Paretta Autosport, a new NTT IndyCar Series race team spearheaded by female automotive and motorsports executive Beth Paretta, has announced its entry for the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.

2010 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Simona De Silvestro has been announced as the driver for Paretta Autosport, which will utilize Chevrolet power and run the No. 16 for this year’s legendary “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” The 32-year-old from Switzerland is a veteran of five Indianapolis 500 starts.

The team is an extension of INDYCAR and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s “Race for Equality & Change” announced last July. Team Penske will provide technical support to Paretta Autosport to prepare for the race on Sunday, May 30.

Paretta Autosport will also integrate women in the team to ensure that it provides opportunities, including competition, operations and administrative roles such as logistics, marketing and public relations.

“Today is the beginning of a commitment to gender equity in sport, to encourage women to work hard so they can earn their seat at the table or spot on the grid,” Paretta Autosport Team Principal Beth Paretta said. “INDYCAR has been a leader and a welcoming place for women for many years because of the hard work of many women and men before us, but now we have a stronger commitment with INDYCAR’s ‘Race for Equality & Change’ to make sure opportunities continue in the future... The Indy 500 is the greatest race in the world, and one day soon, we hope to have a woman’s face on the Borg-Warner Trophy.”

For more information, visit parettaautosport.com.

^{Image courtesy of Paretta Autosport}

Digital Throttle has announced John Covan, formerly a long-term Senior Sales Manager for Speedway Illustrated, has joined its sales team as Sales Director. 

Based in Cumming, Georgia, Covan will be responsible for expanding Digital Throttle’s digital advertising services across key automotive racing markets.

Covan has over 40 years of industry experience, having worked as the owner and founder of Rebco Racing Enterprises, Outlaw Disc Brakes, John Covan’s Thunder Road, and Covan’s Classic, and as the director of several NASCAR Touring series. 

“I’m extremely excited to be working with Digital Throttle, which has created the largest and most impressive digital network in the automotive and powersports and racing markets,” Covan said. “Digital advertising is such a powerful and measurable form of marketing, offering a turn-key solution is a great solution for any racing brand or service.”

Founded in 2009, Digital Throttle focuses on reaching vehicle and motorsports enthusiasts through any form of digital media, including enthusiast websites, social media, YouTube, and search platforms.

For more information, visit digitalthrottle.com.

Automotive component manufacturer Hero Motors Company (HMC) has secured a strategic stake in UK’s Hewland Engineering Ltd for an undisclosed sum. The move will enable Hewland to further strengthen its product and service portfolio–particularly transmissions for electrified passenger cars–and pursue opportunities among global OEMs and Tier One suppliers.

“This investment represents a significant strategic inflection point for us in the transmission product segment,” HMC Chairman and Managing Director Pankaj Munjal said. “By combining Hewland’s comprehensive design and analysis capabilities with our ability to support high-volume manufacturing, we are strongly positioned to offer full-stream transmission solutions to global OEMs and Tier One suppliers. We are continuing to invest in the UK, as it is a significant hub for our EV- and cycle-focused activities in particular, as well as for Hewland’s established motorsport customer base.”

For more information, visit hmcworld.co.in/hero-motors/.

Meyer Distributing, Inc, the automotive specialty products marketing and distribution provider, has announced a new Wytheville, Virginia location. The cross-dock will have a direct, next-day feed from Meyer’s Jasper, Indiana distribution hub, which houses one of the largest inventories of automotive accessories and exhaust parts in the region.

“We’ve been looking for ways to better service customers in the Western half of Virginia,” Meyer CEO Jeff Braun said. “The new cross-dock will increase the frequency and speed of delivery particularly to customers in the Beckley, Princeton, Blacksburg, Roanoke, and Lynchburg regions.”

For more information, visit meyerdistributing.com.

Perris Auto Speedway (PAS) promoter Don Kazarian has released the rules for the brand new So Cal Sportsman Sprint Car Series that will debut in 2021. The series will hold races at The PAS in Perris, California, and the nearby Ventura Raceway. 

Kazarian will serve as the director of the series alongside Jim Naylor of Ventura Raceway. Pace Performance will oversee engine sales and technical support of the series, which will utilize a GM Factory Sealed 602 sprint car crate engine. The powerhouse will provide 350 hp at 5,000 RPM and 390 ft. lbs. of torque at 3,800 RPM for competitors.

Officials will crown a series champion at the end of the season, plus a champion for each track. 

The season kicks off at The PAS on May 22, will a full schedule set to be announced at a later date. 

For more information, including series rules, regulations, and contact information, visit The PAS website here. 

A total of 309 midget drivers were on hand for the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire at the Tulsa Expo Raceway, located inside the River Spirit Expo Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The 35th annual event took place over the weekend and helped kick off the 2021 racing season. 

Kyle Larson fended off Justin Grant and 2017-18 champion Christopher Bell to secure the coveted Golden Driller trophy, his second in two years. 

Fans were allowed to attend the Chili Bowl in person, although organizers announced a limit of 25% capacity back in November. Fans were also required to wear a facial covering and have their temperatures checked.

The annual Chili Bowl Trade Show, which hosted over 100 racing vendors, including Simpson, MyRacePass, Bell, Hinchman Racewear, and Impact Racing, also successfully took place during the weekend. 

Officials are already organizing next year's event—the 36th annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire—which is scheduled to take place January 10-15, 2022.

For more information, visit chilibowl.com.

_{Photo courtesy of Chili Bowl}

Melling Performance has introduced high-volume versions of its M390 pumps for the 3.5L and 3.7L Ford EcoBoost engines. Designed for applications where the valvetrain needs additional capacity, these pumps offer 20% more volume and higher pressure versus the factory setting. For more information, visit melling.com.

Stay safe on the track with these helmet tether adjustment tips for both Hans and Hybrid systems. Simpson gives the PRI Road Tour an inside look at both styles of restraint systems and teaches you the proper way to adjust them. Safety first! For more information, visit simpsonraceproducts.com.

NHRA and Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park have made the decision to not host the 2021 NHRA Arizona Nationals, leaving an opening on this season's schedule. 

The ongoing COVID-19 restrictions due to the public health situation in the Phoenix area and the state of Arizona were taken into account as part of the decision.

“We’ll miss our annual stop at Wild Horse Pass, but we are working on new options for 2021,” said NHRA President Glen Cromwell. “We hope that fans in the area will try to make it to another one of our events.”

“We have enjoyed being host to the NHRA Arizona Nationals for the past 36 years,” said Mark Grado, general manager of Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. “However, due to many circumstances beyond our control, including current COVID-19 restrictions, unfortunately, the event is not feasible for the 2021 season.”

The 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series is set to begin March 11-14, in Gainesville and currently includes 22 events at racetracks across the country.

For more information, visit nhra.com.

Following a successful running of the event in 2019, the SCCA National Championship Runoffs will return to Virginia International Raceway (VIR) for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

The 3.27-mile, 17-turn natural terrain road course near Danville, Virginia, has grown into one of the premier road racing venues in the country with an iconic layout and a recent growth in facilities that include a hotel, restaurant, luxury villas, garages, and more.

“When the decision was made in January to focus on two-year cycles for Runoffs sites, there was one clear choice for the first stop,” SCCA Vice President and Chief Operations Officer Eric Prill said. “Based on the outstanding participant response to the 2019 Runoffs at VIR and the excellent relationship developed between the track and the SCCA staff, VIR was selected for the first multi-year stint in nearly a decade. We’re looking forward to our return to one of SCCA’s favorite tracks in the country.”

The SCCA National Championship Runoffs annually crowns amateur racing’s national champions in a winner-take-all race format. The 2021 edition of the event will run at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, September 25 through October 3.

The VIR event dates were also announced, running September 26 through October 2, 2022, and September 25 through October 1, 2023.

For more information, visit scca.com or virnow.com.

_{Photo by Jay Bonvouloir, courtesy of SCCA}