When the 2019 racing season fires up in a few short months, the state of Colorado will welcome a new non-wing sprint car series to the docket sanctioned by Performance Open Wheel Racing, Inc. (POWRi). The Colorado-based POWRi Lucas Oil Warrior Sprint League will feature a 12-15 race schedule.

Based on the POWRi Lucas Oil WAR Sprint League that has risen to national acknowledgment, the newly-formed POWRi Lucas Oil Warrior Sprint League will take on a similar model in hopes of establishing a booming sprint car scene in Colorado. The Warrior Sprints will adopt the WAR rulebook, which most notably boasts an open motor rule.

El Paso County Raceway in Calhan will serve as the league's home track through the inaugural campaign with other trips to I-76 Speedway in Fort Morgan and Holyoke. An official schedule will be released soon, but the season will pick up in April and come to a conclusion in October.

The new project is being spearheaded by Denver's Joe Bellm, a veteran of sprint car and midget racing. Bellm has previously been the driving force behind BST Promotions, which has had a large hand in bringing the Colorado Alliance Tour, IMCA Weekly Racing and the RaceSaver Sprints to life in his home state.

Joining the Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association (RMMRA) and Rocky Mountain Lightning Sprint Association (RMLSA), racers will be allowed to use one license to conveniently compete in all leagues. Along with that, a feature provisional for the Jesse Hockett/Daniel McMillin Memorial is on the line for the highest driver in Warrior Sprints point standings that does not qualify for the main event.

Racers can register online with the league at POWRi.com while the Warrior Sprints League side of the website is being set up.

For more information, visit POWRi.com.

VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) has named Kerrigan Smith as its president and chief operating officer (COO), as reported by Virginia Business. Sandie Currie will also be the Alton track’s chief strategy officer.

Smith, who previously served as just the track’s COO, expands his duties to oversee track operations and the growth of the track. Before joining the VIR team in 2010, Smith spent eight years with Synergy Racing (formerly G&W Motorsports) as a pit crew and later as general manager.

Currie, who has been with VIR for over 15 years, most recently served as COO of VIR’s facility resorts. In her new role as chief strategy officer, Currie will work with VIR Owner and CEO Connie Nyholm to grow the organization. Currie also currently serves on the board of the Danville Community College Foundation, Halifax Tourism, Riverview Rotary Club, and the Boys & Girls Club of the Danville Area.

For more information, visit virnow.com.

Rafella Golden has been promoted to Managing Director of the Carroll Shelby Foundation by the charity’s Board of Directors. In this new position, Golden will manage the daily operations of the non-profit founded by legend Carroll Shelby.
 
Golden has been part of the Shelby community since 2009 when she first began to work for Carroll Shelby International. Previously she worked in public school fundraising, event coordination and retail design for a variety of organizations.
 
Since joining Shelby, Golden has been involved in many different roles for Shelby American, Team Shelby, Carroll Shelby’s Store, Carroll Shelby International and the Carroll Shelby Foundation. She has managed graphic design projects, coordinated events, been a merchandise buyer, contributed to strategic planning and directed retail locations. But it was a personal connection with Carroll Shelby himself that eventually led to her involvement with the charity.
 
“Not long after I joined Shelby, my teenage son was diagnosed with brain cancer,” Golden said. “I’ll never forget how supportive Carroll was during that challenging time for my family. He also gave me the opportunity to be involved with the children’s charity as a way to help other kids in honor of my son’s full recovery. Over the years, my role has evolved and led me to this opportunity to make a difference for families through the Carroll Shelby Foundation.”

Golden will fill a dual role as both Managing Director of the charity and will still remain part of the Team Shelby management team. This unique position will allow her to maximize opportunities for the charity to integrate into Shelby American and the international club’s events.
 
“We’ve been impressed with Rafella’s tenacity and drive during her tenure with Shelby,” Carroll Shelby Foundation Co-President Aaron Shelby said. "She has channeled her talents into executing programs for organizations that we support including the Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, The Eli Home, Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston and the Carroll Shelby Automotive Technology Program in East Texas. We’re confident that Rafella will do a terrific job as Managing Director of the Carroll Shelby Foundation.”  
 
Following years of heart-related difficulties that culminated in a successful heart transplant, legendary racer and automaker Carroll Shelby created the Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation in 1991. Shelby, who waited years before receiving his transplant, was keenly aware of the difficulties and expense involved in heart surgery and the often-lengthy process to locate a suitable donor organ. He created the Foundation because he realized that many needy children would have their lives cut short without some type of financial assistance.
 
As a 501 (c) 3, funding for the Foundation comes from a myriad of sources including donations from corporate and private sponsors, Ford Motor Company and through club events.
 
Recent donation recipients from the Carroll Shelby Foundation include Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, The Eli Home, Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, The Carroll Shelby Automotive Technology at the Northeast Texas Community College, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) and the Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.

For more information, visit shelby.com.

Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc., announced the promotion of Michael J. Whitehead to Senior Vice President and President, effective immediately. In this role, Whitehead will oversee the strategic planning and growth of the Americas Welding Segment’s automation and additive services businesses and will report to Executive Vice President/President George Blankenship of Americas Welding.

“Mike is a well-respected leader and has a strong track record of developing new technologies and driving business growth at Lincoln Electric,” Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Christopher L. Mapes said. “His experience will help advance our industry-leading automation portfolio and accelerate growth in solutions and services to meet our customers’ needs in the additive manufacturing market.”

Whitehead joined Lincoln Electric in 2005 as Chief Counsel of Intellectual Property and held various positions of increased responsibility including Director of New Product Development in Research and Development, and President of Lincoln Electric Canada. Most recently, Whitehead served as Senior Vice President of Strategy & Business Development, where he oversaw the transaction and integration of Air Liquide Welding among other deals. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from The Ohio State University and earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of New Hampshire School of Law.

For more information, visit lincolnelectric.com.

StarCom Racing officials announced that the team has purchased a charter from Richard Childress Racing (RCR).

The team previously leased a charter from RCR, which allowed them to contest the full Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule in 2018. They’ve now purchased that charter, which guarantees the team a position in every Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event.

“We are coming off a successful first year for our new owners and team,” 1990 Daytona 500 winner and StarCom Racing Team Manager Derrike Cope said. “We certainly endured a great deal of adversity as a start-from-scratch Cup team, learning along the way with positive results for the most part. With a continued commitment from our owners, Mike and Matt Kohler and Bill Woehlemann, we are looking forward to the prospects of being a better race team in 2019. We are extremely proud and pleased to have acquired the charter from RCR. We are excited to have contracted Landon Cassill for this coming year as I have enjoyed working with him in 2018 and what his experience brings to the race team.”

Landon Cassill, who competed in 29 events for StarCom Racing this year, has been named the driver of the team’s No. 00 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.

“I’m very excited to be back with StarCom Racing for 2019,” Cassill said. “We put in a lot of work at the end of 2018 to make improvements for this coming year, and I think that work will pay off across the board. The team is making big investments in cars and engines to step up our program, and it only motivates me to bring 110 percent as a driver.”

StarCom Racing debuted in 2017 with Cope driving for the team in two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series events. The team raced full-time in 2018 with the No. 00 entry and part-time with a second entry, the No. 99 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.

The team recently moved into a new 20,000 square foot race shop in Salisbury, N.C.

For more information, visit starcomracing.com.

In an effort to assist the healing from the devastating California wildfires, the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series and California race tracks have come together to form the Outlaws California Fire Relief Tour, where $1 of every ticket sold will be donated directly to the California Fire Foundation.

Two separate November wildfires in both Northern and Southern California have left thousands reeling in despair in preparation for the Holiday Season. In Northern California, for more than a month, Silver Dollar Speedway was the home of the courageous firefighters combatting the country’s deadliest wildfire in a century. Simultaneously, a separate wildfire in Southern California distressed their community.

In conjunction with the tracks, the World of Outlaws has formed the Outlaws California Fire Relief Tour, which will officially start at Silver Dollar Speedway on Friday, March 15 and end on Saturday, March 30 at Perris Auto Speedway. In addition to the money donated from the ticket sales, Outlaws California Fire Relief Tour shirts will be sold with $5 from each purchase also going to the California Fire Foundation. Also, a select number of tickets to each event will be donated to local firemen.

“One of the most anticipated stretches of the season, especially for California fans, is the World of Outlaws month-long tour in March through the Golden State,” said World of Outlaws COO Tom Deery. “We wanted to do something to help those communities heal and we couldn’t be prouder to raise money for the California Fire Foundation and to be donating tickets to the firefighters, who have become heroes to many families.”

“This is a catastrophe that the racing community has never seen, and it is pretty amazing to see the outpouring of support,” said Troy Henning, who has been the announcer at Silver Dollar Speedway for 20 years. “The idea of giving a dollar from every ticket sold is an incredible gesture from the World of Outlaws and our community is very appreciative.”

Fans unable to attend the races in California that would like to participate will be able to purchase the Outlaws California Fire Relief Tour shirt online and will be able to purchase additional tickets to donate the local firemen at WorldofOutlaws.com/tix. 

The 2019 World of Outlaws season gets underway in 49 days at Volusia Speedway Park near Daytona Beach, FL, with the running of the DIRTcar Nationals from February 5th through 16th.

US 131 Motorsports Park, “The Fastest Track in Michigan,” has entered into a multi-year sanctioning agreement with the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA).

The Martin, Michigan, facility features racing on both the eighth-mile and quarter-mile and hosts multiple big events throughout the season. In 2018, those events included the IHRA Summit Sportsman Spectacular, the IHRA Division 5 Summit Team Finals and one of the largest IHRA Summit SuperSeries programs in the country.
 
US 131 repeated as IHRA Division 5 (Thunder) champions in 2018, while IHRA Summit SuperSeries track champions were: Rick Morley (Top), Mark Hammond (Mod) and Trey Goodson (Junior).

Meanwhile, Eddyville Raceway Park, one of the great historic tracks of the Midwest, has reached a multi-year sanctioning agreement with the IHRA.

The track, located in Eddyville, Iowa, first opened in 1965. It has a glorious past with over a half-century of racing and presently features a strong IHRA Summit SuperSeries program. In the near future, Eddyville is scheduled to host the inaugural IHRA Midwest Summit Team Finals on Sept. 5-8, 2019.

In addition, Evadale Raceway, one of the most popular race tracks in East Texas, has entered into a multi-year sanctioning agreement with the IHRA.

The Evadale, Texas track, located just minutes from the Louisiana border, features a year-round calendar of events. Besides racing on the eighth-mile and quarter-mile at the former Ben Bruce Memorial Airpark, track operator Gary Pelliter has scheduled such unique events as jambalaya and gumbo cook-off competitions.

It’s truly a community gathering place and that was never more evident than the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, the nation’s worst flooding disaster. During that time, the track donated its concessions to the first responders, and served as a drop-off point for other community donations.

For more information, visit ihra.com.

With over 300 entries confirmed, the list of drivers for the 33rd annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire has been released.

The long list, which includes champion drivers from USAC, NASCAR and IndyCar, features 302 driver-midget combinations. This will be the fourth year the popular event surpasses 300 entries. Former Chili Bowl winners Christopher Bell, Rico Abreu, Sammy Swindell, Tim McCreadie and Tracy Hines will each return to the lineup to battle for a win.

NASCAR driver Alex Bowman will field the second car for USAC star C.J. Leary, while IndyCar driver Conor Daly will field a car for Byrd’s Racing. Likewise, Kyle Larson will return to the Chili Bowl.

The early entry deadline, which featured a $50 savings on the entry cost, passed last weekend.

Next year’s Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire takes place January 14-19, 2019, at the Tulsa Expo Raceway, located inside the River Spirit Expo Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

A small number of tickets are still on sale. Call 918/838-3777 or visit chilibowl.com for more information.

Race Winning Brands (RWB), a portfolio company of Kinderhook Industries, LLC, has called upon automotive industry veteran Robert “Bob” Bruegging to serve as the organization’s vice president of Product Management.

Race Winning Brands (RWB) is one of the leading manufacturers of racing and high-performance parts. RWB manufactures high-end pistons, as well as engine blocks, cylinder heads, connecting rods, crankshafts, clutches and other engine and driveline-related performance components.

Bruegging will work closely with Chief Executive Officer Brian Reese and brand leaders to monitor the evolving needs of customers and develop innovative solutions for racing and performance. The University of Kansas Alumnus will oversee product management and product development, managing cross-functional teams across several locations.  

“Bob Bruegging brings RWB a wealth of leadership, product and sales experience,” Reese said. “Bob’s unique background and leadership experience will also serve as a tremendous complement to our executive leadership team. Given Bob’s expertise and impeccable credentials, we think he’s a perfect fit for this new role.”

Bruegging comes to RWB from Cometic Gasket where he led new business development efforts over the last three years. Prior to his time with Cometic, Bruegging spent over two decades in executive leadership roles with the Mr. Gasket Corporation.

For more information, visit racewinningbrands.com.

The Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing, home of the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame, has announced the Class of 2019 honorees. The select group includes a trio of top regional Top Fuel teams, which contributed to the growth of the class in their time, a multi-talented racer, track operator and race team executive, as well as a manufacturer with a “must use” product, which found a home in a variety of racing applications. Additionally, the recipients of the Founder’s Award and the Patricia Garlits Memorial Award were also named.

The Class of 2019 honorees include The Carroll Brothers (William “Bones" and Curt Carroll), Rupp & Dakin (Gary Rupp and Pat Dakin), The Iron Horse Team (Dan Richins and Rex Pearmain), Mike Lewis, and Ted Dzus, Jr.

The 2019 Founders Award was given to Edward (Ed) Justice, Sr., while the Patricia Garlits Memorial Award was named to Lynn Prudhomme. The Patricia Garlits Memorial Award, given annually, honors a woman involved with drag racing who has exhibited a selfless devotion to the growth and betterment of the sport.  

The official induction dinner and ceremony will take place in Gainesville, Florida, on Thursday, March 14, 2019, at the Wyndham Garden Gainesville Hotel. The Cocktail Hour begins at 6 p.m. EST, with dinner served at 7 p.m. Tickets are $100 for individual seats, with corporate sponsor tables priced at $1000.

Tickets are available by calling the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing at 877/271-3278. For more information, visit garlits.com.