Cummins Inc. announced its next environmental sustainability strategy, which includes science-based goals that meet or exceed those outlined during the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The goals are designed to limit global temperature rise to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius by the middle of the century.

A highlight of the strategy is that, by 2050, Cummins is targeting net-zero carbon emissions.

“Our communities and our business depend on our collective response to improve the health of the planet while creating prosperity for all,” Cummins Inc. Chairman and CEO Tom Linebarger said. “It’s clear that government, businesses, nongovernmental organizations, and communities must unite behind swift, decisive action to address the environmental threats we face.”

The strategy, called PLANET 2050, builds on the success of goals announced in 2014, which stated that by 2020, the company will reduce its energy and water use, as well as reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) in its products. The company will continue to work on those targets through the end of next year.

For the complete list of climate and environmental goals, visit the Cummins website, here.

California’s Monterey County Board of Supervisors will select the next manager for WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Tuesday, November 19, according to RACER.

The session, which will be open to the public, will decide between three final management proposals, including the Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP), the current managers of the iconic road course. It was previously announced last week that SCRAMP received notice from the county that its contract will not be extended.

Additional finalists include a five-person team led by Long Beach Grand Prix Co-Founder Chris Pook. A & D Narigi, LLC (A&D), led by the former Monterey Plaza Hotel Manager John Narigi, is also a contender.

The public meeting begins at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 19, at the Monterey County Government Center in Salinas, California.

For more information, visit weathertechraceway.com.

Officials from the Schaeffer’s Oil Iron-Man Championship Late Model Series presented by DirtonDirt have released the 16-race 2020 schedule of events.

The tour will visit eight race tracks in a two-state area and will boast prize monies in excess of $348,000 over 16 events. Drivers will be allowed to drop their worst finish at the season's end. The tour will co-sanction with the Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals and Schaeffer’s Oil Fall Nationals during a few events.

The sixth season will open on Saturday, April 11, with the largest paying event on the tour with a visit to Gary Hall’s Tazewell (Tennessee) Speedway for a 75-lap, $20,000-to-win show paying $1,000-to-start the main event. The tour will also visit Tazewell Speedway on two more occasions with events on July 3, for the Firecracker 40 and September 6, for the Buddy Rogers Memorial.

Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, Kentucky, returns to the schedule for the first time since 2017 with three visits paying $4,000-to-win to the track that sits on the Lincoln/Boyle County line starting with May 15, August 7, and October 2.

The series will also return to the Brandon Hardgrove-promoted Lake Cumberland Speedway in Burnside, Kentucky, for the first time since 2018 for the first of three stops on May 16, for the Johnny Wheeler Memorial, August 29 for the Harold Hardgrove Memorial, and October 10 for the Lake Cumberland Classic.

411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, Tennessee, will host the Iron-Man regional tour on three occasions as the tour will sanction the Scott Sexton Memorial on May 25, a special on July 4, and the Annual Leftover Race on November 28, at the facility promoted by the McCarter family.

On June 5 and 6, the tour will host a pair of $4,000-to-win events at the Raymond Sheppard-promoted Wartburg (Tennessee) Speedway on June 5 for the Donald “Ducky” Jones Memorial and visit the I-75 (Tennessee) Raceway, promoted by the Kyle family, on June 6.

For the first time since 2018, the tour will also visit the Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tennessee, for a 40-lap $4,000-to-win event. On August 8, the tour will return to Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tennessee for the 16th Annual Iron-Man Classic.

The 2019 season will conclude on Saturday, November 30, for the Annual Leftover event at 411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, Tennessee that pays $5,000-to-win for the Iron-Man Late Models and $1,200-to-win for the Iron-Man Open Wheels.

For more information, visit ctpromotions.org.

The Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA Super Tour returns in 2020 with a calendar that includes 10 events for a total of 20 Hoosier Super Tour races. For the fourth year in a row, the series will commence its season in January and conduct at least one race weekend each month through July.

As has become tradition, this year’s Hoosier Super Tour will again open at Sebring International Raceway in Florida before a February visit to Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas. However, this year’s stop at COTA will only be a two-day event. Then, competitors head west to Central California’s Buttonwillow Raceway Park in February this year instead of the traditional April visit.

March sees a return to Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, followed by an early April date at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit just west of Tulsa, Oklahoma. That is followed by a weekend tentatively scheduled at VIRginia International Raceway along the border of North Carolina and Virginia.

One Hoosier Super Tour event will take place in May at Portland International Raceway in Oregon. Drivers then head back to the Midwest for a tentative date at Road America for the annual WeatherTech Chicago Region June Sprints, which would serve as a “preview” for Runoffs competition as that venue is hosting the 2020 National Championship.

Next on the Hoosier Super Tour calendar is a June visit to Watkins Glen International in New York before the season concludes in July with a tentative date at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. This will be the first time the series has capped off its “regular season” at Mid-Ohio, which has traditionally held its Hoosier Super Tour event in early June.

The calendar is subject to change, but dates for the 2020 Hoosier SCCA Super Tour are currently as follows:
- January 10-12: Sebring International Raceway; Sebring, Florida
(Central Florida Region - Southeast Conference)
 
- February 8-9: Circuit of the Americas; Austin, Texas
(Lone Star Region - Southern Conference)
 
- February 21-23: Buttonwillow Raceway Park; Buttonwillow, California
(Cal Club Region - Western Conference)
 
- March 20-22: Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta; Braselton, Georgia
(Atlanta Region - Southeast Conference)
 
- April 4-5: Hallett Motor Racing Circuit; Jennings, Oklahoma
(Ark Valley Race Group - Mid-States & Southern Conference)
 
- April 10-12 (tentative): VIRginia International Raceway; Alton, Virginia
(North Carolina Region - Northeast & Southeast Conference)
 
- May 16-17: Portland International Raceway; Portland, Oregon
(Oregon Region - Western Conference)
 
- June 12-14 (tentative): Road America - WeatherTech Chicago Region June Sprints; Plymouth, Wis.
(Chicago Region - Northern Conference)
 
- June 19-21: Watkins Glen International; Watkins Glen, New York
(Glen Region - Northeast Conference)
 
- July 17-19 (tentative): Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course; Lexington, Ohio
(Ohio Valley Region - Northern Conference)

For more information, visit scca.com.

NASCAR and NBC Sports have teamed up to launch TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold, a new streaming product in the direct-to-consumer space. Set to launch in early December, TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold builds off the foundation set by FansChoice.tv.

TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold will bring fans exclusive live motorsports events and an extensive library of archived documentaries and films. The platform will offer exclusive live viewing of a multitude of motorsports, including select ARCA Menards Series events (including ARCA Menards Series East and West races), NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, American Flat Track, and select grassroots racing events, as well as NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series practice and qualifying sessions (NBC Sports’ half of the schedule only).

Also included will be live and archived content from the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, and IMSA Prototype Challenge.

Live NASCAR national series races (NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Gander Outdoors Trucks Series) will not be offered on the platform.

“The launch of TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold is a significant step forward in both our commitment to grassroots racing and the evolution of our direct-to-consumer strategy,” NASCAR President Steve Phelps said. “By partnering with NBC Sports, we can deliver more high-quality content to fans who have passionately followed their favorite racing series via FansChoice.tv, while increasing product availability and reliability.”

Fans can access all the content on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold for $4.99/month or $44.99/year. Lower-priced, series-specific sub-packages will also be available.

For additional information, visit nascar.com.

PBM Performance Products of Louisville, Kentucky, has entered an agreement to become the exclusive distributor for Profiler Cylinder Heads, effective December 1, 2019. The arrangement will allow Pro-Filer to focus efforts on manufacturing and product development while utilizing PBM's established distribution network.


Pro-Filer Performance Products designs and manufactures state-of-the-art aluminum cylinder heads, intake manifolds, and related components for racing and street machines. Available in a range of styles for both Ford and Chevy applications—precision-engineered parts made in the US and designed to deliver increased power and maximum performance.


PBM Performance Products is well known among professional engine builders and machine shops as a provider of premium quality, hardcore performance engine components. PBM carries a wide array of brands from leading manufacturers in addition to its extensive line of PBM brand components, as well as complete engine kits with performance matched and dyno tested combinations.

For more information, visit pbm-erson.com or profilerperformance.com.

The Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP), the managers of WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, have received notice from the county of Monterey that their contract will not be extended, according to a report by RACER.

For 62 years, SCRAMP has overseen the Laguna Seca Recreation Area, which includes the iconic Corkscrew race track that has hosted the NTT IndyCar Series and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

“This news comes as a surprise to the SCRAMP organization,” SCRAMP CEO Tim McGrane said on a statement posted to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca’s Twitter account. “We were starting to make real progress on getting the facility and the raceway operations turned around and poised for the future, but it appears at this time we may not have the opportunity to see these plans through.

“As the existing facility operator, we were stunned by the fact that we were not provided the opportunity to discuss our proposal with the ACAO. The entire process has been unconventional, ranging from the bypassing of the County’s usual Request For Proposal (RFP) process, the announcement in mid-October requesting proposals from any interested parties with only two weeks’ notice, and complaints that SCRAMP had not met deadlines to submit a proposal when in fact a submission date had been agreed upon in May, and subsequently met, has been challenging.”

Monterey County, which owns the recreation area, has previously tried to end its relationship with SCRAMP in 2016. County officials were accepting bids for operators of the facility and received inquiries from two groups—Long Beach Grand Prix Founder Chris Pook’s World Automotive Championships and Friends of Laguna Seca, which included local motorsports supporters. A deal between the parties never materialized, however.

County officials reportedly received four proposals to take over track management by late October, although no candidates have been identified.

SCRAMP’s full statement can be seen, here.

For more information, visit weathertechraceway.com.

Best In The Desert, one of the largest off-road racing series in North America, announced it will be featuring a special Triple Crown within its 2020 American Off-Road Racing Series.

With guaranteed cash payout bonuses for Overall finishers, the projected total payout for the 2020 season is well over $600,000. Unlimited Car/Truck classes will receive bonus payouts of $25,000 for first place overall, $10,000 for second place overall and $5,000 for third place overall in each Triple Crown event. 

Limited Car/Truck, UTV and Motorcycles/Quad classes will also be eligible for increased bonus prize money payouts. 

For Cars/Trucks, the Triple Crown will consist of Best In The Desert’s Parker 425, Vegas to Reno and BlueWater Desert Challenge events. For UTVs, Motorcycles/Quads the Triple Crown will consist of the Parker 250, Vegas to Reno and BlueWater Desert Challenge events. 

In total, more than $260,000 in additional guaranteed payouts will be offered at the 2020 events.

Best In The Desert will also be paying more than $65,000 in year-end Triple Crown bonuses. Pro Motorcycles/Quads receive a $5,000 bonus, Pro UTVs receive $11,000, Limited Pro Cars/Trucks receive $11,000 and Unlimited Pro Cars/Trucks receive a whopping $40,000 bonus.

“We’re very excited to make this announcement,” Best In The Desert CMO Bryan Folks said. “This new bonus structure gives our racers some additional incentives and titles to shoot for, plus ways to earn purse money outside our individual events and the normal year-long series championships. The addition of the Triple Crown is sure to create additional excitement and attention for our racers and fans.”

The 2020 Best In The Desert season kicks off on January 10–11 at Parker, Arizona, with the Tensor Tire Parker 250 and runs through October 22–25 with the series finale Bluewater Desert Challenge.

For more information, visit bitd.com.

Event officials have announced the legendary HOT ROD Power Tour returns to the Midwest in 2020 with a seven-day, seven-city journey. Over 6,000 expected vehicles and 100,000 spectators are expected to take part in the June 7-13 event.

“Like a family reunion, HOT ROD Power Tour is more than just an annual event—it’s a return home,” said HOT ROD Editor-in-Chief John McGann. “Come join the 2020 HOT ROD Power Tour and celebrate everything hot rod culture has to offer.”

The 2020 HOT ROD Power Tour will kick off on Sunday, June 7, in Norwalk, Ohio, at Summit Motorsports Park. The full list of HOT ROD Power Tour stops will include:
    •    KICKOFF on Sunday, June 7: Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio
    •    Monday, June 8: Montgomery County Fairgrounds, Dayton, Ohio
    •    Tuesday, June 9: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis
    •    Wednesday, June 10: World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, St. Louis
    •    Thursday, June 11: State Farm Center, Champaign, Ill.
    •    Friday, June 12: Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds, Davenport, Iowa
    •    FINALE on Saturday, June 13: Alliant Energy Center, Madison, Wisc.

At each stop, the 26th annual HOT ROD Power Tour will feature a colorful midway of mobile display rigs from more than 50 performance manufacturers and aftermarket specialists with opportunities to view the latest innovations and get expert advice. The main stage will feature entertainment, celebrities, games, and dozens of giveaways. Select locations will also feature dragstrip fun runs and autocross action.

For more information, visit hotrod.com/events.

The Race Track Business Conference (RTBC) has released additional details for its 2019 gathering during Race Industry Week ahead of the 2019 PRI Trade Show in Indianapolis, Indiana.

One session will cover The Future of Racing: Details Behind the Indy Autonomous Challenge. The previously-announced autonomous race competition among universities will enable self-driving Indy Lights race cars for head-to-head competition. This discussion will reveal behind-the-scenes details of the challenge, and also look forward to the future of motorsports.

Leading the topic will be Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) President Doug Boles, Dallara USA CEO Stefano de Ponti, Energy Systems Network Director of Mobility Matt Peak, Clemson University - ICAR Professor Rob Prucka, Turn 3 Media President Ralph Sheheen, and SEMA Vice President of Vehicle Technology John Waraniak.

An additional session will also cover broadcasting and streaming. Topics will include a discussion on how tracks, series and media publications are handling the shift to OTT platforms, as well as utilizing the new platform and fan engagement.

As previously announced, the keynote speaker for 2019 will be the accomplished driver Lyn St. James.

The cost to attend RTBC-2019, which includes lunch, is $250.

For more information, visit racetrackbusinessconference.com or contact Tim Frost at twfrost@speedwaysonline.com or 847-853-0294.