Holley Performance Parts has revealed the dates for its popular high-performance race events. 

Holley is again bringing its LS Fest to the west for the Holley LS Fest West on April 28–30, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada. Holley will then return to Texas for the second annual Holley LS Fest Texas set for Texas Motor Speedway on May 19–20. The Holley LS Fest East will visit Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky, on September 8–10. 

The Holley MoParty—a Mopar-based autocross event—is set for September 15–17, at Beech Bend Raceway Park.

The Holley Intergalactic Ford Festival—dubbed the biggest Ford show in the world—will coincide with the NMRA World Finals at Beech Bend on September 28–October 1. Autocross, road courses, and related racing events are scheduled.

The Holley High Voltage Experience—which is all about experiencing the community and performance potential of electric vehicles—will return, with 2023 dates and location set to be revealed at a later date. In addition, the Brothers Show & Sign is set for June 11, in Oak Canyon Park in Silverado, California.

For more information, visit holley.com/event/.

NASCAR and Rev Racing have announced the next generation of drivers participating in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program. Following a national and international search, eight talented drivers were selected for the newest class after participating in the Advance Auto Parts Drive for Diversity Combine.

Lavar Scott, Andrés Pérez de Lara, Jaiden Reyna and Justin Campbell are returning to Rev Racing for the 2023 season. Paige Rogers, Eloy Sebastián López Falcón, Caleb Johnson and Nathan Lyons will make their debut in 2023. 

The NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program was created in 2004 to develop and train ethnically diverse and female drivers both on and off the track. NASCAR Cup Series drivers Bubba Wallace, Daniel Suárez, and Kyle Larson are alumni of this program, which is operated by Rev Racing in Concord, North Carolina.

The 2023 class features the following drivers: 

Andrés Pérez de Lara - ARCA Menards Series: The Mexico City, Mexico, native, 17, returns to Rev Racing after competing in the NASCAR México Series and NASCAR México Challenge categories. He is 2022’s NASCAR México Challenge champion.  

Lavar Scott - ARCA Menards Series East: The 19-year-old from Carney’s Pointe, N.J., returns to Rev Racing after securing 1st place at Hickory Motor Speedway and his first career win in the NASCAR Truck México Series at Autódromo de Querétaro in Mexico in 2021. 

Justin Campbell - NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model: The 17-year-old Griffin, Ga., native returns to Rev Racing for his third season after earning two top 5s and two top 10s in the 2022 Cook Out Summer Shootout in the semi-pro division.  

Jaiden Reyna - NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model: The Cornelius, N.C., native, 16, returns to Rev Racing after securing two 1st place finishes at Lincoln Speedway in the young lion division. Reyna also finished a career high 2nd place at Florence Motor Speedway in the late model division.    

Paige Rogers - NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model: The 19-year-old from Fort Wayne, Ind., will make her debut with Rev Racing in 2023. Rogers is the 2021 runner-up in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Late Model Sportsman division at Corrigan Oil Speedway.  

Caleb Johnson - INEX Legend Car Series: The Denver, Co., native finished 5th in the Carolina Pro Late Model Series point standings. The 14-year-old also has an iRacing background.  

Nathan Lyons - INEX Legend Car Series: The 13–year-old originally from Texas, moved to Concord, N.C., to pursue his dream to race in NASCAR. Lyons had five top 10 finishes in the 2022 Cook Out Summer Shootout Outlaw Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  

Eloy Sebastián López Falcón - INEX Legend Car Series: The Oaxaca, Mexico, native will make his debut with Rev Racing in 2023. The 17-year-old is 2022’s NASCAR Truck México Series champion.  

For more information, visit the NASCAR announcement here or visit nascar.com.

Photo courtesy of Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin

During his annual State of the Commonwealth address, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin reaffirmed his campaign pledge to repeal his state’s commitment to follow California in banning the sale of new gas- and diesel-powered cars and trucks starting in 2035.

“It defies common sense that in 2021, lawmakers decided that instead of writing our own electric vehicle laws, Virginia would simply do whatever California decided to do,” said Governor Youngkin. “Because lawmakers outsourced their responsibilities and surrendered our values to California—Virginians face a mandate starting in 2024 that limits and eventually bans the buying of gas-powered cars or trucks. Unless we act, Virginia is hostage to the extreme policies of California. Common sense says that the law of Virginia should be written by elected leaders here—not outsourced to radical bureaucrats in California.”

PRI and SEMA support legislation in Virginia to repeal the law tying the state to California’s motor vehicle emission standards. PRI and SEMA also do not believe that the government—Virginia’s or California’s—should be choosing winners and losers in the automotive market. Virginians should decide what vehicles are best for them and their families.  

Click here to tell Virginia lawmakers to repeal the internal combustion engine ban.

For more information, please contact Christian Robinson at stateleg@sema.org.

Jacksonville, North Carolina-based New River All-American Speedway, formerly known as Goodyear All American Speedway (and Coastal Plains Raceway prior), will be racing under the NASCAR banner in 2023. Five of the track’s divisions will race for points in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series.

“We’re excited to be going NASCAR in 2023 and be a part of the sport’s 75th anniversary season,” New River All-American Speedway promoter and operator Anthony Goodyear said. “This is going to be an exciting deal for our racers and fans.”

The $20,000-to-win Solid Rock Carriers Battle of the Stars, scheduled for Saturday, March 4, will be the first race under the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series banner and the first race under the New River All-American Speedway branding.

In related track news, longtime motorsports veteran Jack Ward has been named general manager of the track. Ward, 75, has worked in motorsports for decades and at the Jacksonville track its opening, including roles as a flagman and as race director.

For more information, visit newriverspeedway.com.

Northern Radiator—the Willmar, Minnesota distribution-based supplier of cooling system components for high-performance, automotive, and more markets—has announced Dave Amato as its new sales manager. 

Amato’s previous experience includes more than 25 years at Baldwin Filters in Kearney, Nebraska, in various sales and marketing leadership positions, including vice president of Sales for the US and Canada. He also served as vice president of Sales and Marketing for Bulldog HD/DMA Sales. 

In his new role, he will be focused on the continued growth of Northern’s overall sales and market share while offering best-in-class aftermarket parts programs and sales support to our customers. 

For more information, visit northernradiator.com. 

Hennessey Performance—the Texas-based hypercar manufacturer and high-performance vehicle creator—has unveiled a new, lighter-weight, track-focused version of the Hennessey Venom F5. The new Venom F5 Revolution Coupe is designed to be the most powerful and “visceral” pure-combustion hypercar in the world.

Honed by Chief Engineer John ‘Heinrocket’ Heinricy—who has more than 240 professional races under his belt, including dozens of 24-hour races and multiple race/championship wins—the Revolution Coupe features reworked aerodynamics, suspension, engine cooling, digital telemetry, and reduced mass from the Venom F5.

“From the outset, we designed the Venom F5 hypercar to be ultra-light and monstrously powerful, with dynamics to match. So, taking these ingredients and adding track-focused aerodynamics, suspension, and gearing, enabled us to create a machine that is the ultimate visceral and emotional driving experience,” said Heinricy.

Mirroring all other Venom F5 models, mid-mounted in the carbon-fiber monocoque chassis is Hennessey’s celebrated twin-turbocharged, 6.6-liter, ‘Fury’ V8 engine rated at 1,817 bhp. 

For the complete vehicle specs, visit the Hennessey announcement here. For more information, visit hennesseyperformance.com.

Ohio Valley Speedway—the 3/8-mile dirt track located just south of Lubeck, West Virginia—has a new owner. Rich Michael Jr., of Ischua, New York, has purchased the track after operating as its co-owner for several years.

“Ohio Valley Speedway provides a sense of community for not only the racers, but the fans as well, and I’m looking forward to continuing this atmosphere for years to come,” Michael Jr. said.

Beginning his racing career in 1989, in the hobby stock category (now known as pure stocks), Michael Jr. has raced at over 100 tracks throughout his career, spanning from Canada to Florida to Nebraska and more. He has picked up over 450 feature wins and more than 25 track championships throughout his career.

Updates to the facility include plans for new safety features, including a completed fence on the backstretch and replaced pieces of the guide rail. New additions include an updated PA system and a more family-friendly concession stand menu, officials said. 

The season schedule is expected to be released in Spring, but fans can expect the track’s usual memorial races, including the Greg Schilling Memorial, Keith Barker Memorial, and Pete Smith Memorial.

For more information, visit raceovs.com.

The 2023 SEMA Scholarship application period for students preparing for careers in the automotive or performance parts industries is now open and will run through March 1, 2023. Interested applicants can review and complete the scholarship application at sema.org/scholarships.

The SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund offers financial assistance of up to $5,000 to foster future leaders and innovators in the automotive aftermarket industry. A loan forgiveness component is also available to employees of SEMA-member companies who have completed and are currently paying off a loan for a program of study at an accredited university, college, or vocational/technical school within the United States.

“Education can be expensive, but that shouldn’t limit students from getting ahead in their careers,” said Pamela Brown-Matthis, SEMA Director of Education. “There are so many career options in the automotive aftermarket, and it’s a thriving industry to be in. We encourage students who have a passion for cars to apply for a SEMA scholarship so that we can help jump-start their careers.” 

The annual scholarship program is a cornerstone of SEMA’s efforts to support career development and access in the automotive industry. Scholarship winners will have the opportunity to attend the 2023 SEMA Show, providing unparalleled networking and education opportunities at the world’s largest trade show for the automotive aftermarket.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens 18 years or older and demonstrate a passion for automotive hobbies and careers. Scholarships are available in a variety of categories, including but not limited to accounting, sales, marketing, and engineering. Eligible students and SEMA-member company employees can apply until March 1, 2023, at sema.org/scholarships.

Jesel—the valvetrain parts manufacturer based in Lakewood, New Jersey—has announced the passing of company founder Dan Jesel. He was 81.

“With great sadness, we announce the passing of Dan Jesel... Dan was a beloved father, a brilliant innovator, a generous employer, and a respected member of the racing community,” said a company release. “As per Dan’s wishes, Jesel Valvetrain Innovation will continue to operate as a privately held company run to the highest of standards. Through Dan’s wisdom and knowledge and with the dedication of his employees, Jesel Valvetrain will continue to supply the industry with components worthy of his name.”

Dan started Jesel Valvetrain in 1980 “with the goal of engineering the finest valvetrain components available, without compromise” out of a 2,000-square-foot back shop with a single manual milling machine. Today, Jesel offers several innovations—including shaft rocker arms, camshaft belt drives, keyway roller lifters, and Dan’s latest project, a designed-from-scratch-engine named the “Equal Eight”—from its 65,000-square-foot fully-equipped facility.  

His younger brother Wayne recently sat down with PRI Magazine to discuss the company, which creations the brothers are most proud of, the key to the company’s longevity, and more. 

For more information, visit jesel.com.

The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) has announced the nine-race schedule for the 2023 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series, which will feature a pair of Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum Hot Rod Reunions. The series will again feature racing action from the Nostalgia Top Fuel dragsters and Nostalgia Funny Cars.

This season opens with the Good Vibrations March Meet, March 2–5, at Famoso Dragstrip in Bakersfield, California. The NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series will then make its first-ever stop at Redding Motorsports Park in Redding, California, April 8–9, followed by the NAPA Auto Parts Ignitor Opener, which is reserved for Nostalgia Funny Cars at Firebird Raceway in Boise, Idaho, May 6–7, and the Nostalgia Reunion at Sacramento Raceway (Sacramento, California), May 12–13. That leads into the National Hot Rod Reunion at Beech Bend Raceway Park (Richardsville, Kentucky), June 15–17.

The series resumes in August with a second trip to Firebird Raceway (Eagle, Idaho) for the track’s Nightfire Nationals, August 4–6, followed by a pair of September races on back-to-back weekends. The Nitro Nationals takes place at Osage Casino and Hotel Tulsa Raceway Park (Tulsa, Oklahoma), September 15–16, featuring Nostalgia Top Fuel, Funny Car and A/Fuel, and a second 2023 event at Sacramento Raceway, the Governor’s Cup, will run September 22–23 and hosts Groups 1 and 2.

The California Hot Rod Reunion will close out the season, October 13–15 at Famoso Dragstrip (McFarland, California).

Nostalgia Top Fuel will compete for points at five events during the season (March Meet, National Hot Rod Reunion, Nightfire Nationals, Nitro Nationals, and California Hot Rod Reunion). Nostalgia Funny Car will compete for points at six races (March Meet, Ignitor Nitro Opener, National Hot Rod Reunion, Nightfire Nationals, Nitro Nationals, and California Hot Rod Reunion).

For more information, visit nhra.com/hotrodheritage.