new, brighter “Decel Lights” that measure g-force during both acceleration and deceleration, helping the judges see what is going on inside the car. 

Live telemetry will debut this year and will be featured on the free-to-view livestream broadcasts and on the new phone app called FD Unlocked. Fans can view live data from each driver with in-car camera views.

GT Radial, Kenda Tire, Nexen Tire, Nitto Tire, and Vitour Tires were also announced as official tire partners for the series, replacing the departed Falken Tire. 

Officials have also confirmed the inaugural Formula DRIFT Hall of Fame will be honored during the opening rounds of the 2023 season in Long Beach, California.

For more details, visit the Formula DRIFT announcement or visit formulad.com. 

Officials with IMCA Racing have announced mandates for the composite body panels allowed beginning this season in the Modified and Late Model divisions.

“We will use the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) FMVSS302 burn rate testing definition. We will continue to approve additional composite body panels as samples are submitted to us along with proof of burn rate testing,” said Brett Root, president of IMCA. “We want to make sure that all composite body panels are made with strong, fire-resistant material [and] will continue to add more composite body panels that can be used as they are submitted and approved.” 

Composite body panels submitted by Five Star Bodies/MD3 have already been determined to meet those parameters and are approved for use in both divisions. Composite body panels are not allowed in any other IMCA division, but Root announced plans to consider them. 

For more information, visit imca.com.