NHRA officials have announced that they are working with state and local officials, as well as host tracks and teams, on a revised Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule, which they said will be released soon.

The season is expected to resume, with fans in attendance, in August, and will consist of 18 total events for 2020, including the two that kicked off the season, officials added. The Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series will continue to be contested at each Mello Yello Series event.
 
The revised schedule previously announced is in flux because of the fluid nature of the pandemic situation, the NHRA stated. At this time, the following  events planned for June and July have been postponed:

* AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals on June 5-7 (Gainesville, FL)
* Mopar Express Lane NHRA SpringNationals Presented by Pennzoil on June 12-14 (Houston, TX)
* NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals on June 19-21 (Bristol, TN)
* Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals on June 26-28 (Norwalk, OH)
* Route 66 NHRA Nationals on July 9-12 (Chicago, IL)
* Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals Presented By Pennzoil on July 17-19 (Denver, CO)
* NHRA Sonoma Nationals on July 24-26 (Sonoma, CA)
 
Tentative schedule announcements for the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Series, Mickey Thompson Tires NHRA Top Fuel Harley Series, and SAMtech.edu NHRA Factory Stock Showdown series will be released following the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series announcement.

For more information, visit nhra.com.

Mountain Motorsports has announced the sale of the Australian Tarmac Rally Championship, which will be rebranded as Australian Tarmac Rally (ATR).

The new owners, Australian Tarmac Rally PTY Limited, are females, making ATR the first motorsports event management company to be fully owned by women, according to a company release.

"Ursula and I are very excited for the next chapter of Australian Tarmac Rally, being able to see the events and brand taken to the next level, and we are excited to come along for the journey," Mountain Motorsports' Peter Washington said.

"We are very excited to continue the long tradition of Tarmac Rallying in not only Victoria but Australia-wide. With the recent tough times, we are hoping this will give people some light at the end of the tunnel and something to look forward to. We have some great plans for the events, and we are looking forward to growth in the years ahead," ATR Executive Director Brittany Smith said.

ATR also announced a newly built website and refreshed brand and event logos.

The ATR Snowy River Sprint 2020 (Lakes  Entrance/Buchan Region) is set for September 19-20. The Great Tarmac Rally (Marysville/TBC Region) dates are yet to be announced.

For more information, visit australiantarmacrally.com.au.

NASCAR issued a wide-ranging technical bulletin Friday afternoon, with updates on areas of competition impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as safety enhancements for future races following the findings from a study into the last-lap wreck of the 2020 Daytona 500.

The technical changes include the addition of two roll bars, elimination of aero ducts at superspeedway tracks, and a reduction in the size of the throttle body at superspeedways.

Some of the changes are a result of NASCAR’s investigation of the six-car incident at the end of the 2020 Daytona 500, which resulted in a brief hospitalization for Roush Fenway Racing driver Ryan Newman after he was inadvertently turned and flipped on the final lap of the February season-opener.

Newman missed the following three races with what he identified as a “brain bruise,” but has been medically cleared to return to the car when the NASCAR Cup Series returns May 17 at Darlington Raceway.

NASCAR officials had studied the car at the R&D Center in Concord, North Carolina, following the incident. More details about the investigation are expected in the coming weeks.

“As teams prepare for the return to racing, we want to provide as much advance notice as possible for upcoming technical changes,” said John Probst, NASCAR senior vice president of racing development. “Some of these updates stem from the investigation into the six-car incident at Daytona, and all are intended to produce a safe and competitive race at all venues. We look forward to providing more details in the near future.”

Other technical changes to the cars include:

• Updated roll bar padding specifications, mandatory at all tracks beginning June 1;

• Oil reservoir tank or overflow expansion tank must contain a check valve, mandatory at all tracks beginning with Talladega;

• Slip tape must be applied along the entire length of the lower rearward facing surfaces of the rear bumper cover and extension, at superspeedways only.

Additionally, with teams beginning to return to the race shops to prepare for the NASCAR Cup Series return, the following also was announced in Friday’s bulletin.

• The temporary ban on most testing will be lifted on May 4, but on-track testing will not be allowed in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series or NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series for the remainder of the 2020 season.

• Organizations are allocated 150 hours in the wind tunnel through Dec. 31, 2021, with a maximum usage of 70 hours in 2020 and 90 hours in 2021.

• Wind tunnel testing of Next Gen vehicles — the debut of which was delayed from 2021 to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic — by individual organizations is not permitted.

• The minimum number of short block sealed engines changes from 13 to eight.

For more information, visit nascar.com.

NASCAR has announced it will return to racing on May 17, which will kick off a slate of races that includes seven events in three series at two race tracks—Darlington Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway.
 
The NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series will each host its first on-track event since mid-March.
 
The NASCAR Cup Series will return to Darlington Raceway on Sunday, May 17, with a 400-mile event scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET, live on FOX, FOX Deportes, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
 
What follows is a schedule that includes midweek races in primetime and the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in its traditional Memorial Day Weekend home for the 60th consecutive season.
 
The opening slate of races is as follows:

DATE               TRACK             SERIES                        DISTANCE           NET     
Sun, May 17      Darlington          Cup                              400 mi            FOX   
Tue, May 19      Darlington          Xfinity                           200 mi            FS1    
Wed, May 20     Darlington          Cup                              500 km            FS1     
Sun, May 24      Charlotte           Cup                              600 mi             FOX    
Mon, May 25     Charlotte           Xfinity                           300 mi             FS1     
Tue, May 26      Charlotte           Gander Trucks               200 mi             FS1     
Wed, May 27     Charlotte           Cup                              500 km            FS1     
 
Each of NASCAR’s return events will be run without fans in attendance. Further schedule adjustments will be announced in the future.

“NASCAR and its teams are eager and excited to return to racing, and have great respect for the responsibility that comes with a return to competition,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. “NASCAR will return in an environment that will ensure the safety of our competitors, officials and all those in the local community. We thank local, state and federal officials and medical experts, as well as everyone in the industry, for the unprecedented support in our return to racing, and we look forward to joining our passionate fans in watching cars return to the track.”
 
Following thorough collaboration with public health officials, medical experts and state and federal officials, NASCAR has implemented a comprehensive health and safety plan. In accordance with CDC, OSHA and state and local government recommendations, nearly every aspect of how the event is conducted will be significantly modified, including:
 
    •    One-day shows;
    •    Mandated use of personal protective equipment throughout the event;
    •    Health screenings for all individuals prior to entering the facility, while inside the facility and exiting the facility;
    •    Social distancing protocols throughout the event;
    •    Strict limits on the number of individuals who are granted access into each facility
 
As NASCAR works toward the execution of these events, the sanctioning body will continue to work with state and local authorities based on trends and local restrictions.

In-race competition procedures remain largely unchanged, though NASCAR will eliminate practice for all events during this opening return slate, as well as qualifying for all events except the Coca-Cola 600.

For more information, visit nascar.com.

Friends of Portland International Raceway (FOPIR) has made the decision to postpone this summer’s 60th Rose Cup Races due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally scheduled for July 10–12, 2020, the event will now take place July 9–11, 2021.

With so much uncertainty about the coronavirus situation, when large groups of people will be able to gather again and what the entry count could be, the Rose Cup Executive Committee recommended to the FOPIR Board postponement until 2021. The Rose Cup Races, a Portland Rose Festival event, was the first major event ever held at Portland International Raceway (PIR) in 1961 and has taken place annually ever since. This year will be the first since then without a Rose Cup Races weekend.

“The Rose Cup Races is an iconic Portland event, and postponing it will allow for a deserving and proper 60th race celebration,” said David Pollock, interim FOPIR president. “We promise to put all of this year’s efforts into making sure next year’s race weekend provides an outstanding experience for the public that includes not just high speed racing, but also a visual display of Rose Cup Races history, a Vanport history exhibit, car club corrals, car club parade, vendors and more.”

Added Pollock, “FOPIR extends its appreciation to the steering committee members and participating partners, including Cascade Sports Car Club, Oregon Region SCCA and Portland International Raceway, for their thoughtful analysis, their time and most of all their enthusiasm and commitment to this great event.”

Specific race groups, registration timing and details regarding 2021 will be announced in the coming months. Learn more at www.RoseCup.com.

Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 will hold its season opener on May 9 with a three-division DIRTcar racing program on the third-mile oval.

Track officials are planning to utilize strict social distancing measures amid the COVID-19 crisis to keep everyone safe for the event highlighted by a $5,000-to-win Super Late Model feature. Modifieds and Pro Mods will also be on the card for the event co-promoted by Track Enterprises.

Race teams will be limited to 10 people per car while general admission tickets for spectators will be capped at 700. Social distancing practices are recommended in the grandstands and pit area with attendees encouraged to wear face masks and bring hand sanitizer.

Pit open at 3 p.m., grandstands open at 4 p.m. with hot laps scheduled for 6 p.m. and racing at 7. General admission is $30 and a limited number of advance tickets will be available online. No tickets will be sold at the gate.

For more information or to order tickets, visit www.FederatedAutoPartsRaceway.com or call 636-479-3219. The event will be live streamed for those unable to attend.

Avon Lake, Ohio-based Design Engineering Inc. (DEI) has announced it is celebrating 25 years as a heat and sound control products supplier.
 


Founded in 1995 by performance industry veteran Dale Markley and his wife Nancy, DEI started out developing solutions to combat power-robbing under-hood heat problems.
 


Over the years the company has designed and created a variety of “thermal tuning products” for the racing and performance aftermarket, as well as related industries such as aviation, powersports, marine, and locomotive. DEI also does “build to spec" contract work for commercial, industrial, and military-related businesses, along with myriad other industries.
 


DEI’s product list includes heat shields and thermal containment products, exhaust and pipe wraps, line and hose sleeving, sound control barriers & absorbers, headliners and accessories, safety gear and CryO2, which is designed to harness the cryogenic properties of liquid CO2 to lower intake charge temperatures, resulting in added horsepower.
 


“We work with customers to define their problems, determine the correct materials necessary to handle their heat or sound control issues, and then create a solution,” said Tom Miller of DEI. “Our in-house design team can quickly turn around first article prototypes for inspection, fitment and evaluation purposes. Once a final design is tested and approved by the customer, production begins based on their requirements.”
 


For more information, visit designengineering.com.

The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) has announced changes to the grassroots Summit SuperSeries program requirements for those who wish to become a SuperSeries member between May 1 and August 1.

The Summit SuperSeries track champions will continue to be crowned based on each track’s actual schedule of points races. Regardless of when a track reopens and starts point races, track champions will be determined based on competitors being current Summit SuperSeries members during any points races their home track holds.

“The IHRA has been able to adapt and change for the last 15 years to whatever obstacle has been in our way, and we plan to attack what may be a shortened season due to this pandemic in the same manner,” said IHRA Vice President Skooter Peaco. “Our focus is to make sure our Sportsman racers have every opportunity to compete for a championship in 2020.”
 
For more information on the IHRA Summit SuperSeries and Summit Team Finals, visit IHRA.com.

Even though racing has been idled, NHRA member tracks from coast to coast have been working behind the scenes to prepare their race tracks for when racing resumes. Below is a rundown of track updates.

Big Country Raceway (Abilene, Texas) has installed new LED scoreboards and updated computer software. The track also has added base material to the secondary pit area for better drainage, refurbished the inside of the concession building, updated the VIP lounge, and applied fresh paint to the guard walls.

Cecil County Dragway (Rising Sun, Md.) has replaced concrete from the burnout box to 60 feet in both lanes and purchased two new tractors for track prep.

Edgewater Sports Park (Cleves, Ohio) has committed a high six-figure investment into major repaving, new concrete, timing system, PA system, and equipment for the track.

Julesburg Dragstrip (Julesburg, Colo.) is doing track resurfacing with new concrete launch pads, asphalt work on the racing surface, and return road, and a new concrete wall protecting the return road.

National Trail Raceway (Hebron, Ohio) is doing concrete seam repair.

Redding Dragstrip (Redding, Calif.), one of the longest-continuous running dragstrips in the world, has paved its main entrance road and installed a new front gate.

Thunder Valley Raceway Park (Lexington, Okla.) has resurfaced the track, repaired the entrance road, and updated its drainage system.

Virginia Motorsports Park (Richmond, Va.) has made repairs to the racing surface.

For more information, visit nhra.com.

Image courtesy of NHRA

Electric City Speedway in Black Eagle, Montana, is under new management and ownership. LNB Speedway purchased the track from Dan and Barb Mann, the owners and operators of the facility for over 30 years. Debby Wiggers and Russ Ehnes will serve as the track's co-managers, while Steve Fowler will serve as the promoter.

“We are very grateful to Dan and Barb for working so hard the past three decades to keep racing alive and allowing us to continue the tradition in Great Falls,” Wiggers said.

The new owner and managers announced plans to resume racing this summer as soon as regulations allow. Races may be run without spectators in the grandstands if necessary.

“We’re committed to working with state, county, and city officials to provide safe and responsible access to stock car racing as soon as they determine it is safe for us to do so,” Wiggers said.

“We’re developing a plan now that, through social-distancing, will allow us to keep drivers and crews safe in the pits and on the track. We’ll allow spectators at the track as soon as we can, which should be when we reach phase three of the Governor’s reopening plan. If we can’t have spectators right away, we’re working on live pay-per-view so families can still enjoy the racing," Ehnes said, noting the stream would be available through Speedsport.tv.

At the same time, the new owners are upgrading the existing facility with new lighting, spectator section improvements, and more. Safety improvements include upgraded barriers and a new track exit.

For more information, visit electriccityspeedway.com.