Officials from Knoxville Raceway—the 1/2-mile dirt oval in Knoxville, Iowa—have announced the former Marion County Fair Board president, Jason Reed, has been named general manager of the famed track known as the “Sprint Car Capital of the World.”

Reed, a lifelong Marion County resident, comes to Knoxville Raceway following an 18-year stint with 3M Corporation and has served in multiple capacities on both the Marion County Fair Board and the board’s executive committee.

He follows in the footsteps of renowned Knoxville Raceway promoters Marion Robinson, P. Ray Grimes and Ralph Capitani.

For more information, visit the Knoxville announcement here or visit knoxvilleraceway.com.

In an effort to continue to grow the motorsports community and offer unique opportunities to kids and families, USAC and NASCAR have teamed up to form the NASCAR Youth Series, which will debut as the quarter midget series brand starting in 2023. This new series will be recognized as a NASCAR Regional Series and will utilize single cylinder engines manufactured by Honda and Briggs & Stratton. 

Since 2018, NASCAR has welcomed the former USAC.25 Series at numerous venues, including Daytona International Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Phoenix Raceway, Darlington Raceway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Charlotte Motor Speedway. 

“When we started the USAC.25 Series in 2009, our goal was to provide a safe, fun, yet competitive youth racing series that provided families with a way to create lasting memories,” said Kevin Miller, USAC President. “Through the years, the series has grown tremendously. We are proud of our alumni that began their racing careers in the USAC.25 Series and have continued to succeed professionally in the NASCAR ranks. Since we began incorporating NASCAR races on our schedule, families across the country have been able to experience amazing opportunities. We realize that partnering with NASCAR to create the NASCAR Youth Series will provide even more unique experiences and opportunities for our families.”

The NASCAR Youth Series’ nine-race national championship schedule will be comprised of seven pavement and two dirt races at temporarily constructed race tracks at the following venues:

2023 NASCAR Youth Series Schedule
* denotes dirt race | ** denotes a standalone event

Feb 26: Auto Club Speedway - Fontana, CA
Apr 2: Richmond Raceway - Richmond, VA
Jun 4: *World Wide Technology Raceway - Madison, IL
Jul 4: **Indianapolis Motor Speedway - Speedway, IN
Jul 23: *Pocono Raceway - Long Pond, PA
Aug 20: Watkins Glen International - Watkins Glen, NY
Sep 3: Darlington Raceway - Darlington, SC
Oct 1: Talladega Superspeedway - Talladega, AL
Oct 8: Charlotte Motor Speedway - Charlotte, NC

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

Barry Proffitt of Isom, Kentucky, his son Josh, and the Proffitt family will promote weekly racing in 2023 at Volunteer Speedway, the 4/10-mile dirt track located in Bulls Gap, Tennessee. 
 
Barry Proffitt’s involvement working in dirt racing in Southeastern Kentucky dates back over 30 years ago to the early ’90s when he began helping out at Thunder Ridge Raceway located in Prestonsburg, assisting promoter Chris Blair. Once Blair left, Barry was elevated into the position as promoter of the 3/8-mile facility which, in addition to its dirt-track for auto racing, also featured thoroughbred horse racing and legalized betting in the Commonwealth.
 
Following a decade at Thunder Ridge Raceway, Barry Proffitt took over operations at Mountain Motorsports Park in Isom, where he promoted racing from 2000-2006.

Having worked for 30 years in the coal industry (strip-mining) operating heavy equipment, Barry Proffitt took on the task of building Lucky 7 Raceway in Whitesburg, which opened in 2008; he promoted racing there through 2011.

Barry Proffitt and his family went back to operating Mountain Motorsports Park from 2020–2022. Historic flooding in Southeastern Kentucky in July badly damaged the facility, prematurely ending the racing season.

A race schedule with rules adjustments and class breakdowns for 2023 will be announced at a later date.

For more information, visit volunteerspeedway.com. 

At the recommendation of the PAC Executive Director Wade Kawasaki, the SEMA Board of Directors have appointed two new PAC Chairs for SEMA’s and PRI’s political action committees (PAC). Kim Pendergast of Magnuson Superchargers will serve as the PAC chair for the SEMA PAC, and Norris Marshall of BluePrint Engines will serve as the PAC chair for the Performance Racing PAC. In their volunteer roles as PAC chairs, Pendergast and Marshall will oversee each of their own PAC Board of Directors and fundraising efforts.

“Our PACs continue to be our industry’s best defense against harmful regulations and laws,” said SEMA CEO Mike Spagnola. “Kim understands the political fight that’s ahead and how important of a role the SEMA PAC will play in securing a viable future for the automotive aftermarket.”

In addition to serving as PAC chairs, Pendergast and Marshall both currently serve on the SEMA Board of Directors. Pendergast is the owner and CEO of Magnuson Products, which has been a member of SEMA for more than 40 years. Marshall founded BluePrint Engines around 1982, and previously worked with the SEMA Garage on CARB EOs.

“Norris understands intricacies of politics, and he knows how to get things done in Washington,” said PRI President Dr. Jamie Meyer. “The Performance Racing PAC has the ability to get legislation like the RPM Act across the finish line, and Norris will help us get there.”

“My goal is to take the SEMA PAC and the Performance Racing PAC to the next level, and with Kim and Norris as our PAC Chairs, we will be a powerhouse for the industry in DC,” said PAC Executive Director Wade Kawasaki. “I am excited to work alongside them as we grow awareness and support for both PACs.”

For more information, contact Samantha Large at samanthal@sema.org.

IndyCar has announced a 17-race schedule for the 2023 NTT IndyCar Series as the sport’s athletes will be showcased with traditional weekend dates, 13 races on NBC and a late-summer swing leading to another climactic ending to the 2023 championship.

The 2023 season opens Sunday, March 5, on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. Racing then will take place all spring and summer, including the 107th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 28, before the season ends on Sunday, Sept. 10 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California.

The journey to a championship includes a stretch of eight races in the final nine weeks of the season, giving fans action nearly every weekend.

“The NTT IndyCar Series is on an impactful upward trajectory, making progress at a pace that befits our thrilling style of competition,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles said. “The 2023 season provides an opportunity to further build on this trend, bringing our sport and its stars to more markets and households and reaching new consumers across the globe.”

For just the fourth time in the last 50 years, the IndyCar Series will have 13 or more races on network television in the United States. The total appearances on broadcast television become 15 with the addition of PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying coverage, Saturday and Sunday, May 20-21, ahead of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Complete 2023 NTT IndyCar Series Schedule:

Sunday, March 5: Streets of St. Petersburg
    
Sunday, April 2: Texas Motor Speedway
    
Sunday, April 16: Streets of Long Beach

Sunday, April 30: Barber Motorsports Park

Saturday, May 13: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (road course)

Sunday, May 28: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (oval)
    
Sunday, June 4: Streets of Detroit

Sunday, June 18: Road America
    
Sunday, July 2: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
    
Sunday, July 16: Streets of Toronto

Saturday, July 22: Iowa Speedway
    
Sunday, July 23: Iowa Speedway
    
Sunday, Aug. 6: Streets of Nashville

Saturday, Aug. 12: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (road course)
    
Sunday, Aug. 27: World Wide Technology Raceway
    
Sunday, Sept. 3: Portland International Raceway

Sunday, Sept. 10: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca

Speedway Motorsports executive Jessica Fickenscher has been named Executive Director for the upcoming May 21, 2023, NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

A 23-year veteran with the company, Fickenscher will add planning, community relations and stakeholder coordination surrounding All-Star Race week to her current role as Chief Experience Officer for Speedway Motorsports.

In addition to considering ways to improve fan experiences at Speedway Motorsports venues, Fickenscher currently manages the company’s relationship with food-services partner Levy Restaurants; leads business operations for company subsidiaries U.S. Legend Cars International and SMI Properties; and serves as the managing director of Speedway Children’s Charities’ national chapter.

The All-Star race weekend will feature NASCAR’s return to North Wilkesboro Speedway, one of NASCAR’s original tracks, during the 75th anniversary season of the sport. The NASCAR All-Star Race featuring the NASCAR Cup Series will take place on Sunday, May 21, and the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will race on Saturday, May 20. The event weekend will be the first time either series has visited the 0.625-mile short track since 1996.

Event week schedules and ticket information for the 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race Week will be released at a later date.

The International Hot Rod Association announced recently that Paige Hamlin has been named the IHRA Director of Track & Racer Relations.

Hamlin brings enthusiasm, experience, and a true passion for bracket racing into the new role, according to IHRA, which noted she has worked with promoters including Tommy Phillips, Luke Bogacki, Coalburg Promotions, Great American Bracket Races, and Final Call Promotions, and on major events such as the Great American Guaranteed Million, the World Footbrake Challenge, and the Million Dollar Race.

In addition, she promoted her own major event, the Rudd Racing Engines Six Shooter Showdown at Xtreme Raceway Park, in April.

Hamlin, a 2012 graduate of the University of Texas-Arlington with a focus on marketing, also serves as social media manager for Xtreme Raceway Park. She previously held a similar role with Drag Champ to help spotlight the Sportsman racer.

The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America recently saluted Linda Vaughn, the First Lady of Motorsports, with a proclamation for Linda Vaughn Day, Sept. 19. Vaughn previously was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019.

The proclamation reads:

WHEREAS:
Linda Vaughn, aka Miss Hurst Golden Shifter, aka The First Lady of Motorsports, has served the American motorsports community throughout her career

WHEREAS:
Linda Vaughn has promoted core American motorsports values like leadership, creativity, originality, teamwork, and the spirit of competition

WHEREAS:
Linda Vaughn is beloved and respected by racing fans all across the world as a goodwill ambassador

WHEREAS:
Linda Vaughn has come to personify everything that is good about motorsports in America and beyond

We, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, hereby declare September 19, 2022 as the 1st annual National Linda Vaughn Day.

Ontario, California-based EGR USA has promoted Tommy Lamb to the position of digital sales & content manager.

Hired by EGR in 2016 as a customer service manager, Lamb (pictured above, at left) has over 20 years’ experience in the automotive aftermarket. As a sales manager, he worked to develop EGR sales via e-commerce and retail, exceeding the company’s sales targets year-over-year. He also has contributed to the marketing, pricing, and exposure of EGR truck accessories to B2B and B2C audiences.

In his new capacity, Lamb will be more directly focused on ecommerce and digital content to build EGR product awareness, help refine EGR data, and manage EGR’s UMAP policy to enhance customer sales.

In related news, EGR USA has announced the addition of Pat Johnson as the company’s national sales director. Johnson (pictured above, at right) is a passionate Jeep and off-road enthusiast with over 20 years of sales experience, according to EGR.

Prior to joining EGR, Johnson served as director of business development for AAMP Global/Stinger Off-Road, where he was responsible for launching the Stinger Off-Road brand online and building a B2B distribution network. Previously, he served as national sales manager/key account manager for Truck Hero in the Jeep & Off-Road division.

BorgWarner announced recently that Sailaja Shankar has been named to its Board of Directors.

“Sailaja’s breadth of leadership experience through strategic change in large enterprise organizations, coupled with her digital, cybersecurity, software, and software applications knowledge, make her a strong complement to our board as our product line continues to evolve and we deliver on Charging Forward,” said Alexis P. Michas, non-executive chairman of the board of BorgWarner.

Shankar is the Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Cisco Security Business Group, where she is responsible for the company's global security business.

Prior to joining Cisco, Shankar served as Senior Vice President of Engineering, Enterprise at McAfee, where she was responsible for its security and threat defense solutions across endpoint, extended detection and response, data center security, and cloud native application protection.   

Shankar holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Maris Stella College, and a Bachelor’s and Master of Arts from Andhra University in Mass Communications/Journalism and English Literature.