Arizona’s Office of Tourism will spend $1.5 million a year for 30 years to promote ISM Raceway in Avondale, as approved by the state’s Joint Legislative Budget Committee last month and reported by the Arizona Capitol Times.

A deal was made nearly three years ago by Rep. David Livingston (R-Peoria) that would allocate the funds if the race track spent over $100 to revamp the one-mile circuit and facility. ISM Raceway exceeded the amount, spending $178 million for new seating, the new INfield featuring a beer garden and tequila bar, luxury suites, parking, free WiFi, camping locations, and more.

ISM Raceway is set to hold NASCAR’s championship weekend which will feature all three national touring series on November 6-8, 2020. The Semi-Final Race weekend for 2019 will also take place at the track November 8-10 this year featuring all three touring series and the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West.

For more information on the track, visit ismraceway.com.

A hands-on Ford tuning class will be held August 3-4, 2019 at Mustang Dynamometer in Twinsburg, Ohio.

The seminars will include 16 hours of training with both classroom and live dyno instruction. Participants will learn how to tune 4.6L/5.4L and 5.0/6.2L vehicles using some students' actual builds.

Topics will also cover fuel injection, VCM scanners, tuning checklists, MAF tuning, and more. The course will include materials, including a full-color manual, and lunch.

Ford Tuning Expert and Instructor Tony Gonyon will also be on hand to answer questions.

For more information or to register, visit here.

The iconic leader in the automotive industry Lee Iacocca passed away July 2 at his home in California. He was 94.

Best known for launching the Ford Mustang in 1964, he also is credited as the only auto executive to have led two of the “Big Three.”

Having also played a significant role in the turnaround of the Chrysler brand in the 1980s, FCA issued the following statement on Iacocca’s passing:

The company is saddened by the news of Lee Iacocca’s passing. He played a historic role in steering Chrysler through crisis and making it a true competitive force. He was one of the great leaders of our company and the auto industry as a whole. He also played a profound and tireless role on the national stage as a business statesman and philanthropist.

Lee gave us a mindset that still drives us today – one that is characterized by hard work, dedication and grit. We are committed to ensuring that Chrysler, now FCA, is such a company, an example of commitment and respect, known for excellence as well as for its contribution to society. His legacy is the resiliency and unshakeable faith in the future thatlive on in the men and women of FCA who strive every day to live up to the high standards he set.

Photo of Lea Iacocca courtesy of Babcox Media

Performance Racing Industry offices in Aliso Viejo, California, will be closed on Thursday, July 4. We will return to the office on Friday, July 5.

PRI would like to wish motorsports professionals across the US a safe and happy celebration for July 4th.

To register for the 2019 PRI Trade Show set for December 12-14 in Indianapolis, visit here.

The first annual Jr Late Model Challenge Camp will be held at Madera Speedway in Madera, California, from August 16–17. Applications are now being accepted for the camp, which will be open to racers from the ages of 10 to 15.

Racers will be selected from a five-panel committee based on their accomplishments, history, years of experience and related factors. Applications will be accepted through July 12, and the committee will select the top 50 applicants on July 13. The announcement of the twelve drivers to attend the camp will be made on July 16. 

The camp will invite six racers each day. Drivers will have the opportunity to get behind the wheel for 1½ hours in a Naake-Klauers Motorsports championship caliber Jr Late Model and participate in several classroom seminars held by racing and marketing experts. Drivers will also participate in hands-on training that will include categories such as Getting to Know the Car, Safety First, Spotter Driver Communication.

Campers will compete for the opportunity to race in the final Championship Weekend at Madera Speedway on October 5, 2019, in a Naake-Klauer prepared Jr Late Model. The event will be filmed and aired on MAVTV.

For more information or to apply, visit jrlatemodelchallengecamp.com.

Sonoma Raceway and the Sonoma chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities (SCC) will honor 2012 NHRA Funny Car Champion Jack Beckman during the 13th annual Eric Medlen Nitro Night Charity Dinner on Thursday, July 25.

The Dinner has kicked off the NHRA Sonoma Nationals drag racing weekend and honored the late Eric Medlen’s memory since 2007.

Beckman is a long-time supporter of the Sonoma Chapter of SCC, even emceed Nitro Night for the past several years.

Beckman’s charitable efforts extend to his role as an ambassador for the Infinite Hero Foundation, a non-profit organization that combats the most difficult front-line issues—mental and physical—facing returning military heroes and their families. Beckman, a former U.S. Air Force sergeant, pilots the Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge.

Medlen, a native of Oakdale in the San Joaquin Valley, won the Funny Car championship for John Force Racing at his home track in Sonoma in 2006. In 2007, he succumbed to injuries sustained from a testing accident. He is fondly remembered by friends and family for his joyous spirit and outgoing personality, as well as his love for fun and supporting children.

“I've been honored to emcee ‘Eric's Night’ for many years, and it's always exciting to reminisce about Eric, spend time with his friends and family, and know that we're raising money to help kids through Speedway Children's Charities, something Eric would have loved,” said Beckman. “Now, to be recognized with the Eric Medlen Award, well that's just hard to wrap my head around.”

For more information, and to purchase tickets, visit here.

INDYCAR has consolidated its Marketing and Communications teams into one department while adding two award-winning motorsports veterans.

INDYCAR named Mike Zizzo as Vice President of Communications and Kate Davis in the newly formed position of Director of Communications as part of a reorganization “to create an integrated and strategically aligned Marketing and Communications department.”

Zizzo and Davis will join Vice President of Marketing SJ Luedtke—who joined INDYCAR in February after serving as a Nike executive for nearly the past decade—in developing and executing a comprehensive marketing communications plan.

"Mike and Kate provide INDYCAR with a tremendous amount of motorsports knowledge and communications experience, especially from sanctioning body and promoter perspectives, and they are highly respected both inside and outside the industry," INDYCAR President Jay Frye said.

Zizzo, who had been serving as a PR consultant for INDYCAR since February, is an award-winning communications executive with 23 years of motorsports experience in his field. He has served in management roles for two sanctioning bodies - CART and NASCAR - and most recently spent the past 13 years as Vice President of Communications for Texas Motor Speedway.

Davis is a veteran executive in communications and content who has spent the past 17 years with NASCAR in various broadcast or digital-related capacities. She joined NASCAR in 2001 and served as the Senior Manager of Broadcast Communications before spending the last 12 years with NASCAR Productions and NASCAR Digital Media.

In related INDYCAR news, Five-time NTT IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon took part Tuesday morning in the next step of the development of the Aeroscreen driver safety innovation with a simulator test of a prototype at the U.S.-based Dallara Research Center.

The simulator test of a prototype manufactured by Roush Creative Services comes less than six weeks after INDYCAR announced its ongoing partnership with Red Bull Advanced Technologies to fully design the Aeroscreen concept for enhanced driver cockpit protection. The Aeroscreen is scheduled to be implemented for the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series season.

For more information, visit indycar.com.

New GP-1 Synthetic Blend High Performance Motor Oil Uniquely Compounded From Pennsylvania Grade Petroleum That Increases Horsepower and Decreases Engine Wear

DRIVEN already offers a complete line of synthetic lubricants for professional motorsports. So why GP-1? DRIVEN’s new GP-1 Synthetic Blend provides a high zinc formula specifically engineered and tested to deliver increased horsepower along with more than 30% better wear protection, compared to the competition. If you’ve ever studied high performance lubricants, you’ve probably heard that Pennsylvania Grade crude oil yields some of the finest high performance motor oils. Recognized in the racing community for its protection and performance, Pennsylvania Grade base oil is derived from the sweet crude oil primarily found in the Appalachian basin in many eastern US states, and it takes its name from the state of Pennsylvania, where it was first extracted in 1859.

DRIVEN’s GP-1 High Performance Synthetic Blend is a unique Pennsylvania Grade Petroleum compounded with select synthetic base stocks and our advanced additive technology that provides a powerful combination of maximum engine protection with excellent film strength. The unique properties of GP-1 are perfectly suited for enthusiasts with competition, classic or import vehicles.

 

Simply put, different applications require different chemistries. Think about tires. The best tires for a dry track are the worst tires for a wet road. Likewise, the ideal oil for a NASCAR engine isn’t the best choice for a daily driver. Different engine designs and fuels create unique lubrication requirements for each application, and this is where DRIVEN excels. Our new GP-1 oils deliver unique formulas that reduce engine wear and increase horsepower compared to off-the-shelf motor oils. At DRIVEN, the motor always comes before the molecule.

In simple terms, we don’t put the chemistry ahead of the application. Motor oil is for the motor. The application dictates the chemistry. The best gear oil for a Ford 9-inch rear gear is a terrible motor oil, and the best motor oil for a Ford modular engine is a terrible gear oil. Why? Because the chemistry of each product is designed for its intended application. With the GP-1 line, we tailored the formulas based on that fundamental understanding.

Consequently, GP-1’s Synthetic Blend is ideal for competition, classic and import vehicles. GP-1 utilizes the unique Pressure Viscosity Coefficient of the Pennsylvania Grade base oil to produce 15% thicker oil films than a full synthetic. Thicker oil films mean better protection.

To prove out these unique properties, DRIVEN partnered with Comp Cams and Shaver Specialties Racing Engines to develop a rigorous engine test. We began with custom designed flat tappet camshafts that were Adcole measured before and after each test. In case you don’t know, an Adcole machine can measure accurately down to 1 micron. That’s a millionth of a meter! After several months of repeated dyno testing, camshaft testing and used oil analysis, the results were clear.

GP-1 showed over 50% better protection compared to the same viscosity API licensed conventional oil, and GP1 delivered over 30% better protection than the same viscosity leading brand High Zinc Racing Oil. In fact, the engine dyno testing confirmed GP-1 increased horsepower and reduced oil temperature as well. All of the results pointed to the same conclusion, less friction and less wear with GP-1 compared to the competition.

And here’s the best part. Because GP-1 is semi-synthetic, it is only half the cost of a full synthetic race oil, and you don’t have to compromise protection for price. GP-1 offers more performance per dollar for Classic Cars, imports and competition vehicles than any other oil, so it is a great choice for racers and performance enthusiasts alike.

Beyond GP-1, DRIVEN Oil offers a complete line of lubricants for all your engine and drivetrain needs, and these products are available at local engine builders, speed shops as well as online retailers and direct from our webstore. To learn more, please visit our website drivenracingoil.com or call our tech line at 1-866-611-1820.

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Cummins Inc., based in Columbus, Indiana, has entered an agreement to acquire fuel cell systems provider Hydrogenics Corp. Hydrogenics has multiple locations around the globe, with its US offices in Carlsbad, California.

The deal is worth approximately $290 million and was approved unanimously by Hydrogenics stakeholders.

“We are excited that Cummins has reached an agreement with Hydrogenics to welcome the employees and innovations of one of the world’s leading fuel cell and hydrogen generation equipment providers to our company,” said Tom Linebarger, chairman and CEO, Cummins Inc. “We look forward to partnering closely with Hydrogenics’ team in the coming weeks as we work toward closing the transaction. Upon closing, we will share more details about the acquisition and our strategy to offer a broad portfolio of power solutions to meet our customers’ needs.”

As a part of the transaction, The Hydrogen Co., a wholly-owned subsidiary of L’Air Liquide, S.A. and Hydrogenics’ current largest equity shareholder, will maintain its ownership in Hydrogenics.

The closing of the acquisition is still subject to customary closing conditions. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC is serving as a financial adviser, and Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP and Barnes & Thornburg LLP are serving as legal counsel to Cummins.

Cummins Inc. has exhibited at the PRI Trade Show since 2017.

For more information, visit cummins.com.

Aeromotive, the high-performance aftermarket manufacturer specializing in fuel delivery and fuel system components, will celebrate its quarter-century anniversary with a special open-house event Thursday, Aug. 1, from 4-8 p.m. at the Aeromotive Inc. HQ, located at 7805 Barton St. in Lenexa, Kansas.

“In 1994, Steve Matusek, the son of immigrants from Eastern Europe, started Aeromotive, Inc on the strength of his vision, dedication to excellence and a commitment to developing the pinnacle of performance products,” a company press release said.

“This isn’t just a celebration of Aeromotive, but a huge thank-you to the good people who have supported us along the way,” Matusek said. “No one gets this far alone, so we’re inviting our friends and community partners to join in the celebration.”

Attendees will enjoy appearances from famous racers and their cars and can shop the wares of local parts distributors, meet firefighters and policemen, and enjoy performances by local musician Gary Lincoln. Aeromotive will also host tours of their facility.

Aeromotive’s 25th-anniversary event will also feature T-shirt sales and a silent auction to benefit Parenting Children with Special Needs Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of local families who have a child with challenges that are associated with a medical diagnosis.

For more information, visit aeromotiveinc.com.