Darlington Dragway, with over four decades of history with the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA), has extended its IHRA partnership through a multi-year sanctioning agreement.

The 1/4-mile drag strip was constructed by Harold Brasington, who built Darlington Raceway in 1950, and Woodrow Hall under the guidance of IHRA founder Larry Carrier. It opened in 1976 and has been a mainstay on the IHRA event schedule ever since.   

In 2015 new owners Russell and Dee Dee Miller took over the facility with the intention of transforming it into one of the premier facilities in the country. Their children, Tylor and Brooke, race for the Pee Dee Fleet Motorsports Team.

“Darlington Dragway is truly one of America’s great drag racing facilities,” IHRA Division Director Josh Peake said. “Not only does it boast such a rich history, but track owners Russell and Dee Miller and track manager Rhett Gardner have taken it to the next level. It continues to be a showplace for marquee events and truly lives up to its name as a legendary track.”

The Hartsville, South Carolina, track has undergone a massive transformation since 2015. In addition to a complete overhaul upon purchasing the facility, a new drainage system was installed in 2017, and last year, the first 750 feet of the track from the burnout boxes to about 150 feet past the 1/8-mile finish line was made all-concrete.

Darlington received IHRA Track of the Year honors in 2016. The facility is also scheduled to host more IHRA major events in 2019 with the IHRA Summit Sportsman Spectacular on May 24–26, and the Division 9 Summit Team Finals September on 11–15.

For more information, visit the IHRA website and the Darling Dragway website.

(Photo of Darlington Dragway courtesy of IHRA). 

The United States Auto Club’s Western Office has announced a new racer initiative program for the upcoming AMSOIL USAC/CRA and Sands Chevrolet USAC Southwest Sprint Car seasons.

Any racer who enters every event for both the AMSOIL USAC/CRA and Sands Chevrolet USAC SouthWest Sprint Car schedules will have their entry fees reimbursed at the end of the year.

With both series now operating under the same engine rules, the program encourages more support, higher car counts and increased competition as well as creates a friendly rivalry between both groups.

The 2019 AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series season begins with the Sprint Showcase on March 8, at the Canyon Speedway Park in Peoria, Arizona. Meanwhile, the Sands Chevrolet USAC Southwest Sprint Car Series begins March 2, at Central Arizona Speedway in Casa Grande, Arizona.

For more information, visit the AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series website or the Sands Chevrolet USAC Southwest Sprint Car Series website.

Round two of 2019’s Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Pirelli—the California 8 Hours at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca—will now take place on Saturday, March 30, one day earlier than previously announced.

The three-day event, which follows Bathurst’s season opener on February 1-3, has been moved to better accommodate live TV.

The event’s final timetable and broadcast schedule will be revealed at a future date. Testing is expected to take place Wednesday, March 27, before the weekend’s official track action begins on Thursday. Friday brings with it qualifying and subsequent Pole Shootout ahead of Saturday’s race.

Teams and manufacturers can now also submit and nominate their California 8 Hours entries.

The California 8 Hours marks the first Intercontinental GT Challenge outing for the new Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo and Porsche 911 GT3 R. Other new-for-2019 GT3 machinery is also expected alongside GTC, GT4 and TCR entries.

The historic US circuit hosts one of five Intercontinental GT Challenge rounds in as many regions this season, with the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour (Australia), Total 24 Hours of Spa (Europe), Suzuka 10 Hours (Asia) and revived Kyalami 9 Hour (Africa) comprising the other four throughout the year.

For more information, visit the Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Pirelli website.

(Image courtesy of Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Pirelli).

Glen Wood, a pioneer in the sport of stock car racing, passed away Friday morning at the age of 93.

Wood, whose passing was announced by Wood Brothers Racing, was the oldest living member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Wood co-founded Wood Brothers Racing, the oldest continuously operating NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series team, with his brother Leonard in 1950.

A statement by the Wood Brothers Racing team stated:

It’s with profound sadness that we mourn the passing of team founder and family patriarch Glen Wood this morning. We want to thank family, friends, our small-town Virginia community of Patrick County, as well as everyone in the NASCAR community for their unwavering support of him, his life, his legacy and everything “Pa” represented.

Wood Brothers Racing collected 99 victories in more than 1,500 starts in NASCAR’s Cup Series, with four of those wins belonging to Wood as its primary driver in early years. Starting the race organization with a car Wood and his brother purchased for $50, according to the Associated Press, the team made the No. 21 one of the most iconic car numbers in the sport’s history.

“In every way, Glen Wood was an original. In building the famed Wood Brothers Racing at the very beginnings of our sport, Glen laid a foundation for NASCAR excellence that remains to this day. As both a driver and a team owner, he was, and always will be, the gold standard. But personally, even more significant than his exemplary on-track record, he was a true gentleman and a close confidant to my father, mother and brother. On behalf of the France family and all of NASCAR, I send my condolences to the entire Wood family for the loss of a NASCAR giant,” NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France said.

Among his long list of accomplishments in stock car racing, in 1998, Wood was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers.

The Wood Brothers Racing team also became legends for modernizing the pit stop after an invitation to staff the Lotus-Ford team and driver Jim Car at the 1965 Indianapolis 500, reducing the time of a typical IndyCar pit stop nearly in half.

Wood was enshrined into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2012, one year before his brother Leonard’s induction in 2013.

Funeral arrangements for Wood are still pending, but it will be a small family service, according to the team. For more information, visit the Wood Brothers Racing Facebook page here.

(Photo courtesy of Facebook, Woods Brothers Racing).

The 2019 POWRi Lucas Oil WAR Sprint League schedule features 28 events across 17 tracks and six different states.

The slate kicks off March 29–30 with a pair of races at US-36 Raceway in Osborn, Missouri and Eagle Raceway in Eagle, Nebraska.

After three events in April (one still TBA), May features four straight weeks of action beginning May 3–4 with events at Valley Speedway and Lucas Oil Speedway, followed by another doubleheader on May 10–11 at Humboldt Speedway and Salina Highbanks. A May 18 event is still set TBA, with May 25–26 featuring events at Lake Ozark Speedway and Double-X Speedway.

After two events in June, among other races, July will see WAR drivers participate in the inaugural Corn Belt Nationals, a two-day extravaganza offering up $20,000 to the champion, at Knoxville Raceway on July 5–6.  

The Ultimate Challenge, a returning event, will take place at Southern Iowa Speedway on August 6, followed by the WAR Non-Wing Nationals at Lake Ozark Speedway on August 16–17.

The final points-paying weekend of the year occurs on August 31—September 1 with a weekend spent at 34 Raceway and Jacksonville Speedway.

Finally, the 2019 POWRi Lucas Oil WAR Sprint League campaign concludes with the Jesse Hockett/Daniel McMillin Memorial at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri on September 19-21. Last year, this event drew the most entries of any non-wing sprint car race in the country, with 78 competitors pouring into the pits and onto the track to honor Jesse and Daniel.

Along with the new schedule comes a new format for the points payout. All driver that finish top ten in points and run 90 percent of completed races will receive a minimum of $1,000, with the champion taking an extra $1,000 on top of that. Other bonuses come in the form of most feature wins ($250), most hard charger awards ($250), most heat race wins ($250) and perfect attendance ($200).

For the complete 2019 POWRi Lucas Oil WAR Sprint League schedule, visit here.
http://www.powri.com/news/?i=68286

Two veteran crew chiefs will join the growing Front Row Motorsports team for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series campaign.

Drew Blickensderfer will lead the No. 34 team with driver Michael McDowell and Mike Kelley will head up the efforts of the new No. 36 machine with rookie driver Matt Tifft. Seth Barbour returns as crew chief of the No. 38 entry with driver David Ragan.

Blickensderfer joins the No. 34 team from Richard Petty Motorsports where he had served as a crew chief since 2012. He has three Cup Series wins, including one with Ragan at Roush Fenway Racing in 2011.

Kelley joins the No. 36 team from Roush Fenway where he served as crew chief of the No. 60 NASCAR Xfinity Series entry in 2018. The NASCAR veteran is a two-time Xfinity series champion, leading Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to titles in 2011 and 2012 as well as the rookie-of-the-year title in 2010.

Barbour will begin his second full season with Front Row Motorsports in 2019. After joining the team as No. 34 crew chief in mid-2017, Barbour headed Ragan’s team throughout 2018, leading the No. 38 to its best points finish in team history (25th).

A team engineer for Roush Fenway for eight years, Barbour was a member of the 2011 and ’12 Stenhouse championship teams.

As Front Row Motorsports continues to grow in its 11th full-time season, Derrick Finley will take on the new role of technical director and Donnie Wingo continues as competition director.

For more information, visit the Front Row Motorsports website.

New Jersey Motorsports Park, the road course in Millville, New Jersey, has hired veteran road racer Andy Lally as its new track professional for the Drivers Club.

As the track professional, Lally will attend 10 member track days, provide professional coaching, instruction and support for the Drivers Club Members this upcoming season. The track day formats with Lally will include track walks, open track days, skid pad car clinics and other special activities.

“We are thrilled to have established this new relationship with Andy. With his experience and skills, the Club will be able to broaden the instruction we can provide to our members,” NJMP Chief Operating Officer Brad Scott said.

Lally is a five-time Rolex 24 winner and is currently the winningest active driver at the Rolex 24. He sits third on the all-time win list with victories in 2001, ’09, ’11, ’12 and ’16.

For more information, visit the NJMP website here.

The World of Outlaws announced today a multi-year agreement with NOS Energy Drink, elevating the brand as the new title sponsor of the now World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series.

“NOS Energy joined the World of Outlaws last season, and we couldn’t be prouder to have them expand their involvement and become our title sponsor,” World of Outlaws CEO Brian Carter said. “The Greatest Show on Dirt runs the fiercest schedule in all of motorsports, so our drivers, crews and fans need all the horsepower and stamina they can get."

“The response last season from World of Outlaws fans, drivers and really the whole community was pretty overwhelming and is really the biggest factor in our decision to expand our involvement," said Lauren Albano, Marketing Director for NOS Energy Drink. "The World of Outlaws brand of racing is authentic, raw and contagious, and we are more than excited to continue to fuel the sport’s passion on and off the track.”

World of Outlaws Chief Marketing Officer Ben Geisler noted NOS Energy’s trackside sampling program was a “welcome bonus” for its fans. He also took the time to thank Craftsman and Sears “for everything they have done for sprint car racing over the years.”

In addition to the Series sponsorship, NOS Energy will continue as title sponsor of the No. 17 Stenhouse Jr. Marshall Racing team with Sheldon Haudenschild behind the wheel. The NOS Energy team will compete full time with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Series again in 2019, kicking off the season in Florida at DIRTcar Nationals from February 5-16.

For more information, visit the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Car Series website.

NASCAR has named industry veteran Jay Fabian as its Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Managing Director.
 
A respected leader within the garage area, Fabian previously served as the managing director of technical integration at NASCAR, where he oversaw post-race technical inspection at the NASCAR Research and Development Center in Concord, North Carolina. A consistent presence in all three NASCAR national series garages, Fabian’s versatile career has included roles as an over-the-wall crew member, a crew chief and, now, the managing director of NASCAR’s premier series.

“With his vast experience across the industry, Jay Fabian is uniquely suited for this position,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. “Jay’s steady leadership and depth of knowledge are tremendous assets that will greatly benefit the series and all of NASCAR.”

Before joining NASCAR in April 2016, the Everett, Penn., native worked at Michael Waltrip Racing. During his 10-year tenure, MWR teams qualified for the NASCAR Playoffs in 2012, 2013 and 2015.
 
“This is a fast-paced sport that is constantly evolving, and I’m thankful for this opportunity and eager to take on the challenge,” Fabian said. “Racing has been my passion for as long as I can remember. There is growing anticipation for the 2019 season, and I’m looking forward to being a part of an outstanding team that will help build our sport.”
 
Fabian, with more than 25 years of motorsports experience, and NASCAR’s two other national series managing directors – Wayne Auton (NASCAR Xfinity Series) and Brad Moran (NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series) – will report directly to Scott Miller, NASCAR senior vice president of competition.

For more information, visit the NASCAR website here.

IDIDIT, LLC, a company with more than 30 years experience manufacturing aftermarket steering solutions, has purchased Schroeder Steering.

Schroeder Steering is a California-based manufacturer of quick release steering hubs and steering boxes. The acquisition includes all inventory, machines, castings, molds, prints, specifications, and original tooling owned by Schroeder—along with 75 years of manufacturing knowledge to be implemented at IDIDIT, LLC’s Tecumseh, Michigan facility.

IDIDIT was also given immediate full and exclusive authorization to continue the production of the quick release and steering box products by Gary Schroeder, founder of Schroeder Steering.

New SFI-certified IDIDIT Performance Quick Release Steering Hubs are already in production and available through IDIDIT. The company is now beginning production of the new IDIDIT Performance Steering Box based on the engineering of Schroeder’s original design. They are expected to be available for purchase in Q2 of 2019.

Customers who have already purchased the Schroeder Steering box can contact IDIDIT for technical questions and assistance.

“Since we have the inventory and tooling in-house, we are able to tear down, inspect and repair any original Schroeder steering box,” Trever Cornwell of IDIDIT said.  

For more information, visit the IDIDIT website or call 517/424-0577.