Berlin Raceway and Entertainment Complex, the half-mile asphalt track in Marne, Michigan, has announced the addition of Jeff Striegle to its staff as general manager. He replaces Mike Bursley, who will continue as a race and tech director.

Striegle is a NASCAR broadcaster for the Motor Racing Network (MRN), a position he began nearly 25 years ago. He will continue to work with MRN while overseeing the daily operations of the short track.

The track has also announced additional hires, including Jen Watcher, who will oversee hospitality, events, and public relations; Darrin Ball, the new concessions manager; Nick Rice will manage fan experience and the concourse area; and Nick Mesman will cover timing and scoring. 

Officials announced plans to upgrade the concourse area, including a new courtyard for live entertainment, seating, and heaters near the bar. 

The track's 71st season opens with its annual Ice Breaker event, set for April 17 and featuring NASCAR Weekly Series, Super Late Models, Limited Late Models, Sportsman, and 4-Cylinder classes. 

For more information, visit berlinraceway.com.

Ferrari has confirmed that it will enter the FIA World Endurance Championship’s new Hypercar category in 2023.

“Today is a great day for endurance racing: Ferrari is coming back to the top level, at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the FIA World Endurance Championship. The Hypercar field promises some epic battles,” Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) President Pierre Fillon said.

The Italian automaker will return to the top class of endurance racing for the first time since 1973 and join the likes of Toyota, Glickenhaus, Peugeot, Porsche, and Audi, who have all committed to the Hypercar category.

The new-for-2021 Hypercar category is where teams and drivers can compete for overall championship victory in the FIA WEC and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Ferrari has won Le Mans a total of nine times, the last in 1965 as part of the famed Ford versus Ferrari battles of the 1960s. 

In recent years, Ferrari has had plenty of success in Le Mans’ GT category, last winning the GTE Pro category in 2019 with its AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE Evo. The marque has won the FIA WEC LMGTE Pro title four times, including the very first FIA World Endurance GT Manufacturers’ Championship in 2017.

For more information, visit fiawec.com.

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has entered an agreement to acquire Cooper Tire & Rubber Company in a transaction valued at approximately $2.5 billion. 

The acquisition will expand Goodyear’s product offering by combining two portfolios of complementary brands. It will also create a stronger U.S.-based manufacturer with an increased presence in distribution and retail channels while combining both companies’ strengths. 

Founded in 1914, Cooper is one of the largest tire manufacturers in North America, with approximately 10,000 employees working in 15 countries worldwide. Cooper products are manufactured in 10 facilities around the globe, including wholly-owned and joint venture plants. The company’s portfolio of brands includes Cooper, Mastercraft, Roadmaster, and Mickey Thompson.

“The addition of Cooper’s complementary tire product portfolio and highly capable manufacturing assets, coupled with Goodyear’s technology and industry-leading distribution, provides the combined company with opportunities for improved cost efficiency and a broader offering for both companies’ retailer networks,” said Richard J. Kramer, Goodyear chairman, chief executive officer, and president. 

“I am extremely proud of what our team has accomplished over the past 107 years and am grateful to our talented employees for their contributions and commitment. This transaction marks the start of a new chapter for Cooper, which we are entering from a position of strength,” stated Brad Hughes, Cooper president & chief executive officer.

For more information, visit goodyear.com and us.coopertire.com.

Longtime racing professional Darin Morgan has joined Guilford, Indiana-based BES Racing Engines. Starting March 1, Morgan will be responsible for assisting BES owner Tony Bischoff in several areas, including product development and cylinder head assembly.

“I’ve known Darin for several years, he brings a lot to the table,” Bischoff said. “He has a great work ethic, and that’s the most valuable thing. Plus, you can’t find many people with his years of experience building engines and cylinder heads. I think Darin can help take us to the next level.”

Morgan, who has 35 years of experience in race engine building, including more than two decades with Reher-Morrison Racing Engines and, most recently, at Mast Motorsports, will relocate from Nacogdoches, Texas, for the new position.

“[BES Racing Engines’] reputation in the industry is already well deserved—they don’t need my help to produce record-setting racing engines,” Morgan told us. “I’m just going to be there to help them produce even more.

“The most exciting part for me is working with Tony and his team,” he continued. “When you get to work with peers, after a couple of months you’re going to be finishing each other’s sentences. This new position will probably be one of the best I’ve ever had.”

Among the expected benefits, Bischoff anticipates Morgan’s appointment will help the team shorten lead times.

“Something we are struggling with right now is delivering products quickly, and that’s for a couple of reasons,” Bischoff said. “One is that we’re just incredibly busy. But two, our suppliers are behind. It is so hard to get blocks and castings today—it just blows me away. Some are more than three months behind, where it used to be one week. Almost all my suppliers are running this way, making us work a little harder to order things earlier. That’s where Darin may be able to help.”

Bischoff added that there will be little change to operations otherwise, and the company will “still be producing winning, durable engines.”

For more information, visit besracing.com.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) will host the 105th running of the Indy 500 with limited fans in the grandstands, according to published reports.

The decision comes after the 104th event, which typically occurs the Sunday before Memorial Day, was postponed to August in 2020. Officials also ran the event without fans in attendance due to safety and health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Several details—including the number of fans permitted, ticket purchases, and guidelines such as social distancing and mask mandates—will be announced at a later date. Organizers will work with state and local health officials and are expected to provide an update in the spring.

The announcement follows several successful sporting events contested with fans, including the Super Bowl, the Daytona 500, and the NCAA men's basketball tournament in Indianapolis.

For more information, visit indianapolismotorspeedway.com.

Champion Brands, LLC has received an official renewal certification for ISO 9001:2015 compliance. This re-certified award as an ISO-compliant company is authorized until September 2022.

ISO certification is a seal of approval from a third-party governing body that Champion Brands, LLC meets the international standards of excellence published by the International organization for Standardization (ISO). Champion has maintained this achievement since first receiving the ISO certification in 2004.

ISO 9001:2015 provides the current criteria for a quality management system and is the only standard in the lubricant family that can be certified. It is based on several quality management principles, including a strong customer focus, the motivation and involvement of top management, the process approach, and continuous improvement. 

For more information, visit championbrands.com.

Kelford Cams has appointed Angel Robles as VP of Business Development in the US. The appointment will help the company support its expanding client base in the US, according to Kelford Managing Director Tony Gault. 

“Angel's experience in both sport compact and modern US domestic markets sits well with our growth strategy, and we welcome the level of experience and knowledge of America's markets he brings to the team,” a company release stated.

Based in New Zealand, the company established a warehouse operation based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 2020. Kelford also has a growing network of stocking distributors, resellers, and installers with B2B capability, including in Los Angeles, California, and Salt Lake City, Utah, as well as in Kentucky, Minnesota, Florida, and more.

“One of the actions that Kelford has taken over the past 12 months has been to make it easy to source product. One of my key KPIs is to build on this network over the coming months,” Robles stated. “I see this and the steady release of new and exciting products resulting in the Kelford Brand becoming much more familiar to all sectors of the US performance sector.” 

For more information, visit kelfordcams.com.

BorgWarner Inc. has announced the company has agreed to acquire AKASOL AG, a German developer and manufacturer of high-energy and high-performance lithium-ion battery systems. The move is expected to allow BorgWarner to expand its electrification capabilities. 

“AKASOL is an excellent strategic fit as BorgWarner seeks to continue to expand its electrification portfolio and capitalize on the profound industry shift towards electrification. AKASOL’s manufacturing footprint and established, in-production customer base are complementary to BorgWarner’s and would accelerate our foothold into the fast-growing commercial vehicle and off-highway battery pack market,” said Frédéric Lissalde, President and CEO of BorgWarner. “AKASOL is highly-regarded as a reputable and reliable partner, and like us, they have a customer-first mentality and a culture of innovation and environmentally friendly technology leadership. We look forward to welcoming their incredibly talented team to BorgWarner.”

AKASOL has over 300 full-time employees and has one facility in the US and three in Germany. 

For more information, visit borgwarner.com.

Corrigan Oil Speedway officials have announced a new track series, the Northside Towing.net Big 8 Series for Outlaw Super Late Models presented by Auto Value Parts stores. 

The series will feature the Shaheen Chevrolet Outlaw Super Late Models in an eight-race championship season, with each 50-lap race paying a minimum of $2,000-to-win and $300-to-start.

The short track located in Mason, Michigan, has featured Late Models, Modifieds, Street Stock, 4 Cylinder, Bandoleros, and Figure-8 racing since 1956. 

For more information, visit corriganoilspeedway.com.

Corrigan Oil Speedway Outlaw Super Late Models 2021 Series Schedule

Friday, April 23
Friday, May 7
Friday, May 21
Friday, June 11
Friday, July 16
Friday, July 23
Friday, August 13
Friday, August 20

Image courtesy of Daytona International Speedway

Robin Braig, the former president of Daytona International Speedway, has passed away at 64. 

“Daytona International Speedway is saddened to hear of the passing of former Track President Robin Braig,” the company stated in a release. “His creativity and passion for the sport and our fans helped grow DAYTONA to unprecedented heights. Our thoughts are with his family and friends as we share this loss.”

Braig began his career in NASCAR in 1998, when he held a position with the International Speedway Corp. From 1999 to 2002, he served as the vice president and general manager of Phoenix Raceway. 

In 2002, Braig was named the president of Daytona, where he oversaw the complete renovation of the paddock, the construction of the new Turn 1 tunnel, and the 50th running of the Daytona 500. He left in 2010 and was replaced by Joie Chitwood III.