Two beloved figures in Indianapolis Motor Speedway history have been elected to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame: two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon, and longtime motorsports radio and television personality and IMS Public Address announcer Bob Jenkins.

The two were chosen from a ballot of 14 nominees by a distinguished panel of more than 140 auto racing journalists, participants and historians. Wheldon and Jenkins will be formally inducted into the elite group Thursday, May 23, at the 2019 IMS Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Indianapolis 500 Oldtimers Dinner, presented by Firestone, at the Indianapolis Downtown Marriott.

Wheldon was a favorite with fans and in the paddock and he was equally successful on the track. The Englishman earned 16 wins in 128 career NTT IndyCar Series starts, including the 2005 and 2011 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. After finishing second in the series championship to Andretti Green Racing teammate Tony Kanaan in 2004, Wheldon earned the 2005 title with Andretti. He joined Chip Ganassi Racing in 2006 and tied Sam Hornish Jr. in points—but lost the championship on the tiebreaker (most wins).

Nicknamed “Lionheart,” Wheldon was a native of Emberton, Buckinghamshire, England, and despite his early upbringing in karts and junior road-racing series, he excelled on ovals and professed a great love and respect for the 2.5-mile IMS oval.

Wheldon tragically lost his life in a multi-car crash during the season-ending race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on October 16, 2011.

Jenkins, who was born in Richmond, Indiana, and grew up in nearby Liberty, has been a familiar face and voice on national motorsports coverage since 1979, when he was one of the first on-air employees of a new cable sports network, ESPN.

Indiana University graduate Jenkins was the anchor for ESPN’s weekly “Thunder” series national broadcasts of USAC Sprint and Midget races all over the Midwest. Jenkins also anchored hundreds of NASCAR broadcasts, forming a popular team with former drivers Benny Parsons and Ned Jarrett, on ESPN and ABC from 1979 until 2000, including the first seven Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard races.

After several years as a reporter for the IMS Radio Network, Jenkins was “The Voice of the 500,” serving as chief announcer for the global broadcast of the race, from 1990-98.

Jenkins later anchored NTT IndyCar Series broadcasts on the Versus network (now NBCSN) and retired as an anchor in 2012. He continues to lend his voice to the IMS Public Address during events and is frequently a master of ceremonies for major racing functions.

“We’re extremely pleased that the IMS Hall of Fame voting panel have chosen Dan and Bob to be enshrined with so many legends of motorsport,” said Tony George, president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Foundation, which operates the IMS Museum. “Both of these men have never been shy about their love for IMS. Dan was more than a great father, husband, son and friend—we celebrate the man he was and his enthusiasm for life.

“Bob has brought to life some of the most memorable moments in IMS history—the closest ‘500’ finish in 1992 and Jeff Gordon’s victory at the inaugural Brickyard 400 immediately come to mind. His contributions to the Speedway are many.”

IMS Hall of Fame inductees are announced each year on “Founder’s Day,” March 20, the date in 1909 when the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Company was officially formed.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame honors and celebrates individual contribution to the sport of automobile racing at “The Greatest Race Course in the World.” It was founded in 1952 as the Auto Racing Hall of Fame under the auspices of the Contest Board of the American Automobile Association (AAA). The Hall of Fame was moved to the original Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum under the direction of then-Speedway president Anton “Tony” Hulman Jr. in 1962.

Jeff Burton, a NASCAR analyst for NBC Sports, has been elected to the Sports Hall of Fame in his home state of Virginia.

Burton, a native of South Boston, will be inducted in the Hall of Fame on April 6 at Zeider’s American Dream Theater in Virginia Beach.

Burton is being recognized for a racing career that had 21 Cup wins, including two victories in the Coca-Cola 600 and the 1999 Southern 500.

Burton was also the Cup rookie of the year in 1994.

He’ll be part of an eight-member class that includes:
• Former NFL players Heath Miller and Ruben Brown
• Former Old Dominion University women’s basketball coach Wendy Larry
• Olympic Gold Medalist diver Mark Lenzi
• Former University of Richmond quarterback William “Buster” O’Brien
• Former Old Dominion University Sports Information Director and Senior Associate Athletic Director Debbie White
• Former Colonial Athletic Association Commissioner Tom Yeager.

The class was selected by the Hall of Fame’s 30-member Honors Court after reviewing nominations among athletes, coaches, journalists and other contributors, who either were born and/or raised in Virginia or achieved their fame playing in the state.

The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) and RJS Racing Equipment announce a multi-year partnership that will see RJS Racing Equipment become the official safety equipment of the IHRA.
 
Located in Jupiter, Florida, RJS Racing Equipment is a manufacturer and seller of safety equipment for all types of motor racing. RJS Racing Equipment is dedicated to bringing high-quality items to customers at an economical cost with the personal service and care of a small business.
 
“RJS Racing Equipment manufacturers some of the best safety equipment on the market today and we are proud to have them be a partner of the IHRA,” IHRA Vice President Skooter Peaco said. “Some of the best racers at IHRA Summit Sportsman Spectacular, Summit Team Finals and Summit World Finals event all wear RJS Racing Equipment Products.”
 
“All of us at RJS Racing Equipment are proud to become the official safety equipment of the IHRA,” RJS Racing Equipment CEO Jeff Biegun said. “RJS Racing Equipment takes pride in manufacturing and selling the highest quality safety equipment to racers on the market today.”

The inaugural season of the All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads/Kistler Racing Products Attica Fremont 410 Championship Series presented by Baumann Auto Group and the KS Sales & Service AFCS 305 Championship Series presented by Jason Dietsch Trailer Sales will hand out more than $65,000 in cash and awards in 2019.

Series director Duane Hancock said the response from marketing partners, race teams and fans has been “incredible.”

“The amount of support reinforces the fact Attica Raceway Park and Fremont Speedway have a phenomenal fan base, a talented group of race car drivers and dedicated businesses that see the value in supporting the series,” Hancock said.

The season kicks off April 12 at Attica Raceway Park, followed by the season-opener for Fremont Speedway on April 13.

There will be 18 AFCS 410 sprint events (nine at both Attica and Fremont) and 14 AFCS 305 shows (seven each at Attica and Fremont) this season.

The All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Head/Kistler Race Products AFCS 410 Sprints presented by Baumann Auto Group will be racing for over $47,000 in its inaugural season.

The point fund stands at $29,000, with $10,700 in bonus cash during the season via the eight $4000 to win shows; two $500 quick qualifier awards, July 12-13 in memory of long time championship sprint car mechanic George Fisher; and $1800 in the Jack’s All Out hard charger awards.

Hancock added there are currently $7300 in contingency awards.

The KS Sales and Service AFCS 305 Sprints presented by Jason Dietsch Trailer Sales will be racing for over $18,000 in its inaugural season, with a $9500 points fund, $2200 in bonus cash during the season via the six $1000 to win shows and $700 in Jack’s All Out hard charger awards to go with over $6300 in contingency awards.

“Besides the end of the year point fund, we worked hard to put together financial bonuses throughout the year to help keep teams on the track,” said Hancock. “We also want to give a special thanks to new marketing partner J&F Construction and Development out of Bucyrus, the official construction company of the AFCS Sprints, for stepping up to give us an added shot in the arm. Former sprint car driver Brock Mayes and his dad, Jim, are really excited about the AFCS.

“Every section of these funds could grow if more companies jump on board either as a points fund contributor, a bonus night sponsor, or contingency sponsor,” Hancock added. They would join our current 37 series marketing partners.”

Hancock said drivers who want to battle for the AFCS funds are encouraged to sign up ASAP.

“We want to help promote them and the tracks,” he said.

Oval Entertainment and the Kazarian family will continue to operate Perris Auto Speedway (PAS) in Perris, California, after the organization signed a 20-year lease extension for the popular dirt track.

Oval Entertainment, led by Don Kazarian, has operated California’s Perris Auto Speedway since the track opened on March 30, 1996.

The Riverside County clay oval was opened to fill a void left in the greater Los Angeles area when Ascot Park closed in 1990. The facility has since been the home track to the AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series and SCRA Sprint Car Series’ as well as the PASSCAR Stock Car Series.

The track has also hosted Nights of Destruction, modifieds, late models stock cars, trucks, full and 3/4-midgets, off-road racing, motorcycle events, go-karts and more.

PAS is also home to one of the most prestigious non-winged sprint car races in the nation, November’s annual Budweiser Oval Nationals Presented by All Coast Construction.

“I want to thank the [fair board] for working with us all these years and for helping us get this extension done. We have a great group of racers and a wonderful group of fans who I am sure are very excited about this news,” Kazarian said. “We will have lots of exciting things coming up for both. Right now, it is full speed ahead as there will be a lot of work to do in the next 20 years.”

Next on the agenda for the track, which is in its 24th season of operation, will be the annual visit from the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series, which will be making its only Southern California appearance in the annual So Cal Showdown on March 30. USAC/CRA sprint cars and the PAS Senior and Young Guns will also race during the special event.

For more information, visit the PAS website.

Forgeline Motorsports celebrates its 25 year anniversary in 2019. A 100-percent family-owned and managed business, the custom wheel manufacturer is located in Dayton, Ohio, and operated by twin brothers Dave and Steve Schardt.

Forgeline Global Sales Manager Steve Schardt founded Forgeline in 1994 “to address a need within the American road racing market for a custom made-to-order forged wheel that was engineered for racing applications and made in the USA.” Today, Forgeline continues to serve members of the highest levels of road racing, and its reach has also grown to include high-end street applications, too.

As young adults in the 1990s and after recognizing that serious American road racers needed a domestically-produced high-quality wheel option, the Schardt family teamed up to launch Forgeline whose initial product line consisted of a single two-piece forged wheel called the RS.

Despite its humble beginnings, the RS wheel proved extremely successful, according to a company release. In 1995, it helped RealTime Racing's PD Cunningham win a World Challenge class championship and later became the wheel of choice for at least half of the former Pirelli World Challenge field.

Today, Forgeline manufactures over 120 wheel models for both the race track and the street, including three-piece modular wheels, one-piece forged mono blocks and a “Carbon + Forged” hybrid lineup.

For more information, visit the Forgeline website.

G-Force Karts has partnered with the Richmond Raceway Complex to build a high-speed outdoor karting track at the Raceway in Richmond, Virginia. The official name of the business will be G-Force Karts at Richmond Raceway going forward.

G-Force Karts at Richmond is scheduled to open on Friday, April 12, in time for the Toyota Spring Race Weekend at Richmond on April 12-13, 2019.

Jason Yarema, the long-time owner of G-Force Karts, first opened an indoor karting track near Richmond Raceway in August 2002. Over the years, G-Force Karts has added new activities, including laser tag and an inflatable bounce house, indoor paintball and archery tag, virtual reality set ups, an arcade and more.

The new, outdoor track—named High Speed—will be twice as large as the original G-Force indoor track at 2,400 linear square feet. Karts will also be able to reach new speeds, at up to 60 miles per hour versus just 45 mph at the indoor location.

For more information, visit the Richmond Raceway website or the G-Force Karts website.

BorgWarner has announced the appointment of Kevin A. Nowlan to executive vice president and chief financial officer (CFO), effective April 1.

Nowlan comes to BorgWarner from Meritor Inc., where he served as the senior vice president and CFO since 2013. He was also given the responsibility of serving as the president of the Trailer and Components businesses in 2018.

Nowlan’s career history spans several executive and financial leadership roles with Meritor. Before joining the company in 2007, Nowlan worked for GMAC and the General Motors’ Treasurer’s Office for 12 years.

Nowlan holds a bachelor’s degree in economics, political science and history as well as a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan.

“I am pleased to welcome Kevin to my executive staff as the new leader of our strong financial team,” BorgWarner President and CEO Frederic Lissalde said. “His broad financial and operational experience gives me confidence he will excel in our culture and continue our long legacy of financial discipline.”

In related news, the company also announced that Thomas McGill would succeed Anthony Hensel as vice president and controller, effective April 1. In this role, McGill will serve as the company’s principal accounting officer with responsibilities for accounting, tax and enterprise risk management. Hensel will transition to the role of vice president of special projects effective the same date.

Fore more information, visit the BorgWarner website.

David Hobbs, multi-faceted racer and colorful TV commentator for nearly four decades, will be honored by the Road Racing Drivers Club (RRDC) at the RRDC Evening with David Hobbs Presented by Firestone in Long Beach, California, on Thursday, April 11.

Born in Leamington Spa, U.K., in 1939, Hobbs is one of motor racing's most remarkable all-rounders. In a 31-year driving career, "Hobbo” raced in almost every imaginable category: endurance sports racers, touring cars, Formula 1, Formula 5000, IndyCar, IMSA, Trans-Am, Can-Am and NASCAR. He also served as a US-based television commentator, most recently as part of NBC's Formula 1 broadcast.

The April 11 dinner is the RRDC's 11th consecutive annual banquet honoring auto racing's most influential leaders and icons and will be held before the 45th Annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Previous honorees were Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones, Roger Penske, Jim Hall, Brian Redman, Mario Andretti, Bobby Unser, George Follmer, Emerson Fittipaldi and Johnny Rutherford.

The dinner's proceeds will help support the RRDC's young driver initiatives, including its groundbreaking SAFEisFAST.com program and the Team USA Scholarship, which the RRDC has backed since 1997 and has been providing opportunities for talented young American race-car drivers since 1990.

The Mark Donohue Foundation, a 501(C)(3) tax-exempt organization, was also recently formed to further support SAFEisFAST.com.

The RRDC Evening with David Hobbs Presented by Firestone will be held on Thursday, April 11, at the Hilton Hotel, 701 West Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, California, with cocktails at 6 p.m., and dinner at 7:15 p.m. Tickets are $225 per person ($200 for RRDC members) if purchased by April 1, and space is limited.

For more information, visit the RRDC website. To reserve tickets, contact Jeremy Shaw through email.

Officials from Gas City I-69 Speedway have released a revised schedule of events for the 1/4-mile, semi-banked clay oval in Gas City, Indiana.

The schedule reflects division name changes, slight date adjustments for some classes, the addition of two Hoosier Auto Racing Fans (HARF) nights and a visit from the Midwest Oldtimers Vintage Race Car Club.

The former thunder car division is now known as the street stocks division, and its rules have been made more inclusive so cars from other tracks in Indiana can come and compete.

The super street class rules have also been solidified to allow some sportsman and limited late model cars from other tracks to run at Gas City as well.

In addition, the former front-wheel-drive compact class will now be known as the hornets division to allow both rear- and front-wheel-drive cars.

The HARF nights are May 17 and August 30, while the MOVRCC will visit Gas City on June 14.

The jam-packed season opens on Friday, April 26, with the Lid-Lifter 100 featuring non-winged sprint cars, UMP modifieds, super streets, street stocks, hornets (RWD/FWD compacts) and tough trucks.

All classes of race cars are welcome at the track’s pre-season practice day on Sunday, April 14.

For more information, including division rules and the revised schedule, visit the track website.