A number of the industry’s leading product manufacturers are slated to exhibit directly on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium during the 2020 PRI Trade Show in Indianapolis.
A legendary name in the performance aftermarket reconnects to its IndyCar past with the help of a talented driver.
Reputations can cut both ways. On one hand, having a lengthy, successful history is proof that you can please your audience over the long haul. But on the other hand, it can also limit people’s impressions of you.
That’s the situation Isky Racing Cams of Gardena, California, recently found itself in. The company has a 73-year history that stretches back to the early days of hot rodding; and today, Isky still holds a strong reputation in drag racing.
But many modern-day car enthusiasts don’t know that the company also has a potent legacy in other motorsports, including successful 1960s–1980s efforts with IndyCar legends Jim Clark, Rick Mears, and Al and Bobby Unser. So Isky figured it needed a way to highlight this rich heritage and bring its brand to a wider audience. For that, it found a partner in Conor Daly, a charismatic young IndyCar driver sponsored primarily by the US Air Force.
To learn more, we talked to Nolan Jamora, Isky Racing Cams’ chief operating officer, and Conor Daly, IndyCar driver for Ed Carpenter Racing.
PRI: How did this partnership come about?
Nolan Jamora, Isky Racing Cams: I’d met Conor quite a few times. Really good guy. One of the top young American drivers. So we started talking. We’d meet at races and I’d get updates. It kind of just grew out of that.
Conor Daly: Nolan had hit me up on the Internet. He wanted to get the Isky brand name back in the IndyCar world. I thought it was a great idea.
PRI: What are the goals for each side?
Jamora: A lot of the demographic of the new customers we’re trying to get are fans of IndyCar and sprint car. We have a long history in that. And so we wanted a representative of the company in those sports currently, without having to depend on Rick Mears, or the Unsers, or old links like that.
Daly: Isky has been around motorsports for so long—the family and the brand. I think for them, they’re just looking to get more brand awareness and continue telling their story, their history.
PRI: Do you specify where the money in this sponsorship has to go?
Jamora: It doesn’t go to the team. It’s a personal sponsorship, so it goes directly to Conor. But we don’t direct where the money has to go or anything like that.
PRI: Are there certain things your contract with Conor requires him to do?
Jamora: Yeah, definitely. He goes to shows and represents us at the races. He does video and social media posts. We have a running deal where he updates us at every race. So yeah, there are certain stipulations in there. But anything we ask he’s always done a lot more than was asked.
PRI: How do you measure the results of the partnership?
Jamora: The analytics are very important. That’s one of the things I really push, because you have to be able to justify the cost and see if it works. So we log everything—every click on the website, what they’re looking at, and where they’re looking at it. We look at it by city, by state, by region. We look at it by series. For example, we noticed when we signed Conor up that we were getting a lot more inquiries about sprint and midget stuff. And also, we can tell what region things are coming from by races. We did a post from Laguna Seca and then got a lot of people ordering T-shirts, or asking for a book from that region. You wouldn’t get any inquiries, and now you’re concentrated all of a sudden. So that’s a direct link.
IndyCar driver Conor Daly, at right, posts content and videos from the track as part of his sponsorship agreement with Isky Racing Cams. “There are certain stipulations in [our contract]. But anything we ask he’s always done a lot more,” Isky’s Nolan Jamora, at left, told us.
PRI: What kinds of crossover opportunities does this partnership offer?
Jamora: From the beginning, I mentioned to Conor and the people we sponsor from the Street Outlaws TV show that I’d like to cross-promote between them. We have things down the line coming, like Conor is going to take the Street Outlaws guys karting. We’re also going to invite Conor to go fishing in Louisiana with the Street Outlaws guys so they can show him their shops and things like that. It creates content that gets spread around. And Conor was going to go out to a Street Outlaws race, but I’m not sure that’s going to go off because of the coronavirus.
Daly: It’s really cool to see how many people really pay attention to the Street Outlaws show and what those guys are doing. I didn’t watch the show much, but after meeting them I want to see what it’s all about. I’ve enjoyed talking to them about IndyCar, and I’ve enjoyed listening to the Street Outlaws guys talk about the drag racing scene.
PRI: How did the partnership stay active during the coronavirus shutdown?
Jamora: Conor was doing a lot of iRacing, and he’s really good on social media.
Daly: We definitely dove into the sim racing world for a little bit. It’s what we had to do. There was nothing else. We were also staying physically fit as much as possible. My team owner, Ed Carpenter, and I agreed at the beginning that we would quarantine together. He had his gym at his house, so I was able to use that with him every day. And that was nice to do, to kind of stay on a normal schedule.
PRI: What’s the duration of this sponsorship agreement?
Jamora: We started last year fully. We signed Conor this year again.
Daly: We’ve just been going year by year. It’s hard to do long-term partnerships these days. I can’t remember the last time I’ve had more than a year-at-a-time type of deal. Even my deal with the Air Force is one year at a time, and this is the third year of that one.
PRI: How satisfied are you with this sponsorship deal?
Jamora: We’re really happy. We’re just going to keep growing it out. The great thing is that Conor is always asking, “What can I do for you?” It’s not like “crickets” and then we ask him to some dinner. It’s a really a good back and forth.
Daly: It’s been a great deal so far. Anyone who wants to support me, I’m ready to go above and beyond to try and help them as well, because that’s what a partnership is all about—especially in motorsports. You’ve got to make it worth people’s while when they invest in you.
The inaugural Drag Weekend 500 has been announced and is set for September 11-13, 2020. The event will require teams to drive their street-legal race cars on a 500-mile round trip from Byron Dragway in Byron, Illinois, to Rock Falls Raceway in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and back.
A test of both performance and durability, Drag Weekend 500 begins on Friday, September 11, at Byron Dragway. After qualifying runs, racers hit the road and drive over 250-miles to Rock Falls Raceway, where they will again qualify on Saturday, September 12.
Following another 250-mile drive back to Byron Dragway, the event will culminate on Sunday, September 13, with final qualifying for all classes and a bracket race for the Street Eliminator class.
Fans will be permitted to attend the competition at the tracks. Tickets are $15.
“We are proud to host Drag Weekend 500 in partnership with Rock Falls Raceway,” said B.J. Vangsness, owner of Byron Dragway. “Racers and race fans are starving for an event of this type, and we’re happy to play a role.”
Pre-registration is now open for Pro Street, Super Street, Street Class, and Street Eliminator. For more information, visit dragweekend500.com.
Williams Racing, the British Formula 1 team and constructor, has been acquired for $179.5 million by Dorilton Capital, a US-based company known for its long-term approach to investment.
“...we are delighted that Dorilton are the new owners of the team. When we started this process, we wanted to find a partner who shared the same passion and values, who recognized the team’s potential, and who could unlock its power. In Dorilton, we know we have found exactly that,” Williams Deputy Team Principal Claire Williams said.
The announcement comes ahead of the changes coming into the sport with the new Concorde Agreement, which sets out the terms under which teams will compete in F1 until 2025.
Williams Racing, based in Grove, United Kingdom, was founded by team owner Sir Frank Williams and automotive engineer Sir Patrick Head in 1978. The team boasts nine world championships, 114 wins, 129 pole positions, and 133 fastest laps awards.
Team drivers include George Russell and Nicholas Latifi.
Dorilton Capital is a private investment first based in New York City with offices in Houston, Texas. The company will not relocate the F1 team’s headquarters in the UK, according to Williams Racing.
Officials from the PRA Tours and the reborn Southern Modified Auto Racing Teams (SMART) have announced a new partnership that combines the two tours for the remainder of the 2020 season.
SMART presented by PRA Tours will join together for the first of at least three races this season beginning with the 55th Anniversary Night At The Races at Caraway Speedway on Saturday, August 29.
The SMART Tour-type modifieds will compete in a two segment, 99-lap event that will pay the top three runners at the lap 30 break and then race the final 69 laps to complete the race. Joining them will be the PRA Tours’ 602 Modifieds and 602 Super Limiteds, along with the Limited/Challengers, Mini Stocks, and U-Cars.
“We are really glad to announce this partnership with all the SMART Modified drivers and teams,” said PRA Tours President and Caraway Speedway owner Darren Hackett. “Caraway Speedway hosted more events with the original SMART series than any other track and we can’t think of a better place to begin this new relationship.”
In addition, the tour will visit Hickory Motor Speedway on Saturday, October 10, which will also feature the PRA Super Late Models, followed by a Saturday, October 24, visit to Orange County Speedway in Rougemont, North Carolina. That date will also feature additional PRA Tour divisions.
Potential 2021 events may be announced at a later date. PRA Tours is the sanctioning body for Tour-Type Modifieds, Super Late Model, and Limited Late Models.
The Grand Prix of Portland featuring the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will return to Portland International Raceway (PIR) through at least 2023, according to an announcement by the City of Portland and Green Savoree Portland LLC.
The 2021 date will be announced later this year. The 2020 event was canceled in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and Oregon’s statewide restrictions on public gatherings.
“We are very pleased to have ‘Portland’s Fastest Park,’ the Portland International Raceway, hosting the Grand Prix of Portland NTT INDYCAR SERIES race for three additional years,” Portland Parks & Recreation Director Adena Long said. “The Grand Prix has established itself as a summer tradition as Portlanders enjoy the festival atmosphere, the cars, and camaraderie. We look to 2021 through 2023 with great anticipation.”
According to Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, the event contributes $12-15 million in economic benefits for the city.
“I’m excited to see this premier race in Portland for at least the next three years,” Mayor Wheeler said.
Born and built for racing, Mike Nuchols is writing a new chapter with an established chassis brand, and winning loyal customers every step of the way.
From the moment Mike Nuchols entered this world, racing was in his blood. He was born and raised in Maryville, Tennessee, as part of a racing family with the dirt and clamor of the track firmly planted in their psyche.
“My dad had raced for 15 years,” said Nuchols. “He was racing when I was little, and we did it every Saturday. When he quit racing, I was 15 or 16 years old. So I still had to be in racing. It was all I ever knew.”
To Nuchols, there simply wasn’t any choice but to make racing his career. He enrolled in NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville, North Carolina, and graduated in 2005. After several relatively short detours, including a full-time job as a fabricator for a boat-trailer manufacturer, Nuchols in 2009 landed a position with veteran dirt late model chassis builder Sanford Goddard in nearby Seymour, Tennessee. With hard work and plenty of ambition, Nuchols worked his way through a progression of jobs with the company, including sheet metal fabrication and chassis setup. In 2018, Goddard retired and offered Nuchols a chance to buy the business.
RUNNING THE BUSINESS
After taking the helm, Nuchols renamed the business Warrior Race Cars. He also relocated it to an existing shop with some 2,000 square feet of workspace. It’s somewhat smaller than the original Goddard location, but it still serves well as the nerve center of Nuchols’ business, with everything the company does stemming from this compact locale. Importantly, it’s well situated at the hub of his life and the racing that takes place in the area. Located 30 minutes from Nuchols’ home in Maryville, the shop is seven miles from 411 Motor Speedway, where he often tests cars and his house race team often competes. Also nearby are Smoky Mountain Speedway and Volunteer Speedway, which are 25 and 55 miles away, respectively.
Although certainly not expansive in size, the current Warrior shop can hold up to seven cars at once, built in cooperation with Nuchols’ only full-time employee, fabricator Kevin Lusby. With careful planning, the building has enough room to carry on a steady stream of business consisting of new car builds, repairs, and upgrades.
“We try to schedule everything where cars don’t stay in the shop very long,” said Nuchols. “It’s about a 50-50 mix of repairs and new builds. We try to build two new chassis and do repairs in between them. So we’ll normally do two clip jobs or frame repairs of some sort. It takes us nine days to build a brand-new chassis, then we’ll take a couple days off to do frame repairs, and then we’ll start again and do another new chassis. We normally do four frame repairs a month.
“The repair business is a huge part of what we do, because we have a lot of older cars out there,” Nuchols continued. “We update them to modern-day stuff—that way they can travel more on the front end and get more ground clearance. We can take an older chassis, say a 2007, and give it some updates and make it like our newer cars. That way we give those guys the best chance possible to compete, without having to go out and buy a brand-new car. And we’re really successful at it. A lot of times, we’ll take a guy in and clip his car and give him that little bit of an edge that he needs, and he can go back out and compete with brand-new race cars.”
Operating out of a 2,000-square-foot shop, Warrior Race Cars is seven miles from 411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, Tennessee, where shop owner Mike Nuchols frequently tests cars and his house race team often competes.
Inside the shop, Warrior relies on the usual tried-and-true metalworking equipment that has built stock cars for ages—welders, saws, benders, drills, etc., all manually operated, without any CNC control. Warrior fabricates everything on the car themselves, with the exception of spindles and rear suspension birdcages. That said, the company does rely on an old Goddard connection for one key element in the fabrication process: Back in the day, the Goddards had a machine shop on their original complex called Goddard Manufacturing and Design (GMD). Warrior still uses them to laser cut parts.
With this mix of fabrication methods, Warrior builds just one basic chassis—the proven dirt late model design developed by Sanford Goddard some 35 years ago. That said, the basic design has gone through a number of revisions over the years, the result of continual tweaking and refining from testing and the sport’s ongoing progression.
“It’s always evolving,” explained Nuchols. “Our industry has kind of gone through stages. And it’s more through just technology and knowing where the cars are at attitude-wise. So we’re always evolving, trying to make the cars more user-friendly. We try to keep up with the trends in the business.
“If you boil it down to one item that’s causing changes in chassis, it would be the shocks,” added Nuchols. “In the early 2000s they still didn’t know what was needed in shocks. But now there’s just better shock technology. And the machines that we have to collect data from the shocks, they allow us to understand what our car is doing better, so that shows us what we need to change. Twenty years ago, we didn’t think that we’d have data acquisition. We didn’t think we’d have access to the things that all the Cup teams had then. But now we have that stuff, and we can collect information about our car that once was never even thought about. As shock packages get better, we’ve realized that we don’t need as much flex in the chassis. So now we’ve been able to run a stiffer, more rigid chassis. That way we can rely on the shocks and springs more.”
PUTTING CUSTOMERS FIRST
Speaking with Nuchols, the subject of testing comes up often. It’s clearly a vital element in the day-to-day operation of Warrior Race Cars, with his crew running tests on local tracks week after week. Nuchols sees such efforts as one of his fundamental responsibilities as a car builder. “Your local customer only races maybe 10 to 15 times a year,” Nuchols observed. “He can’t waste three or four weeks of calling you back, and you guessing at something to make him run better. So we test a lot in-house, that way our customers don’t have to. We go out and we burn up our own tires and our own motors to be able to tell a customer, ‘Hey, this is how your car travels, this is the adjustment you need to make.’ That stuff isn’t an estimated guess. We know what works.
“We don’t have as broad of a customer base as the other big chassis brands do,” continued Nuchols. “Those chassis brands let their customers do a lot of the testing, and they call back to them during the week and let them know how the car felt. But for us, we don’t have that customer base, so we go [and] do most of our testing ourselves. And then we relay that back to the customers, to help them. That way the guy that works nine to five, he doesn’t have to go rent a race track, have us come out and help him, rent a data machine, stuff like that. We’re just trying to help the guys on a lower budget compete with the guys who do have all the money.”
Mike Nuchols, pictured here, began working for veteran dirt late model chassis builder Sanford Goddard in 2009. He proceeded to work his way through a progression of jobs, including sheet metal fabrication and chassis setup, before purchasing the operation when Goddard retired two years ago.
That attention to setup and support forms the basis for a vital element of the company—Warrior Shock Service. This side of the business was established by Nuchols and Goddard in 2014, with the aim of servicing and setting up shocks for any kind of dirt late model, even if it’s not a Warrior chassis. The shock service provides just about everything racers need in the way of shocks, including sales, rebuilds, oil changes, and shim changes. A big part of the shock business is also repair. “If a guy bends or breaks a shock on Monday, if he can get it to me on Tuesday or Wednesday, we can turn it back around so he can race that weekend.”
Besides providing a solid stream of revenue for the company, the shock service expands Nuchols’ knowledge of other cars, allowing him to make even better setup recommendations for them. Shock work has also proven to be somewhat of a marketing tool. It’s a great way to start conversations and build relationships with racers in the area, all of whom are potential chassis customers.
Warrior Race Cars builds just one basic chassis—the proven dirt late model design developed by Sanford Goddard some 35 years ago. This model has gone through a number of revisions over the years thanks to continual tweaking and refining
FINDING CUSTOMERS
According to Nuchols, the shock service typically leads to several sales of complete car builds per year—a significant percentage of the company’s annual output. “I’ve had people switch chassis brands in the past two years, and it was all because I was actually helping with their other chassis brands,” said Nuchols. “I was giving more information about their other chassis than their chassis manufacturer could themselves. And they got faster once they got in my cars, because I could give them exact information and it wasn’t a guess.”
In addition to such organic marketing efforts, Nuchols uses a few select forms of online media to get the word out and connect with his customers. He sometimes advertises on DirtonDirt.com. “It’s the ESPN for our sport,” he said.
But to a much larger degree, Nuchols relies on Facebook for the heavy lifting of reaching potential customers. “Facebook seems to be where our market is at,” he said. “I post at least two or three photos, or a video a day. I always try to post something every day, that way we stay in front of people. We’ve got almost 25,000 followers on there. So anytime I can put something on there, it usually gains some good attention. I usually connect every day with 10,000 to 15,000 people at minimum. I’ve never bought an ad on Facebook a day in my life, and I’ve got more followers than a lot of people who buy ads on there. But I guess it’s just because we try to put cool content on there that our customers want to see.”
Warrior Race Cars owner Mike Nuchols’ goal is to build only 15 race cars per year to cement the shop’s place in the industry and serve its customers well. “We can be a small company and compete on a big level,” he said.
Although clearly effective, Nuchols sees these communication platforms as being mere complements to the real focus of the business, which is building the best possible chassis and letting Warrior’s products sell themselves on their merits of design, workmanship, and support. And his customers agree, keeping them coming back for more over the years. “The product proves itself,” said Tennessee-based racer Aaron Guinn. “I’ve owned two of them so far. I’ve driven other chassis before, and I just enjoy the feel of the Warriors.”
LONG DAYS WELL SPENT
In the end, Mike Nuchols and his Warrior shop aren’t trying to flood the world with race cars. He said one of his big-name rivals built more than 200 cars last year; in that same amount of time, just nine new cars emerged from the Warrior shop. In fact, Nuchols’ goal is to never build more than 15 a year. It’s about knowing your place in the industry and serving that well, he believes. “We can be a small company and compete on a big level,” he said.
Much of his success comes from the focus on taking care of people. “You give every customer, whether they spend one dollar or a million dollars with you, the same attention and the same effort,” said Nuchols. “That’s what made the Goddard name before I got there.”
And the customers that race his cars deeply appreciate Nuchols’ approach. “It’s that down-home feeling,” said Guinn. “They know your name there. You’re not ‘chassis number whatever.’ They don’t have to look you up in a book to see what chassis you bought.”
Nuchols also credits others for their part in his success, particularly Lusby. “Kevin has been here 34 years,” said Nuchols. “He is my huge asset. If it wasn’t for him knowing the ins and outs of the business, I couldn’t be as successful as I am.”
And, as Nuchols continues to run the business, he’s also careful to maintain perspective. Through it all, his wife Megan and his kids, Hunter and Turner, are still his top priorities. “My wife is a huge part of me being able to do what I do,” he said.
That support at home is undoubtedly invaluable in a demanding job like this. “I work pretty much 24 hours a day,” said Nuchols. “But in this racing business, the guys that we’re chasing to try to be better than, they’re not sleeping either.
“You’ve got to match what they’re doing to even be on their level,” he added.
Lubrication Specialties Inc. (LSI), the manufacturer of performance additives and oils and custom lubrication solutions for the automotive aftermarket, has announced the promotion of Todd Cawley to the position of president of LSI Chemical, a new company division. He previously served as the LSI vice president of global sales.
Cawley–who holds a strong sales and technical background in oils, fuels, and lubricants–initially contributed to the decision to develop LSI Chemical, a standalone business unit with a focus on developing additives and base oils utilizing Nanotechnology for new markets, including racing, engine, marine, and industrial oils. For the diesel additive market, the focus will be on products for large trucking fleets, marine, mines, and fuel jobbers.
LSI Chemical will incorporate the company’s Nanotechnology, colorless Nanoparticles, patented additives and surface treatment processes, and Group V Esters/Group IV PAO, designed for fewer solubility issues and superior performance.
“I could not be more excited about LSI Chemical and our technologies with game-changing capabilities to improve products for many different industries and markets in the USA and around the world,” said Cawley.
LSI is the parent company of brands, including Hot Shot's Secret, Frantz Filters, and Fluid Recovery.
The 58th annual Champion Racing Oil National Open at Williams Grove Speedway, scheduled for October 2-3, is set to be the highest-paying winged sprint car race of the season, offering $65,000 to the winner of the Saturday night main event.
Sanctioned by the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series, the event will be attended by last year's defending race winner, Brent Marks.
"It looks really good for the Champion Racing Oil National Open," said Justin Loh, managing director at Williams Grove Speedway, in a release.
General admission is $30 on Friday, and $35 on Saturday. Kids are $15 and $20, respectively.
Flat Rock Speedway in Ash Township, Monroe County, Michigan, will not contest any races for the remainder of the 2020 season, according to a statement by Ron Drager and Scott Schultz, which cited "no relief from the restrictions in place regarding mass gatherings" as the main reason.
Track officials will now focus their efforts on the 2021 racing season.
"From the onset of this pandemic, our priority has been working closely and directly with Ash Township, the Monroe County Health Department, the Monroe County Sheriff Department and State of Michigan officials to follow guidelines established to keep our fans, race teams, sponsors and officials safe and healthy. We are very appreciative of the support, patience and understanding displayed by so many of you throughout this time," the release said.
John Marcum Promotions has operated Flat Rock Speedway since 1962, and Drager and Schultz have owned the track outright since 1982.
A decision will be made regarding the remainder of the Flat Rock's sister track, Toledo Speedway, and its schedule by August 24.
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