Baer Field Motorsports Park, the multi-track motorsports facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is reportedly for sale.

Dave and Jody Muzzillo, the current promoters who ran the facility for the past five years, were informed that the track would not be available for lease in 2020. The current track owners, based in Colorado, do not want to be “absentee” landowners, according to published reports.

“Just because this place isn’t running under us, it hopefully still race next year. So, if it does, please support it as much as you can. And remember, always support your local race tracks,” Dave said in a Facebook Live video on the track’s official page.

The complex features both asphalt and dirt tracks, and the parking lot is fitted with a dirt track for kart racing.

For more information, visit baerfieldmotorpark.com.

Series officials have announced select Late Model Stock drivers will receive a $200 cash bonus at any CARS Late Model Stock Tour race during the 2020 season. Competitors are eligible to receive the bonus at their home track, as well as any other race on the schedule.

The selected drivers have won state or track championships during the 2019 season.

To receive the $200 bonus, each driver and owner must have a valid CARS Tour annual or single event license, file their event entry by the deadline, and participate in related promotional duties.

Drivers who compete in any three consecutive events will be eligible for a $500 cash bonus as well. In addition, those who are in the top three in their home track Late Model Stock Points will still qualify for the Circle Track Warehouse Hometown Hero award of free Hoosier tires.

“This is an excellent opportunity for drivers who have proved they are the best at their home track, and are ready to take on the challenge of CARS Tour competition. Plus it gives us an organic way to introduce new teams and talent to the tour, and make it worth their while to go ahead a race with us,” CARS Tour Series Director Chris Ragle said. “We are only racing ten times all season long, so we want to make the most of each event. We want those local stars racing with us when we come to town. Now with this bonus and the Circle Track Warehouse Hometown Hero award, if they are in the top three in track points they will be eligible for one, two, or three free Hoosier tires; there’s no excuse not to take the green flag with us when we come to town.”

The selected drivers are not eligible to be a part of the “Touring 12” and the “Bonus of Champions” in 2020.

In related CARS Tour news, the series has announced Solid Rock Carriers as its new title sponsor. A two-year agreement will see both CARS Tour Series purses increase by 12.5%, in addition to year-round bonuses for competitors.

For the complete list of eligible drivers, and for more information, visit carsracingtour.com.

Babcox Media Inc. has announced the promotion of four executives. Effective immediately, Jim Merle, Dean Martin, Brandi Gangel, and Sean Donohue have each been named vice presidents under the Babcox banner.

“With the evolution of today’s media business, we want to leverage the experience of these team members. These promotions will support the innovation of our products and services to accommodate the ever-changing needs of our readers and customers,” Babcox Media CEO Bill Babcox said.

Merle joined the company in 1993 and has held a variety of sales and publishing roles. In his new role as VP, Group Publisher, Merle will be responsible for the company’s Automotive Service division, including the brands Brake & Front End, ImportCar, Underhood Service, TechShop, Shop Owner, Servicio Automotriz and Tomorrow’s Technician. 

Martin joined the company in 1997 and has also held a variety of sales and publishing roles. In his role as VP, Group Publisher, Martin will be responsible for the company’s Heavy-duty trucking, Engine, Tire and Transmission divisions. These divisions include the brands Fleet Equipment, Fleet Service Technology, Tire Review, Engine Builder and Transmission Digest.

Gangel, who joined the company in 2014, has been promoted to VP of audience data and marketing. Gangel manages the company’s audience intelligence assets and is responsible for audience data acquisition, integration and activation, marketing, research, and digital strategies and execution.

Donohue, who joined the company in 2008, has been appointed VP of sales. Over the past decade, Donohue has served as a sales representative and, most recently, as a group publisher for a variety of Babcox Media brands. In his new role, he will be focused on multi-media solutions and sales activation efforts. 

Due to these promotions, direct management of the brands aftermarketNews, Counterman, and BodyShop Business will fall to Frank Bird, group publisher. Susan Givens will continue to serve as group publisher of the AutoSuccess, Motorcycle & Powersports News, and Professional Carwashing & Detailing brands.

For more information, visit babcox.com.

Motovicity Distribution, the performance-focused wholesale distributor, has expanded its lineup of products with the addition of Injen Technology, which is now available for shipment.

Injen Technology is a manufacturer of performance air intakes, exhaust systems, and intercoolers. Its R&D team uses an in-house dyno, laser CMM, and SolidWorks as part of its manufacturing process.

With over 80,000 square feet of warehouse space, Motovicity Distribution is one of the leading wholesale-only automotive aftermarket distributors of import, sport compact, modern muscle, and other performance parts.

For more information, visit motovicity.com.

Mahoning Valley Speedway, the paved circle track in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, has a new promoter for the 2020 season. The track regularly races street stock, modified, and Late Model cars.

Keith Hoffman has been appointed to the position of track promoter. Officials will host a “Meet and Greet” on Saturday, January 4, where Hoffman will discuss an overview of the upcoming season at the Leighton-based track. The session will take place from 1-4 p.m. at the Mahoning Township Fire Company.

Among the 2020 highlights is the new slate of races honoring accomplished drivers, the Mahoning Valley Speedway Hall of Fame Series (MVSHoFS). The five-race series will run against modified, street stocks, and hobby stocks. The first race is set for April 4 and will honor Doug Hoffman and his No. 60 build with a 60-lap feature.

“We're very excited to bring the Hall of Fame Series to Mahoning Valley,” Keith Hoffman said. “We wanted to honor all these important drivers for their contributions to the track. Our loyal fans and drivers will now have the opportunity to compete in meaningful ‘specials’ throughout the season.”

For more information and the latest changes for the track’s 2020 season, visit mahoningvalley-speedway.com.

Crate Racin’ USA officials have announced the purchase of the South Eastern Crate Association (SECA), which campaigns several racing divisions in the Carolinas and Northeast Georgia. While there will be a change of ownership, not much else is expected to change in the near future.

“The divisions that race under the SECA banner will remain in place with very few adjustments for the 2020 season,” Crate Racin’ USA Director Adam Stewart said. “We will have a new website up soon that will contain rules, contact information, and all of the pertinent information.”

Crate Racin’ USA will help SECA gain a larger national PR footprint, as well as added technical support. Stewart said all of the SECA staff and many of the key personnel will remain on board.

Former SECA owner Scott Childress will continue advising the SECA team while also promoting Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, South Carolina, and Lavonia Speedway in Lavonia, Georgia.

For more information, visit crateracinusa.com.

Junior Johnson, a stock-car racing giant whose career spanned the sport’s history from its moonshining roots to its modern era as a fierce, hard-nosed driver and an innovative mechanic and team owner, has died. He was 88.

Johnson’s passing was confirmed by the NASCAR Hall of Fame. He had been in declining health and entered hospice care earlier this week, according to NASCAR.com.

Johnson was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in its inaugural Class of 2010. He won 50 races in NASCAR’s top division—the most of any driver without a championship—and added 132 victories and six championships as a successful team owner for many legends of the sport. Johnson won the second running of the Daytona 500 in 1960, then added two more triumphs in the Great American Race as a car owner in 1969 and ’77.

His all-out style—honed from years of hauling illegal liquor at breakneck speeds through the North Carolina foothills—took a toll on his competitors and his own equipment, earning him a reputation as the hardest of the hard chargers. Johnson was also known as the Wilkes County Wildman and heralded as “The Last American Hero,” after a brilliant 1965 essay in Esquire by author Tom Wolfe.

“Junior Johnson truly was the ‘Last American Hero,’” NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France said in a statement. “From his early days running moonshine through the end of his life, Junior wholly embodied the NASCAR spirit. He was an inaugural NASCAR Hall of Famer, a nod to an extraordinary career as both a driver and team owner. Between his on-track accomplishments and his introduction of Winston to the sport, few have contributed to the success of NASCAR as Junior has. The entire NASCAR family is saddened by the loss of a true giant of our sport, and we offer our deepest condolences to Junior’s family and friends during this difficult time.”

Johnson was enshrined in the NASCAR Hall of Fame along with Bill France Sr. and Jr., Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty as the inaugural inductees. He remained involved with the NASCAR Hall for years afterward and contributed an operational moonshine still as an exhibit for the museum’s Heritage Speedway section.

He was presented for induction by his son, Robert, on a night of stories about Johnson’s decades-long dedication to stock-car racing.

“We have lost one of NASCAR’s true pioneers, innovators, competitors and an incredible mechanical and business mind. And personally, I have lost one of my dearest friends,” said Winston Kelley, the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s executive director. “While we will miss Junior mightily, his legacy and memory will forever be remembered, preserved, celebrated and cherished at the NASCAR Hall of Fame and in the hearts and minds of race fans around the world.”

Performance Racing Industry would like to extend our seasons greetings to all members of the racing and motorsports community—race teams, speed shops, engine builders, fabricators, tuners, jobbers, WDs, manufacturers and more.

It is your commitment, dedication, passion and expertise that drive this industry forward and push the performance envelope in exciting, innovative directions each and every day. We are honored to serve as the voice of the racing marketplace, and will continue to do our very best to help you thrive and prosper in 2020 and beyond.

Speaking of which, mark your calendars for December 10–12, 2020...the 33rd annual PRI Trade Show in Indianapolis!

So from all of us to all of you, enjoy the holidays, have a very happy New Year, and we'll see you in 2020!



 

Mike Striegel had made countless laps around Lucas Oil Speedway over the years. He's even won a championship at his hometown track behind the wheel of an Out-Pace USRA B-Mod.

But for the 2020 season, Striegel will have a new vantage point. He will be directing Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series action from the flag stand, replacing longtime flagman Bruce Korte who retired after the 2019 season.

Striegel has extensive experience flagging races, mostly before he began racing about 20 years ago. He started at Monett Speedway and also has stints flagging for the Lucas Oil MLRA, Mass.RS DirtCar Series and Show-Me Racing Series.

Lucas Oil Speedway General Manager Danny Lorton said Striegel was an obvious choice once he learned of the interest.
"Having someone who knows both sides of racing from a driver standpoint and an officials standpoint, like Mike, is a plus," Lorton said. "You understand the racers and the business side also, which makes communicating with each a lot easier."

Striegel plans to cut back his racing schedule, which has included both a USRA Modified and B-Mod in recent years, to one car next year along with car owner John Stewart.

Lorton also recently announced that Brian Schwartz is the new Jumbo Tron Operator/Media Specialist in the control tower.

For more information on Lucas Oil Speedway, visit lucasoilspeedway.com.

Spec MX-5 Challenge, LLC has released its final schedule for the 2020 race year. As previously announced, there will be 10 Marquee events at which drivers can score points toward the 2020 Spec MX-5 Challenge Championship. There will then be an 11th Championship event, with additional points, culminating in an expected $100,000 prize package.
 
These Marquee events are limited in number to ensure each gain necessary critical mass, and allow the significant resources each partner is contributing (e.g., Toyo Tires is offering both money and Toyo bucks in addition to the complimentary set of tires for the first 50 Spec MX-5 builds), organizers said. Recognizing some racers are able to commit to an entire season on a given coast (west or east), some desire and are able to run across the country and these bucket list tracks (i.e. the National Series), and some racers are able to make one Marquee event before the championship event (i.e. Invitational Drivers), the Spec MX-5 Challenge Series has been built to attract/maximize racers to these events, they added.
 
Drivers from each series score points in competition with their fellow series drivers, but are on track at the same time as drivers from another series. For example, West Regional Series drivers will run in the season opener at Willow Springs against Invitational drivers. Then, later in the season, West Regional Series drivers will drive side-by-side at Laguna Seca against National Series drivers. Drivers in each regular season event can earn contingency money from Mazda.
 
The Spec MX-5 Challenge Championship will be held in November at Circuit of The Americas, the F1 track in Austin, TX. The top drivers from East Regional, West Regional, National and Invitational competitions will bring points earned during their regular seasons and then race directly against each other at the Championship for additional points and prizes.

For more information, visit specmx-5.com.