The 2020 schedule for the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires—the driver development program with a scholarship-funded path to the NTT IndyCar Series—was announced by Andersen Promotions.

All three levels of the ladder system—Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires, the Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires and the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship—will compete at prominent venues throughout North America and Canada in support of the NTT IndyCar Series. The program will offer scholarships and awards valued at over $2.7 million.

Following a successful revitalization of the entire Road to Indy with new chassis introductions over the course of the past few years, Andersen Promotions today also announced extensions on all equipment packages to assist with team budgets. The Indy Lights Dallara IL-15 will remain in competition for at least three more seasons through 2022, and the Indy Pro 2000 Tatuus PM-18 and USF2000 USF-17 through at least 2024.

The Road to Indy program has been helping drivers ascend the motorsports ranks since 2010. In this year’s 103rd Running of the Indianapolis 500, 23 of the 33 starters were Road to Indy graduates, including nine Indy Lights champions. The platform is also well-represented on the NTT IndyCar Series grids with 26 Road to Indy graduates contesting events this season.

To view the complete Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires, Indy Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires and Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship 2020 schedules, visit the INDYCAR website here.

Image courtesy of Road To Indy, Andersen Promotions

NHRA officials have released the 2020 national event schedule for the E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by J&A Service, which features an eclectic mix of powerful vehicles and competes at 12 of the 24 events on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule.

Pro Mod cars can use superchargers, turbochargers, or nitrous-oxide injection to run more than 250 mph. In 2020, these fierce competitors will visit a few new stops including the Route 66 NHRA Nationals in Chicago, the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, Minn., and the AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals in Dallas.

NHRA’s two nitro categories—Funny Car and Top Fuel—will participate at all 24 national events in the 2020 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

The news follows the recent announcement of the 18-race 2020 Pro Stock schedule.

For more information, including the complete 2020 national event schedule for the E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by J&A Service, visit nhra.com.

Image courtesy of NHRA

The Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy, the official ABB FIA Formula E Championship support series, has released the calendar for its 2019-20 season.

Following the path of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship, the second season of the all-electric support series will consist of ten rounds starting with two double-headers in Saudi Arabia on November 22–23, before heading to Mexico City, Hong Kong, Rome, Paris, Berlin and New York City. Rounding off the season, all teams will battle it out in a final double-header in London's ExCeL Centre in a bid to clinch the championship title.

After Formula E successfully integrated ATTACK MODE into its competition in 2019, Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy competitors will also benefit from the energy boost in its second season. Drivers will be able to take advantage of the extra power by driving through the ATTACK MODE Activation Zone, located off the racing line, leading to more overtaking.

“It’s exciting to look forward to season two of the Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY and reveal the exciting locations for our second year," said James Barclay, Jaguar Racing Team Director. "New for season two is the London double-header which is a fantastic opportunity to race the I-Pace eTrophy twice in front of our home crowds. We are also excited to bring ATTACK MODE to the series. It has been a big success in Formula E and I am sure it will also inject even more excitement into eTrophy.”

For more information, visit the Jaguar website here.

Turn 14 Distribution has announced the addition of Wehrli Custom Fabrication to its line card.

Wehrli Custom Fabrication, the manufacturer of diesel truck performance parts, specializes in customized metal fabrication and high-performance diesel upgrades for Duramax, Power Stroke and Cummins builds. The company’s brand is manufactured in-house in the US.

“Wehrli Custom Fabrication is well-known in the diesel performance industry for its custom-built products which fit each of the three domestic diesel truck platforms,” said Kyle Shelley, Turn 14 Distribution’s director of sales, according to published reports. "The quality of Wehrli’s products is easy to see as soon as the consumer opens the box. The craftsmanship and value these products offer will be a hit with Turn 14 Distribution’s customers and fill an important niche in our line card."

Wehrli offers turbo kits and more for competition and more diesel trucks.

For more information, visit turn14.com or wcfab.com.

Venturini Motorsports officials announced the planned expansion of its successful Driver Development Program to include NASCAR K&N Pro Series competition beginning in the 2020 season.

Looking to provide multiple avenues for aspiring NASCAR racers, the team will dedicate resources to expand their current program for the 2020 race season to include multiple entries in the ARCA Menards Series and a presence in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West divisions.

“As we look to the future and continue to focus on our already successful program in the ARCA Menards Series, we have decided to expand our resources allowing us to extend our schedule to include the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West competition, on either a partial or full-season basis,” Venturini Motorsports Team Owner Billy Venturini said. “All of our programs are built on the same platform of dedication that has led our team to over 60 wins and this expansion will only allow us more development opportunities for young racers across a national motorsports platform. We look forward to capping off our 2019 ARCA season strong and beginning to build on our new racing opportunities for 2020 and beyond.”

Third-generation driver Billy Venturini kickstarted the modern-day Driver Development movement in early 2007 after retiring from the driver's seat.

While the team has competed in all three of NASCAR’s top divisions over the years, the Venturini name became a staple in the ARCA Menards Series, where the team has collected an impressive 64-wins and 70-pole awards to-date and positioned themselves as the premier development program for Toyota Racing Development (TRD).

Venturini Motorsports last competed in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in 2013, earning a second-place finish at the “Monster Mile” of Dover Int’l Speedway.

For more information, visit venturinimotorsports.com.

Mast Motorsports has completed a merger with the cylinder head and induction specialist ENDYN (Energy Dynamics) in the effort to broaden its portfolio of engine components and services. In the past, the two companies have worked closely together to co-develop ENDYN’s all-new Honda cylinder heads.

As part of the merger, ENDYN will relocate its current Ft. Worth, Texas facility to Mast Motorsports’ all-new 22,000 square-foot cylinder head R&D campus in Nacogdoches, Texas.

ENDYN Founder Larry Widmer will take the reins of Mast’s newly established Race Cylinder Head Services division while continuing to run ENDYN’s day-to-day operations.

“This partnership has a world of potential, and I’m very excited to work with everyone at Mast Motorsports,” Widmer said.

Widmer has been credited with developing the first plenum ram intake manifold for the Boss 429 engine, building the first flow bench capable of both static and pulsing flow evaluation of cylinder heads and intake manifolds, as well as the development of the high-compression “Soft Head” technology.

ENDYN also has a long history that includes achievements in NHRA Pro Stock, NASCAR Cup, IndyCar, Australian V8 Supercars, AHRA Super Stock and CAN-AM. Today, ENDYN serves domestic and overseas hardcore racing markets.

Although Widmer has built cylinder heads and induction components that serve the highest ranks of professional racing, working work with racers at the grassroots level strikes a chord with him.

“I just love engines. Racing is what I’ve done my whole life,” he said. “I want to win. It’s all or nothing, and that desire has grown more intense as I’ve grown older.”

For more information, visit mastmotorsport.com or theoldone.com.

Garrett Motion Inc. announced that Alessandro Gili, the company’s senior vice president and chief financial officer (CFO), will leave the company, effective September 30, to pursue other interests.

Garrett has named Peter Bracke as interim CFO. Most recently, Bracke was vice president FP&A and business finance for Garrett. Prior to this position, he held various CFO roles at Honeywell and has been the CFO of the business through the completion of the spin-off.

“I would like to thank Alessandro for his contributions over his 15 months with Garrett. As CFO, Alessandro championed company-wide efforts to execute the spin-off from Honeywell and created value through optimizing our financial model and strengthening our business. I wish Alessandro the best in his future endeavors and I am pleased to welcome Peter in this interim position,” Garrett President and CEO Olivier Rabiller said.

For more information, visit garrettmotion.com.

Team Penske inducted two long-time team leaders and executives into the Team Penske Hall of Fame this week.

Former Penske Racing South President Don Miller and Dan Luginbuhl, one of the pioneers of motorsports marketing and public relations, were honored in a special ceremony at the team’s Mooresville, North Carolina facility on Monday.

Miller, a former racer himself, joined Penske Racing in 1972, working on the team’s stock car and IndyCar programs before becoming Vice President of Penske Products.

Miller was instrumental in bringing Penske Racing back into full-time NASCAR competition in 1991 with driver and fellow Team Penske Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace. Miller then became President of Penske Racing South, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the team’s stock car program. Under Miller’s leadership, Penske stock car teams produced a total of 69 victories in NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and ARCA competition until his retirement in 2007. The Chicago native was also helped design and develop several car safety advancements in NASCAR while leading the Penske team.

When Luginbuhl joined Penske Racing in 1969, he helped chart the course for the team’s innovative and successful partnership model. He also helped pioneer modern motorsports public relations and marketing. Early in his tenure with Penske Racing, Luginbuhl cultivated the relationship with key team sponsor Sunoco before he helped foster partnerships with some of the other top brands in motorsports including Pennzoil, Marlboro, Miller, Goodyear, Mobil, Mercedes-Benz and many other Fortune 500 companies.

Over his 35-year career with Team Penske, Luginbuhl distinguished himself in numerous roles within the organization as he helped define and refine the Penske brand. He served as Vice President of Communications when he retired in 2002 and he continues to be a valued resource for Team Penske.

Miller and Luginbuhl join past Team Penske Hall of Fame inductees including Roger Penske (2016), Mark Donohue (2016), Rick Mears (2017), Karl Kainhofer (2017), Rusty Wallace (2018) and Walter Czarnecki (2018).

For more information, visit teampenske.com.

NHRA officials have released the 2020 schedule for the Pro Stock category of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Pro Stock teams will compete at 18 of the 24 events on the series. Throughout the year, NHRA will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Pro Stock class.

Pro Stock returns to several venues in 2020 including the Mopar Express Lane NHRA SpringNationals in Houston, the NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta, and the Menards NHRA Heartland Nationals in Topeka, Kansas. Additionally, fans in Bristol, Tennessee, and Epping, New Hampshire, will see Pro Stock in action at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals and the NHRA New England Nationals, respectively.

The two nitro categories—Funny Car and Top Fuel—will participate at all 24 national events in the 2020 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

Additional schedules, including the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Pro Mod, Factory Stock Showdown and more, will be announced at a later date.

To view the complete schedule, visit the NHRA website here.

Image courtesy of NHRA

A look ahead to several of the key events on the 2020 tour schedule sees major races spread out over nearly every month next year, including back-to-back $50,000-to-win races, two deep-paying events to open the season, a $30,000-to-win staple in June and a number of $15,000-to-win specials:
 
BATTLE AT THE BORDER
The 2020 World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series schedule will kick off with the inaugural “Battle at the Border” at the newly constructed, state-of-the-art Vado Speedway Park in Vado, NM, on Jan. 2-5.
 
More than $130,000 will be on the line during the four-night event, opening with a full practice session Thursday, Jan. 2 for teams to shake down their new equipment. Three separate points races will follow, including two $5,000-to-win Morton Buildings Features, culminating with the $15,000-to-win, 50-lap main event on Sunday, Jan. 5. Never before has a World of Outlaws season kicked off as early in the calendar year, or as far west, as this brand-new event.
 
49th ANNUAL DIRTcar NATIONALS
Volusia Speedway Park’s longest-running racing extravaganza is back again for its 49th consecutive year. The World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models will join the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars, Super DIRTcar Series, DIRTcar UMP Modifieds and Late Models and Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All-Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil-1 for a two-week stretch of racing, Feb. 4-15.
 
The Morton Buildings Late Models will hit the track on Wednesday, Feb. 12, and continue through Saturday, Feb 15, for four 50-lap, $10,000-to-win races, run in conjunction with the three races at Vado Speedway Park to create a best-three-of-seven series at the year’s first two events.
 
13th ANNUAL ILLINI 100 presented by DOUGLAS DODGE
Offering up another special event format for the Outlaws to tackle, Farmer City Raceway will host another 25-lap, $6,000-to-win Morton Buildings Feature on April 3 before the 75-lap, $12,000-to-win finale on Saturday, April 4.
 
14th ANNUAL FIRECRACKER 100
Pennsylvania’s richest Dirt Late Model race returns to the Lernerville Speedway in 2020, where “The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet” will come into town on June 25-27 for a three-night racing party.
 
31st ANNUAL PRAIRIE DIRT CLASSIC presented by BANK OF PONTIAC
It will definitely be hard to top this year’s edition of the most prestigious Dirt Late Model race in Illinois, but offering up a $50,000 winner’s share is certainly a great start. #PDC2020 hits the track for a two-day weekend on July 31-Aug. 1 at America’s Dirt Track, Fairbury Speedway. A record-breaking car count in 2019 will foster an even bigger field for the big jackpot next season.
 
33rd ANNUAL USA NATIONALS
Now sharing the honor of being the highest-paying World of Outlaws race on the schedule, Cedar Lake Speedway’s 100-lap, $50,000-to-win USA Nationals weekend will take place the weekend after Fairbury’s Prairie Dirt Classic, August 6-8.
 
Standing as one of the more interesting race formats the Outlaws will see all season, the event will consist of a 50-lap, $10,000-to-win Morton Buildings Feature on Thursday night, followed by Saturday’s qualifying events and the FANSFund dash on Friday night. Last Chance Showdowns and the 100-lap finale will headline Saturday’s action in The Badger State.
 
CAN-AM WORLD OF OUTLAWS WORLD FINALS
We’re only a few weeks away from this year’s Can-Am World Finals Nov. 7-8-9 at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but fans can already put the 2020 dates in their calendar as the season’s championship weekend for the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models, World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars and Super DIRTcar Series will be Nov. 5-6-7, 2020. It’s the can’t-miss culmination of a year’s worth of hard work, blood, sweat, tears and joy.

Photo courtesy of Tyler Rinken, WoO