NASCAR and iRacing announced today the formation of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, an exhibition esports series featuring many of the sports most talented and popular drivers. The simulation-style showcase will include a cross-section of competitors from the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series and a group of NASCAR dignitaries.

The multi-week series will kick off Sunday, March 22 at 1:30 p.m. ET on the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway. The remaining race and broadcast details will be announced at a later date.

“Until we have cars back on track, the entire NASCAR community has aligned to provide our passionate fans with a unique, fun and competitive experience on race day,” said Ben Kennedy, vice president, racing development, NASCAR. “Our long-time partners at iRacing offer an incredible product and we are excited to see how many of our best drivers will stack up in the virtual domain of competitive racing.”

NASCAR postponed events through May 3, prioritizing the health and safety of fans, the industry and race communities. The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series will provide racing entertainment for sports fans on the premier motorsports racing simulation platform, often used by NASCAR drivers to prepare for race events.
 
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Clint Bowyer, Kyle Larson, and Christopher Bell have already confirmed their participation.

For more information, visit nascar.com or iracing.com.

Korey Peterson, Jeff Peterson, and Todd Peterson take over promotional duties for the Bullring at Rock Island County Fairgrounds (formerly Quad City Speedway) in East Moline, Illinois.

Peterson Family Promotions will operate the 1/4-mile clay track, which will feature IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Late Models, Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods and, for the first time, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock in 2020.

The facility becomes the first track in Illinois to run a weekly IMCA Hobby Stocks program.

Opening night for the track, barring any changes, will be April 26. The IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing point season will continue through August 30.

For more information, visit imca.com.

The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) and Onawa Dragway have entered into a multi-year sanctioning agreement.

Onawa Dragway, in Onawa, Iowa, is 10 miles from the Nebraska border and sits across the Missouri River. The facility—which features a 1/8-mile drag strip—opened in August 2018 to a sold-out crowd and a car count of over 150.

The Western Iowa facility participated in the IHRA Midwest Summit Team Finals and features the IHRA Summit SuperSeries. The track also hosts the Midwest Index Series.

The track hosts a number of special events, including Summer Madness, (formerly Thunder on the Prairie) and the Midwest Bash.

“Onawa Dragway has already proven the ‘if you build it, they will come’ philosophy in late 2019,” IHRA Division Director Jon O’Neal said. “There have been big steps to get the facility operating and the racers have done a great job representing the International Hot Rod Association over this past couple of years. I’m excited to see where new lessees and operators Dan and Judy Wilson take the facility for years to come.”

For more information, visit onawaracing.com and ihra.com.

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series racing team Wood Brothers Racing is accepting donations to help quarantined seniors during the ongoing outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

The team announced via its social media channels on Sunday that it was raising funds to send tablets to its local nursing home and assisted living facility in Stuart, Virginia. The efforts will help quarantined individuals video chat with their family and friends.

The team set up a $10 donation in its online store. Those who donate will receive a signed thank you note from the Wood Brothers Owners Eddie and Len Wood, as well as an autograph from Cup Series driver Matt DiBenedetto.

As of midday March 17, the team had ordered 108 tablets.

In related news, the team closed its museum doors until further notice.

For more information, visit the Wood Brothers Racing online store here.

A former car owner, a current car owner, and a mechanic are slated for induction into the Little 500 Hall of Fame on Saturday, May 23, as part of the 72nd Annual Pay Less Little 500 presented by UAW Week. The Class of 2020 will be formally inducted at a luncheon at Anderson Speedway (Anderson, Indiana) the afternoon of the Little 500.

The Class of 2020 includes the late Dick Fuller, Jason Goacher, and Mark “Moe” McKeague.

Dick Fuller (Massillon, OH) Car owner, fielded 11 entries from 1994-2001 with drivers Gary Griffith, Eric Gordon, and Dog Saunier; winner in 1999 with Chet Fillip; cars completed 4,674 laps; four top-five finishes; led two races for 255 laps. Fuller passed away on June 19, 2002.

Jason Goacher (Anderson, IN) Second generation Little 500 car owner; to date has fielded 13 entries since 1990 with drivers Tray House, Tony Hunt, Kevin Thomas Jr., and Bentley Warren; winner in 2015 with Chris Windom; five top 10 finishes; cars have led two races for 80 laps.

Mark “Moe” McKeague (Battle Creek, MI) Michigan-based mechanic for nearly 40 years; assisted 1982 and ’83 race winner (Marv Carman); has wrenched on cars at Anderson Speedway since 1980.

Tickets for the 31st annual Little 500 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony are available at the Anderson Speedway box office. For more information, call 765-642-0206 or 765-278-8231.

For more information, visit andersonspeedway.com.

Top real-world NASCAR drivers, champion iRacers, and casual race fans will all get together this Thursday, March 19, to take part in eTruck Series Night in America Powered by FilterTime.

Organized by NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Ryan Vargas, the event will feature heat races leading into a 100-lap feature on a track to be announced at a later date, and will be run to benefit multiple charities. There will be a livestream on the iRacing Twitch channel (twitch.tv/iracing), with production by Podium eSports and Speed51 providing additional coverage of the event.

The event was organized after an “overwhelming” response to a tweet Vargas posted after the postponement or cancelation of multiple events in the world of sports, including multiple NASCAR event weekends, in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Vargas will be joined in the event by a group of racers that includes NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Brandon Brown, NASCAR Truck Series driver Christian Eckes, ARCA Menards Series drivers Ty Gibbs, Connor Hall, Chase Cabre, and Ruben Garcia, NBC Sports analyst Parker Kligerman, and four-time eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series champion Ray Alfalla, with a number of other professional racers expected to commit in the coming days. The rest of the spots on the entry list will be open to fans.

eTruck Series Night in America Powered by FilterTime will be run to benefit the National Craniofacial Association (FACES) and Cranio Care Bears. In addition, the event winner will be able to donate $100 to the charity of their choice courtesy of Carolina Sim Works.

For more information, visit the iRacing website.

Harrop Engineering, the privately-owned Australian company, celebrates 65 years of operation in 2020. The company operates an R&D center and warehouse facility in Dayton, Ohio.

Founded in 1955 by Len Harrop, Harrop Engineering originally focused on specialist general engineering for the textile and general trucking/haulage industries. It wasn’t until later when the production of performance parts continued to gain momentum through Ron’s car racing, with the iconic Harrop Howler through to touring cars (HDT) and then engineering Holden Racing Team Commodores.

In 2008, Harrop Engineering was acquired by Adrad Group, a family-owned conglomerate of companies from Adelaide, South Australia. Today the business offers several core product groups: supercharging and induction, braking, driveline and cooling over several different market segments, alongside their industrial manufacturing capabilities.

“We are very proud to be celebrating our 65th year as an Australian manufacturer. It is with a salute to our staff who create and our customers that partner with us, [which] enables us to deliver precision-engineered solutions. We embrace the challenge of continuing to innovate our products, processes and engineering service offerings for our broad customer base,” Harrop Engineering Operations Manager Tim Harrop said.

For more information, visit harrop.com.au.

The Circuit of The Americas (COTA) has confirmed to several news outlets that it will close its gates to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Additionally, a track spokesperson confirmed to KVUE that all of its workforce has been affected, with about half of its staff being laid off.

The famous motorsports facility, which also hosts sporting and other entertainment events, was set to host the NTT IndyCar Series on April 24-25, an event that has since been canceled. The track’s MotoGP event has also been pushed to November.

The track released a statement on Sunday, March 15, regarding the situation.

"COTA is an amphitheater, racetrack, sports stadium, conference center and place where fans and friends come together to create lasting memories. Without concerts, races and games, we have limited use. Understandably and importantly, public safety takes precedence over celebratory gatherings. It is our greatest hope that our community remains health and, when the virus passes, we reunite for many years of treasured moments with friends and family.

"We are heartbroken for our employees (and their families) who spend all year preparing to welcome guests from Austin and all around the globe but now find themselves without work. The joy of creating memorable occasions has been replaced with the disappointing reality of a worldwide crisis. It is indeed a terrible time in the event and hospitality business. Most of all, we hope everyone stays healthy, heeds the caution advised by leaders and experts, and comes back to COTA when good times return."

For the most up-to-date information, visit the Circuit of The Americas social media channels.

Phoenix Raceway announced the formation of the NASCAR Accelerators, a host committee led by Co-Chairs Arizona Governor Doug Ducey and Zion & Zion CEO Aric Zion to support the NASCAR 2020 Championship.

The NASCAR Accelerators is comprised of recognized community and business leaders who will serve as Arizona’s ambassadors for NASCAR. With the NASCAR Championship and Arizona Accelerator Charities, a donor-advised fund of The NASCAR Foundation, as its platform, the NASCAR Accelerators are “dedicated to accelerating the community through motorsports by optimizing unique opportunities to promote community investment,” according to a press release.

“We are honored to announce this elite list of exceptional community leaders as local ambassadors for Phoenix Raceway, NASCAR and the 2020 NASCAR Championship Weekend,” Phoenix Raceway President Julie Giese said. “The development of this group showcases the incredible support for NASCAR in Arizona and the unwavering commitment to making a difference for those in need within our community.”

Throughout the year, Phoenix Raceway and the NASCAR Accelerators will plan events leading up to and during the week of the 2020 NASCAR Championship Weekend, November 6-8. The committee will also work to raise funds for Arizona Accelerator Charities while elevating excitement and anticipation throughout Arizona for the NASCAR Championship.

Active founding members of the NASCAR Accelerators represent a wide range of professions from across Arizona, including sports, business, the non-profit sector, and media. These members include Co-Chair Aric Zion, Nikki Balich, Latasha Causey, Mark Clifford, Todd Davis, Gregg Edgar, Larry Ferguson, Angela Harrolle, Sintra Hoffman, Brian Hogan, Debbie Johnson, John Levin, Linda Little, Michelle Major, Casey Mears, Scott Pasmore, Anita Petersen, Robbie Petty, Monique Porras, Eddie Rausch, Kim Sabow, Ray Schey, Bobbi Sparrow, and Adam Walter.

In addition to Governor Ducey, honorary founding members of the NASCAR Accelerators include State Senator Lupe Contreras, State Representative Diego Espinoza, Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo, Arizona Republic Contributor Michael Knight, U.S. Senator Jon Kyl, State Representative Lorenzo Sierra, and City of Avondale Mayor Kenn Weise.

For more information, visit phoenixraceway.com.

The AAM Group, the distribution group with 48 distribution centers across North America, has released a new tool designed to help aftermarket resellers engage customers and drive sales through their social media channels.

ReadyPosts, as the new program is called, is available to resellers online and features a library of prewritten copy and related content that users can search for with hashtags, descriptions, parts numbers, categories, and by manufacturers. The content includes product photos, videos, lifestyle images, MAP-priced calls-to-action and more.

Interested resellers can access ReadyPosts at accounts.theaamgroup.com. Those without access to AAM’s Insight system may register for a free account at theaamgroup.com/signup.

Headquartered in Piney Flats, Tennessee, The AAM Group manages product purchasing and marketing for manufacturers affiliated with three flagship retail marketing programs: Parts Pro, Performance Corner and Total Truck Centers.