Stroud Safety, the safety equipment manufacturer serving the drag racing industry for 30 years, has announced new ownership.

Tommy Cunningham is taking over as owner of Stroud Safety after founder Bob Stroud announced his retirement. Cunningham is a driver who has been involved in motorsports, particularly drag racing, for most of his life.

“As someone who’s been in the industry for quite some time, I’ve long known the integrity of the Stroud name,” Cunningham said. “The quality of products they supply is second to none, and I’ve always been a fan of the work they’ve done over the years to improve the safety of not just the motorsports industry, but other industries as well.”

Bob Stroud founded Stroud Safety in 1989. Throughout the years, Stroud Safety has sought to create industry-leading safety products such as seatbelts, window nets, fire suits, drag chutes, fire suppression systems and more.

Stroud Safety has since launched Stroud Industrial Safety Solutions to design and manufacture high quality, innovative and proven safety equipment to create safer work environments in other industries. This product line meets or exceeds all regulatory requirements and helps to provide enhanced protection for employees and equipment in a variety of applications.

Stroud will stay involved with the business in a consulting role.

“You can expect the same high-quality products Stroud Safety has always offered from the same staff who’ve worked diligently to pave the way for driver safety. I look forward to continuing that tradition,” Cunningham stated.

For more information, visit stroudsafety.com.

Penske Corporation, a global transportation, automotive and motorsports leader, announced that it has completed its acquisition of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), the NTT IndyCar Series, and IMS Productions.

"We are looking forward to carrying on the tradition of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar racing," said Roger Penske. "We have been diligently working with the teams at IMS, INDYCAR and IMS Productions over the last two months to ensure a smooth and productive transition and we are ready to hit the ground running. Now, it is time to get to work as we continue the growth of the Speedway and we build on the momentum of the NTT IndyCar Series."

Penske Corporation becomes just the fourth owner in the history of the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which has hosted the world's largest single-day sporting event—the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race—for more than 100 years. Penske joins Carl Fisher, who built the track in 1909, Eddie Rickenbacker, who purchased IMS in 1927, and Tony Hulman and Hulman & Company, which has owned and managed the Speedway since 1945.

The iconic venue has also hosted NASCAR, Formula One and other racing series events throughout its storied history. The NTT IndyCar Series continues to be the premier open-wheel racing series in North America and is one of the most competitive championships in the world. IMS Productions is a leading video services and production company.

For more information, visit indycar.com and penske.com.

Best In The Desert (BITD), the largest off-road racing series in North America, announced the formation of the Youth Championship Series for UTVs, sponsored by 4Wheel Parts.

“Best In The Desert is investing in the future racers of our sport by creating this new Youth UTV Championship Series to help showcase these extremely talented drivers. We are fortunate to have 4Wheel Parts, the leading provider of aftermarket off-road accessories for Trucks, Jeeps, SUV’s and 4×4 enthusiasts, sponsor the 4Wheel Parts Youth UTV Championship Series,” BITD Operations Manager Donald Jackson said.

Best In The Desert will offer 2020 championships for the 170 stock, 170 modified, 250, 570 and Youth 1000 classes. To qualify, teams must race all three of the Best In The Desert Youth UTV events, including The Tensor Tire Parker 250 January 10-11, 2020, US Desert Scrambles March 20-22, 2020 and the BlueWater Desert Challenge October 22-25, 2020.

For more information, visit bitd.com.

Photo courtesy of BITD

The Indiana-based U.M.R.A. King of the TQ Midget Racing Series has been purchased by three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Tony Stewart. The series will now be known as the All Star Circuit of Champions TQ Midgets.

In operation since 1961, TQ Midgets races throughout the Hoosier State, most recently concluding a schedule that included 25 races in 2019.

With the help of Stewart and a dedicated All Star TQ Midgets staff, the series hopes to continue longstanding traditions in 2020 while broadening the series’ overall exposure.

“I had the opportunity to start racing TQ Midgets in Indiana right after high school and I’ve had a passion ever since. The experience was valuable and it acted as a crucial step in my USAC career,” Stewart said, who competes in a TQ Midget when time allows while also owning a TQ Midget team driven by Ron Combs. “It’s a fun atmosphere with a lot of great drivers and teams and I am truly passionate about it. Our goal is to promote that experience to others and hopefully continue to make this series grow.”

Performance Racing Industry (PRI) has opened the call for speakers for the 2020 PRI Trade Show, which takes place December 10-12 at the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis.

Industry experts, veterans, and speakers are encouraged to submit a seminar proposal online for the upcoming event. PRI Education provides an unparalleled platform for innovative thinkers to share their ideas, technologies, and expertise.

Proposals should reflect current trends, ideas and discoveries within the performance racing industry. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, sponsorship, building brands/branding, digital marketing, finding qualified employees, inventory management, eCommerce, increasing cashflow, engine technology, CNC machining, electronic fuel injection/tuning, and more.

The PRI Education proposal submission deadline is March 31, 2020.

For more information or to submit a proposal, visit performanceracing.com/speakers.

Sunnen set a new record of $120,000 in donations during the Sunnen Engine Charity Sweepstakes held at the 2019 Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show in Indianapolis. The previous record of $102,000 was set at last year’s PRI Show.

A visit from Richard “The King” Petty may have had a positive impact on sales as fans swarmed the ticket booth to meet and photograph the NASCAR legend, as well as purchase tickets for the chance to win a high-performance engine.

This was the 31st anniversary of the Sunnen Engine Charity Sweepstakes, and once again all proceeds went to Victory Junction, a camp for children living with serious medical conditions founded by the Petty family. Jerry Lavender of Layton, Utah, ultimately won the prize.

For the second straight year Sonny Leonard and the team from Sonny’s World Class Racing Engines in Lynchburg, Virginia, built a high-performance engine valued at more than $66,000. The custom-built 762-cubic inch, 1,400 HP, naturally-aspirated, hemispherical head EFI engine can be street and strip driven on 93 octane gasoline.  

For more information, visit sunnen.com, sonnysracingengines.com, and victoryjunction.org/sunnen-sweepstakes.

Genesee Speedway in Batavia, New York, and DIRTcar Racing have entered into a new partnership for the 2020 season. The Sportsman Modified division at Genesee Speedway will now be DIRTcar sanctioned, which includes upgraded support from Hoosier Racing Tire, VP Racing Fuels, and an increased PR presence across the board.

“Genesee Speedway is home to many talented Sportsman teams from the region that will benefit from the DIRTcar Sanction,” Promoter Jim Johnson said. “We can’t thank DIRTcar enough for giving us the opportunity to come on board this season and look forward to working with all the officials.”

All DIRTcar Sportsman Modified drivers are automatically featured in the Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship. Racer’s top 16 finishes in weekly and Series racing produce points for the year-long championship. Drivers, teams, and sponsors will also enjoy increased exposure through DIRTcar’s social media channels and weekly newsletter, which reaches nearly forty-thousand people.

A DIRTcar Sportsman Western Region Series event is also close to being finalized for the region, which will boast a $1,500 point fund to the top five finishers.

Genesee Speedway is a .375-mile oval, which was built in 1983.

For more information, visit dirtcarump.com.

The POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League announced a 39-event schedule featuring events in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin. The packed 2020 slate includes a handful of first-time events, historic midget jewels, and traditional POWRi outings.

The inaugural Little Rock Nationals at I-30 Speedway will take place April 17–18, which will feature both the POWRi Lucas Oil National and West Midget Leagues. Also new for 2020 is the Tri-State Speedway’s Class Track Mania on June 27. This will be the first scheduled visit for the POWRi National Midgets to Tri-State since 2015.

What has grown into a staple in the POWRi Lucas Oil National and West Midget League schedules, Valley Speedway will host the Fourth Annual Thunder in the Valley July 11–12. New for 2020, the POWRi National and West Midgets will precede Valley Speedway with a visit to Humboldt Speedway on July 10.

This year will also feature key events of the League’s traditional schedule, including the Camfield Memorial at Macon Speedway on August 22, the Knepper Memorial at Belle-Clair Speedway on September 5, and the Charlene Meents Memorial on September 6.

For more information and the complete schedule, visit powri.com.

ISM Raceway, the major motorsports facility in Avondale, Arizona, will revert back to its original name, Phoenix Raceway. The track, which is owned by the International Speedway Corporation (ISC), originally announced the new naming rights agreement with ISM Connect in September 2017.

The announcement was made by Track President Julie Giese, who issued the following statement:

Beginning today, we will be transitioning from ISM Raceway back to our traditional name, Phoenix Raceway. As you know, Phoenix Raceway is a brand with a long motorsports history since we opened our doors back in 1964. Many of you have shared… numerous stories of your experiences at Phoenix Raceway over the years and we’re excited to get back to our roots ahead of a monumental and historic 2020 season.

While the naming rights partnership is ending, ISM Connect will continue to have a strong presence in NASCAR moving forward. We are grateful for their commitment the past two years to reinventing the fan experience with us at Phoenix Raceway.

As we turn the calendar to a new year, our entire team is incredibly excited for what’s ahead at Phoenix Raceway in 2020, culminating in the first-ever NASCAR Championship Weekend in the Valley of The Sun! Thank you for your continued support and I can’t wait to welcome you back to Phoenix Raceway in March for the FanShield 500 Speed Fest Weekend.

For more information, visit phoenixraceway.com.

Bridgestone Americas President, CEO and COO Gordon Knapp has announced his retirement, effective January 15, 2020. Succeeding Knapp will be Paolo Ferrari, currently CEO and president of Bridgestone Europe NV/SA (Bridgestone EMIA), and chairman of the Bridgestone Americas board.

Bridgestone Corp. also announced several other executive leadership changes, including:

Gordon Knapp, vice-chair and executive officer of Bridgestone Corporation and President, CEO and COO of Bridgestone Americas, will transition out of his executive roles, effective Jan. 15, 2020. To facilitate a smooth transition, Knapp will serve as a strategic advisor to the company until March 31, 2020, at which time he will retire. He has served as president and CEO of Bridgestone Americas since 2016.

Paolo Ferrari, currently executive vice president, executive officer and global digital strategic officer of Bridgestone Corporation, and member of the board, CEO and president of Bridgestone Europe NV/SA (Bridgestone EMIA), and chairman of the Bridgestone Americas board, will become president, CEO and COO of Bridgestone Americas, succeeding Knapp, effective Jan. 15, 2020. Masaaki Tsuya, currently the chairman, CEO and representative executive officer of Bridgestone Corporation, will assume the role of chairman of the Bridgestone Americas board.

Laurent Dartoux, vice president and officer of Bridgestone Corp., and member of the board, chief strategy and marketing officer and COO of Bridgestone EMIA, has been named president and CEO of Bridgestone EMIA, effective Jan. 15, 2020, succeeding Ferrari. He also has been promoted to vice president and senior officer of Bridgestone Corp., effective Jan. 1, 2020.

Emilio Tiberio, vice president and officer of Bridgestone Corp. and chief technology officer (CTO) of Bridgestone EMIA, has additionally been named COO of Bridgestone EMIA, succeeding Dartoux, effective Jan. 15, 2020.

Knapp joined Bridgestone Americas in 2013 as president, integrated consumer tire, U.S. and Canada. He was promoted to vice president and officer of Bridgestone Corp. and COO of Bridgestone Americas Inc. in 2014.

For more information, visit bridgestoneamericas.com.