Lincoln Electric has announced a new partnership with Tooling U-SME, a provider of manufacturing training solutions. The move allows Lincoln to make its flagship welding curriculum platform (U/LINC) “even more user-friendly and accessible to welding instructors and educational institutions,” according to a news release.

The new partnership gives Tooling U-SME the authority to administer the U/LINC platform and provides access to industry and academia, as well as its competency-based learning and development solutions. Plans call for U/LINC to migrate over to Tooling U-SME this fall.

As part of the agreement, new and current U/LINC subscribers will receive additional support services and reporting capabilities. Tooling U-SME can also provide the U/LINC platform as part of its range of learning and development product offerings. Also, U/LINC curriculum materials will be integrated with some of the industry’s popular learning management systems, such as Blackboard, Moodle and more.

Developed by 35 of welding instructors, U/LINC contains more than 18,000 pages of curriculum resources including welding theory, practice and knowledge. Subscribers to U/LINC can search, download and print out lesson plans, class assignments, presentations, group-based activities and more with in-depth directions, tips and teaching strategies that leverage Lincoln Electric’s more than 100 years of welding training experience.

Working directly with thousands of companies—including more than half of all Fortune 500 manufacturers as well as 600 educational institutions across the country—Tooling U-SME helps to prepare today's workforce by providing industry-driven curriculum.

Existing U/LINC subscribers will still be able to access the U/LINC platform in its current form until the transition is completed in January 2020. For more information, visit education.lincolnelectric.com/ulinc.

For the first time ever, the PRI Trade Show will feature exhibits and products directly on the Lucas Oil Stadium field. Connected to the Indiana Convention Center and easily accessible from the parking lot, this new-for-2019 area allows for an expanded trailer display alongside the Show’s popular Featured Products Showcase.

The allocation of additional space comes after PRI management moved all trailer displays indoors for the 2018 Show—a decision praised by exhibitors and attendees alike.  



"Because Lucas Oil Stadium is connected and easy to get to from the Convention Center, it’s the ideal place for our trailer exhibits,” said PRI Trade Show Director Karin Davidson. “We saw great success from moving the trailers indoors, and moving to the field this year will give companies in this essential market segment a larger area to display their products and conduct business.”



The new exhibit area will continue to allow trailer exhibitors to showcase their product lineups alongside their booths, and give attendees some of the best side-by-side shopping of race trailers, motorcoaches, haulers, and toterhomes.



“Attendees will now get an up-close look at a greater number and variety of transportation options,” said Davidson. “They can easily compare available features and meet with more company representatives in one location.”



Additionally, PRI’s Featured Products Showcase, a high-traffic display area that allows exhibitors to further highlight their products and increase connectivity with buyers, will move into the exhibit halls of Lucas Oil Stadium.

Now in its third year, the Featured Products Showcase continues to give exhibitors invaluable exposure for their products through PRI’s multi-faceted promotion and distribution channels. The corridor will also house a second coat check and a Pit Stop Café concession area.



This year’s PRI Trade Show, held December 12-14 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, will feature over 1,100 companies exhibiting in more than 3,300 booths and showcasing the latest products, services, machinery, simulation and testing technologies, and trailers for the racing industry in a single location.

Now in its 32nd year, PRI encompasses all forms of racing and attracts attendees from all 50 states and over 70 countries, including professional race teams, retail shops, warehouse distributors, engine builders, fabricators, dealers, installers, jobbers and media.  



Numerous conferences and seminars, among them the Race Track Business Conference and International Council of Motorsport Sciences’ Annual Congress, offer unlimited business opportunities and provide invaluable insight on the latest technologies and how to apply them throughout the racing world.

Known as Race Industry Week, the days leading up to and including the Show will offer a range of motorsports-related activities in and around the Indiana Convention Center beginning on Monday, December 9.



To register for the 2019 PRI Trade Show, secure hotel reservations, and sign up for free business seminars, log on to prishow.com.

Ford will end its participation in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) following the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The Blue Oval confirmed—during an unveiling of four “celebration liveries” for its GTE-Pro cars—that this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans will be the manufacturer’s last with the Ford GT, which has secured a total of 16 race wins in three and a half years of competition around the world.

“In 2016, Ford returned to Le Mans to mark the 50th anniversary of our incredible 1966 win and we celebrated in the best way possible by winning the race,” Bill Ford, executive chairman of Ford Motor Company, said to Sportscar365. “To stand on that podium on behalf of the employees was a proud moment for me and I look forward returning to Le Mans this year to support the team as we approach our final race in this chapter.”

“The Ford GT was created to take Ford back to the world of GT endurance racing,” Ford Performance global director Mark Rushbrook said to Sportscar365. “This factory Ford GT program has been a great success for our brand and we have enjoyed the many challenges that have come our way during this four-year program.

“Le Mans is not quite the end of the factory program as we still have many more IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races to go in 2019.”

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is set for June 15-16, 2019, at the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France.

For more information, visit fiawec.com or chipganassiracing.com.

Photo courtesy of Ford

House and Senate resolutions (H.C.R. 42 & S.C.R. 108) advocating for the construction of a new race track facility on the island of Oahu failed to pass before Hawaii’s legislature adjourned for 2019.

The resolutions recognized that the Hawaiian racing community on Oahu has been without a motorsports facility for more than a decade since the Hawaii Raceway Park dragstrip near Kapolei closed in 2006.

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network (SAN) website at semasan.com or contact Christian Robinson at stateleg@sema.org.

Photo of Hawaii Raceway Park courtesy of Hernco

Recaro Automotive Seating, a brand of Adient and provider of performance car seating, announced a partnership with Skip Barber Racing School (SBRS) until the end of 2023.

Recaro will install its line of Pole Position, Pro Racer and Profi performance seats in the Ford Mustang GTs operated by SBRS.

“Skip Barber Racing School and Recaro share a passion for high-performance driving. For decades, both renowned brands have been perfecting their abilities to test, train and redefine the limits. As leading brands in the field... our aim is to create intense driving experiences,” said Ulrich Severin, head of Recaro Automotive Seating. “We believe that the psychology of performance driving starts with the correct, relaxed seating posture. Thus, we are thrilled about our cooperation and to bring our Recaro seats to SBRS.”

The official company statement also included the following: 

Besides the steering wheel, the seat is the most important link between a driver and a car. Through their body-hugging contour, Recaro seats provide a great deal of body support even with high lateral forces and their direct feedback provide incomparable, dynamic driving pleasure without signs of fatigue.

For more information, visit recaro-automotive.com or skipbarber.com.

For the first time since 2010, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will return to Martinsville Speedway in 2020 for the MaxPro Window Films 200.

The modifieds, which were a fixture at Martinsville for decades, will race the 200 lap race on Friday night, May 8, 2020, as part of the spring race weekend.

“We get asked a lot about the modifieds a lot – from fans, from drivers, from media,” Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell said. “Now, we can say, ‘Yes, we will have them back next year.’ These cars are such an important part of Martinsville Speedway history and the time is right to bring them back.”

The modified division first raced at Martinsville in 1960 and raced every year through 2002. Virginian Ray Hendrick, who also is the career leader in overall wins at Martinsville with 20, is the all-time leader in modified wins at Martinsville with 15. NASCAR Hall of Famer Richie Evans is second with 10.

“The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and Martinsville Speedway are a perfect match,” said Brandon Thompson, NASCAR Managing Director, Touring Series. “When you talk history and legacy – names like Evans, Cook and Bodine are synonymous with Martinsville. The Modified division and Martinsville Speedway are the cornerstones on which the sport was built. We’re excited about adding names like Coby, Bonsignore, and maybe even Preece – a new generation of Modified racing stars to the half-mile and look forward to being part of an incredible race weekend.”

In qualifying for a 1986 modified event, Greg Sacks set the Martinsville Speedway track record for all divisions with a one-lap average of 101.014 miles-per-hour, a record that still stands.

The MaxPro Window Films 200 will add to an already exciting 2020 season at the historic half-mile speedway. The NASCAR Cup Series race will be under the lights in the spring, and the NASCAR Xfinity Series will return to the Speedway for the first time since 2006 as part of a triple-header weekend in the fall that will be the final race before the Championship Round of the NASCAR Playoffs for all three national touring series.

“I don’t know that I’ve ever felt this much excitement about an upcoming season at Martinsville Speedway,” Campbell said. “From the fans to competitors and media, it’s industry-wide excitement and we are all really looking forward to it.”

For more information, including the current 2019 schedule and to purchase tickets, visit martinsvillespeedway.com.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) has honored the longtime motorsports journalist Robin Miller with the first-ever Robin Miller Award, which honors his lifetime contributions to the sport of IndyCar racing and the Indianapolis 500.

In conjunction with the award, Miller covered his 50th Indy 500 last weekend. The award announcement ceremony was attended by Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, Johnny Rutherford, Bobby Unser and more.

“One thing for sure—there’s only one Robin Miller,” Andretti said at the ceremony, according to Racer.com. “And thank goodness for that. But I don’t think anyone has done more to try to present Indianapolis to the world than Robin has done.”

The plaque details the unique award is “honoring an unheralded individual who has dedicated a significant portion of their life to IndyCar racing while bringing unbridled passion and unrelenting work ethic to enrich the sport.”

For more information, visit indianapolismotorspeedway.com.

Photo courtesy of Racer

Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) and Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) announced that the annual SCCA National Championship Runoffs will return to the road course at IMS Sept. 25-Oct. 3, 2021, for the 58th running of the unique championship motorsport event.

Mike Cobb, SCCA President/CEO, said this will be only the second time in Runoffs history that the event has been staged at IMS. The first visit occurred in 2017 and was a massive success for both IMS and SCCA.

“[2017] was the largest event in Runoffs history, with 969 entries, and produced both great racing and great memories. The community welcomed us with open arms, and it was just an absolutely wonderful experience for our Club. We simply couldn't wait to return to that legendary facility, and I'm confident our return in 2021 will be just as exhilarating for all involved,” Cobb said.

J. Douglas Boles, president of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and a former SCCA competitor, noted that the histories of IMS and SCCA are intrinsically linked. Many SCCA racers have gone on to compete at the Indy 500, with Mark Donohue and Bobby Rahal currently the only drivers to earn both a Runoffs title and Indy 500 win during their careers.

"Hosting the SCCA National Championship at Indianapolis Motor Speedway remains a natural fit for both organizations and offers those actively involved in motorsports the opportunity to compete at the Racing Capital of the World,” Boles said.

The Runoffs caps the Summit Racing Equipment SCCA Road Racing program each year. Since 1964, SCCA has crowned national champions with the winner-take-all, single race Runoffs format through dozens of separate races over three days.

For more information, visit scca.com or indianapolismotorspeedway.com.

The United States has reached an agreement with Canada and Mexico to exempt those countries from tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum as of May 20. The US has imposed global tariffs on steel (25%) and aluminum (10%) under the authority of Section 232 of US trade law (national security).

Most of the tariffs began on June 1, 2018. Only Argentina, Australia, Brazil and South Korea had trade agreements exempting them from the tariffs. The tariffs apply to processed raw materials (steel/aluminum plate, sheets, bars, etc.) but not finished products (e.g., wheels, exhausts, etc.).

In 2017–2018, the US Department of Commerce (DOC) investigated whether potential US dependence on foreign steel and aluminum posed a threat to national security. The DOC cited excess global production, which had reduced prices and resulted in the closure of many US factories. At the time, US steel mills were operating at 73% of capacity and more than half of US aluminum capacity lied dormant, with imports accounting for 90% of US aluminum consumption. Since the tariffs had been imposed, US domestic steel production is now over the goal of 80% capacity although aluminum production still lags.

The agreement to exempt Canada and Mexico from the metal tariffs will boost prospects for ratification by the US Congress of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which will replace the NAFTA accord. Under the agreement, the US may reimpose tariffs on steel or aluminum if there is a meaningful surge in imports.

In related news, President Trump is giving US negotiators six months to reach agreements with the European Union (EU) and Japan before reassessing the imposition of tariffs on imported automobiles and parts. A year ago, President Trump directed the US Department of Commerce (DOC) to investigate whether imported automobiles and auto parts pose a threat to America’s national security under Section 232 of US trade law. The DOC sent its findings and recommendations to President Trump on February 17, 2019, which have not been made public. On May 18, 2019, the President announced that he had postponed the decision for 180 days, until mid-November.

The DOC investigation applies to all types of cars and parts, including new cars, classic cars, OEM parts and specialty auto parts. The move could affect all US automakers and parts suppliers that use imported components, as well as importers of cars, trucks and SUVs. President Trump has discussed the potential imposition of 20%–25% tariffs.

In delaying the tariffs, President Trump issued a proclamation that cites findings from the DOC report, which notes concern about increases in the volume of automobile and auto parts imports over the past three decades, along with unease about foreign markets, such as the EU and Japan, which have imposed significant barriers to US automotive exports.

The report found that, if continued, the contraction of the American-owned automotive industry “will significantly impede the United States’ ability to develop technologically advanced products that are essential to our ability to maintain technological superiority to meet defense requirements and cost-effective global power projection.”

President Trump directed the US Trade Representative to pursue negotiations with the EU, Japan and other countries to address the issue. Mexico, Canada and South Korea are exempt from the potential threat of tariffs because of free-trade agreements already negotiated.

For more information, contact SEMA's Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

Image courtesy of Auto Car Association

Sonny Leonard and the team from Sonny’s World Class Racing in Lynchburg, Virginia, are building another high-performance engine for the Sunnen Engine Charity Sweepstakes taking place during the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Tickets are now available online for the 31st annual Sunnen Engine Charity Sweepstakes. All proceeds will go to Victory Junction, a camp founded by NASCAR’s Petty family for children living with serious medical conditions.

The 2018 Sweepstakes raised more than $102,000, crushing the previous record of $59,000. This year’s engine—a 762-cubic inch, 1400 horsepower beast—is even bigger than last year’s custom-built 727-cu.in build.

“I got a message the other day from Kyle Petty thanking our company for building such an exotic engine,” said Leonard. “He told me to design the next engine even larger. I always try to build the best engine I can for every application, and we’re going to build another unique prize for 2019. It’s a special honor to build an engine when the donations we raise help so many children.”

The naturally-aspirated, hemispherical head EFI build, which can be street or strip driven on 93 octane gasoline, will include Sonny’s fully in-house ported hemispherical cylinder heads, Sonny’s/Brodix 5.000 B.S. block with 1.000” raised cam, special high-flow water jackets, a Bryant billet crank, CP-Carrillo steel billet rods and more.

For more than 30 years, Sunnen and PRI have teamed up with many well-known companies and engine builders to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities within the racing community. More information about Sonny’s World Class Racing can be found at sonnysracingengines.com.

To purchase tickets, visit victoryjunction.org/sunnen-sweepstakes. For more information on PRI 2019, set for Dec. 12-14, visit pri2019.com.