Officials from the FIA Formula 3 Championship have announced two major changes to its race format for the 2020 season.

The first ten finishers from Race One will now start Race Two in reverse order. This means that the driver who finished tenth in the Saturday feature will start from reverse pole on Sunday, while the ninth driver will start from the second position; eighth will start from third; all the way to the winner starting from 10th on Race Two.

Additionally, the number of positions eligible to score points in Sunday's Race Two has been increased to the top ten drivers. The points for the first five positions will remained unaltered (15, 12, 10, eight, six) with the sixth position now earning five points, seventh place earning four, eighth place earning three points, ninth place earning two points, and 10th place earning one point.

The Saturday Race One points will not change.

“Having a grid of thirty drivers means that finishing in the top 10 is already a huge achievement, and we felt that it should be rewarded in both races rather than solely in the first race,” F3 CEO Bruno Michel said. “[The changes] will give more drivers the opportunity to score and end the year with a better reflection of their accomplishment over the season.”

The race format changes will go into effect for the 2020 season, which begins at Sakhir, Bahrain on March 20-22.

For more information, visit fiaformula3.com.

Photo courtesy of F3

The World Racing Group (WRG) has confirmed that Tom Deery, the Chief Operating Officer of the World of Outlaws and DIRTcar Racing, has resigned after 14 years. Deery joined WRG, which operates the World of Outlaws and DIRTcar Racing, in February 2006.

On an interim basis, World of Outlaws and DIRTcar CEO Brian Carter will lead all competition aspects of the business, while CMO Ben Geisler will assist in the oversight of event operations and promotions.

Deery has a long history in the motorsports industry, including a position with NASCAR from 1996 through 2001.

An official statement from WRG is below.

With immediate effect, Tom Deery has resigned from his position as COO of the World of Outlaws and DIRTcar Racing and he is no longer with the company. Tom… has made countless contributions during his tenure. His passion and devotion to the business of motorsports have always been clear and we wish him the best in future pursuits.

This is a personal matter for Tom and a personnel matter for our organization and as such, we will not be making any further comments.

For more information, visit worldofoutlaws.com, dirtcar.com, and worldracinggroup.com.

Photo courtesy of World Racing Group

The S&W Performance Group, also known as S&W Race Cars, has announced that Terri (Weney) Gdowik has been appointed as the new company president. Gdowik, who succeeds her brother Michael Weney, was promoted from her position as Executive Vice President.

“Terri has been a key part of the business for over 38 years. I’m confident in Terri’s leadership and experience to lead us through this new decade and beyond,” S&W Company Founder Walt Weney said.

Gdowik has been involved in the motorsports industry from a young age as part of Walt Weney’s drag racing team with her family. She officially joined S&W in 1982 and held various positions in sales, shipping, accounting, advertising, IT, project management, cutting, bending, machining and fabricating. Gdowik also competed in North East Division Super Pro and Super Comp classes.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue the hard work that my family and team members have been doing for the last 60 years and build upon our ongoing success,” Gdowik said. “I want to thank my family, employees, customers and business partners for their long-standing support.”

For more information, visit swracecars.com.

Ray Flugger, the founder of Flowmaster Inc., passed away on February 8 at his home in Santa Rosa, California. He was 79.

An inventor, innovator and entrepreneur, Flugger is known for the Flowmaster scavenging muffler, which helped reinvent the performance muffler category worldwide. A classic hot rodder, Flugger was described as a self-taught engineer, designing the Hushpower muffler in the Flugger Engineering facility in Petaluma, California. A popular muffler with VW performance fans, the Hushpower led to the formation of Flowmaster in Santa Rosa in 1983.

The Hushpower design was said to increase engine horsepower, torque and mileage. When used on race cars, Hushpower mufflers helped meet sound requirements for a range of race tracks.

Flowmaster was inducted into the Hot Rod Speed Parts Hall of Fame in 2007. Flowmaster was also the first company to offer cat-back and axle-back systems for street vehicles.

Flugger left Flowmaster in 2011 when he sold the company to B&M Racing. The company continues to manufacture mufflers and exhaust system products for race and street applications.

A celebration of his life will be held in April in Sonoma County. Friends and family members are encouraged to share their love, memories and condolences at rayflugger.com.

Submissions are now open for the Official NASCAR Fan Council, as announced by NASCAR officials. The NASCAR Fan Council, formed in 2008, allows NASCAR’s biggest fans to communicate directly with the organization.

The Fan Council gets the chance to give feedback on the following topics:
• Race feedback (results, broadcast, track experience)
• Rule updates, schedule changes
• New, current or potential sponsors
• Favorite drivers, tracks
• Race advertisements before they air

“We have 25,000 people who are part of the NASCAR Fan Council. They are a representation of our most avid fans and we talk to them on an every week basis,” NASCAR President Steve Phelps said on a 2019 episode of the “Dale Jr. Download” podcast. “We’ve had a fan council for 10 years, it has grown and it’s still one of the most important things that we do… Listening to the fans is incredibly important to us because they have their finger on the pulse.”

The Official NASCAR Fan Council is the only place that NASCAR fans can speak directly to the sport and have their opinions count. The Official NASCAR Fan Council is run by the NASCAR Fan Insights team.

The Fan Council is free to join, and members can remain on the Council as long as they like, as long as they actively participate by providing feedback when requested. While not every member receives every survey, members can expect to receive at least two surveys per month.

Any new members should be at least 18 years of age, a U.S. resident and be passionate about NASCAR.

For more information, visit nascarfancouncil.com.

Photo courtesy of NASCAR

The G-Force Racing Gear brand and its product lines have been acquired by RiteGuard GA, Inc., according to a press release from G-Force.

The purchase of G-Force Racing Gear, previously owned by Postell Associates Inc., was completed on December 30, 2019. The current G-Force sales and operation team will continue to manage the business from a new location in Acworth, Georgia.

Customers with inquiries are encouraged to contact G-Force sales account managers Craig Robinson and Jeremy Speich at 770-998-8855.

G-Force Racing Gear manufactures suits, helmets, gloves, shoes, camlock harnesses, latch and link harnesses, nets and restraints, towing gear, crew gear, flame retardant underwear, and more.

G-Force Racing Gear made the following announcement regarding the acquisition:

We are dedicated to making the transition as seamless and smooth as possible for our current and new customers and distributors. We will continue to provide quality G-Force Racing Gear products across all present product lines and further improve the G-Force Racing Gear product quality control, lead times and services. We will strive to fulfill our customer needs now and in the future as we carry the G-Force name into the coming decades.

We apologize for any response delays that you might be experiencing in the business transition period. Please understand that we are working on restocking the entire G-Force product line as quickly as practical and also rebuilding the production facilities.

For more information, visit gforce.com.

Officials from Total Seal Piston Rings have announced a new alliance with Diamond, JE and Wiseco Pistons.

As part of the partnership, Total Seal Piston Rings are now available as an upgrade option on any piston from JE Pistons, Wiseco Performance Products or Diamond Pistons. The three performance piston brands are all under the Race Winning Brands (RWB) banner, which also includes Dart, MGP, K1, Trend, X2 & Boostline.

While the option of Total Seal rings has been available as a special order option, today’s announcement makes it easier to take advantage of Total Seal’s patented technologies including its gas ported rings, Diamond Finish and Total Conform rings.

“This new alliance represents a win for our customers,” RWB President Bob Bruegging said in a press release. “Providing performance options to our customers reflects the mission of Race Winning Brands, and adding Total Seal Piston Rings provides our customers with a premium performance option without added hassle or handling costs.”

“Our new alliance with these three leading piston manufacturers will allow both consumers and engine builders to upgrade to the finest rings in the industry through their ordering process. We look forward to a mutually successful relationship,” Total Seal CEO and President Matt Hartford said in a written statement.

For more information, visit totalseal.com or racewinningbrands.com.

Two motorsports facilities have entered sanctioning agreements with the DIRTcar.

Autodrome Drummond in Drummondville, Quebec, Canada, and Airborne Speedway in Plattsburgh, New York, will both feature DIRTcar Pro Stocks on their 2020 schedules.

Autodrome Drummond, which is overseen by Yan Bussiere, is a high-banked clay track. Airborne Speedway is a D-shaped dirt oval promoted by Lyle DeVore, who also manages Albany-Saratoga Speedway and Lebanon Valley Speedway.

Drummond and Airborne drivers will have their top 16 weekly, series, and DIRTcar sanctioned special Feature finishes counted towards the Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship point fund. Additionally, every time a DIRTcar Pro Stock graces Victory Lane, the photo and results are included in the Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly newsletter. 

For more information, visit dirtcar.com.

The proposed Formula One Miami Grand Prix, which would take place in 2021 and feature F1 cars navigating a custom-built track around the Hard Rock Stadium for the first time in history, is one step closer to reality.

Last week, Miami-Dade County Commissioners tied in a 6-6 vote, which means the approval of both the city of Miami Gardens, as well as the county, will not be required to go forward with the event.

Officials from the Miami Dolphins, the owners of the Stadium, will proceed with the Miami Grand Prix plans.

“We are happy that the commissioners reaffirmed again that the Hard Rock Stadium entertainment complex is a regional facility that exists to benefit all of Miami-Dade County. We are glad to put this long-delayed vote behind us so we can begin to make the multi-million dollar private investment required to bring a race here, and have positive and productive conversations with local leadership about the many benefits that a global event of this nature brings,” Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium Vice Chairman and CEO Tom Garfinkel said in a written statement.

The news comes after Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos A Gimenez and Miami GP officials announced plans to accommodate the concerns of local residents, including the removal of a section of the track that was planned on the public road at NW 199th Street. Racing will also not be held during school hours, nor will it take place at night.

Additionally, an acoustical impact study ensures the maximum sound levels inside the nearest homes would be below 76 decibels, “well below the level of other events held at the stadium such as concerts—including the recent SuperFest Miami—with the implementation of recommended sound mitigation strategies,” according to Gimenez.

The Miami GP still faces a legal hurdle as a group of local residents, led by Miami Gardens commissioner Barbara Jordan, have filed a lawsuit against the Miami Dolphins and the Hard Rock Stadium to block the race.

If the race does happen, it would be the first F1 race in Florida since visiting Sebring in 1959.

For more information, visit formula1.com.

Image courtesy of F1

The deadline to submit a seminar proposal for the 2020 Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show is approaching.

Industry leaders are invited to share their professional expertise with attendees at the 2020 PRI Trade Show, set for December 10-12 at the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis.

Potential speakers with experience in sponsorship, sales, marketing, branding, content development, engine and chassis technology, and more can apply at performanceracing.com/speakers by March 31.

The PRI Show is the world’s premier auto racing trade event, which annually attracts 70,000 attendees representing all forms of motorsports from across the US and over 70 countries. Through the Show’s education program, PRI promotes engagement and connectivity between race teams, retail shops, warehouse distributors, e-commerce sites, engine builders, fabricators, dealers, installers, jobbers and media who attend the Show to learn about emerging industry trends and the latest racing technology.

“These seminars are part of our mission to provide best practices in motorsports business and technical education to the racing industry,” said PRI Trade Show Director Karin Davidson. “By supporting and educating motorsports businesses and racers, we help foster and build the racing community.”

Topics of interest for the 2020 PRI Show include, but are not limited to:
    •    Sponsorship
    •    Branding
    •    Digital Marketing
    •    Finding Qualified Employees
    •    Inventory Management
    •    eCommerce
    •    Increasing Cashflow
    •    Engine Technology
    •    CNC Machining
    •    Electronic Fuel Injection/Tuning

“PRI’s education program has evolved in recent years to encompass the growing and changing racing industry,” said PRI-SEMA Senior Director of Education Zane Clark. “Racing experts and professional speakers who can focus on industry issues and not a specific company position or agenda are encouraged to submit a proposal.”

Potential speakers have until March 31 to submit an application at performanceracing.com/speakers. Final speaker selections will be made by June 2020. For more details, contact Zane Clark at zanec@sema.org or 909-978-6743.