Chairman and CEO Rick Hendrick has named four longtime senior executives to lead key areas within the organization.  

Hendrick Motorsports President and COO Marshall Carlson, who since 2005 has led the day-to-day operations of the 14-time NASCAR Cup Series champions, has been promoted to president of Hendrick Companies. He will support all Hendrick-affiliated businesses and initiatives, including Hendrick Motorsports and Hendrick Automotive Group, the privately held network of car dealerships in the United States. 

Executive vice president and general manager Jeff Andrews has been elevated to president and GM. He will assume day-to-day management, including competition, engine operations, manufacturing, marketing, and administration. Andrews will report to Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman Jeff Gordon. 

Wayne Robbins, Hendrick Motorsports’ chief financial officer since 2019, will reassume his role as executive vice president and CFO of Hendrick Companies. He will oversee strategic financial planning, management of investments and oversight of the not-for-profit Hendrick Family Foundation.  

Longtime executive Scott Lampe, who came to Hendrick Motorsports in 1999 and served as its CFO from 2005 until 2019, has returned to the team in the same role following more than two years working in private equity. He will guide accounting, human resources, information technology, facilities, operational excellence, and aviation, and will report to Andrews. 

For more information, visit hendrickmotorsports.com. 

Centerforce Performance Clutch, the manufacturer of high-performance clutch systems and products in Prescott, Arizona, has appointed Chris Thomson as national sales manager.  

Thomson is a longtime motorsports professional, most recently serving as a national account manager for TMG Performance Products based in Berea, Ohio. Prior, he was director of Business Development for Baer Brake Systems in Phoenix, Arizona; senior director of sales for Airaid/K&N Filters; and Western regional sales manager and sales/marketing manager for Holley Performance Products.  

Thomson also served on the SEMA Board of Directors from 2006 to 2012.  

For more information, visit centerforce.com.  

Shell and IndyCar have announced a variety of sustainability initiatives designed to help reduce the carbon footprint within IndyCar and power progress toward more sustainable motorsports in North America. 

Beginning in 2023, Shell will produce a new race fuel for the NTT IndyCar Series. This new product consists of a blend of second-generation ethanol derived from sugarcane waste and other biofuels to create a fuel that is 100% comprised of feedstocks categorized as renewable under the applicable regulatory frameworks. 

The fuel would make the NTT IndyCar Series the first United States-based motorsports series to power racing with 100% renewable race fuel and enable at least 60% greenhouse gas emissions reduction compared to fossil-based gasoline, according to IndyCar. 

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

In an effort to further its understanding of EV technology, McLaren Racing will compete in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, beginning in the Season 9 Gen3 era in 2022–2023. 

McLaren Racing will utilize the new, all-electric Gen3 race car, which is designed specifically for street racing. 

The McLaren Formula E Team will be formed through the acquisition of the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team, expected to complete later this year, following an agreement between McLaren Racing and Mercedes-Benz that will see the reigning ABB FIA Formula E World Championship team transfer into the McLaren Racing family. 

Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team Team Principal Ian James will continue to lead the team. 

For more information, visit mclaren.com/racing or fiaformulae.com.  

Photo of Jim France at the 2010 NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony courtesy of NASCAR

NASCAR and International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) Chairman Jim France will receive the 2022 Spirit of Le Mans Award, as announced by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) President Pierre Fillon and the ACO Board of Directors. 

France, who helped secure the convergence agreement between IMSA and the ACO in 2020, will be presented with the trophy on Friday, June 10, ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans (June 11–12).  

“The Spirit of Le Mans trophy salutes the men and women who uphold the values of enduring racing by their commitment, team spirit, and competitive drive,” the ACO said. 

For more information, visit lemans.org. 

Jennerstown Speedway in Jennerstown, Pennsylvania, has claimed the $50,000 prize as winner of the Advance My Track Challenge, a program led by Advance Auto Parts, the entitlement sponsor of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series (NAAPWS). 

“Jennerstown is a true gem of the grassroots racing scene in Pennsylvania, and we’re proud to celebrate their team and community as winners of the Advance My Track Challenge,” said Jason McDonell, Advance’s executive vice president of merchandising, marketing and eCommerce. 

Jennerstown will host an Advance Auto Parts-themed night for race fans during an upcoming weekend of racing in 2022. More details will be announced at a later date. 

Advance also awarded $15,000 to the track with the second-most votes, Alaska Raceway Park in Palmer, Alaska. The track that placed third, Adams County Speedway in Corning, Iowa, received $10,000. 

For more information, visit advancemytrack.com.  

John DiBartolomeo, left, and his wife, Dottie DiBartolomeo

Longtime drag racer, motorsports journalist, and business owner John DiBartolomeo has passed away. He was 68.  

During his driving career, DiBartolomeo won six NHRA national sportsman-class events dating back to the 1990s. He had also served as the longtime editor of Drag Racing Action Online and Drag Racing Edge magazine. He also owned DRC Race Products, the manufacturer and parts distributor based in Beaver Springs, Pennsylvania.  

DiBartolomeo is survived by his wife Dottie and children Franklin and Christina.  

Dave McClelland—the voice of the NHRA from the ’70s to the early ’90s—has passed away surrounded by his family. He was 85. 

A longtime fan of drag racing, McClelland began announcing drag races in 1959. His first major event was the NHRA Nationals in 1961. He later became the on-camera host of the NHRA Drag Racing events on TV in 1973 before moving to a position with Popular Hot Rodding magazine. 

In 1985, he formed Dave McClelland Enterprises to serve as master of ceremonies and do voice-over work for clients, including: SEMA, NHRA, NASCAR, ISCA, AARWBA, PWA, Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, R.J. Reynolds, Petersen Automotive Museum, International Drag Racing Hall of Fame, Championship Auto Shows, Petersen Publishing Company, Emap, Primedia, ProMedia, General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Castrol, Mopar, Toyota, Shelby Automobiles, Meguiar’s, The California Highway Patrol 11-99 Foundation, Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital, and many other organizations. 

For many years, Dave McClelland served as emcee for the annual SEMA Awards Gala and SEMA Show Banquet, and he was enshrined in the SEMA Hall of Fame in 1994.

McClelland is survived by his wife of 64 years, Louise; son Kevin and his wife Lisa; son Mike and his wife Laurie; daughter Melissa Knight and her husband Tony; granddaughters Ashley and Sara McClelland; grandsons David McClelland and his wife Brittiney; Daniel McClelland and his wife Shirley; Matthew and Ryan Knight; and great granddaughters Alana and Mylah Knight. 

Services will be private, but a celebration of life is being planned. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Racers for Christ or the Drag Racing Association for Women (DRAW).

For more about McClelland’s professional career, visit here.  

Results of the 2022 SEMA Board of Directors election are in, with Rich Butler of R&R Marketing Consultants, Norris Marshall of BluePrint Engines, Kathryn Reinhardt of 4WP/Pro Comp, and Melanie White of Hellwig Products elected to serve on the Board. Reinhardt and White were re-elected, while Butler and Marshall join as new SEMA Board Members, replacing outgoing Board members Chris Douglas of Edelbrock Group and Les Rudd of Bob Cook Sales.

SEMA Board members are industry representatives who volunteer their time to lead and guide the association. They are elected by SEMA-member companies and represent the key membership categories: manufacturers, distributors/retailers, manufacturers’ reps and services.

The SEMA Board of Directors for 2022–2023 will be as follows:

Manufacturer:

• Norris Marshall – CEO, BluePrint Engines
• Kathryn Reinhardt – director of retailer marketing, 4WP/Pro Comp
• Melanie White – president, Hellwig Products

Manufacturer Rep:

• Rich Butler – CEO, R&R Marketing Consultants

Board Officers:

• Chairman – James Lawrence, CEO, Power Automedia
• Chair-elect – Kyle Fickler, director of sales and new business development, Driven Racing Oil
• Immediate Past-Chair/Secretary – Tim Martin, CEO, Aftermarket Advisors
• Treasurer – Les Rudd, President – Bob Cook Sales

Board Members:

• Rich Butler – CEO, R&R Marketing Consultants
• Lindsay Hubley – managing partner, Lodestone Events LLC
• Norris Marshall – CEO, BluePrint Engines
• Larry Montante – vice president, category management, Keystone Automotive Operations
• Kim Pendergast – CEO, Magnuson Superchargers
• Brian Reese – president and CEO, The Retrofit Source
• Kathryn Reinhardt – director of retailer marketing, 4WP/Pro Comp
• Ted Wentz III, CEO – Quadratec Inc.
• Steve Whipple – director of private-label sourcing, Jegs High Performance
• Melanie White – president, Hellwig Products

Outgoing Board Members:

• Chris Douglas, Edelbrock Group
• Les Rudd, Bob Cook Sales

The entire 2022–2023 SEMA Board of Directors and outgoing Board members will be honored and recognized during the 2022 SEMA Awards Gala, July 29, in Anaheim, California. All SEMA members and industry professionals are invited to join the celebration by purchasing tickets at sema.org/gala.

US Representative Darren Soto (D-FL) joined Performance Racing Industry (PRI) for the Formula Drift event in Orlando, Florida, last weekend.

In addition to watching Pro Series drivers qualify, Formula Drift President Ryan Sage led the Congressman on a tour of the event that included meetings with racers, exhibiting businesses from Florida, and members of the US Air Force. He also met with PROSPEC driver Richard Advani and Pro Series driver Dan Burkett’s race team, along with representatives from BC Racing, Drift HQ, and LZMFG.

Rep. Soto was elected to the US House of Representatives in 2016 to represent Florida’s 9th Congressional District, which includes Osceola and parts of Orange and Polk Counties. The Congressman has been a strong advocate for the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act (RPM Act), using his position on the House Energy & Commerce Committee to advocate for the bill’s passage. The RPM Act must be enacted into law to guarantee your right to modify street cars, trucks, and motorcycles into dedicated race vehicles and ensure that the industry can offer parts that enable racers to compete. Lawmakers must continue to be reminded of the importance of passing the RPM Act, as we need your help now more than ever.

Below is a list of things you can do right now to help to pass the RPM Act:

• Call or send a letter to your lawmakers at: saveourracecars.com. A letter has already been drafted. It takes less than a minute. 

• Invite your lawmakers to tour your business or attend a race—email erics@sema.org to coordinate the invitation. 

• Post about the RPM Act on your company’s social media accounts using the toolkit of digital assets or pass out a flyer at your business of events.  

• Learn more about PRI’s Political Action Committee (Performance Racing PAC) at performanceracing.com/pac. Performance Racing PAC allows PRI members to support the lawmakers that stand up for racing in Washington. 

Prior to running for office, Rep. Soto practiced family law, civil litigation, and real estate law in Central Florida. He served in the Florida House of Representatives (2006–2008) and the Florida Senate until he was elected to Congress in 2016. Rep. Soto is running for a fourth term in the House in November. The Congressman is also the proud owner of a 2011 Ford Mustang.

For more information, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.