Sonoma Raceway is launching a new experiential automotive program that will allow drivers of all skill levels to enjoy the high-speed thrills of the premier wine country motorsports venue.

The Sears Point Racing Experience will offer high-performance driving courses, racing programs, safe driver training, corporate outings, manufacturer showcases, go-karting and more. Programs can utilize the raceway's vehicle fleet or customers can test their own cars on the famed 2.52-mile road course.

The new venture, launched at the beginning of the year, builds upon instruction platforms and assets previously operated by the Simraceway Performance Driving Center. New programs, schedules and options will be rolled out in the coming months.

Since 1973, the raceway has been home to four different top-tier performance driving/racing schools beginning with the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving (1973-1990), Skip Barber Racing School (1990-1995), Jim Russell Racing Drivers School (1995-2006) and Simraceway Performance Driving Center (2006-2019).

For more information, visit sonomaraceway.com or searspointracing.com.

Series officials have announced that both the American Ethanol Late Model Tour (AELMT) and the American Ethanol Modified Tour (AEmods) have ceased operations ahead of the 2020 season.

The AELMT began racing in 2015 and had five successful seasons of dirt late model racing across the Midwest. Tour Founders originally laid a five-year plan for a dirt late model series with the goal of promoting American Ethanol and affiliates at the grassroots level, while developing a professionally organized regional touring series.

AEmods had three seasons of dirt modified racing under its belt.

“The American Ethanol Modified/Late Model Tour thank their loyal fans, marketing partners, event partners and race teams for the great support over the past five seasons. American Ethanol will continue to support dirt track racing in the region through various ways outside of operating a travel racing series,” a company statement said.

Lucas Oil Products, the US-based manufacturer and distributor of additive and lubricant products, has announced the retirement of Robert “Bob” Patison, the long term Executive Vice President of Lucas Oil Products, President of MAVTV, and former General Counsel. Patison joined the company in its infancy back in 1994 and was instrumental in helping Lucas Oil grow to a multinational enterprise.

Bob’s wife, Dawn Patison, is also retiring from the company after 25 years of service. Dawn held the position of Studio Operations Director and played a significant role in the formation of the Lucas Oil Production Studios.

“Dawn and I made a lot of friends at Lucas Oil, and we will miss our daily interaction with them. We are looking forward to some peaceful time with our children and grandchildren,” Bob said, noting the pair will live in Big Bear Mountain, California.

Forrest Lucas, who founded Lucas Oil with his wife, Charlotte, praised Bob for his many years of leadership and loyalty to the company. “Bob has been a part of the backbone of this company. His expertise will surely be missed,” Lucas said.

Replacements for both positions have not been announced.

For more information, visit lucasoil.com.

Featherlite Trailers has been acquired from Universal Trailer Corporation (UTC) by a newly formed company owned by Tim Masud and Howard Palmer. The pair have also acquired UTC’s livestock trailer brands Exiss and Sooner.

Masud, who has more than three decades of experience as an advisor, dealership owner, and investor in the trailer industry, will serve as CEO. The definitive agreement of the purchase was executed on December 31, 2019.

“I am extremely excited about the opportunity to own three iconic brands in the industry that I’ve known and respected throughout my career. Each brand brings something different to the table, and each has served the trailer industry well for many years,” Masud said.

Featherlite Trailers offers an inventory of aluminum trailers for automotive, racing, recreational, utility, horse, and more categories.

The UTC manufacturing plants in Oklahoma and Iowa are also being acquired as a part of this transaction. Featherlite, Exiss, and Sooner trailers will continue to be produced in these plants and will be sold through the established independent network of dealerships that are currently in place.

For more information, visit featherlitespecialty.com.

Impact Racing, Inc. has announced a new partnership with ASAP Trading USA, LLC., the sales and marketing agency with offices in San Diego, California, and Lima, Peru. ASAP Trading USA will serve as the exclusive authorized representative company for Impact Racing and MasterCraft Safety in Mexico, Central, and South America.

ASAP Trading USA was established by Juan-Jose Rebaza to serve the Latin American region. Juan-Jose, who is an avid racing and off-road enthusiast, is based in San Diego. He holds an MBA in marketing and brings over 15 years of logistics and international experience developing business in the US, Latin America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.  

ASAP Trading’s Lima-Peru operations are managed by Rebeza’s brother, Ricardo, who is an auto engineer and holds over 20 years of experience in the industry.

“We at Impact Racing, Inc. are excited to have ASAP TRADING USA represent, distribute and sell our products. Together, with his brother Ricardo, Juan-Jose brings a wealth of experience and knowledge of the Latin American market. We look forward to working with them to grow the Impact and MasterCraft Safety brands in this region which shows great potential for growth,” Impact Racing VP of Sales Ben O’Connor said.

To contact ASAP Trading USA, email Juan-Jose Rebaza at jjrebaza@asap-trading.net. To contact the ASAP Trading Peru office, contact Ricardo Rebaza at gerencia@asap-trading.net.

For more information, visit impactraceproducts.com and mastercraftsafety.com.

Motovicity Distribution has expanded its team with the addition of Kate Turowska as the new marketing manager.

Turowska joined the company in December after having served as the marketing manager for Stanley Black and Decker’s Engineered Fastening division, where she was responsible for promoting the industrial product portfolio that included the automotive aftermarket fastening brands Heli-Coil and POP.   

Prior to this, Turowska led the development and execution of a marketing strategy for Spiralock Corporation, a self-locking threaded fastening solutions manufacturer, helping the company grow its brand awareness and reach significant sales milestones until its acquisition by Stanley Black and Decker in 2008. Turowska holds an MBA degree from Walsh College in Troy, Michigan.

“I am excited to work with Brian Lounsberry and his team on new initiatives that will further grow Motovicity’s sales and market share,” Turowska said. “The company’s commitment to providing top-notch customer service aligns with my passion for enhancing customer experience and all business partner relationships which I will strive to enrich further through the implementation of new marketing resources and processes.”  

For more information, visit motovicity.com.

As PRI Magazine enters its 35th year, the performance racing industry’s most closely read business publication has evolved with the times. PRI Senior Art Director Danny Kim has fine-tuned the look and feel of the magazine for an improved reading experience in 2020 and beyond, while Editor Dan Schechner and the team have introduced fresh new content to reflect the changing marketplace.

Starting in 2020, readers will notice a new photo spread to kick off each issue, which is the result of PRI receiving hundreds of top quality photos each month. It may come from PRI’s network of skilled photojournalists or a generous contribution from an industry source.

An all-new column, Sponsor Spotlight, will take you beyond the headlines to explore a different partnership each month, whether it’s a manufacturer supporting a racer, a speed shop backing an event or class, or any other of racing’s countless sponsor agreements. PRI speaks with representatives from both sides of the table to sort out how these deals came together, why it was a good fit, what “success” looks like for both parties, and more.

Another new offering, Social Status, can be found on the back page of the Magazine. This new section showcases engaging social media posts of the industry’s most popular and eye-catching content. Motorsports businesses across the social networks—Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and more—are featured, so don’t be surprised to see your viral post end up there!

Each issue moving forward includes an article under the banner of Tech Support, where a panel of expert sources will address frequently asked questions from customers. This month it’s CAD/CAM, followed by Coatings in February, Chassis Construction & Welding in March, LS Engines in April, and onward.

All editions of PRI Magazine will also now offer a deep dive report on one hot-button issue impacting the racing industry today. This month it’s Tariffs, followed by our PRI Trade Show Rewind in February, and PRI’s exclusive Racing Business Survey in March. Additional topics over the next 11 months include Social Media (May), eSports (June), and our first-ever Racer Survey (September).

Keep your eyes on PRI Magazine in 2020, beginning with the outstanding January issue, available online here. To view the 2020 PRI Magazine editorial calendar, visit here.

Motorsports Developers, based in the Philadelphia suburb of King of Prussia, has entered an agreement to purchase Maple Grove Raceway, the 1/4-mile drag strip located just outside Reading, Pennsylvania.

The track was listed for sale last year with an asking price of $8 million. A purchasing price was not disclosed, however.

Motorsports Developers partners Chris Winter, Joseph Casella, and Jordan Levitt met with the public earlier this week during the Brecknock Township council meeting, according to published reports.

Among the plans and renovations for the facility include increased seating, a multi-use track for karting and driver schools, and an upgrade to the Maple Grove Restaurant and Bar. Additional improvements will see fixed traffic flow, charitable events, and improved concessions.

Potential additions include a drifting track, a spectator tower, and more.

Maple Grove Speedway was previously owned by Mark Stauffer and Kent Lewis. The Stauffer family has owned the track since 1923 when the property was used for logging. The race track officially opened nearly 40 years later. Both previous owners are members of the family of Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) Vice President Mike Lewis.

NHRA will return to the track, a staple on its schedule since 1985, on September 17-20.

For more information, including the 2020 schedule, visit maplegroveraceway.com.

Multimatic’s Vehicle Dynamics Centre Manager & Race Engineer, Leena Gade, has been named as the new president of the FIA’s GT Commission.

The GT Commission, which is comprised of 17 members, is responsible for GT racing around the world and the GT3 category in particular. Gade takes over for Christian Schacht, who was the president for the last 10 years.

The commission’s current focus is the 2022 GT3 technical regulations.

Based at Multimatic Technical Centre Europe (MTCE), Gade is responsible for the Vehicle Dynamics Centre, focusing on the driver-in-the-loop simulator, which she is developing for motorsports and road car projects.

Gade is best known for scoring three outright Le Mans 24 Hours victories as a race engineer for Audi, taking top honors in 2011, 2012 and 2014, and also winning the 2012 FIA World Endurance Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ Championships. Her engineering talents have also been at the forefront of the Mazda DPi program, where she engineered the #77 Mazda, the winning car at Mosport this year.

For more information, visit fia.com.

The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) and three premier drag racing facilities—Dragway 42, Maryland International Raceway and Palm Beach International Raceway—have renewed sanctioning agreements.

Dragway 42, located in West Salem, Ohio, first opened in 1957. The facility underwent a complete ground-up restoration and reopening in 2017. Highlighted by the 1/4-mile drag strip, the multi-purpose facility hosts drag racing, autocross, truck and tractor pulls, as well as concerts and music festivals.

Part of the renovation included Musco Lighting throughout the grounds and bleacher seats that were used at Daytona International Speedway. Dragway 42 routinely attracts racers from neighboring states like West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky as well as Canada.

It has a strong IHRA Summit SuperSeries program and has hosted the IHRA Summit Sportsman Spectacular the past two seasons.

Maryland International Raceway, Mechanicsville, Md., opened in 1966 with the NASCAR Top Fuel Championships. It first became an IHRA track in 1992 and has also hosted IHRA Summit Sportsman Spectacular events the last two years.

With only 80 feet elevation, many records have been set at the 1/4-mile track. It is the largest motorsports facility in Maryland and hosts more than 100 events annually, including some of the largest drag racing events on the East Coast.

It seats over 11,000 fans and has its own Jet Dryer with incredible track drying capabilities. In addition to its strong IHRA Summit SuperSeries program, Maryland International Raceway is home to some of the largest motorcycle drag racing events in the country.

Palm Beach International Raceway, Jupiter, Fla., first opened in 1964. It boasts a 1/4-mile drag strip, which is home to South Florida’s largest drag racing event, the Citrus Nationals.

PBIR features a tremendous IHRA Summit SuperSeries program, and with the great year-round weather, a multitude of special events. In 2019, legendary 17-time world champion “Big Daddy” Don Garlits set a world record for the fastest ever run in an electric-powered dragster.

It is another multi-purpose facility with a 2.2-mile FIA-certified road course, which has been used as an IndyCar testing track and currently serves as the Southern base for Bertil Roos Racing School. It is also the home to autocross, mud bog and has served as home for music festivals featuring such legendary acts as the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and Eric Clapton.

For more information, visit ihra.com.