Businessman Don Scott—the former partner at Central Illinois Dragway in Havana, Illinois—has announced the new World Drag Racing Alliance (WDRA) sanctioning body for drag racing.

Scott Gardner, the multi-track owner and former president of the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) from 2013 to 2016, will serve as a consultant. 

As part of the announcement, a Track Advisory Council has been formed to assist in the support of this grassroots sanctioning body. Current member tracks include:

• Amarillo Dragway (Amarillo) and I-30 Dragway (Caddo Mills) in Texas
• Beacon Dragway (Paducah) and I-64 Motorplex (Owingsville) in Kentucky
• Beaver Springs Dragway (Beaver Springs) and Keystone Raceway Park (New Alexandria) in Pennsylvania
• Bunker Hill Dragstrip in Bunker Hill, Indiana
• Cherokee Race Park in Rogersville, Tennessee
• Cordova Dragway in Cordova, Illinois
• Darlington Dragway (Hartsville) and South Carolina Motorplex (Neeses) in South Carolina
• Eddyville Raceway Park (Oskaloosa) and Onawa Dragway (Onawa) in Iowa
• Empire Dragway in Leicester, New York
• Farmington Dragway (Mocksville) and Piedmont Dragway (Julian) in North Carolina
• Gulfport Dragway in Gulfport, Mississippi
• Hi-Line Dragstrip/PCMS Dragstrip in Malta, Montana
• Immokalee Regional Raceway (Immokalee) and North Florida Motorplex (Fountain) in Florida
• Lapeer International Dragway (Lapeer), Mid-Michigan Motorplex (Stanton), The Ubly Dragway (Ubly) and US 131 Motorsports Park (Martin) in Michigan
• Maryland International Raceway in Mechanicsville, Maryland
• Mo-Kan Dragway in Asbury, Missouri
• Prescott Raceway Park in Prescott, Arkansas
• US 13 Dragway in Delmar, Delaware
• Grand Bend Motorplex (Grand Bend) and St. Thomas Raceway (St. Thomas) in Ontario, Canada

Scott is also in talks with around 50 additional facilities and expects to announce further details in the next few weeks, according to published reports. 

For more information, visit racewdra.com.

Officials from North Wilkesboro Speedway—the 0.625-mile track in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina—have announced the cancellation of dirt track events initially part of its Racetrack Revival program presented by Raymer Oil. 

After more than a decade without racing, the short oval announced the Racetrack Revival would feature nearly a month of asphalt events before plans to convert the track for a stretch of now-canceled dirt events in October. A re-pavement would follow in early 2023. 

Barry Braun of XR Events, which is producing the races, made the following statement:

With Racetrack Revival on the current asphalt at North Wilkesboro Speedway now in the books, our XR Events team could not be more grateful for the show of support by you—the fans, our sponsors, and all the race teams and drivers that made this past August a success. Along with Speedway Motorsports, we truly made history together, breathing life back into one of NASCAR's original race tracks, and it was an honor for us to take part in it.

Our original goal was... to continue in early October with races on North Wilkesboro as a dirt track, just as when it first opened in 1947. As we studied the conversion process from asphalt to dirt, we've come to realize we simply cannot properly prepare the track in such a limited period of time to produce the racing product fans and competitors deserve. 

After further renovations at the property, we look forward to returning to produce more of the very best in grassroots racing!

For more information, visit northwilkesborospeedway.com.

Erika Stafford, left, and Jillian Hoy, right

Performance Racing Industry (PRI) has announced the promotion of Erika Stafford from executive assistant to Trade Show and Events Specialist. 

“I am absolutely thrilled and honored to be joining a powerhouse team fueled by a successful group of women. I’m excited to finally represent the Trade Show team in Indianapolis and look forward to my new role that will combine my passion for motorsports and events,” Stafford said. 
 
In her new position, Stafford will focus on supervising and coordinating events and activations for the PRI Trade Show in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana—this year set for December 8–10 at the Indiana Convention Center. Happenings include the Grand Opening Breakfast, PRI Happy Hour, Exhibitor Reception, EV Performance Zone, and the Content Creation Zone. She will also help manage special events at the PRI Membership HQ in Speedway near Indianapolis. 

“Erika’s appointment is a massive benefit to the PRI Show—not to mention its exhibitors and tens of thousands of attendees. As our specialist based out of our Indy office, she will have immediate access to our Show vendors and nearby members,” said PRI Trade Show Director Karin Davidson. “Erika has a wealth of events knowledge, and I know she will help elevate this year’s PRI Trade Show to be the best one yet.”

Stafford previously served as the executive assistant to PRI President Dr. Jamie Meyer since October 2021. 

“It’s great to see hardworking people get promoted, and Erika is a shining example of an exemplary PRI employee,” said Dr. Meyer. “Not only has she lifted the entire office of the PRI President, but she helped us refurbish our new PRI Membership HQ and host the Grand Opening. We look forward to Erika being a star on the PRI Trade Show Team.” 

Prior to her time with PRI, Stafford spent time as a team coordinator for ERA Motorsport/IMSA; a driver assistant for CK Motorsports; an executive assistant for Harding Steinbrenner Racing; a Health and Physical Education teacher for Perry Township Schools; a customer service representative for Indianapolis Motor Speedway; and as a director of development for the Special Olympics. 

As part of the announcement, Jillian Hoy has been named PRI’s new executive assistant. In her new role, Hoy will help Dr. Meyer oversee the PRI Trade Show, PRI Membership, and PRI’s advocacy arm. 

Before joining PRI, Hoy held various positions in the racing industry, including as a senior account executive, a personal ticket consultant for NASCAR, and an account executive for Phoenix Raceway. She also held positions with ClubCorp’s Skyline Club Indianapolis, Pacers Sports & Entertainment, Tampa Bay Rowdies, and more. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Jillian to the PRI team,” said Dr. Meyer. “Jillian’s experience with NASCAR, Phoenix Raceway, and in the sports and entertainment field makes her a great addition for PRI, its exhibitors, and its members.”  

“I am most looking forward to being back in a sport that I truly love,” Hoy said. “I left NASCAR just over a year ago, and within a couple of months, I knew I belonged in racing long term. I am so excited to be back in the sport, and I am excited to learn so much more here at PRI!” 

Officials with the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) have announced plans to increase recognition for Bronze-rated drivers in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Daytona (GTD) class.

Details include the new-for-2023 Bob Akin Bronze Cup championship, which will honor the top Bronze-rated drivers in GTD at each race, along with end-of-season recognition, as part of the annual WeatherTech Night of Champions celebration and entry into the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans. It also was confirmed that the first 15 minutes of Practice 2 for every WeatherTech Championship race would continue to be reserved for the GTD, LMP2, and LMP3 classes.

For 2023, IMSA will allow a single driver of any categorization—Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum as shown on the FIA Driver Categorization List—to qualify the car to earn starting position and qualifying points. If a Bronze driver qualifies, they may start the race on any set of tires from the car’s allocation without penalty. Any non-Bronze driver will be required to start on their qualifying tires.

In addition to the overall Bob Akin Bronze Cup championship, IMSA will recognize the top three Bronze-rated finishers in the season standings during WeatherTech Night of Champions.

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

NHRA has announced the full 2023 Camping World Drag Racing Series schedule, which will include a pair of Pep Boys NHRA All-Star Callout races in Gainesville, Florida, and Indianapolis, Indiana, as well as a return to the fan-favorite Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Illinois.

“We’re proud of everyone involved who worked so hard to get Route 66 Raceway back on our schedule. Starting with what will be an incredible kickoff in Gainesville, there are lot of exciting moments to look forward to next year. We appreciate our fans, race teams, track partners and sponsors who all helped to put the 2023 plan in place,” NHRA President Glen Cromwell said.

For more information or to renew or purchase tickets, visit nhra.com/schedule/2023.

2023 Camping World Drag Racing Series Regular Season 

* The race will also include the Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout
** The race will also include the Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout

2023 Countdown To The Championship

Flying Lizard Motorsports—the sports car race team originally based in Sonoma, California—has announced plans to move its operations to a new 15,000-square-foot building at Apex Motor Club in Phoenix, Arizona.

Currently under Phase One of a two-phase program, Apex Motor Club is already a destination for privateer teams and public track day programs. The 2.27-mile circuit with a 3,400-foot straightaway will eventually become a 4.20-mile, 22-turn, multiple-configuration circuit, sitting on Apex’s 280-acre property.

“Sonoma has been an amazing home for us, but as our team continues to grow, our organization needs a central headquarters with room to grow, and the Apex facility perfectly fits the bill,” said Program Manager Darren Law. “Apex is really an ideal location for us because both myself and one of my business partners, Tommy Sadler, live locally. The racing community in the area is larger than one would expect, and it is rare that a race facility is in a location such as this.”

Flying Lizard Motorsports was founded by Seth Neiman in late 2003. Under Neiman’s ownership, the team earned three team and three driver championship titles before he sold the team to longtime team members Darren Law, Thomas Blam, and Tommy Sadler. Flying Lizard currently races in the Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS, GT America powered by AWS, Pirelli GT4 America, Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America, and Porsche Sprint Challenge.

Construction on the Flying Lizard Motorsports shop is set to be completed following the 2023 race season. 

For more information, visit lizardms.com or apexmotorclub.com. 

LG Energy Solution (LGES) and Honda Motor Co. have announced an agreement to establish a joint venture (JV) company to produce lithium-ion batteries in the US to power Honda and Acura EV models for the North American market.

LGES and Honda will invest a total of $4.4 billion and establish a new JV plant, with a location set to be determined. The plant aims to have an annual production capacity of approximately 40GWh.

Construction is expected to begin in early 2023 to enable mass production of advanced lithium-ion battery cells by the end of 2025.

“Honda is working toward our target to realize carbon neutrality for all products and corporate activities the company is involved in by 2050,” said Toshihiro Mibe, President, CEO and Representative Director of Honda. 

The JV is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

For more information, visit honda.com. 

NHRA Top Fuel champion and superstar Antron Brown will testify before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee as it considers passage of the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports (RPM) Act on Wednesday, September 7, in Washington, DC.

Brown—a professional NHRA team owner-driver who has won three Top Fuel Championships—began his racing career about 40 years ago by modifying street-legal motorcycles into dedicated race motorcycles. Today, this ability to compete in modified street-legal vehicles is at risk. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a draft ruling in 2015 stating that it is not legal to convert production vehicles into dedicated race vehicles. Although the ruling was never finalized, the EPA maintains its position that such conversions are not legal and continues to enforce against the production and sale of high-performance parts.

“The RPM Act is essential to the racing community, particularly for grassroots racers who are just getting started,” said Brown. “It’s imperative that we protect the ability for young men and women to be able to compete at the track. The RPM Act will give racers the assurance they need to continue this American tradition.”

Most of America’s 100,000-plus racers began competing in modified street vehicles. It is a cost-effective way to get started in motorsports. Passage of the RPM Act would enshrine in Federal law the right to modify street vehicles into dedicated race vehicles, thereby giving the racing community the certainty it needs to continue a long-standing practice without fear of EPA enforcement.

“Passage of the RPM Act will bring clarity to grassroots racers and businesses that manufacture, sell, and distribute motorsports parts,” said Mike Spagnola, President and CEO of the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), the trade association representing the automotive aftermarket that is pushing for passage of the RPM Act. “We’re grateful to the elected officials who strongly support and advocate for Congress to pass the RPM Act. The industry has been in limbo and in a state of uncertainty for far too long; it’s time to pass the RPM Act!”

Brown’s testimony before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will showcase the positive impact of racing. He will be joined by his sons Adler and Anson, who compete in NHRA’s Junior Drag Racing Series, and his wife, Billie Jo. Antron will share details about his family’s personal journey in motorsports, which includes four generations of Brown family members competing on the track.

“I owe a lot to motorsports; there are many great lessons that come from racing,” said Brown. “I’m urging Congress to help protect motorsports and ensure that it remains a viable pastime for all Americans by passing the RPM Act.”

The hearing can be viewed in the video accompanying this article and at this link on epw.senate.gov/public/. To learn more about the RPM Act and the threat to motorsports, visit saveourracecars.com.

Paul Lee Racing—the Orange, California-based race team headed by Paul Lee and Krista Baldwin—has announced industry executive Steven Cole will serve as the Senior Vice President of Marketing & Corporate Partnerships and general manager. 

Paul Lee Racing fields a nitro Funny Car driven by Lee, who is the CEO of Wharton Automotive Group, which includes McLeod Racing, FTI Performance and Silver Sport Transmissions (SST). The team also fields a McLeod Racing-sponsored Top Fuel car driven by Baldwin, Wharton’s creative director. 

“We are excited to have Steve join our team officially,” said Lee. “We will continue our journey to become full-time competitive race teams in the future. Our goal for next year is to continue to build our valued partnerships with our racing and hospitality platforms and make the countdown.” 

Cole has over 25 years of experience in professional motorsports, including brand marketing plus B2B and B2C programs within NHRA, NASCAR and IndyCar. He also worked with high-profile race teams, including Stringer Performance, John Force Racing and more. 

For more information, visit paulleeracing.com.

Attica Raceway Park—the 1/3-mile banked clay oval located on fairgrounds in Attica, Ohio—has announced Andrew Morfier as its new director of operations. He replaces Rex LeJeune, who retires after 40 years in the racing industry. 

“Andrew will be a great asset to Attica Raceway Park. He has a good, dedicated, talented staff to work with and help him continue the great tradition of Ohio’s finest racing track,” said LeJeune. “I hope the race teams and fans are patient with him as he learns and grows in this role.”

Morfier began his time at Attica in 2006, working in the front office before being promoted to assistant flagman in 2009 and later to head flagman in 2014. 

“I look forward to working with Andrew to keep Attica Raceway Park successful,” said ARP Promoter John Bores.

As part of the announcement, Brandon Bliss will take over flag duties for the remainder of the 2022 season, which ends with a season championship night on Friday, September 9.   

For more information, visit atticaracewaypark.com.