Heidts Automotive has announced its annual Heidts Open House and Car Show is set for 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, June 29, at company headquarters in Lake Zurich, Illinois. The gathering celebrates performance vehicles of all types “in a fun, friendly environment.” Admission is free and open to the public.

“The Open House & Car Show is always one of the highlights of our year,” said Wallace Leyshon of Heidts. “While we’re usually hard at work designing and building, it’s nice to take a day to celebrate with our customers and enjoy all their great vehicles—especially those sporting Heidts performance components.”

On display will be Heidts’ stable of high-profile cars, including 1968 and ’99 Chevrolet Camaros, a 1964-1/2 Ford Mustang, a ’68 Shelby tribute and Mark G’s Black Betty OPTIMA race car.

Categories of the show will include stock, modified, resto-mod and project classes. Heidts will also offer free raffles and discounts, along with lunch for event participants.

The midway will include product displays of the company’s Heidts Hot Rod & Muscle Car Parts, Alston Race Cars and Chassis Engineering product lines. Local dealers such as Blackdog Speed Shop will also be on hand to answer questions and show off their performance vehicles and race cars.
 
For more information or to register, visit heidts.com.

Pacific Raceways, the multi-use motorsports facility located in Kent, Washington, has announced the construction of the Pacific Motorsports Park and Pacific Innovation Center (PMP/PIC).

The project has been recognized for its statewide significance by the Department of Commerce, according to SPEEDSPORT.

The first phase of the project, which begins later this year and will take three years to complete, includes the construction of 200,000 square feet of prototype manufacturing and garage space, estimated to cost $25 million.

The PIC will serve as the hub for automotive companies, industry startups and research for alternative fuels, autonomous vehicles and more.

Substantial improvements to the track and surrounding grounds, estimated to cost $2 million, will also take place during this phase. More than a mile of the facility’s road course will be repaved.

Future projects include the construction of a 1.2 million-square-foot commercial lab, garage and prototype building. This phase, estimated to cost nearly $200 million, will be privately funded. The garages and mixed-use spaces will range from 1,000 to 40,000 square feet and will be available for lease through CBRE Seattle.

A motorsports club and racing school will also be created, along with a new club drag strip and retail center.

Andy Anderson LLC, a well-known and respected track designer based out of Tucson, has been appointed to direct the building of the projects. ESM Consulting Engineers LLC, Motorsport Consulting Services and Miles Resources of Puyallup have also been recruited.

Pacific Raceways currently features a kart course, paddock, National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) sanctioned drag strip, road course and motocross track.

For more information, visit pacificraceways.com.

Daniel G. DeRusha has been selected as the new executive director of the International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC) in Watkins Glen.

The IMRRC Search Committee selected DeRusha to oversee a "new era of transformation and growth" at the Center. As executive director, he will have overall operational, administrative and financial responsibility for the IMRRC. This includes strategic and financial planning, the leadership of the Center's staff, and the management of annual fundraising and membership campaigns.
 
DeRusha joins the IMRRC following a 13-year tenure with the Corning Museum of Glass. During his time at the museum, he held roles managing guest relations, strategic corporate partnerships, and outreach initiatives. He also played an essential part in the planning and execution of the GlassBarge, which traveled across New York State in 2017-18 in celebration of the bicentennial of the Erie Canal. Most recently, he served as Manager of Institutional Giving and Chief of Staff for the museum's advancement department.
 
"On behalf of our Board of Directors, I am delighted to welcome Dan," said IMRRC Chairman John Saunders. "In addition to his leadership talents, Dan brings tremendous enthusiasm for motorsports history in Watkins Glen and throughout the world."

DeRusha brings a personal passion for vintage cars and Upstate New York automotive history to his new position. He currently owns and regularly drives a 1928 Franklin model 12B 5-passenger sedan (manufactured in Syracuse, N.Y.), and a 1977 MGB, which he inherited from his father and ran in several Stone Bridge Driver events during the Grand Prix Festival in Watkins Glen. DeRusha is also a past president of the H.H. Franklin Club.

For more information, visit racingarchives.org/daniel-g-derusha/.

Photo of Daniel G. DeRusha courtesy of IMRRC

Brian Tooley Racing, the camshaft, valve sprint kit and pushrod manufacturer, is now available through global wholesale distributor Atech Motorsports.

Atech, which carries parts from over 1,600 brands, offers one to two day delivery times available six days a week. Same day shipping is offered for orders placed by 10 p.m. EST. Drop ship orders are also available.

Brian Tooley Racing offers a long list of motorsports and performance parts on its website, including cylinder heads, blocks, intake manifolds, suspension parts and more.

For more information, visit briantooleyracing.com or atechmotorsports.com.

The 11th induction ceremony for the Fremont Speedway Hall of Fame will take place this Saturday, June 8, beginning at 2 p.m.

Eight new members will be honored during the ceremonies set to take place, rain or shine, on the grandstands of the semi-banked, 1/3-mile clay oval in Fremont, Ohio.

Attendees looking to join the ceremony must purchase tickets at the gates, which open at 1 p.m. Tickets include a pass to the Vision Quest Night racing event featuring 410 AFCS sprints ($4,000 to win), 305 AFCS sprints ($1,000 to win), dirt trucks and vintage cars.

The inductees include Bruce Berryman, Jerry “Dude” Creeger, Rich Farmer, Chuck Kear, Chuck Keegan, Dave Marko, John Wisbon and Floyd Slatter.

For more information on the inductees, visit TJ Slideways here. For more information, visit fremontohspeedway.com. 

Maple Grove Raceway, the famed 1/4-mile drag strip located just outside of Reading, Pennsylvania, is for sale.

Business at the track will go on as usual as the current owners search for a buyer. A full 2020 season schedule is also currently in the works.

The listing, which includes the track, campground facilities, expansive parking, residential rentals, office/event buildings, outbuildings, racing equipment and more, has an asking price of $8 million.

The dragstrip, which was opened in 1962, has been sanctioned by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) since 1985.

The facility originally hosted sprint cars and motorcycles on an oval dirt track race track called Brecknock Speedway in the 1930s, later holding races for the Friendship Motorcycle Club in the 1950s.

It was not until the early 1960s when Maple Grove Park Drag-O-Way officially opened as an asphalt 1/5-mile drag strip for cars and motorcycles. After several expansions, Maple Grove Raceway has become to be known for hosting the Mopar ExpressLane NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil each September, among many other special events.

The Maple Grove Raceway Management team said in a statement:

Above all, the original families of the founder, Alfred Stauffer, have decided to pursue other personal interests. Running a world-famous facility and maintain approximately 450 acres is not an easy venture. The families are seeking new owners for Maple Grove Raceway now because they want to see the track continue and advance to the next level.

The main priority for the current owners and the full-time management staff are our passionate racers, dedicated fansand loyal sponsors, to ensure we provide them with the best season possible. We will do everything possible to assure a smooth transition with staff, racers, fans, sponsors, event partners and the community for the new owners.

For more information, contact Maple Grove Raceway officials at 610/856-9200 or bwitmer@maplegroveraceway.com.

NGK Spark Plugs (U.S.A.) Inc. was recognized at the 21st annual Ford World Excellence Awards as a global supplier. NGK was presented with a Smart Brand Pillar Award by Hau Thai-Tang, Ford chief product development and purchasing officer and Linda Cash, Ford vice president, quality and new model programs.

“This is quite an accomplishment, and it is an honor to be recognized by Ford for exceeding expectations for quality, cost and performance,” said Michael Schwab, the President and CEO of NGK Spark Plugs (U.S.A.) Inc.

“Ford’s annual World Excellence Awards recognize our top-performing suppliers for their contributions to our success,” said Thai-Tang. “Suppliers like NGK play an instrumental role in helping us achieve our vision of being the most trusted mobility company.”

Honorees were recognized for achieving global excellence in 10 categories, including: Quality, sustainability, safe and smart categories for suppliers that demonstrate leadership in Ford’s primary brand pillars; Aligned business framework for suppliers that most exemplify the framework’s principles; Special recognition for suppliers that delivered results exceeding expectations; Diverse supplier of the year and supplier diversity development corporation of the year to honor suppliers that excel in integrating diversity into their organization and business process; Gold and silver for supplier manufacturing sites demonstrating superior quality, delivery and cost performance throughout the year.

For more information, visit ngksparkplugs.com.

Photo of Hau Thai-Tang, Michael Schwab and Linda Cash courtesy of NGK

The 1/8-mile, IHRA-sanctioned Central Illinois Dragway in Havana, Illinois, is currently for sale with a listed price of $850,000.

Featuring 53 acres, the drag race facility was voted the IHRA Summit SuperSeries Track of the Year in 2015.

The track, which is one of the longest running drag race facilities in the state, first opened its gates in 1969. Recent owner Frank Hutto purchased the facility in 2011 and made improvements, including the resurfacing of the track, new facility lighting, a new shutdown area and return road, additional seating, improved staging lanes, upgraded concessions and 330 feet of track cooling.

The property also features RV and camping areas.

Purchase of the track includes a three-bedroom mobile home and office, along with facility buildings, vehicles and related equipment.

Interested buyers can contact Brian Jortner at brian.jortner2@gmail.com or 440/935-7460.

According to a White House statement published last week, the US will impose a 5% tariff on all goods imported from Mexico beginning June 10.

The statement noted that, if Mexico does not take action to “dramatically reduce or eliminate the number of [undocumented persons] crossing its territory into the United States,” tariffs will steadily increase.

The increase will rase 10% on July 1; 15% on August 1; 20% on September 1; and 25% on October 1.

Tariffs will remain at 25% after October 1 “unless and until Mexico substantially stops the illegal flow of [undocumented persons] coming through its territory.”

The US Congress or the President may reverse the course of these tariffs, but if not, they will go into effect June 10. The statement did not mention an exclusion process available to US companies.

Mexico is the largest trading partner of the US with $346.5 billion of goods shipped across the border last year, according to the Auto Care Association, with auto parts comprising more than $55 billion of that total.

For more information, visit the White House briefing here.

IMSA President Scott Atherton and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Transportation and Climate Division Director Karl Simon unveiled plans for expanded IMSA Green initiatives both on and off the race track, which will come online over the next several seasons. The news came during a press conference last week.

As part of the announcement, Atherton confirmed that the next generation of Daytona Prototype international (DPi) race cars, which will begin competing at the start of the 2022 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, will use hybrid power.

“IMSA is working with our current and interested OEM partners and also with input and insight from the EPA and the [United States Department of Energy (DOE)] to finalize those regulations,” Atherton said.

IMSA also announced the goal for the next generation of GT Le Mans (GTLM) race cars to achieve Green Racing Cup status, the highest level of environmentally responsible racing—established by the EPA, DOE, Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International and IMSA—through implementing innovative engine and fuel technologies.

Other possible on-track initiatives include the ETCR, which would be a fully electric version of the TCR platform, as well as a possible ePrototype platform.

An off-track IMSA Green initiative also announced is IMSA’s participation as an affiliate of the EPA’s SmartWay program, which assists companies in using more efficient transport modes, equipment and operational strategies.

As a SmartWay Affiliate, IMSA can play a key role in supporting these objectives by improving fuel efficiency, reducing emissions and saving money within its transport sector.

IMSA will also explore non-traditional energy sources, including solar energy within the pits and paddock.

For more information, visit imsa.com.

Photo of Karl Simon and Scott Atherton courtesy of IMSA