Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (UTI), a provider of technical training for transportation technicians, welding technology and CNC machining programs has been named an official sponsor of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA).

UTI will also be partnered with the NHRA Youth and Education Services (YES) Program, which offers the only full-time S.T.E.M. based educational program in all of motorsports. Held in conjunction with fifteen NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events, YES provides participating youth with free admission to each race and makes students aware of the myriad of career opportunities that drag racing offers related to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

As the Official Technical School of NHRA, UTI will have benefits within the Fox Sports race broadcasts, in addition to fan engagement opportunities and branding at all NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events. This includes exclusive rights to signage on top of the iconic Christmas Tree starting line system, that will be seen by millions of NHRA fans each year.

“There’s huge demand for skilled technicians, and our partnership with NHRA is a great opportunity to make people who are passionate about cars and motorsports aware of the high-tech, well-paying jobs and careers in the industry,” UTI Vice President of Business Alliances and NASCAR John Dodson said. “These jobs require sophisticated skills and training that’s grounded in S.T.E.M. education, which is why we’re so excited to help support NHRA and the YES program.”

For more information, visit the UTI website or the NHRA website.

4 Wheel Parts, the retailer and installer of off-road automobile accessories, has partnered with the Ladies Offroad Network for their 2019 Trail Training Tour, a series of workshops aimed at teaching women beginner-to-advanced level skills in off-road repair and recovery.

The 2019 Trail Training Tour is broken up into different segments across 66 4 Wheel Part stores in 33 states and Canadian provinces.

Each 5-hour class will focus on the skills required to be self-sufficient in common recovery situations. Class topics include: how to use recovery tools in multiple scenarios including straps, connectors, winches, winching points and lifting a vehicle; when to use lockers; how to change and plug a tire; and how to purchase the right accessories for your vehicle.

There will also be discussions on possible safety conditions and an emphasis placed on women accomplishing heavy tasks.

Classes will be taught by Charlene Bower, a lifelong off-road racer with extensive experience in Jeeps, 4x4s, UTVS and dirt bikes.

A Jeep and tools are provided for the class, which costs $69 per person.

In related news, 4 Wheel Parts has launched a new off-road radio show with off-road racer and motorsports media personality Jim Beaver. The weekly podcast, 4 Wheel Parts Down and Dirty Show Off-Road Edition Powered by Polaris RZR, is now streaming on iTunes and related podcast streaming services.

For more information, visit the Ladies Offroad Trail Training website.

Gateway Motorsports Park and World Wide Technology (WWT), a technology solution provider, announced a long-term naming rights commitment to rename the motorsports facility World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.

The multi-faceted racing venue serves as home to NASCAR, INDYCAR and NHRA racing in the St. Louis, Missouri region, where WWT was founded and is headquartered.

WWT also becomes the official technology partner of the track and will use the venue to advance development programs for the company and its community outreach initiatives.

“The support of WWT will help ensure that our track will compete for North America’s most elite races and offer an innovative and exhilarating fan experience for years to come,” said Curtis Francois, owner and CEO of the newly renamed World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. “The relationship with WWT will help us tremendously as we continue to grow World Wide Technology Raceway into one of the premier racing facilities in the country.”

The track plans to utilize the many advanced assets and knowledge that WWT and their partners are developing in an ever-evolving marketplace, whether it’s S.T.E.A.M. initiatives (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics), technological enhancements for fan experience, or community outreach and diversity.

The new partnership furthers WWT’s tie to racing, as the company is also the official Technology and Analytics Partner of Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) and the primary sponsor of the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team.

As part of the partnership, the track will feature WWT signage throughout the venue, web and social communications channels and branding on all event promotions. Signage changeover is currently underway and will continue to evolve throughout the 2019 season.

For more information, visit the World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway website.

Livernois Motorsports & Engineering, the tuning shop that provides engineering services, performance products and vehicle manufacturing in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, is offering a Customer Appreciation Track Day event at Milan Dragway on Saturday, May 11.

Livernois Motorsports & Engineering customers whose cars have been upgraded or tuned by the company—along with those that have purchased Livernois performance parts—are invited to take part in the drag racing event at the 1/4-mile track in Milan, Michigan, at no cost.

Space is limited. To register your car and one other guest, visit the online form here. For more information about the company, visit the Livernois Motorsports & Engineering website.

The drag-oriented, street-legal 2019 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack 1320 is now National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) approved, getting the green light to be modified for competition in NHRA Stock and Super Stock Sportsman class competition for the 2019 season.

Named for the quarter-mile distance (1,320 feet), the Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack 1320 is powered by the 392 HEMI V-8 engine that delivers 485 horsepower and 475 lb.-ft. of torque. With a quarter-mile E.T. of 11.70 seconds at 115 mph, the showroom-stock Challenger R/T Scat Pack 1320 is designed to be the fastest naturally aspirated, street-legal muscle car available.

The Challenger R/T Scat Pack 1320 is approved to be modified to race in NHRA Stock Eliminator and Super Stock competition. In Stock Eliminator, the car fits directly into the “B” Stock category, with competitors able to move up and down to run in the “A” or “C” Stock classes.
 
The Challenger R/T Scat Pack 1320 can also compete in the SS/FA class in Super Stock, but is also eligible for other specific classifications such as SS/EA or SS/GA. Grassroots NHRA Sportsman racers will have more flexibility to compete in a variety of Stock and Super Stock categories by adjusting the NHRA minimum vehicle weight.

The Challenger R/T Scat Pack 1320 is also approved to race without modification in National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) events.

In related news, Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack 1320 owners will also receive complimentary, one-year memberships in the NHRA and NMCA for the 2019 season thanks to Dodge.

For more information, visit the FCA North America blog or the Dodge website.

The 87th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Super Finale of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) set for June 15-16 at the Circuit de la Sarthe, will feature a record number of competitors.

The Automobile Club de l’Ouest is extending the number of pit boxes to accommodate 62 entries, two more cars than years’ past. High Class Racing and United Autosports—the two new competitors on the grid—will field the No. 20 ORECA-Gibson car and the No.32 Ligier JSP 217-Gibson car, respectively.

“In February, the selection committee faced a harder task than it has in many years," President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest President Pierre Fillon said. “There were 75 applications—all of a high standard—and it was particularly difficult to choose 60, 'only' 60 of them should I say. We quickly came to the conclusion that we had to find a way to accept additional competitors, and our team here at the ACO confirmed the feasibility of adding two garages to the pit lane.

“We got to work and are overjoyed to be able to welcome 62 entrants for the 2019 24 Hours of Le Mans. It’s a record number and a sign that this race is as popular as ever.”

Two temporary pit garages will be set up between the Module Sportif and the first garages of the existing pit building, and will be in place from the Test Day (June 2) until the end of the race on June 16. The project, which is currently underway, includes a new pedestrian flow and extra access for emergency services.

For more information, visit the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) website. For the full entry list for this year's Le Mans 24 Hours, visit here.

(Photo courtesy of the FIA World Endurance Championship).

Hellwig Suspension Products, a manufacturer of towing, hauling and performance suspension products, announced that Vern Kaufman joins its staff as the new sales and business development manager, bringing his 34 years of sales and marketing experience to the Hellwig sales department.

In his new position, Kaufman will seek to expand the sales department into new markets using his background in the automotive and light truck industries, while also further strengthening distributor relationships.

Having worked for parts manufacturers in the past, Kaufman holds expertise in creating and executing sales and business development strategies for increased sales and profitability.

“We are thrilled to have Vern join the Hellwig team,” Hellwig President Melanie White said. “As we continue to grow and expand into new territories, Vern will be able to utilize his valuable experience in business-to-business relationship building and internet sales to help take Hellwig Products to the next level.”

Kaufman’s career in sales began when he graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder where he earned a bachelor’s degree in advertising and marketing. He later held positions with Fey Manufacturing (now Westin Automotive), Lund International and Truck Hero.

For more information, visit the Hellwig Suspension Products website.

The owner of Lancaster Speedway and Dragway—the car racing track and drag strip in Lancaster, New York—has announced an agreement to sell the Gunville Road facility, according to The Buffalo News.

Track owner Gordon Reger said last week that a verbal agreement is in place to sell to an undisclosed party who intends to continue racing. The track has scheduled racing events continuously during its 60 years of operation, but currently does not have any events on its 2019 schedule. 

"There is no deal signed yet but their intention is to open it as soon as possible for racing this season," Reger told The Buffalo News. "As long as things move along I will let the new owner take over the operation of the track prior to the sale closing."

Reger, who has owned the track for nearly two decades, put the facility up for sale last fall. If a new owner was not found by the beginning of the season, racing would have ceased.

"The identity of the buyer will become known when the buyer and I choose to release the information, which I anticipate would be fairly shortly. What I can tell you is that the buyer will run it as a race track,” Reger said to The Buffalo News.

Visit the Lancaster Speedway website or The Buffalo News for the latest information.

NHRA drag racers Steve Torrence and Clay Millican joined NHRA Vice President of Track Management & Operations Kasey Coler in Washington D.C. this week to meet with Congressional offices representing racing communities all around the country.

“We spent a lot of time today talking to different congressmen and women, trying to benefit motorsports across the nation, working on tax exemptions and rebates to allow tracks to make improvements and adjustments to their facilities to help the health and attendance of not only NHRA but all motorsports,” Torrence said.

As part of the National Motorsports Coalition, Torrence, Millican and Coler urged Congressional members to take action to ensure the motorsports industry has the tax certainty it needs to continue making long-term investments in their facilities.

“As it turns out, people in D.C. are interested in motorsports,” Millican said. “The reason we’re here is pretty important. While the majority of sports are funded by cities, in the case of drag racing, it’s usually individuals or corporations. We’ve always got to look out for the track owner because if we don’t have tracks, we don’t have racing. These facilities should be treated the same as the stick and ball sports.”

The day on Capitol Hill was capped off with a reception with support from the Congressional Motorsports Caucus, an informal, bipartisan group of members dedicated to celebrating motorsports of all varieties and understanding their impact on American culture and the economy.

Several other drivers joined the National Motorsports Coalition in visiting with a group of nearly 200 Congressional members and their staff, including: Trent Hindman (IMSA); Mario Andretti (IndyCar); Kyle Busch, Austin Cindric, Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano (NASCAR); and Tracey Gardiner and Samantha Tan (USAC).

Guests heard remarks from Automobile Competition Committee of the US (ACCUS) President George Silbermann and Representatives Mike Thompson, Bill Posey and Richard Hudson. Other guests included representation from Speedway Motorsports, Inc., and Iowa Speedway.

In related news, representatives Bill Posey and Mike Thompson launched the Congressional Motorsports Caucus (CMC), whose members include more than 50 Congressmen/women. CMC, with The National Motorsports Coalition, will continue to work closely with industry stakeholders and Congressional leaders to advocate for issues in the best interests of the motorsports industry.

For more information, visit the NHRA website.

BorgWarner’s Lilian Sustaita was one of 130 women to receive a Women in Manufacturing STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering and Production) Ahead Award last week.

The annual award honors women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers and represent all levels of the manufacturing industry. The Manufacturing Institute recognized STEP Ahead Award recipients at a reception last week in Washington D.C.

“Lilian is a great example of the type of leader who is willing to learn so that she can teach and help others through mentoring and effective interpersonal communications,” BorgWarner Turbo Systems President and General Manager Robin Kendrick said.

Sustaita is currently the Material and Logistics Manager at BorgWarner’s Ramos-Arizpe, Mexico, plant. In this role, she has served as a mentor to colleagues who specialize in program management and quality engineering.

Sustaita also leads BorgWarner’s Systems, Applications and Products (SAP) Excellence Program, which is an intensive initiative to fully educate employees in the usage of material management and production planning modules.

In addition, Sustaita is involved in several other initiatives that increase the acceptance of enterprise values in her region, reduce inventory, and smooth production flow.

For more information, visit the BorgWarner website.

(Photo of Lilian Sustaita, center holding award, courtesy of BorgWarner).