Idaho Governor Brad Little and NHRA President Glen Cromwell, along with dignitaries from the Idaho State Historical Society, participated in a ceremony on the Firebird Raceway starting line leading up to the final session of professional qualifying. Firebird Raceway, located just northwest of Idaho’s capital city of Boise, recently played host to the 48th annual Pepsi Nightfire Nationals.

"This is an unbelievable event," expressed Cromwell. "I can't thank you and your entire family enough, along with your Dad and Wally Parks, two of the greatest men in drag racing."

Firebird's Scott New introduced the Governor who delivered a proclamation to Firebird Raceway for its preservation of drag racing history and statewide historical significance in the Gem State. Little, who grew up in nearby Emmett, also revealed that he attended his first Firebird drag racing event as a teenager with his parents just over 50 years ago.

"Firebird Raceway is a major drag racing venue in the Pacific Northwest and one of the premier drag strip venues in the country, and has been for 50 years," stated Governor Little. "The New Family has shown its commitment to the historic integrity of the state through outstanding stewardship. I, Brad Little, Governor of Idaho, do hereby proclaim August 10, 2019, to be Firebird Raceway Day."

For more information, visit firebirdonline.com.

Photo courtesy of NHRA

Evolve Performance Products and Bruce Canepa, CEO of Canepa Group Inc., have announced the formation and partnership of Canepa Performance Lubricants.

Canepa is renowned for his motorsports programs and involvement in all aspects of his business, including vehicle design and development, vintage automotive restorations and collector car sales.

The new Canepa Performance Lubricants will offer a wide range of products with a spectrum of options for race cars and street cars utilizing Evolve’s superior chemical formulations, according to a company release.

Options will be available for Top Fuel dragsters, modern supercars, vintage race cars and any sports or collector car.

“We have been using Evolve’s racing oil exclusively in our motorsports and road car programs. After rigorous testing and extended evaluations, Canepa Group is convinced that these lubricants meet the high standard requirements of the Canepa brand. These products are the new standard of lubrication quality and engine protection. It was an easy decision to seize the opportunity to bring this product to all of the motorsports and collector car world,” Canepa said.

For more information, visit canepa.com.

Thermo-Tec, the heat shield and sound insulating product provider based in Greenwich, Ohio, has announced the addition of Brian “BP” Prior to its team in the role of director of sales and marketing.

“I’m thrilled to join the Thermo-Tec team and eager to help grow what’s already a thriving brand,” Prior said.

Prior has more than two decades in the business, previously serving as a lead account sales manager and merchandiser for well over a decade.

“We’re pleased to have BP with us during this exciting time in the company’s history,” Thermo-Tec CEO Chrissy Gilmore said. “He brings a wealth of experience in key areas that will help us move the needle and grow the business.”

Prior specializes in research and data analysis, which helps him identify and stay ahead of consumer and industry trends. He’s also well versed in strategic product planning and developing long-term development strategies for product prosperity.

For more information, visit thermotec.com.

Some of the best street car racers on the planet will come together at the 65th annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals to compete for the chance to reset the Street Car E.T. record in the NHRA Street Car Showdown.

On August 31 and September 1, fans at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals will get to watch Tom Bailey, Joe Barry, Bryant Goldstone and Dave Schroeder take to the track at the World’s Biggest Drag Race to see if they can tune up their impressive street machines precisely enough to knock a few digits off of the current record, 5.85 seconds.

All four of the drivers and cars participating have completed Hot Rod Drag Week, a competition wherein drivers race and road-trip their cars on a course of five drag strips in five days. These cars are driven—not trailered—to each drag strip where they run for quickest E.T. at each stop.  

“When the NHRA calls you and asks if you would be willing to come to the U.S. Nationals and make some exhibition runs, what do you say?” Bailey said. “As a kid, watching the U.S. Nationals was the equivalent of going to the moon and probably just as likely. Fast forward a few years and suddenly they call. It’s like the president calling and asking you to take the space shuttle for a spin.”

The elite group of street car racers will go on from the U.S Nationals to compete in Hot Rod Drag Week, which kicks off September 8, at Virginia Motorsports Park in North Dinwiddie, Virginia.

For more information, including on the impressive builds each driver will compete in, visit here. For tickets to the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, visit nhra.com/tickets.

Image courtesy of NHRA

FIA President Jean Todt has officially been inducted into the Rally Finland Hall of Fame. Todt was honored along with drivers Timo Salonen and Seppo Harjanne with a special exhibition in the rally headquarters in Jyväskylä’s Paviljonki.

The exhibit featured the Peugeot 205 T16 road car and iconic Group B rally car masterminded by Todt, as well as the Datsun Violet and Nissan 240 RS rally cars that Salonen and Harjanne competed in together.

The Peugeot 205T16, under Todt’s team management, won the World Rally Championship for drivers and manufacturers in 1985 and 1986. It also won Rally Finland in both those years, courtesy of Salonen and Harjanne, the 1985 world champions.

Todt joined Ferrari in 1993 and led the team to eight manufacturers’ titles, six driver titles and 106 victories in Formula 1. Since 2009, he has been President of the FIA.

For more information, visit fia.com.

Photos courtesy of FIA

The B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe) national teen defensive driving program has announced that three-time NHRA Mello Mello Series Top Fuel Champion Larry Dixon has joined the organization as a driving instructor and official spokesperson.

Dixon, the son of the 1970 NHRA Winternationals Champion Larry Dixon, Sr., won the NHRA Mello Yello Top Fuel  World Championships in 2002, 2003 and 2010. He was also named Rookie of the Year in 1995 and won 62 Top Fuel victories.

“I’ve had the fortune of knowing [Program Founder] Doug [Herbet] since high school, both as a fellow competitor and as a friend,” said Dixon. “Doug and his team have also taught two of my children, so I am equally impressed as a parent. I’m proud to join this great organization and use my platform to help spread the word about the B.R.A.K.E.S. program, which has saved countless lives.”

Herbert’s B.R.A.K.E.S. is a GuideStar Platinum-rated 501(c)3 non-profit whose mission is to prevent injuries and save lives by training and educating teenage drivers and their parents about the importance of safe and responsible driving. B.R.A.K.E.S. was founded in 2008 after Top Fuel drag racer Herbert lost his two young sons, Jon and James, in a tragic car crash. Today, more than 35,000 teens from 45 different states and five countries—and their parents—have graduated from the B.R.A.K.E.S.’ intensive half-day training course, which is free of charge and features hands-on skills exercises taught by professional instructors in a fleet of new vehicles donated by Kia Motors America.

The next B.R.A.K.E.S. program will take place 8/24 and 8/25 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. For more information, visit putonthebrakes.org.

Photo courtesy of Pullin Media

They say the first step in solving a problem is recognizing you have one. So let’s start here: We need to do more to engage the next generation of racing enthusiasts.

Oh, you’ve heard this before? Me too. Repeatedly. For as long as I’ve been at PRI.

Okay then, problem acknowledged. Which means we’re able to move past step one.

Now come the harder questions: As an industry, what are we doing about it? Or, to put a finer point on it, how are we working to get young people excited and passionate about motorsports—either as a pastime, a hobby, or, ideally, as a career?

And that, in a nutshell, was what we sought to uncover in our report on the Youth Racing Market, which begins on page 66 of this month’s PRI Magazine.

We wanted to know how sanctioning bodies and track officials, for example, are getting kids to the races, and how they’re keeping them engaged once they leave.

We wanted to know how race teams are connecting with youngsters who may be involved in stick-and-ball sports, or no sports at all, and planting a seed of fascination.

And we wanted to shine a light on the various programs and services offered by stakeholders like the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) and others, initiatives that are intended to “cover the spectrum and trajectory of education from kindergarten through post-secondary, and into a career or lifestyle as automotive enthusiasts,” according to SEMA’s Senior Director of Education (and all-around good guy) Zane Clark.

One of those efforts is the YES Program, which is run by the NHRA and sponsored by Ford, Universal Technical Institute (UTI), Mopar and SEMA/PRI. Briefly, the program stresses the importance of goals and continued education while showing junior high and high school students how science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) play a role in real-world situations and careers. It makes stops at 15 of 24 events during the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season and reaches an impressive 30,000-plus kids.  

As part of the gig, sponsors set up tents with activities and information for students and educators to learn more about what each one offers. For Ford and Mopar, that includes the opportunities available to auto technicians and networking with dealer reps; for UTI, it’s introducing kids to the education and technical training offered through its campuses.

At SEMA/PRI, our goals include exposing students who may or may not have an interest in autos or the aftermarket to the unique environment of race tracks. The experience helps inspire them to embrace automotive culture and reinforces the appeal of a career in motorsports. And yes, we hand out plenty of earplugs in the process.

“We are looking to create a spark that turns into a passion,” Clark added of SEMA/PRI’s involvement in YES. “Are the students excited? Are they engaged? Are they more interested in the automotive lifestyle after our program? Are they finding jobs? These are the outcomes we are looking to achieve.”

Having participated in one of these events I can tell you firsthand that what NHRA and its partners are doing is inspiring. Not just for the students, but for the professionals who get to meet and interact with these next-generation performance enthusiasts. Because they are getting excited, and they are getting engaged. And several more are exploring the opportunities that exist along the path to a career in automotive.

The foundation is there—it’s just up to us now to develop it.

Rottler’s Kent, Washington, corporate headquarters will be open October 10-11, 2019, for live machine demonstrations and technical seminars.

Rottler will also host the AERA Regional Tech & Skills Conference, which offers the opportunity for locals to gain knowledge and network with industry members.

The Rottler Open House, which will take place 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Rottler plant, is free to the public.

For more information, visit rottlermfg.com/open_house.php.

McLaren Racing announced it returns to full-time IndyCar competition beginning 2020 in a strategic partnership with Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports (Arrow SPM) and Chevrolet. McLaren last competed full time in IndyCar in 1979.

Under the partnership, the team will be renamed Arrow McLaren Racing SP and will field two Chevrolet-powered cars in the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series, reflecting the continuing status of Arrow Electronics as the team’s title partner, as well as a new manufacturer partnership with Chevrolet.
 
The partnership will see the infrastructure of Arrow SPM underpin the team’s operations, while McLaren will add technical expertise, commercial experience and marketing strength to enable the new entity to perform at the highest competitive level and regularly challenge for wins and the series title. Arrow SPM co-founders Sam Schmidt and Ric Peterson continue in their current roles.
 
Gil de Ferran, Sporting Director, McLaren Racing, will lead the McLaren IndyCar program and involvement in Arrow McLaren Racing SP. He will helm a dedicated group from McLaren Racing, independent of the Formula 1 team.

“IndyCar is a natural fit for McLaren, given our legacy and determination to succeed at the top levels of international motorsport. Our ambition, over time, is to consistently compete for wins and championships. We acknowledge the challenge ahead of us but McLaren is committed to this partnership and to supporting the team as a whole,” McLaren Racing Sporting Director Gil de Ferran said.

For more information, visit spmindycar.com.

Alliant, the distributor of diversified insurance products and services for several industries, has added one of Oklahoma’s longest-standing names in insurance to its Southwest operations with its acquisition of Fred Daniel & Sons. The Tulsa-based institution brings nearly 100 years of experience in commercial and personal insurance under the Alliant banner.

“Since 1920, Fred Daniel & Sons has built its reputation for leadership through a meticulous approach to building and growing relationships among its clients and carriers,” said Tom Corbett, Chairman and CEO of Alliant, based in Newport Beach, California. “This combination of local knowledge and proven results will provide Alliant with a powerful platform for growth in Oklahoma while adding new resources and expertise to our regional operations.”

Fred Daniel & Sons clients span a broad array of industries, many with operations across the US.

Owner and President Fred Daniel III will join Alliant and continue serving clients nationwide from its Tulsa offices along with the entire Fred Daniel & Sons team. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

For more information, visit alliant.com.