Roush Yates Engines and Germany-based WTO have announced a technical partnership to expedite machining of engine components to support internal design, development, and build of NASCAR and road racing engines.

WTO designs and manufactures precision tool holders and tooling systems for turning centers, multi-axis mill turns, and Swiss-type lathes. WTO USA is based out of Charlotte, North Carolina.

“WTO is a technology-driven organization, and their employees continue to provide invaluable solutions to our team,” said Todd English, VP Strategic Partnerships & Marketing at Roush Yates Engines. “As a global market leader, WTO develops state of the art technology to maximize productivity for manufacturing facilities across the globe. It is critical that we align our organization with world-class companies to support our internal engine component machining as well as machining for other forms of motorsports, aerospace, defense, space, and medical markets at RYMS, where failure is not an option.”

MAVTV Motorsports Network and FloSports have announced a new live streaming partnership that will deliver MAVTV Plus live content to fans through FloRacing, FloSports’ dedicated motorsports platform.

All live programming that previously aired on the MAVTV Plus app, including the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, finals of the Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire, Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, and more will be now hosted by FloSports under the "MAVTV on FloRacing" banner.

FloRacing and MAVTV Plus have begun co-streaming MAVTV Plus programming to their respective subscribers and will do so through midnight on July 26. On July 27, MAVTV Plus programming will be exclusively streamed through FloRacing.

MAVTV Motorsports Network programming will still be available through cable television and select digital outlets with FloSports becoming MAVTV Plus' dedicated direct-to-consumer live-streaming platform.

MAVTV will contact MAVTV Plus subscribers with information about their accounts and instructions on how to access MAVTV on FloRacing to watch new, live MAVTV programming moving forward.

A new, multiple-class, sprint-race series will make its debut in 2023 as International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) officials have unveiled the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, with entitlement sponsorship from VP Racing Fuels.

The series will feature currently homologated Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) and Grand Touring 4 (GT4) race cars in 45-minute sprint races with one driver per car. The new series class names will be LMP3 and GSX, respectively. To be eligible to drive in either class, all drivers must have an FIA Driver Categorization of either Bronze or Silver. A five-event, 10-race schedule is planned for the series, which replaces the current IMSA Prototype Challenge series.

The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge will continue in its traditional endurance format, featuring the Grand Sport (GT4) and Touring Car (TCR) classes, competing across a 10-race schedule.

Each IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge event weekend will include a qualifying session in which the fastest timed lap will set the field for the first race. The second fastest qualifying lap by each car will determine the starting grid for the second race of the weekend. There will be no pit stops during the races, and all race cars will ride on Michelin tires.

The National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) has announced the Watson Racing Cobra Jet Showdown will return to NMCA’s All-American Nationals Presented by Sick the Magazine at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio on August 25–28.  

Cobra Jet owners can participate in the on-track Showdown, which mixes the various generations of Cobra Jet in an Open Comp format. Cobra Jet Showdown competitors may also double-enter Stock Eliminator or Super Stock Eliminator, as well as a bracket class, for a total of three categories.  

For more information or tickets, visit nmcadigital.com. 

Tempe, Arizona-based Legacy EV—the provider of electric vehicle (EV) aftermarket applications and education—has announced a new EV certification program for Northeast Texas Community College in Mount Pleasant, Texas.  

The Carroll Shelby Automotive Program is a first-of-its-kind accredited college program designed to prepare students to work on EV systems and conversions, Legacy EV stated.  

“As EVs continue to make up greater market share among drivers, the demand for technicians who are trained in repair and maintenance is critical. Working with the Carroll Shelby Automotive Program, we are establishing a new standard for EV education as we train the next generation of auto mechanics,” Legacy EV President and Co-Founder Mavrick Knoles said.   

The program includes a five-part curriculum including EV history and technology such as motors, batteries, chargers, and converters. Students will also work on EV motors in the hands-on training portion of the course.  

For more information, visit legacyev.com or the Carroll Shelby Automotive Program website here.  

US Representative Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) was the leading vote-getter in Oklahoma’s June 28 Republican primary for US Senate, which featured more than a dozen candidates. Rep. Mullin garnered 44% of the vote and will face runner-up T.W. Shannon, who received 18% of the vote, in an August 23 runoff election. This will determine the Republican nominee for the US Senate in the general election in November.  

PRI congratulates Rep. Mullin on a solid performance in the primary and is proud to support his campaign for US Senate. Rep. Mullin is an automotive enthusiast and racing ally, as he has been a top advocate for passing the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act (RPM Act), H.R. 3281 and S. 2736, serving as an original co-sponsor of the bill that would guarantee the right to modify street cars, trucks, and motorcycles into dedicated race vehicles. The bill would also help safeguard the industry’s right to offer parts that enable racers to compete.  

To learn more about Rep. Mullin and his political and business career, visit PRI’s Meet The Candidate article here or go to mullinforamerica.com. 

To learn more about the upcoming elections in your state and how to register to vote, visit PRI’s Vote Racing page here.  

Photo courtesy of Track Enterprises 

Macon, Illinois-based Track Enterprises has reached an agreement to acquire the regional ARCA Midwest Tour Super Late Model series at the end of the 2022 season, as announced by Track Enterprises President Bob Sargent and ARCA’s Gregg McKarns. 

“As the asphalt Super Late Model landscape continues to change, we look forward to where the Track Enterprises team can take the Tour. This will allow [my wife] Angie and I to still promote numerous Super Late Model events throughout the region, while streamlining other operational aspects involved in Super Late Model racing across the nation,” said McKarns. 

Gregg and Angie McKarns also promote and operate Madison International Speedway in Oregon, Wisconsin, Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, and the Oktoberfest Race Weekend at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway in West Salem, Wisconsin. 

The announcement follows Track Enterprises’ acquisition of the Champion Racing Association (CRA) in January.  

For more information, visit midwesttour.racing and trackenterprises.com.  

The United States Auto Club (USAC) has announced its class of 2022 inductees into the USAC Hall of Fame.  

The list includes car owner/mechanic Doug Caruthers; driver Jay Drake; car owner/mechanic Galen Fox; driver Jeff Gordon; driver/car owner/builder/innovator Dan Gurney; car owner/mechanic Ray Nichels; car owner/official/promoter Johnny Vance; and track owner/promoter Joe Shaheen. 

Jeff Gordon and representatives for the late Dan Gurney received their Hall of Fame awards during separate ceremonies in 2021. 

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

Lola Cars—the UK-based race car engineering company—has announced its revival under new ownership. Previously in operation from 1958 to 2012, Lola Cars is now owned by UK-native and US-based Till Bechtolsheimer. 
 
Lola Cars Ltd. now controls all the assets of the British brand that has designed and produced nearly 5,000 race cars spanning 400 different model types competing in championships including IndyCar, Le Mans, Formula 1, Formula 3000, Formula 5000, A1GP, and Touring Cars. 
 
“Our plan is to reestablish Lola as a leading design and engineering force in modern motorsports... We have immediate plans for substantial upgrades to the Lola Technical Centre, in particular the wind tunnel, and are actively working towards our first project to put new Lolas back on track,” stated Bechtolsheimer, who also hopes Lola will play a “significant role in the innovation and testing” of energy efficiency solutions.  

Lola Cars was founded by Eric Broadley and was acquired by Martin Birrane in 1998.  
 
For more information, visit lola-cars.co.uk. 

Red Bull has announced its first in-house hypercar project—the RB17—with a limited run of 50 cars to be built at Red Bull Advanced Technologies’ campus in the United Kingdom. 

RB17 will be created under the leadership of Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey. His designs have previously won all four of Red Bull’s constructors’ championships. 

Powered by a V8 hybrid engine, the vehicle is currently predicted to be over 1,100bhp, with the two-seat hypercar designed around a carbon-composite tub. 

Production is set to begin in 2025. Owners will have access to the team’s simulators, vehicle program development, and on-track training while the factory will service and maintain each car. 

For more information, visit redbulladvancedtechnologies.com.