Race Winning Brands, Inc. (RWB) has announced the acquisition of PAC Racing Springs, the manufacturer of high-performance valve springs for the automotive and powersports performance and racing aftermarket.

PAC represents the ninth add-on acquisition for Mentor, Ohio-based RWB, a portfolio company of MiddleGround Capital.

With headquarters and operations out of Southfield, Michigan, PAC develops and produces precision-engineered valve springs and valvetrain components. PAC will remain based out of its current location.

PAC’s engineering, manufacturing, and in-house testing in the US align well with the rest of RWB’s high-performance portfolio, according to a company statement. PAC’s product line is expected to further enhance RWB’s ability to serve various racing markets, from circle track to drag racing.

For more information, visit racewinningbrands.com and racingsprings.com.

Officials from the DIRTcar Summer Nationals—the summer tour featuring DIRTcar Late Models accompanied by DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modifieds—have announced the program returns in 2022 with 32 races over 40 days, with an increase in payouts and a new bonus program for drivers. 

New for 2022, teams who compete in every race on the “Hell Tour” schedule are now eligible for the tow-money program. Every 500 miles a driver and crew travel earns them a $500 bonus, with teams able to collect up to $5,500 in tow money throughout the tour.

The progressive points fund scale introduced in 2021 will again be in effect this year, offering a potential $39,000 championship check to the winner. Each of the top-10 finishers will be awarded different amounts based on their position. At its maximum, the runner-up in the final points could take home over $15,000 with over $10,000 going to third place. Over $85,000 will be distributed in the 2022 tour.

The DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals will run a traditional championship format, counting each driver’s best 12 races of the 32 scheduled. A $5,000 check will be awarded to the points champion at the season’s end, which returns to Fairbury Speedway as part of the 32nd annual “Prairie Dirt Classic” on July 29–30.

The championship begins at Kankakee County Speedway in Kankakee, Illinois on June 14.

For more information, visit dirtcarsummernationals.com. 

Photo courtesy of NASCAR

Advance Auto Parts has announced the return of the Advance My Track Challenge, a program that spotlights NASCAR’s short tracks across North America. 
 
Race fans are invited to vote for their favorite NASCAR Home Track on advancemytrack.com. Currently, 21 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series (NAAPWS) tracks across the US and Canada are eligible to win. 
 
The first round of voting ends May 6, followed by the final round of six tracks on May 9–13. First place will receive $50,000; second place will receive $15,000; third place will win $10,000. Tracks may use their winnings for facility enhancements or to establish community-based programs with schools, non-profits, or other local organizations. 
 
The 2021 grand prize was awarded to Berlin Raceway, the 7/16-mile paved oval track located just outside Grand Rapids, Michigan. 
 
For more information, visit advancemytrack.com. 

The Stand 21 Safety Foundation has announced its annual “Racing Goes Safer” driver safety seminar returns to the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Saturday, April 9, from 9 a.m. to noon, followed by informal conversation and a light lunch.

Held in the Long Beach Convention Center, the 10th annual installment of the program will feature internationally recognized safety experts and veteran drivers with practical advice on making racing drivers and crews safer. The lineup includes appearances by TransAm and IMSA Champ Tommy Kendall, Swiss-French NTT IndyCar Series driver Romain Grosjean, Stand 21 General Manager Romain Morizot, sportsman racer Mark Petronis, Jim Ryan of SCORE, Dr. Jacques Dallaire of Performance Prime, and George Levy of the Motorsports Hall of Fame Museum of America.

This year’s topics include fire protection, improving focus, making off-road racing safer, the history of the HANS device, and electric vehicle racing safety. This edition’s program will also include a special signing session of Stand 21 Founder and President Yves Morizot’s book, which details his career and his company’s history.

The event is free as long Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach ticketholders. The seminar will also be streamed online. To register, visit here. 

For more information, contact Stand 21 Foundation Director Don Taylor at dtaylor@racinggoessafer.org or visit here. 

Senior business executive and sales professional Devron Jeffers has returned to Speedway Motorsports as vice president of Business Development for the company’s national sales team, as announced by Speedway Motorsports Executive Vice President and Chief Sales Officer Kevin Camper.

Jeffers will be based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and focus on national sales opportunities for companies headquartered in Texas and the central United States. He will oversee a portfolio of event entitlement, hospitality, facility rental, and sports marketing assets amongst Speedway Motorsports’ 11 venues.

From 1997 to 2017, Jeffers held a variety of sales positions at Texas Motor Speedway starting with Speedway Club sales representative. Most recently, he served as the chief revenue officer with the East Coast Hockey League’s Allen Americans. 

“After two decades with Speedway Motorsports earlier in my career, it feels like coming home,” said Jeffers. 

For more information, visit speedwaymotorsports.com.

NASCAR has announced the 15 nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s (NHOF) Class of 2023, a group that will comprise the first Hall of Fame ballot in two years following the pandemic.  

Lesa France Kennedy joins the Landmark Award ballot, an award given for outstanding contributions to the sport. Award winners are also eligible for NHOF enshrinement. 

The NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel, comprised of 62 industry professionals, will vote for the Class of 2023 and Landmark Award on Wednesday, May 4. The 63rd vote goes to winners of a NASCAR.com Fan Vote (nascar.com/halloffame), which is will close on April 29. 

The Modern Era Ballot and Landmark Award nominees were selected by the Nomination Committee, which consists of representatives from NASCAR and the NASCAR Hall of Fame, track owners from major facilities, and historic short tracks. The Honors Committee, primarily comprised of all living Hall of Famers, Landmark Award winners, and Squier-Hall Award winners, selected the Pioneer Ballot. 

Following are the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2023 nominees and Landmark Award nominees: 

Modern Era Ballot 

• Neil Bonnett, won 18 times in the NASCAR Cup Series including consecutive Coca-Cola 600 victories 
• Tim Brewer, two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief 
• Jeff Burton, won 21 times in the NASCAR Cup Series including the Southern 500 and two Coca-Cola 600s 
• Carl Edwards, winner of 28 NASCAR Cup Series races and 2007 Xfinity Series champion 
• Harry Gant, winner of 18 NASCAR Cup Series races, including two Southern 500 victories 
• Harry Hyde, 1970 NASCAR Cup Series championship crew chief 
• Matt Kenseth, 2003 NASCAR Cup Series champion and winner of 39 Cup races 
• Larry Phillips, first five-time NASCAR weekly series national champion 
• Ricky Rudd, won 23 times in NASCAR Cup Series, including the 1997 Brickyard 400 
• Kirk Shelmerdine, four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief 

Pioneer Ballot 

• Sam Ard, NASCAR Xfinity Series pioneer and two-time champion 
• AJ Foyt, won seven NASCAR Cup Series races including the 1972 Daytona 500 
• Banjo Matthews, built cars that won more than 250 NASCAR Cup Series races and three championships 
• Hershel McGriff, 1986 NASCAR West Series champion 
• Ralph Moody, two-time NASCAR Cup Series owner champion as the "mechanical genius" of Holman-Moody 

Landmark Award 

• Janet Guthrie, the first female to compete in a NASCAR Cup Series superspeedway race 
• Alvin Hawkins, NASCAR’s first flagman; established NASCAR racing at Bowman Gray Stadium with Bill France Sr. 
• Mike Helton, named third president of NASCAR in 2000; career included track operator roles at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway 
• Lesa France Kennedy, NASCAR Executive Vice Chair and one of the most influential women in sports 
• Dr. Joseph Mattioli, founder of Pocono Raceway 

For more information, visit nascar.com. 

The North Florida Motorplex—the drag strip and dirt track in Fountain, Florida, formerly known as Powerhouse Motorsports Park—has new owners.

Kevin and Cody McDaniel—brothers that operate Piggly Wiggly grocery stores in Florida and Alabama—have taken over ownership of the facility, home to the 1/8-mile drag strip now sanctioned by the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA).  

Track improvements include a new concession stand, tower, and bleachers. In addition, officials have widened the drag strip, plus installed new concrete walls, lighting, and an Accutime timing system. Preparation was overseen by Kurt Johnson of Total Venue Concepts.

“We put new bleachers in. We’re looking at it from a different standpoint and put in VIP decks. It’s open air, and we have televisions and a bar up there. We’ve tried to make it a place for people to gather and hang out,” said Kevin. 

With sponsorship from Coca-Cola, the track will offer a $60,000 points fund, bonuses, and a vacation package to Panama City Beach.

For more information, visit northfloridamotorplex.com. 

Photo courtesy of NHRA

The Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, Arizona, has announced that the 2023 NHRA race will serve as the final event for the facility. The park will celebrate its 40th year of NHRA racing during next year’s Arizona Nationals.

The park features four race tracks, including a 1/4-mile, NHRA-sanctioned drag strip; a 1.6-mile road course; a 10-turn, 1.25-mile road course; and a 1.1-mile road course with a 0.375-mile straightaway. It also features a 2.4-mile IHBA- and APBA-sanctioned oval lake.

A new overpass roadway for an I-10 extension will utilize the space now occupied by the track. 

“Arizona has been an incredible supporter of the NHRA and Wild Horse Pass Motorsport Park for the past four decades, and we are very grateful for this tremendous fan support. We know this final race will be a celebration that NHRA fans are famous for,” said Elizabeth Antone, WHPDA General Manager-Interim. 

For more information, visit racewildhorse.com.

Toyota Gazoo Racing North America has announced a new single-make series, the “GR Cup,” featuring the Toyota GR86. 

Based in the United States, the GR Cup will feature seven race events with dates and locations to be announced later. Each competitor will run identical Toyota GR86 vehicles, emphasizing driver skill and car setup. 

“These race efforts are not simply designed to build fans for Toyota vehicles and the GR Brand, but to allow learnings on the track to make ever-better vehicles for the road by Toyota engineers,” a press release stated. 

For more information, visit toyotagazooracing.com.

Milan Dragway, the 1/4-mile drag strip in Milan, Michigan, has joined the NHRA Member Track Network. Perry Merlo and Harold Bullock purchased the track in December 2021, and the pair plan to repave the racing surface and staging lanes before the 2022 season begins.  
 
Long-term goals include plans for more events and races “to increase racer and spectator interest.”  
 
Milan Dragway joins a group of nearly 120 NHRA member tracks worldwide as part of the NHRA Member Track Network. As an NHRA-sanctioned track, the facility will be eligible to offer racers various NHRA racing opportunities, including the NHRA Summit Racing Series, the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League, and NHRA Jr. Street.  
 
NHRA Division 3 includes 18 tracks in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. 
 
For more information, visit nhra.com.