SCORE International announced that next month's BFGoodrich Tires 52nd SCORE Baja 500 presented by 4 Wheel Parts is set to take place as scheduled, with officials working with government authorities and private sector representatives to determine the best possible health protocols for the July 14-19 event.

Racer registration opens online on June 15.

Entries from across the United States, Mexico, and around the world are expected for the upcoming internationally-televised event, which serves as the season-opener of the 2020 SCORE World Desert Championship. The start/finish line area will be at the Lucas Oil Off-Road Stadium in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico.

For the daily event schedule, visit the SCORE website here.

Following the Baja 500 is the 34th SCORE San Felipe 250 set for Sept. 22-27, in San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico, followed by the BFGoodrich Tires 53rd SCORE Baja 1000, presented by 4 Wheel Parts on Nov.17-22, in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico.

For more information, visit score-international.com.

Ted Wentz III, CEO of Quadratec Inc., has been elected to the 2020-2021 SEMA Board of Directors in the Distributor/Retailer category. He will replace outgoing Board member Greg Adler of Greg Adler Motorsports, effective in July.

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’ rep and services.

The SEMA Board of Directors for 2020-2021 will be as follows:

Board Officers
• Chairman – Tim Martin, CEO, Aftermarket Advisors
• Chairman-elect – James Lawrence, CEO Power Automedia
• Immediate Past-Chair/Secretary – Wade Kawasaki, President, Coker Group
• Treasurer – Kyle Fickler, Owner, Fickler Enterprises LLC

Board Members
• Chris Douglas – COO, COMP Performance Group
• Donnie Eatherly – President, P&E Distributors Inc.
• Dan Kahn – President, Kahn Media Inc.
• Brian Lounsberry – CEO, Motovicity Distribution
• Kim Pendergast – CEO, Magnuson Superchargers
• Kathryn Reinhardt – Senior Marketing Manager, 4WP/ Pro Comp
• Bunyan L. (Les) Rudd, CPMR – President, Bob Cook Sales
• Ted Wentz III – CEO, Quadratec Inc.
• Steve Whipple – Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Edelbrock LLC
• Melanie White – President, Hellwig Products

Outgoing Board Member
• Greg Adler – CEO, Greg Adler Motorsports

About SEMA
SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association founded in 1963, represents the $44.6 billion specialty automotive industry. The industry provides appearance, performance, comfort, convenience and technology products for passenger and recreational vehicles. Association resources include market research, legislative advocacy, training and product development support, as well as leading trade shows such as the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, NV, and the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show in Indianapolis, IN. For more information, visit sema.org, semashow.com, or performanceracing.com.  

Media firm and rally school DirtFish will partner with the Estonian Autosport Union to run Rally DirtFish in July, the first event outside of America backed by the Seattle-based rallying brand.
 
Based in Estonia, the northern European country, the event is expected to be one of Europe’s highest-profile gravel events since the coronavirus-enforced lockdowns. The event will run on July 24-25, with a back-up date of August 7-8.

Organizers are working with local government officials on guidelines and race-day procedures related to the coronavirus.  

“Coronavirus has affected – and continues to affect – so many people all around the world. When we first talked about getting involved in this event, we had to be absolutely sure the focus was on COVID awareness and keeping everyone safe; we know the Estonian Autosport Union can run rallies, but dealing with the virus is something new to us all," DirtFish owner Steve Rimmer said.

“This is an opportunity for DirtFish to get involved with an event putting itself at the forefront of the sport’s way forward in the post-coronavirus era. The level of planning and attention to detail from the event organizers is all-encompassing. Every aspect of the sporting procedure has been closely inspected, questioned, debated, and modified to work in the evolving society that we all live in now.
 
“But as well as that, Rally DirtFish is about putting smiles back on the faces of rallying fans. Naturally, the number of live spectators is going to be limited, but the wider world of rallying shouldn’t worry, we have plans to bring racing to the rest of the world. These plans will be announced in the coming weeks.”

For more information, visit rallydirtfish.com or dirtfish.com.

The Illinois Motorsports Coalition (IMC), a group comprised of racing facilities across Illinois, has submitted a PRI- and SEMA-supported eight-step plan to Governor J.B. Pritzker that would allow motorsports to safely resume statewide.

Under Governor Pritzker’s current Restore Illinois plan, motorsports may not return to action until late 2020. As it stands, Illinois residents must travel to neighboring states in order to enjoy racing.

For more information and to contact Illinois’ leaders in support of IMC’s proposal, visit here.

The Performance Racing Industry has compiled an up-to-date listing of motorsports’ status in each state. Click here to discover whether racing venues in your area are ready to drop the green flag.

For more information, contact Christian Robinson at stateleg@sema.org.

Aeromotive, the manufacturer of aftermarket fuel systems and accessories, has opened an in-house customization shop for fuel systems. The new program is designed to help builders and customizers find fuel system solutions for race cars, street rods, off-road vehicles, marine, powersports, heavy equipment, and other vehicles.

Using existing Aeromotive fuel pumps and components, the customization shop provides customers access to the company’s in-house expertise for specifying a fuel system tailored to the application’s needs.

Aeromotive will benchmark test all customized fuel systems for performance and durability, according to company sources. Applications with factory OEM fuel tanks can expect a minimum of two weeks for evaluation and installation of the customized system.  

Interested customers can contact Aeromotive through its online form. For more information, visit aeromotiveinc.com.


 

Holley’s LS Fest West event most recently scheduled for June 12-14, 2020, in Las Vegas has been canceled. The state of Nevada is taking a phased approach to reopening, and at this time, there is still no indication as to when large crowds will be permitted to gather.

"We’re grateful for our loyal Holley LS Fest fans that didn’t give up on the event. We know they were really looking forward to the event and so were we. We pour our hearts into this event and love seeing everyone enjoy it as much as we do. Rest assured, we will be back in 2021 delivering more fun than ever," event organizers said in a press release.

Pre-registered participants will be receiving an LS Fest West care package, courtesy of Holley, containing an event T-shirt, event poster, and a collectible pin. This 2020 LS Fest West shirt will also be available at holley.com.

Pre-registered participants and spectators that purchased tickets will be fully refunded. Participants will receive an LS Fest West care package courtesy of Holley, and will also be entered to receive a free entry into this fall's LS Fest East event. For more information, visit lsfest.com/west.

CARS Tour and ARCA/CRA Super Series powered by JEGS officials have announced the approval of the Next-Gen body for competition in their Super Late Model divisions, as well as the JEGS/CRA All-Star Tour presented by Chevrolet Performance Pro Late Model division.

The new body will be eligible beginning with the Thomas Automotive American Freedom 200 at Jennerstown Speedway (PA) on July 4, and is approved without any weight penalties or advantages when competing against existing ABC-approved race car bodies.

"CARS Tour and ARCA/CRA Super Series powered by JEGS officials would like to thank Five Star Bodies, who worked diligently with the CARS Tour and ARCA/CRA to resolve numerous issues during this process. They would also like to thank all the competitors for their patience and understanding throughout the uncertain times," a series press release stated.

For more information, visit carsracingtour.com or cra-racing.com.

JRi Shocks has announced that the company is expanding with a new office location, moving from its current location at 115 Eastbend Court to 116 Infield Court in Mooresville, North Carolina.  

“The new office space better accommodates our growing team and enables us to provide an increased level of service to our loyal customers and valued business partners,” said Det Cullum, JRi VP of Operations. “The additional space will help drive innovation and provide the opportunity for further expansion into additional markets, product lines, and services.”

JRi plans to be settled into the new facility on Friday, June 5.

JRi Shocks is the manufacturer of high-performance shock absorbers for various racing and street applications. The company was founded in 2007 by Jeff Ryan. In 2018, JRi Shocks was purchased by NASCAR Hall of Famer Ray Evernham.

For more information, visit jrishocks.com.

BorgWarner has opened a new high-tech lab at its Technical Center in Noblesville, Indiana.

The new lab will allow engineers the ability to build, calibrate, and test electric propulsion systems for quick feedback to design and analysis teams. The 40,000 square-foot space will be home to many newly built electric components that will be used in both hybrid and electric vehicles.  

“Having engineering, testing, and prototype together under one roof is a competitive advantage as we move toward a highly technical and electrified future,” said Dr. Stefan Demmerle, President and General Manager, BorgWarner PowerDrive Systems. “The ability to streamline processes and improve design collaboration and responsiveness amongst engineering and prototyping will be reflected in future technologies developed at Noblesville.”

The Noblesville lab is designed to maximize space utilization; it moved all non-critical equipment such as high voltage cabinets, isolation transformers, and battery simulators, to an equipment platform, reserving space on the main floor for additional test cells. The interior insulated walls are modular allowing for quick and easy layout changes creating an agile building infrastructure for the future.

BorgWarner also equipped the facility with the scope of motor manufacturing equipment, including wire formers, slot liner insertion, wire insertion, laser welding, varnishing and end of line testing.

For more information, visit borgwarner.com.

Photo courtesy of BorgWarner

Montana Raceway Park, the race track in Kalispell, Montana, has ceased operations. The facility was built in 1991 and features views of the Flathead Valley and the Rocky Mountains. The track is a 1/4-mile inside and 3/8-mile outside, high banked asphalt short track.

The track regularly featured late models, hobby stocks, Legends, Hornets, and Bandoleros.

An official announcement from track officials, below, was posted on the facility’s website.

Through 30 years of racing as a cornerstone facility in the northwest, there has been a lot of ups and downs.

Today is the day where we announce that Montana Raceway Park will be closed permanently. This is not an easy decision like any decision where we know there will be heavy hearts but for the past few years, there has been constant vandalism, declining fan bases, and support. The COVID-19 crisis which has forced us to close our doors for the season will have an unsurvivable economic impact forcing our hand.

We want to wish all of our supporters the best of luck in all of your future endeavors.

–The Thornton Family

For more information, visit mtracewaypark.com.

Photo courtesy of Montana Raceway Park