Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) and Antron Brown have announced the formation of AB Motorsports. Team owner Don Schumacher will work with Brown, guiding him toward the eventual goal of sole ownership of AB Motorsports, which will function as a subsidiary of DSR.

Brown will serve as the Top Fuel driver for AB Motorsports.

“This is a dream come true. Never in a million years did I think I would be a professional Top Fuel driver, let alone have the opportunity to be a team owner,” said Brown, who made the shift from Pro Stock Motorcycle to Top Fuel in 2008. “I can’t thank Don Schumacher enough for not only the opportunity to race for him and represent DSR for many years but now helping me to pursue my dream. I also have to thank Steve and Samantha Bryson, as it brings me great happiness to welcome them to AB Motorsports with their Global Electronic Technology team.

“Don’s provided me with the foundation to make it happen, and I’m truly grateful,” added Brown, who first joined the DSR family in 2002. “I’ve learned many things from Don over the years, but the one thing that stands out to me the most is him telling me to always work harder than your competitors. That’s something that’s always stuck with me and will continue to do so as I move forward into this new chapter.”

Brown’s former crew chief Brian Corradi will assume the tuning responsibilities alongside current and longtime crew chief Mark Oswald. Brad Mason has also returned to assist with the management of the car as well as act as a liaison between the team and Toyota Racing Development (TRD).

“I’m so pleased to be able to help Antron as he begins the process of working toward team ownership,” Schumacher said.

The Matco Tools/Global Electronic Technology/Toyota Top Fuel dragster will take to the track for the first time during pre-season testing at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, January 30—February 1.  

For more information, visit shoeracing.com.

BorgWarner will acquire Delphi Technologies in an all-stock transaction valued at $3.3 billion.

“This exciting transaction represents the next step in BorgWarner’s balanced propulsion strategy, strengthening our position in electrified propulsion as well as our combustion, commercial vehicle and aftermarket businesses,” BorgWarner President and CEO Frédéric Lissalde said. “Delphi Technologies will bring proven leading power electronics technologies, talent and scale that will complement our hybrid and electric vehicle propulsion offerings. As a combined company, we look forward to delivering enhanced solutions to our customers while driving increased value for our stockholders.”

BorgWarner stockholders will own around 84% of the newly combined company, while Delphi shareholders will own approximately 16%.

Delphi manufactures powertrain fuel injection systems and aftermarket components.

For more information, visit leadingpropulsion.com.

Lubrication Specialties Inc. (LSI), the manufacturer of Hot Shot’s Secret brand of performance additives and oils, has announced Josh Steinmetz as the company’s new Digital Marketing Manager.

Steinmetz brings over a decade of creative and digital marketing experience to the company’s growing marketing team. His background includes developing a marketing strategy, social media, advertising management, creative production, website maintenance, photography, and videography.

In his new position, Steinmetz will be responsible for developing the digital strategy, content, analytics, and ROI for all Hot Shot’s Secret 35-plus products across multiple markets.

Previously, Steinmetz served as the Digital Communications Director for the National Tractor Pullers Association (NTPA) from February 2010 until he came on board with Hot Shot’s Secret in December 2019. His experience with NTPA was instrumental in the development of a robust NPTA sponsorship for Hot Shot’s Secret in 2020 that included promotional activities at all events, addition of banners, decals and PA announcements, inclusion in NTPA’s TV series, exposure at retail locations and Hot Shot’s Secret research and product testing with drivers.

“We are very excited to have Josh join our marketing team,” LSI Director of Marketing Nikki Stoughton said. “His extensive experience within a major diesel performance market with NTPA coupled with his natural problem-solving engineering mindset makes him an ideal fit for our department.”

For more information, visit lubricationspecialties.com.

General Motors will open a new technical center focused on performance and racing in the Charlotte region.

The facility is designed to expand GM’s performance and racing capabilities, with a focus on transferring knowledge and resources from the racing programs to core vehicle engineering. The goal for the Charlotte Technical Center is to eventually house future technology and engineering development capabilities.

The 75,000-square-foot facility will be located in Concord, North Carolina, off of Interstate-85 and less than 10 miles from the Charlotte Motor Speedway. The new technical center will provide an opportunity to recruit potential GM employees from the growing pool of technical talent in the Charlotte area. It is expected to open by mid-2020.

“We’re thrilled to expand GM’s U.S. footprint by establishing a greater presence in Charlotte, a community that has become a racing and engineering mecca,” Chevrolet U.S. Vice President of Performance and Motorsports Jim Campbell said. “The new facility will be close to a number of key Chevrolet and Cadillac racing partners, teams and suppliers. This will allow for improved collaboration as well as access to some of the industry’s best talent.”

The new technical center provides GM the opportunity to expand and enhance its support for Chevrolet NASCAR race teams as well as various other GM racing teams. The facility will feature Driver-in-the-Loop simulators, vehicle simulation, aero development and other practices designed to advance racing and production capabilities.

“Chevrolet and Cadillac Racing are two of the winningest brands in motorsports. This new facility will build upon their legacies and hopefully lead to even more success on the track,” said Campbell. “Racing helps us accelerate the development, performance and popularity of our cars and trucks across the world.”

For more information, visit gm.com.

Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds in Hanford, California, has a new owner for 2020 and beyond.

Peter Murphy will take over promotional duties of the dirt track for the departing Morse Racing Promotions.

“We weren't looking to sell, but there were some rumors that Peter was interested in running a track,” MRP Promoter Brandon “Bubby” Morse said in a release. "Peter has the time, effort and is universally loved by the racing community; he will do a great job.”

Morse will serve as an advisor during the 2020 season.

“I am just excited about this opportunity to run a great track like Hanford,” Murphy said.

The Keller Auto Speedway opens up its 2020 season in just less than a month on February 22. On the card are the Kings of Thunder 360s, Western Racesavers, and IMCA A Modifieds.

For more information, visit racekingsspeedway.com.

Racing Electronics has announced Guy Gauthier as its new Director of Motorsports Technology and Development, the newest division within Racing Electronics’ professional services department.

The Motorsports Technology and Development department will expand Racing Electronics’ research, development and deployment capabilities for all forms of competitor and spectator communication technology.

“Since 1988, Racing Electronics has provided competitors across the United States with the best equipment and service in motorsports,” Racing Electronics President Chad Willis said. “To stay ahead of the expectations of our industry, we felt the time was right to expand our efforts in the research and development of the next generation of communication equipment for motorsports competitors, whether they race on the national stage or at any of the hundreds of local and regional venues across the country.”

Gauthier joins Racing Electronics following a 22-year career with Diversified Electronics’ Racing Radios division, where he led the engineering and development of many popular motorsport communications devices for use in NASCAR, IMSA, and IndyCar.

Gauthier began his technical career as a navigational and meteorological technician for the United States Air Force, stationed in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, before serving in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

For more information, visit racingelectronics.com.

The inaugural season for the newly-formed USAC Midwest Wingless Racing Association will commence in 2020 with 13 sprint car events across Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.

USAC Midwest Racing Association’s Raul Romero has founded the series with drivers and car owners in mind, along with a concise schedule of events close to its Midwest base.

“We’re focused on keeping the link between the track owners and regional series together to where it’s affordable,” Romero said. “We’re going to build up an amazing series to make it a great feeder for the USAC National series.  The whole purpose of this is to support the National series and highlight some of our local drivers, but to also give them an opportunity to run where they can afford it and run for a championship with a shorter schedule.”

The series will have an open motor rule in what Romero describes as basically, a “run what you brung” deal that will follow the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car rulebook with the exception of no weight rule.

According to Romero, the philosophy of the series is to have one or two of the drivers take it up every year and move on to becoming a regular with USAC’s National touring series, and to have a great partnership with USAC while working hand-in-hand with USAC’s Wingless Sprints Oklahoma series.

2020 USAC Midwest Wingless Racing Association Schedule
May 1: Lakeside Speedway (Kansas City, Kans.)
May 9: Central Missouri Speedway (Warrensburg, Mo.)
May 16: I-35 Speedway (Winston, Mo.)
Jun 13: I-35 Speedway (Winston, Mo.)
Jun 20: 81 Speedway (Park City, Kans.)
Jun 26: Lakeside Speedway (Kansas City, Kans.)
Jul 18: I-35 Speedway (Winston, Mo.)
Jul 25: Central Missouri Speedway (Warrensburg, Mo.)
Jul 31: Lakeside Speedway (Kansas City, Kans.)
Aug 15: I-35 Speedway (Winston, Mo.)
Aug 22: Enid Speedway (Enid, Okla.)
Aug 28: Lakeside Speedway (Kansas City, Kans.)
Sep 5: I-35 Speedway (Winston, Mo.)

For more information, visit usacracing.com.

Bill Day, the founder of Day Motorsports, has passed away at the age of 84. Day Motorsports offers a wide selection of race car parts and performance accessories for circle track racing.

Day, an avid racing fan, owned several race cars as well as Day Motorsports, which helps satisfy the need for easier access to racing equipment. Day Motorsports has been in business in North Tyler, Texas, for over 40 years, and serves retail and wholesale customers.

For more information, visit daymotorsports.com.

Photo courtesy of East Texas KLTV

BIG KAISER Precision Tooling, the high-precision tooling system and solution manufacturer based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, has announced a promotion and multiple new hires to help bolster customer support and responsiveness in several key regions.

“Demand is strong for high-performance tooling right now,” BIG KAISER VP of Sales and Engineering Jack Burley said. “To increase support for our customers, we have added depth and talent to our salesforce. Our products have unique benefits, and we’ve brought on a group with the metalworking know-how and field experience to help customers clearly understand how they can take full advantage and enjoy the short- and long-term returns.”

Paul Lewis has been promoted to Northeast District Manager for the Mid-Atlantic and New England. Lewis joined BIG KAISER in 2015. His experience in the metal cutting industry spans more than 30 years.
 
Richard Bevers joins the team as the Southeast District Manager for the Southeast Region. He will manage North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and Georgia. Before this role, Bevers worked as an independent manufacturer representative for BIG KAISER for many years.
 
Tim Smith, also with previous experience as an independent manufacturer representative with BIG KAISER, has been named Sales Engineer for the Southeast District. Smith will be responsible for Alabama and Georgia.
 
Jim Mayer will support the tool management system (TMS) department as Sales Manager. Mayer formerly held positions at an industry association and in sales.
 
Mike Jones joins BIG KAISER as a Sales Engineer Mid-Atlantic where he will oversee Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. Jones previously worked in the metal cutting industry in sales and as an account manager.
 
For more information, visit bigkaiser.com.

The Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) and the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) have announced a new alliance to help grow the top categories of endurance racing.

During the 2020 Rolex 24 at Daytona, Pierre Fillon, president of the ACO, and Jim France, IMSA Chairman, unveiled platform principals that will allow the LMDh endurance car to be eligible for both the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

This gives automotive manufacturers the chance to compete with the same car at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Rolex 24 At Daytona, at SuperSebring or at Spa-Francorchamps, at the Motul Petit Le Mans or even Silverstone.

Joint regulations will govern the new LMDh category, which will feature a new model of an endurance race car, LMDh. From September 2021 in the FIA WEC and from January 2022 in the WeatherTech Championship, manufacturers will be able to enter the top category and compete in the two leading championships in endurance racing.

The two sanctioning bodies were inspired by elements from each of their respective regulations, the ACO’s Le Mans Hypercar and IMSA’s DPi 2.0.

“When my father, Bill France Sr., brought the first Daytona Continental sports car race here to Daytona International Speedway back in 1962, he wanted to bring together sports car drivers, teams and manufacturers from around the world. With the ACO, IMSA and manufacturers aligned, today’s announcement proudly takes my father’s vision to the next level,” France said.

For more information, visit imsa.com or fiawec.com.