Motovicity Distribution announced the dates for The Never Lift Half Mile race next year would be April 27–28, 2019, in Coalinga, California.  

“Never Lift is a perfect example of how we bring our passion for performance and reinvest it back into our industry,” Motovicity CEO Brian Lounsberry said. “Our company is constantly looking for ways to bring top performance brands in front of builders and shops, and have a damn good time doing it.”

The Never Lift Half Mile, which takes place at the New Coalinga Municipal Airport, does not have the usual ¼-mile limitations and gives drivers an opportunity to “really open up,” bringing speeds of over 230 mph. In addition to the top-speed atmosphere, the competition has a "huge" cash payout for each of the class winners, and the signature “Ultimate Badass” cash prize for the driver with the top speed overall, totaling over $38,000 in payouts.  

Registration for the limited driver spots will open in early 2019. The 2018 spots sold out in record time. For more information, visit neverlifthalfmile.com or motovicity.com.

The 2019 rules for six of IMCA’s eight divisions have been announced including Modifieds, Northern SportMods, Southern SportMods, stock cars, Hobby Stocks and Sport Compact.

“While minimal, the changes or clarifications we’ve made in rules for 2019 are an effort to head off the direction some of our divisions are headed, such as suspension or aerodynamics,” IMCA President Brett Root said.

Maximum and minimum free-standing spring heights are specified for front and rear suspensions for Modifieds and both SportMod divisions, and the nose piece must be the same width from front to back.

“We want to keep the open wheeled look of all these divisions,” Root said. “We have done that with the nose rules.”

Maximum and minimum roof dimensions will include the sides when Modifieds, Northern SportMods and Southern SportMods are measured in tech. No bends or breaks will be allowed in sail panels for any of those divisions.

Modified and Northern SportMod roofs must be mounted within half an inch of the rear roll cage. Modified drivers competing with a 604-cubic-inch crate engine must also use one of two carburetor spacers, the Speedway Motors part no. 545-64940 or the Moroso part no. 64940.

Southern SportMod drivers competing with a manual transmission must now utilize a cast iron three-speed OEM manual transmission; no four- or five-speed transmissions are allowed in the division. GM 602-cubic-inch crate engines manufactured after December 2017 with Chevy Cap seals must have IMCA Cable-Lok Seals.

Stock cars must have an OEM appearing aftermarket plastic nose piece with a minimum eight inch ground clearance and also have specified front and rear spring heights.

Hobby Stock nose pieces must have a minimum nine-inch ground clearance. There’s a maximum 31-inch measure­ment from the back of the engine block to the front edge of the GM Metric roof.

The Hobby Stock front OEM fire wall may be replaced with a steel fabricated firewall. The front firewall must be verti­cal, 24 to 26 inches tall, and located no farther back than the rear of the oval frame hole. Fire walls must extend to the body.

For the Sport Compact class, all engines must use maximum two-inch OD exhaust pipes. There will also be no strut boots, covers or bump stops allowed.

IMCA Late Model and IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car rules will be announced at a later date.

For more information, visit imca.com.

Martin & Company Advertising, a full-service marketing and PR firm specializing in the automotive aftermarket, announced the addition of a new accounting and traffic manager, Colby Abernathy.

Hired in March of this year to provide accounting support services, Abernathy was promoted recently as the agency’s full-time accounting and traffic manager. In the new position, he will provide full fiduciary oversight over the agency’s operations, direct and track progress on all agency work projects while providing some human resource duties.

Abernathy is now responsible for all account receivables and payables, statements, tax payments, budgets, invoices, monthly and quarterly close processes and reporting, reconciliations, forecasting and budgets, and analysis to ensure efficient staff utilization and company time.

As traffic manager, Abernathy will ensure that all workflow occurs on time and within budget. Working with both the agency’s full-time in-house employees and multiple independent contractors, Abernathy will ensure that all state and Federal laws are strictly adhered to and advise the agency on the execution of benefits and pay scale.

“Colby has been an incredible asset for our agency when he came on board earlier this year on a trial basis. In a few short months, he has proven to have the relationship skills and accounting expertise to take the rein full time of both accounting and traffic management functions,” Martin & Company President Zan Martin said. “We knew he would fit in seamlessly with our team when he spoke about his first experience restoring an early model Chevrolet Tahoe with his Stepdad and had photos of the restoration.”

For more information, visit martincoadvertising.com.

Motorsports professionals will have countless opportunities to learn from industry leaders and expert presenters—free of charge—during a host of educational sessions at the 2018 Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show. Among the dozens of industry-focused events and activities taking place before and during the Show (December 6–8 in Indianapolis) are seven PRI-sponsored seminars designed to help business owners and managers upgrade their operations ahead of the 2019 racing season.

"Our free PRI-sponsored seminars provide great opportunities to learn tips and ideas directly from business professionals who have achieved success in the industry," said PRI Editor Dan Schechner. "From sponsorships and international trade to content creation and accounting, the topics addressed in these seminars will help attendees take their businesses to new heights."

Leading off the program on Friday, December 7, is racing legend Lyn St. James, who leads a panel discussion on opportunities for women in motorsports with industry standouts Shea Holbrook, Cara Adams, Katie Hargitt and Karen Salvaggio. Meantime, eBoot Camp's Corey Perlman highlights the latest best practices to create a digital marketing content strategy in his acclaimed presentation, “Become The Champion of Content.”  

In this year’s International Motorsports Trade Seminar, Sean Crawford (Race Winning Brands), Wade Kawasaki (The Coker Group), Bob Scheid (McLeod Racing) and Steve Whipple (Edelbrock) cover the essentials for overseas buyers seeking to do business with domestic motorsports parts and service providers. And PRI Magazine columnist and author Tom Shay explains how small- and mid-sized racing business owners should participate in discussions with their CPAs in “What Your Accountant Isn't Telling You.”

On Saturday, December 8, Show goers can learn how to better promote their online presence using free business listings, SEO techniques and more from Google-supported trainer Erin Bemis. At the same time, Alex Striler of Team Lucas leads a powerful panel discussion with motorsports marketing directors and decision-makers on how to create tangible returns and intangible value through racing sponsorships. Finally, an all-star panel of top race track promoters addresses shared challenges and creative solutions in PRI’s second annual Race Track Promoters Roundtable.

All seven PRI-sponsored seminars take place from 8–9 a.m. in the upstairs meeting rooms of the Indiana Convention Center, site of this year’s Trade Show. Admission is free for all registered Show attendees, exhibitors and media.

Additionally, the annual Student Breakfast/Career Day will give top students looking to break into the industry a unique opportunity to hear special guest speakers share candid perspectives on turning their racing passion into a career. The students will also have an exclusive chance to meet with performance aftermarket company representatives and learn about career opportunities in the racing and performance industry.

This year’s PRI Trade Show will feature over 1,100 companies exhibiting in more than 3,300 booths and showcasing the latest developments in auto racing technology. Tens of thousands of buyers from all 50 states and 70 countries will be on hand to conduct business and discover innovative solutions during the Show.

In addition, the days leading up to and including the PRI Show, known as Race Industry Week, will offer a wide range of motorsports-related activities in and around the Indiana Convention Center beginning on Monday, December 3. Numerous conferences, seminars and other special events will offer unlimited business opportunities and provide invaluable insight on the latest technologies and how to apply them throughout the racing world.

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.

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards 2019 schedule has been released and includes 20 races at 18 different race tracks in 13 states, starting with the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway in February and concluding with the finale at Kansas Speedway in October.

Other highlights on the schedule include a return to Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida, for the first time since 1992, a pair of events at both Pocono Raceway and Salem Speedway, a new May date for the event at Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville, the 77th visit to the series' home track Toledo Speedway, and the two annual dirt track events at Springfield and DuQuoin.

The series will race in conjunction with several other series throughout 2019, including the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR XFINITY Series, the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series, the IndyCar Series, the ARCA/CRA Super Series and the USAC Silver Crown Series.

As has been the case since 1984, the races held on tracks longer than one mile will be included in the General Tire Superspeedway Challenge, while the events on tracks one mile in length and shorter will comprise the Sioux Chief Short Track Challenge. There are nine Superspeedway Challenge races and eleven Short Track Challenge races.

Each of the series' 20 events will be televised on either Fox Sports 1 or MAVTV. The complete television schedule will be released at a later date.

The complete 2019 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule:
2/9 - Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida

3/9 - Five Flags Speedway, Pensacola, Florida

4/14 - Salem Speedway, Salem, Indiana

4/26 - Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega, Alabama

5/4 - Fairgrounds Speedway, Nashville, Tennessee

5/19 - Toledo Speedway, Toledo, Ohio

5/23 - Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, North Carolina

5/31 - Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, Pennsylvania

6/7 - Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, Michigan

6/14 - Madison International Speedway, Madison, Wisconsin

6/22 - Gateway Motorsports Park, Madison, Illinois

6/27 - Chicagoland Speedway, Joliet, Illinois

7/13 - Elko Speedway, Elko, Minnesota

7/19 - Iowa Speedway, Newton, Iowa

7/26 - Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, Pennsylvania

8/18 - Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, Illinois

8/31 - DuQuoin State Fairgrounds, DuQuoin, Illinois

9/14 - Salem Speedway, Salem, Indiana

10/5 - Lucas Oil Raceway, Brownsburg, Indiana

10/18 - Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kansas

Visit arcaracing.com for more information.

Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS) named Jonathan Coleman, director of publicity and communications, as its 2018 Employee of the Year. Presented annually, the award recognizes an individual who goes above and beyond the call of duty in executing his or her responsibilities.

The winner is determined by a vote of the speedway's executive committee and is selected from Employee of the Month award recipients presented throughout the previous 12 months.

"Jonathan's selfless nature, plus his never-ending commitment to the speedway, makes him the perfect Employee of the Year," CMS Executive Vice President and General Manager Greg Walter said. "He is an expert publicist who has a reputation for being one of the most thoughtful members of our team who doesn't hesitate to pitch in and contribute his time however he can."

Coleman excelled this year in his role as publicist for the legendary motorsports entertainment complex, leading publicity efforts for Charlotte Motor Speedway's annual Pennzoil AutoFairs; executing public relations activities in advance of the 59th Coca-Cola 600 and the inaugural Bank of America ROVAL 400 and cultivating greater relationships with national and regional media partners. He also assumed additional supervisory responsibilities for the speedway's social media execution.

Coleman, a native of Hillsborough, North Carolina, joined Charlotte Motor Speedway's communications department in 2012. A University of North Carolina alumnus, Coleman will receive a trip to Las Vegas for the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Awards on Nov. 29, among other perks.

For more information, visit charlottemotorspeedway.com.

(Photo courtesy of CMS/Aaron Burns).

Sonoma Speed Festival founder Jeff O’Neill has named racer and car enthusiast Ryan Turri as the event’s new general manager.

With the launch of the multi-day race and festival set for May 31-June 2 at Sonoma Raceway, Turri has been touring the country to invite racers and collectors to attend and participate in the new event. He also hired the PR firm Tony Fay Public Relations.

“Right now our goal is to make sure racers and guests know we are planning an entirely redesigned event from the ground up,” Turri said. “We are seeking to invite the top car collectors and race cars in the world. Jeff and I are talking to a lot of people letting them know how this event will be different and getting their input on how to make the event great from the beginning.”

Turri, a member of the Porsche R Gruppe, has run a Northern California Porsche restoration and customization business, specializing in designing and building custom air-cooled 911’s. Turri spent several years in finance before making the move to working in and around cars as a profession.

The Sonoma Speed Festival is dedicated to highlighting the best race cars and collections from the international community and the US. One of the primary goals of the event is to connect the beauty and sophistication of the wine country to an event that is spectator and participant friendly while showcasing the best aspects of Northern California.

For more information, visit sonomaraceway.com.

Performance Racing Industry wants to wish you and your family a happy Thanksgiving holiday! Our Aliso Viejo, California, office will be closed Thursday, November 22, and Friday, November 23. We will reopen on Monday, November 26.

PRI Trade Show registration will remain open online 24/7 at pri2018.com.

With the passing of former Merced Speedway promoter Ed Parker during the summer of 2018, the track in Merced, California, will now run under the promotion of Chris Shannon and Paul Stone under the billing S&S Promotions in 2019 and beyond.
 
“Paul and I are both racers so this will be a little new to us, but we are both excited about this endeavor,” Shannon said. “Ed Parker did a great job at Merced Speedway and our goal is to build off of his foundation and make improvements anywhere we can.”

With Paul Stone still an active driver in the sport, and Shannon still very involved in racing with his son, S&S Promotions has made their first move of business by hiring longtime official and Merced resident Doug Lockwood as the track’s general manager.
 
“I am really looking forward to the 2019 season having a major role at Merced Speedway with S&S Promotions,” Lockwood said. “Getting on this side of the business is something I have wanted to do for some time and I am excited to be a part of this team and work on building up my local track.”

The track will continue to run weekly races with IMCA Modifieds and Sport Mods, Hobby Stocks, Mini Stocks, Mini Late Models and Valley Sportsman.

The plan is to also bring in traveling sprint car and midget sanctioning bodies throughout the 2019 season, but the detail on those possible events will not be known until later this winter.

For more information, visit racemerced.com.

Two successful west coast race series will join forces in 2019. The Lucas Oil Modified Series and the SPEARS Southwest Tour Series will both operate under the guidance and sanction of the SRL for 2019 and beyond.

Lucas Oil Modified Director Greg Scheidecker, who has been with the series since its inception in 2006, announced that he was looking to retire, “but wanted to leave the Modified Series in good hands.”

Talks between Scheidecker and SPEARS Southwest Tour Series management took place over the summer, with an agreement secured at the end of last month.

"We are now proud to announce that for 2019, the Lucas Oil Modified Series will be under the new title sponsorship of Spears Manufacturing and will be officially known as the ‘Spears Manufacturing Modified Series presented by Lucas Oil,’” Larry Collins of SRL said.

With the support of both Spears Manufacturing and Lucas Oil, the Modified Series will continue to be the powerhouse of west coast racing that it has been for over a decade. The 2019 schedule of events will see both the SPEARS Southwest Tour Series and the Spears Manufacturing Modified Series presented by Lucas Oil compete together on the same weekends throughout the year, with six events for both series being nationally televised by MAVTV.

For more information, visit srlsouthwesttour.com.