Dubuque Speedway, the 3/8-mile oval in Dubuque, Iowa, has a new promoter.

Nick McCrady, who is part of the Trackside Promotions group, has taken over promotional duties of the track, which features Sunday weekly racing and five sanctioned divisions with IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Late Models, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods.

The same five divisions also run at Maquoketa Speedway, also in Iowa, making it easier for local competitors to run races.

“The Saturday-Sunday combination means drivers who live in the area won’t have to travel too far to race twice a week,” noted McCrady. “Plus, a two-track point fund is in the works for all shared divisions, with payouts that we’ll base on season-long point standings.”

Modifieds and Northern SportMods have been on regular race programs at Dubuque since 2012. Late Models and Stock Cars were last sanctioned in 2017, Hobby Stocks most recently in 2014.

Dubuque and Maquoketa are part of IMCA’s Side Biter Chassis North Central Region for Modi­fieds, EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region for Stock Cars and Big Daddy Race Cars Northern Region for Hobby Stocks.

For more information, visit the IMCA website.

NASCAR Whelen Euro Series (NWES) and NASCAR Peak Mexico Series (NPMS) officials have unveiled a new driver exchange program that will swap two drivers in the two NASCAR international series for one race each.

Reigning NASCAR Peak Mexico Series champion Ruben Garcia Jr. will take part in the NWES season opener at Valencia on April 13-14, while the 2019 Euro NASCAR champion will enter the NPMS finale at Mexico City Nov. 30-Dec. 1.

“More than 25 Euro drivers already raced at every level of NASCAR in the United States, all thanks to their entry in our championship,” NWES President and CEO Jerome Galpin said. “This is another step to continue to develop the Series and provide the best career opportunities to all our drivers. We are very happy to work with our friends from the NASCAR International group and the NASCAR international series in Mexico and Canada to build strong and innovative programs.”

On the European side, the new Driver Exchange Program will be part of the unique list of prizes NASCAR Whelen Euro Series drivers can win. While the NWES Champion will be able to take part in the Mexico City NPMS finale, all winners of NWES trophies and titles will have the opportunity to race in a NASCAR race abroad.

The first leg of the Europe-Mexico Drivers Exchange will take place on April 13-14, at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain.

For more information, visit the NASCAR Home Tracks website.

Officials in the National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) and the National Mustang Racers Association (NMRA) Technical Departments have released updates to its 2019 rules regarding turbocharger modifications.

The NMCA divisions affected include the NMCA VP Racing Fuels Xtreme Pro Mods and the NMCA VP Racing Fuels/Mickey Thompson Street Outlaws. The NMCA Factory Super Cars will also be affected, but not until after the 11th annual NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals event at Atlanta Dragway (Commerce, Georgia) on April 4-7, 2019.

Only one NMRA division is affected by the update, the NMRA VP Racing Fuels Street Outlaws.

The updated rules remind competitors that compressor and turbine wheels, blades, hubs, as well as cover or housing modifications are prohibited. Turbos must be run as-produced. Recent incidents, according to the racing organizations, have revealed modifications to original designs that could become a safety hazard.

In related news, the NMRA announced that its ProCharger Modified Street category will now include the 2019 Cobra Jet supercharger combination at 3,500 pounds and require a specific set of supercharger/crankshaft pulley dimensions.

These rule adjustments can be found online at the NMCA website and the NMRA website.

Kentucky Dragway, located in Clay City, Kentucky, has joined the NHRA Member Track Network in Division 3, NHRA's North Central Division.

Located southeast of Lexington, Kentucky Dragway was built and is owned by the Kennon Family. Originally known as Mountain Park Dragway, the 1/8-mile track opened in 1963 under NHRA Sanctioning. In 2001 Kentucky Dragway underwent a complete overhaul which included new grandstands, bathrooms and concrete barriers. Most recently, improvements to track lighting and concessions have taken place.

Kentucky Dragway is operated by Aaron and Carrie Sipple.

“The North Central Division is honored to welcome Kentucky Dragway to the NHRA Member Track Family,” NHRA North Central Division Director William Tharpe said. “We are excited to work with the Sipple Family and take Kentucky Dragway to the next level. The drive and passion displayed from Aaron and Carrie already shows they will be successful.”

As an NHRA-sanctioned track, the facility will be eligible to offer racers a variety of NHRA racing opportunities, including the NHRA Summit Racing Series, the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League and more. Additionally, Kentucky Dragway will have the opportunity to host NHRA’s specialty events including the NHRA.tv Challenge, NHRA Summit King of the Track, JEGS Super Quick Series, and NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League Challenge. For more information on Kentucky Dragway, visit the Kentucky Dragway website.

The NHRA North Central Division 3, Land of the Winners, is located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Division 3 includes member tracks from Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois and Michigan. For more information, visit the NHRA Division 3 website.

(Photo courtesy of NHRA).

FIA, the governing body of the Formula 1 Championship, has confirmed plans for a stricter clampdown on oil burn in 2020, according to Motorsport.com. The FIA will limit the allowed oil consumption down to 0.3 liters every 100 km (approx. 62 miles) in 2020.

Currently, teams are limited to 0.6 liters of oil consumption per 100 km (approx. 62 miles). New rules in 2019 meant, during qualifying rounds, teams could also no longer add oil or transfer it from an auxiliary oil tank to part of the lubrication system.

The move comes as the FIA aims to stop teams from gaining unfair advantages from burning oil.

"The question of oil is simple," Nikola Tombazis of the FIA told Motorsport.com. "The regulation states that the only fuel that can be burned is petrol, so the oil must be just a lubricant.

"We know that there is oil consumption, but in some cases that could contribute to the performance, which is not correct. We intervened and reduced consumption to 0.6 kg per 100 km, but in anticipation of next year we want to drop even further.

"When it comes down to such low consumption, it becomes clear that there will be no need to have an auxiliary tank in qualifying. So this is the novelty of 2019."

For more information, visit the F1 website.

Dana announced the appointment of Dan Griffin to the position of senior director of strategy, product planning and program management for commercial vehicle and the aftermarket.

The company also appointed Bill Nunnery to the position of senior director of aftermarket sales, customer service, and marketing.

Griffin will be responsible for executing growth initiatives for Dana’s commercial vehicle and the aftermarket businesses, including expanding Dana’s global e-commerce platform, enhancing the company’s product portfolio and identifying opportunities to further global market presence. Griffin joined Dana’s aftermarket team in 2016 from IAC Group, where he held several roles with global responsibilities.

Nunnery assumes responsibility for driving the global aftermarket sales and marketing strategies while leading the global integration of the customer operations teams. Nunnery joined Dana’s aftermarket team in 2017 from Federal-Mogul, where he held various senior sales leadership roles for the aftermarket.

For more information, visit the Dana website.

Hot Wheels has announced a partnership with IndyCar, USAC.25 and Honda Performance Development (HPD) to bring both mentorship and support to North American quarter midget racers.

Through Hot Wheels-sponsored clinics and activations at USAC.25 racing events throughout the 2019 season, top-level IndyCar drivers and team members will share their experiences in racing with the young competitors and families to explain the "off-track" skills that are as vital to a racing career as on-track results.

Q&As and seminars with top athletes will cover a variety of topics ranging from how to conduct media interviews and securing sponsorship opportunities to methods to connect with fans by building a strong social media presence.

"We are excited to support the USAC Quarter Midget program, with key industry partners like Honda,"  VP of INDYCAR Marketing SJ Luedtke said. "The partnership is a key component of our grassroots efforts and we are excited to inspire and help develop the future stars of our sport."

In addition, Hot Wheels will provide a stipend for top finishers in select Honda-powered racing regional and national events to assist with travel expenses related to the final USAC National quarter midget event in Las Vegas this November, where the winner of the most advanced class will take home a Honda GX200-powered kart to compete into the future.

NASCAR today announced significant, dynamic changes to the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series schedule, with intriguing shifts during both the regular season and the Playoffs.
 
Most notably next season, NASCAR’s championship will transition from the beaches of Miami to the desert near Phoenix, Arizona, following the renovation and reconfiguration of ISM Raceway. As part of the new schedule, a champion will be crowned on Sunday, November 8 – a week earlier than in previous seasons.

Fans have expressed the desire for more short tracks in the Playoffs, and as a result, the iconic Bristol Night Race will become a part of the 10-week title battle as the first cut-off race on Saturday, September 19. Bristol will also join the Charlotte Roval (Sunday, October 11) and Martinsville (Sunday, November 1) as cut-off races.

Another race rich with history will also join the post-season fold, as the “Lady in Black,” Darlington Raceway, will be the first race of the NASCAR Playoffs on Sunday, September 6 with Las Vegas becoming the first race of the second round on Sunday, September 27.

The Great American Race, the Daytona 500, will once again open the NASCAR season during President’s Day weekend on Sunday, Feb. 16, but NASCAR’s second visit to Daytona will come with much more on the line than in previous seasons. Under the lights on Saturday, Aug. 29, the superspeedway will set the Playoffs field as the last regular season race of the year.

Following the Daytona 500, NASCAR’s trip to the West Coast will commence immediately with stops in Las Vegas (Sunday, Feb. 23), Auto Club (Sunday, March 1) and ISM Raceway (Sunday, March 8). Atlanta will move to Sunday, March 15, followed by Miami on Sunday, March 22.
 
Martinsville will also feature a Mother’s Day Weekend race, where cars will hit the track under the lights for primetime racing on Saturday, May 9.

Pocono Raceway will also make history when it hosts back-to-back premier series events on Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, June 28.

Finally, a tradition continues, with a passing of the baton from one iconic race track to another during the July 4th Weekend. Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) moves to a cornerstone weekend on the NASCAR calendar with a race at the Brickyard on July 5, a spot previously occupied by Daytona International Speedway.

For more information, visit the NASCAR website.

NASCAR announced several qualifying procedure updates, which include additional deterrence measures, for all three NASCAR national series ahead of the upcoming race weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. The news was announced in a memo to teams.

Now, any driver that does not take a lap in the qualifying rounds will have all previously posted times in the session disallowed. This means that, instead of falling back on the previous round’s time, that driver would have to begin the race from the back.

Additionally, any driver who blocks pit road—preventing drivers from exiting—will be penalized. Penalties might include disallowing that team’s posted qualifying speed or disqualifying that car from additional qualifying rounds. Vehicles not immediately making a qualifying attempt will be staged in a track-specific area designated by NASCAR.

The changes were finalized following a final round at Auto Club Speedway in which all 12 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers failed to make it to the start/finish line in time to log an official lap.

“The inherent problem (at Auto Club) was obviously everybody waiting to the end, and it being unorderly on the end of pit road with people blocking and playing all kinds of games,” NASCAR Senior Vice President of Competition Scott Miller told NASCAR.com. “So really, we want to retake control and make order out of pit road and the way that drivers leave.

“We want to allow every competitor the chance to leave pit road when they want to leave and not be at the mercy of somebody else.”

The changes will go into effect during the March 28–31 O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 race weekend.

For more information, visit the NASCAR website.

Meyer Distributing has added VP Racing Fuels to its line card.

“We are very excited about the relationship between Meyer and VP,” Meyer Distributing High Performance Sales Manager Austin Zehr said. “VP has the reputation of the very best at what they do in the racing community and we are looking forward to what we can accomplish together.”

VP offers racing oils in non-synthetic conventional viscosities along with custom racing and synthetic racing blends for high-performance and diesel engines.

The company’s full line of additives and storage containers are in stock and available to ship from Meyer.

For more information, visit the Meyer Distributing website.