Building on a successful relationship that spans nearly two decades, Edelbrock has announced an enhanced partnership with Pat Musi Racing Engines that will cater to the hardcore drag racing market.

At the center of the partnership is a new crate engine program created for drag racers which features the Musi 632 Top Sportsman / Top Dragster engine. Equipped with Edelbrock Big Victor 12-degree cylinder heads customized by Musi and top-of-the-line components from carburetor to oil pan, this engine is designed for fast bracket racers looking for 1,250 HP (without nitrous and 1,650 HP with nitrous) and unmatched durability.

Besides the complete engine available from Pat Musi Racing Engines, individual components are also available directly from both Edelbrock and Musi as part of the program. Available components include the aforementioned 12-degree cylinder heads in addition to Victor Musi Big-Block Chevy 24-degree CNC cylinder heads, Super Victor II CNC intake manifold, and Big Victor 2 Spread-Port Tall Deck intake manifold.

"We're excited to continue building our relationship with Pat Musi Racing Engines and Musi Racing. Since Edelbrock's early days, Vic Sr. and Vic Jr. both have supported many forms of racing. It's in our DNA. It's really important to our organization to support the racer as well as the engine builder. Both are very important to the future of our industry," Edelbrock Vice President of Sales and Marketing Steve Whipple said.

The official unveiling of the partnership will take place in the Edelbrock booth (#1713) on Friday, December 7, at 1 p.m. EST at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show, held at the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis.  The complete Musi 632 cubic inch engine, Big Victor cylinder heads, and Big Victor and Super Victor intake manifolds will be on display alongside Musi's Edelbrock-backed Pro Nitrous machine.

After the announcement, Pat and racer Lizzy Musi will be signing limited edition posters in the Edelbrock booth until 3 p.m. Additional autograph sessions with Pat and Lizzy are scheduled for Thursday, December 6, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Edelbrock booth.

Pat Musi Racing Engines will also continue to perform extensive research and development for the company, which has long excelled as a leader in the specialty performance automotive aftermarket.

For more information, visit edelbrock.com or musiracing.com. To register for the 2018 PRI Trade Show, visit pri2018.com/register.

The all-new Nissan LEAF NISMO RC, an electric race car with more than double the maximum power and torque output of its predecessor, was unveiled recently in Tokyo.

The car, which was developed by Nissan's racing arm, NISMO, was officially debuted on Dec. 2 at the annual NISMO Festival at Fuji International Speedway, appearing alongside Nissan's new Formula E electric race car.

With dual electric motors, all-wheel drive and an aggressive, restyled body shape, the purpose-built car was designed to demonstrate how Nissan's electric vehicle technology can deliver exciting yet quiet, zero-emission power – a key component of the company's Nissan Intelligent Mobility vision. The model is equipped with advanced battery technology and drivetrain components from the Nissan LEAF, an electric passenger car.

"The all-new LEAF NISMO RC shows how we're setting our sights even higher when it comes to raw power and performance – making electric vehicles even more exciting for customers," said Executive Vice President Daniele Schillaci, Nissan's global head of marketing, sales and electric vehicles. "It's our most thrilling expression yet of the philosophy of Nissan Intelligent Mobility."

Nissan plans to build six all-new LEAF NISMO RC vehicles to deploy around the world.

Powering the all-new Nissan LEAF NISMO RC are two electric motors at opposite ends of the chassis. The motors produce 240 kilowatts combined (120 kW each) and an astounding 640 Nm of instant torque to the wheels.

The LEAF NISMO RC chassis weight balance has been optimized by the midship location of the battery pack, with the electric motors and inverters placed over the front and rear tires.

The car also features a multitude of lightweight components and a full carbon fiber racing structure, allowing it to tip the scales at 2,689.64 pounds (1,220 kilograms). The power-to-weight ratio results in a performance of zero to 100 kph in just 3.4 seconds.

The all-new Nissan LEAF NISMO RC will be on display at Formula E races and major shows and events around the world. At the NISMO Festival, fans will be treated to a performance of the all-new LEAF NISMO RC with professional drivers, running at full tilt around the Fuji Speedway circuit.

For more information, visit nissan-global.com.

PRI exhibitor JE Pistons will recognize engine builders’ hard work, creativity and commitment to combustion with a new competition dubbed Masters of Motors.

The competition was first unveiled during the 2018 SEMA Show in Vegas earlier this year, which crowned six winners in six different categories including the coveted “Engine-utiy” Award, awarded to Joe Schubeck for his Quad-cam 904ci Hemi engine.

JE Pistons invites PRI Show exhibitors to enter the exclusive competition. Those that wish to win must have an engine present at the 2018 PRI Trade Show that is readily available to judges. To make sure an engine is noticed and entered, visit the online entry form here.

Classes for the JE Pistons Masters of Motors competition at PRI include an overall winner (“Engine-uity”), Drag Race, Circle Track, Boosted, Nitrous, Naturally Aspirated, Import and Best Appearing. The overall winner will receive the coveted Masters of Motors “Engine-uity” trophy, an 85-pound, billet-work of art.

Judging for the PRI Show swing of the JE Pistons Masters of Motors competition will begin at 9 a.m. on Thursday, December 6, 2018. Nominated engines will be notified via a Master of Motors entry form left on the car.

Masters of Motors will be judged by some of the biggest names in horsepower, drag racing and engine tech including Jeff Smith of HOT ROD Magazine and Car Craft; Brian Lohnes, the Editor-in-Chief of BangShift.com; Mike Kojima, the MotoIQ Editor-in-Chief; and David Freiburger of HOT ROD Magazine, Roadkill and Engine Masters.

Winners will be named Friday, December 7, at 11 a.m. during an awards presentation.

For more information, visit here.

Midwest Municipality Plans Specialty Aftermarket Automotive Equipment Cluster Park

DELAWARE, OHIO — This Central Ohio city of nearly 40,000 sits just 30 minutes north of Columbus and has about 580 acres dedicated to boutique manufacturing and R&D facilities in the specialty aftermarket automotive industry. In addition to the 580 acres, there is the potential for hundreds of additional non-annexed and non-zoned acres that also could be developed for this aftermarket cluster.

Why else should you consider Delaware? Here are a just few reasons:

Existing Businesses — The City of Delaware has been home to JEGS, the world's largest retailer of specialty aftermarket automotive equipment, since the 1990s. In addition, PPG also is an anchor. PPG's aftermarket automotive paint division has produced in Delaware since 1960. This facility is one of the largest producers of waterborne aftermarket automotive paint in the nation.

Easy Access to Testing Facilities — Delaware is a short drive from three great testing resources to serve your business.

• >The Transportation Research Center (TRC) is an independent vehicle test facility 32 miles from Delaware. This is your one-stop resource for vehicle testing, research, development, certification and project management. The 4,500-acre campus includes multiple facilities and a 7.5- mile test track.
• Delaware is only 22 miles from The Ohio State University’s Center for Automotive Research (CAR). The facility has several industry partnerships through its CAR Membership Consortium, which is your opportunity to use original and highly sought after precompetitive research in automotive and transportation systems. You also can collaborate with CAR through its Engineering Services program.

• About 44 miles north of Delaware, you will find the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, a world-class racing facility in Mansfield, Ohio.

Unbeatable Location — Six main arterial roads are within 12 miles from the cluster park:

• US42 — Intersecting
• US23 — 2 miles
• US33 — 10 miles
• US36 to Marysville, OH — 2 miles
• I-71 — 10 miles
• I-270 — 12 miles

AWESOME MUNICIPAL SERVICES AND OTHER UTILITIES
The City of Delaware is a full-service municipality that provides its own water and sewer service. The city also owns and manages a municipal airport with a 5,800 ft. runway capable of serving significant corporate jet traffic. Delaware can also offer plenty of water, sewer and fiber-optic services. Our industrial parks are served by two electric companies — American Electric Power and Consolidated Cooperative. The latter also provides fiber optics to business in the park.

LARGE TRAINED AND SKILLED LABOR FORCE, AND GREAT QUALITY OF LIFE TO HELP WITH RECRUITMENT
With one of the nation's best engineering colleges located just 20 miles away at The Ohio State University, the Central Ohio region continues to be a hot location for engineers to start and grow their careers. Delaware County's high quality of life with top ranked schools, parks, recreation, high-quality restaurants, microbreweries and other forms of entertainment creates an attractive place for engineers and other white-collar professionals to live and raise families. More than 60 percent of county residents have an associate's degree or higher. In addition, Delaware’s labor shed is one of the largest in the state and can provide your business with more than 1.6 million potential employees within a half-an-hour drive!

 

FINANCIAL INCENTIVES
The City of Delaware understands that moving or growing a business is an expensive endeavor. We are ready to work with you on incentives that would lower your project costs. Here are a few established base programs:

• Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) Tax Abatements: We can negotiate up to 100 percent for up to 15-year property tax abatements on new buildings
• Performance Based Economic Incentive Grant: We may negotiate payments to you for a certain term, based on a percentage for your employees’ income tax collections
• Construction Material Sales Tax Abatement: In partnership with the Delaware Area Finance Authority, we can offer abatements on the sales taxes for construction materials for your project.
• PACE Financing: Through the Delaware Area Finance Authority, we can assemble financing for building high-efficiency components such as HVAC, lighting, etc.
• Consolidated Cooperative Revolving Loan Fund: Our partner Consolidated Cooperative offers low-interest loans of up to $100,000 for machinery and equipment purchases

The community established this park to allow companies to cluster, share resources, technologies, R&D and, perhaps, customers. It also will allow them to effectively draw from a region with a high concentration of skilled and trained employees including engineers and, even recruit together.

Delaware staff doubles as business concierges to make locating, building and producing as smooth as possible. We help your team through negotiations, estimate costs of doing business and get your business through building permitting and site development processes. We also aid in workforce development and meet every year to assist in providing solutions and opportunities.

If you are interested in being part of the City of Delaware success story, visit the economic development website for more information on what we can do for you and your company.

Engine builders will have unprecedented access to the latest engine-building parts, products and technical information during and before the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show, taking place Dec. 6–8 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Kicking off the jam-packed schedule, and taking place during Race Industry Week before the PRI Show opens on Thursday, is the Advanced Engineering Technology Conference (AETC), the all-day event taking place in Rooms 23-233 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 5.

Exchange cutting-edge ideas and information on the latest in performance engine technology, as well as spend one-on-one time with colleagues and expert presenters. Engine builders, designers, engineers, manufacturers, business owners, racers, and media will gain invaluable information on some of the industry's leading technological breakthroughs and state-of-the-art advances in motorsports technology from such notable experts as Gary Patterson (ECR Engines), Lake Speed Jr. (Driven Racing Oil), Jeremy Wagler (Wagler Motorsports), and Doug Sobotka (Excel Engineering), among others.

Registration is required for this event, and can be found online here.

The AETC All-Star Engine Builder Panel, which is set for Tuesday, December 4, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in Rooms 231-233, features a panel of legendary engine builders including Ed Pink (Ed Pink's Garage), Jon Kaase (Jon Kaase Race Engines), Sonny Leonard (Sonny’s Racing Engines), and Keith Dorton (Automotive Specialists).

New this year, AETC will present five bonus educational sessions during PRI 2018. With topics ranging from balancing traction to honing by the numbers, these free seminars are offered exclusively to PRI Show attendees. Find more about this spectacular lineup of events here.

Engine builders and engineering professionals are invited to connect and network during the AETC Engine Builder Happy Hour, a welcome mixer hosted by the Advanced Engineering Technology Conference. The event will bring together attendees for a special networking event that will recognize the contributions of motorsports engine builders. The 2018 honorees will be announced during the event. The 2017 honorees included Jeremy Wagler of Wagler Competition Products for the U 40 Engine Designer Award, Jon Kaase of Jon Kaase Racing Engines for the Engine Builder Honor, and Paul Hoskins of Gray Motorsports for the Engine Builder Honor.

Finally, the Featured Products Showcase, taking place all three Show days in the new Lucas Oil Stadium exhibit area, offers unparalleled access for engine builders to the latest race engine components such as camshafts, connecting rods, crankshafts, valve train components, pistons and piston rings, bearings, engine blocks, gaskets, valve covers, and more.

For more information on all conferences, seminars and events, visit pri2018.com/events. To register for the 2018 PRI Show, log on to pri2018.com/register.

W Series, the all-female championship set to go racing in 2019, has announced a long list of more than 50 drivers who will compete for a place on the grid of 18 when the season kicks off in May next year.

The qualifying drivers were selected from a pool of more than 100 applicants from 30 countries around the world, including the USA, China and India as well as the UK, Italy, Germany and Scandinavia.

“Even today there is a massive gender imbalance in motorsport and W Series is making the first step to correct that. Drivers from all over the world have stepped forward, so it’s clear that with the right framework we can make the changes this sport desperately needs,” W Series CEO Catherine Bond Muir said.

The series is a free-to-enter competition, with a total prize fund of $1,500,000. The overall series winner will take home a total of $500,000. W Series will also fund travel and subsistence costs, which opens the competition to drivers from all economic backgrounds across the world.

The hopeful drivers will now have just two months to prepare for the next step in the selection process – a three-day on-and-off-track trial including fitness tests and psychometric profiling, as well as multiple driving skill tests. Former F1 stars David Coulthard and Alex Wurz will be among the judges, alongside Dave Ryan, W Series Racing Director.

The final grid will be determined following a series of track tests in the W Series race car – a 2019 Tatuus T-318 – ahead of the season’s first race, at Hockenheim in Germany on May 3.

For the complete qualifier list, visit here.

Carl Dakes, a longtime volunteer with the Maryland-based Believe In Tomorrow Children’s Foundation, has been chosen by an online fan vote as the winner of The NASCAR Foundation’s eighth annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award.

Dakes was presented with the award on Thursday night during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Awards at Wynn Las Vegas. The award honors the philanthropic ideals and vision of The NASCAR Foundation’s late chairperson and is annually presented to a NASCAR fan who embodies those ideals through community service.

Dakes, of Harwood, Md., will receive a $100,000 donation for Believe In Tomorrow, which provides exceptional hospital and respite housing services to critically ill children and their families. Headquartered in Catonsville, Believe In Tomorrow has served children from all 50 states, with nearly 2,500 children directly benefitting from the organization’s efforts each year.

The NASCAR Foundation also will donate $25,000 to each of the charities represented by three award finalists: Sarah Kersey of Dublin, Ohio, who represents Flying Horse Farms in Mt. Gilead, Ohio; Cliff Preston of Gainesville, Fla., representing UF Health Shands; and Rex Reynolds of Hazel Green, Ala., representing the Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama.
 
“This year’s finalists once again showed the passion of NASCAR fans to help others by their actions,” said The NASCAR Foundation Chairman Mike Helton. “Their commitment to their individual causes represent well the spirit and essence of the Betty Jane France Award Humanitarian Award and we thank each of them.”

“All four finalists resonated with our fans as represented in the close online voting but when it ended, Carl Dakes emerged as the winner.”

Dakes is a commercial painting contractor and has approached a number of Believe In Tomorrow facility painting projects with a “NASCAR-type mindset,” likening the different jobs to paint schemes on race cars while accenting vibrant colors, dynamic design and individuality. He has personally volunteered time and resources to paint eight different Believe in Tomorrow facilities in the Mid-Atlantic region. He has received Believe in Tomorrow’s most prestigious in-house honor, the Unsung Hero Award.

His NASCAR fandom traces to the 1980s and a chance invitation to Pocono (Pa.) Raceway for the classic camping/racing NASCAR experience – which was a transformative moment for him. Dakes returns to Pocono annually to renew friendships and relive that experience.

Since the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award’s inception in 2011, The NASCAR Foundation has impacted the lives of more than 300,000 children by providing $1.4 million in contributions to charities represented by award finalists.

Learn more about The NASCAR Foundation’s impact on children’s causes such as those represented by this year’s four finalists for the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award by visiting NASCARfoundation.org.

Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, based in Chandler, Arizona, has appointed Timothy H. Shaffer as the Chief Restructuring Officer (CRO) for its company. The appointment was approved by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Arizona.

The driving school, which remains open today with driver training courses, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in early October.

Shaffer will assume the management and oversight of the school’s business operations, including negotiating with third parties with investments or acquisitions of the school, reorganizing business plans, preparing operating reports and administering assets and liabilities of the school.

Current owners Pat and Bob Bondurant will remain in the company as consultants during the restructuring phase.

Shaffer is the managing director and principal of Clotho Corporate Recovery, a data recovery service in Scottsdale, Arizona.

For more information, visit bondurant.com.

The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) released the 2019 IHRA Summit Sportsman Spectacular schedule which will feature an exciting 16-race schedule over eight double-race weekends.

The "best value in bracket racing" will get even better in 2019 as competitors will now earn local track championship points at each IHRA Summit Sportsman Spectacular event.

Box, No Box/Footbrake and Junior Dragsters will have the opportunity to compete for the prestigious IHRA Ironman at each event as well as the coveted oversized championship checks. Class runners-up will receive the limited-edition Summit Sportsman Spectacular silver medals in addition to their winnings.

The weekend program includes a test & tune, racer appreciation cookout and a Scrubblade golf cart race. The double-race weekend also features first, second and third-round prizes.

For more information on the 2019 IHRA Summit Sportsman Spectacular visit ihra.com.

2019 IHRA Summit Sportsman Spectacular Provisional Schedule
February 1-3, State Capitol Raceway, Baton Rouge, La.

March 22-24, Farmington Dragway, Farmington, N.C.

May 17-19, Dragway 42, West Salem, Ohio

May 24-26, Darlington Dragway, Hartsville, S.C.

June 7-9, Keystone Raceway Park, New Alexandria, Pa.

July 12-14, US 131 Motorsports Park, Martin, Mich.

TBD

August 23-25, Maryland International Raceway, Mechanicsville, Md.

The Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) announced today that it would present a championship points series called the Vintage Race of Champions (VROC) in 2019.

VROC builds on the success of the SVRA Charity Pro-Am races that began at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in 2014. Virginia International Raceway (VIR) hosted a second pro-am this past September. A new pro-am will be presented at the Road Atlanta weekend on March 28-31, making for a three-race series. Plans call for two championship trophies to be awarded – one for both an amateur and a professional racer.

All three races will benefit charity. The new Road Atlanta Charity Pro-Am will support Hope For The Warriors, a national nonprofit organization that provides assistance to combat-wounded service members, their families, and families of those killed in action.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Brickyard Invitational Charity Pro-Am will benefit the Morgan Adams Foundation. The Morgan Adams Foundation supports laboratory and clinical research in the area of pediatric cancer, with an emphasis on tumors on the brain, spine and central nervous system. The Brickyard Invitational will be presented on a new date in 2019 – August 1 through 4.

The VIR event will benefit IGNITE – the Autism Society of North Carolina’s community center for young adults with high-functioning autism or Asperger’s syndrome. IGNITE was founded by The Evernham Family Racing for a Reason Foundation – a nonprofit established by legendary NASCAR crew chief Ray Evernham and his family. Evernham, with professional co-driver Boris Said, won the VIR race in 2018.

“The pro-am races have not only been a great benefit to charity, but they have proven to be a hit with fans,” SVRA CEO Tony Parella said. “They get unprecedented access to their heroes from IndyCar, NASCAR, Trans Am, IMSA, and short track racing, many of which have become frequent competitors in our races beyond the pro-am events.”

SVRA officials have set a goal of expanding the VROC series to five races with a television package and entitlement sponsor by 2020. More information will come.

In related news, SVRA will present motorsports reunions to celebrate iconic marques next year.

The idea was tested with a Corvair reunion at the Virginia Int’l Raceway weekend in September, which saw the largest number of racing Corvairs ever appearing at a single venue, and also attracted new car owners to SVRA.

For more information, visit svra.com.

Featured Marques For 2019 SVRA Motorsports Reunions
Sebring – MG Reunion
Road Atlanta – Early Porsche Reunion 356 / 911
Auto Club- Datsun reunion
Road America – Lola reunion
Laguna Seca – Historic Trans Am
Lime Rock – 55 years of Mustang Reunion
Mid-Ohio – Corvair Reunion
Portland – BMW Reunion
Brickyard – 50 years of American Formula Fords
Watkins Glen – Triumph Reunion
VIR – Alfa Romeo Reunion
COTA – Ginetta Reunion