Empire Racing Group VP and Competition Director Mike “Grumpy” Cheek confirmed that Empire Racing Group (ERG) has purchased the operating assets of Mason Mitchell Motorsports (MMM).

Mason Mitchell, the 2014 ARCA Racing Series Champion and owner of Mason Mitchell Motorsports, made the decision to cease operation and to sell the team’s assets last week.

The purchase of MMM will allow ERG to take its small, budding team to “the next level of performance” and remain strong in a very competitive industry within the ARCA racing series.

Cheek noted that ERG Owner John Corr made the decision to switch manufacturers over from Ford to Chevrolet. The change will help to strengthen ERG’s alliance with Richard Petty Motorsports, (RPM).

“Things work out for a reason,” Cheek said. “Since 2016, ERG has been partners with RPM as a development team, and with the purchase of MMM’s operating assets, it just makes good sense. Mitchell has some fast cars, and I am happy that now all our fleet will be Chevrolet.”

In addition to acquiring MMM’s operation assets, ERG has also hired some key personnel, starting with veteran crew chief Jeff McClure.

Northern California auto racing promoter Dennis Gage has signed a five-year renewal to operate Silver Dollar Speedway through 2023.

Gage, who took over the Chico, California-speedway in 2011, approaches his eighth year of operation of the Fairgrounds’ 1/4-mile clay oval. The new contract was approved by the Fairgrounds governing board during an early July meeting.  

Gage also announced a new partnership with area businessman Lowell Moural. Moural has operated Cycleland, a 1/8-mile banked clay track near Chico dedicated to Outlaw karts, modified midgets, and motocross racing, for the last 38 years.

“Lowell and I have been working together informally for six years now and it just made sense to combine our resources,” Gage said. “Lowell has done a great job for this community, especially the youth, and he’s strong on track and race operations. But most importantly, we share a mutual goal to provide the best entertainment possible for the residents of Chico and travelers from afar.”

The pair announced the possibility of facility improvements, race program upgrades, equipment modernization, novelty acts and entertainment, streamlined scheduling and related improvements.

For more information, visit the Silver Dollar Speedway website here, contact Gage at 530/350-7275 or Moural at 530/624-7431.

Danny Thompson, son of the late Mickey Thompson, has set the piston-powered, wheel-driven land speed record at Bonneville over the weekend with a two-way average run of 448.757 mph.

“We did it!” Danny Thompson said in a news release. “On Sunday morning, eight years of hard work culminated in a 450.909mph return run. Averaged with yesterday's speed of 446.605mph, we achieved a new two-way AA/FS record of 448.757mph, enough to make us the world's fastest piston powered car.”

The incredible feat was accomplished with the Challenger 2, the same land speed vehicle his father Mickey Thompson built 50 years ago. Helping power the Challenger 2 through this historic run at Bonneville Speed Week was PRI Exhibitor OPTIMA Batteries’ YELLOWTOP battery.

“It took five decades, a lot of elbow grease, and a few modifications, but I feel like I've finally been able to fulfill their dream, as well as my own,” Thompson said of his late father and his crew.

Thompson’s run broke George Poteet’s land speed record of 439 mph.

“…it wouldn't have been possible without the extraordinary efforts of my crew. The men and women who volunteered to join me on this crazy adventure are the reason for today's success. I can never thank them enough,” Thompson said of his crew, pictured.

For more information, including a video of the impressive run, visit the Thompson Land Speed Racing website here.

(Photo courtesy of Bubb Lannan/Thompson Land Speed Racing).

UMI Motorsports Park, the 5/8-mile asphalt oval in Clearfield, Pennsylvania, has officially opened for business today.

The UMI Autocross and Cruise-In takes place August 10-11, at the site of the former CNB Bank Raceway Park. UMI Performance purchased the track in October of last year with intentions to convert the property into a multi-use facility with an emphasis on UMI product testing as well as hosting autocross and road racing style events.

Features of the newly-opened track include hillside and grandstand viewing. Ninety racers from the U.S. and Canada have registered for the event to test their skills on the newly paved track.

Along with additional autocross events, UMI Motorsports Park has plans to feat on-site camping, more track configurations, a variety of racing disciplines, and occasional special events.

(Photo courtesy of UMI Motorsports Park).

The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge features a new entitlement and television partner, leader-light technology and a reduction to two classes, but the series’ familiar slate of 10 races remain for 2019.

The two-class format includes the lead Grand Sport (GS) class, which this year began using race cars built to international GT4 technical regulations exclusively and the TCR class, which debuted this year with front-wheel drive, turbocharged race cars governed by international TCR technical regulations. The Street Tuner (ST) class has been discontinued for 2019 as previously planned.

The 10-race 2019 schedule takes the series to all of the same top-tier venues it visited in 2018, with eight, two-hour races on the schedule to go with two, four-hour endurance events.

In addition to tape-delayed coverage on NBCSN, every race again will be streamed live on IMSA.com and the IMSA mobile app.

Date	Location	Duration
Jan. 25	Daytona International Speedway	Four hours
March 15	Sebring International Raceway	Two hours
May 4	Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course	Two hours
June 29	Watkins Glen International	Four hours
July 6	Canadian Tire Motorsport Park	Two hours
July 20	Lime Rock Park	Two hours
Aug. 3	Road America	Two hours
Aug. 24	VIRginia International Raceway	Two hours
Sept. 14	WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca	Two hours
Oct. 11	Road Atlanta	Two hours

(Photo courtesy of IMSA).

Registration is open for drivers and workers taking part in the 2018 SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Sonoma Raceway.

The 55th running of the SCCA Runoffs, taking place October 16–21, will again crown national champions in 28 separate classes. For 2018, SCCA will use Sonoma Raceway’s traditional 12-turn, 2.52-mile course layout.

Competitors looking to register for the October event must do so through their MotorsportReg account. Officials noted that updating SCCA member numbers, license expiration dates and vehicle profile information will save time during registration.

Drivers will be able to sign up for Test Days, taking place October 13–15, during event registration. While there will not be manufacturer tents this year, there will be designated space for Honda, Mazda, Nissan and Toyota drivers.

Registration for contingencies will open on MotorsportReg.com on August 8. Changes may be made online through October 1, or on-site before the event.

Tent camping, RVs and related housing arrangements will also be touched on during the registration process. Single-car paddock reservations open September 5.

For more information on the registration process, visit here.

The MAHLE Group will acquire the Behr Hella Service GmbH, its current joint venture with Hella. MAHLE will distribute Behr Hella Service products via its own aftermarket organization after the acquisition.

A transitional period will take place through the end of 2019, with MAHLE fully managing the spare parts business for thermal management products on its own beginning January 1, 2020.

Still subject to the approval by antitrust authorities, MAHLE and Hella’s agreement will see MAHLE take over Hella’s 50 percent share in the joint venture.

The Behr Hella Service GmbH joint venture was established in 2005 to specialize in marketing and distributing cooling and air conditioning products within the automotive aftermarket. MAHLE’s takeover of business activities allows it to offer the full spectrum of thermal management products from a single source to wholesalers and workshops.

Established in 2005, the joint venture Behr Hella Service GmbH specializes in the marketing and distribution of products for cooling and air conditioning in the automotive aftermarket.

Once the acquisition is complete, MAHLE says it will expand its distribution of thermal management products in the aftermarket outside Europe.

More details will be unveiled during the MAHLE press conference at Automechanika Frankfurt 2018 on September 11, 2018.

As the 2018 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season nears its conclusion, sanction officials have announced the series’ 2019 schedule, which features many of the same venues from the year before.

Ten of the 12 events will be on the same weekend as they were in 2018. The races at VIRginia International Raceway and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca each will run one weekend later in 2019.

The Daytona Prototype international (DPi) and LMP2 classes will compete in 10 races, while the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class will have an 11-race season. In a new development for 2019, the GT Daytona (GTD) class will have 10 events that count toward the WeatherTech Championship, with a new seven-race IMSA WeatherTech Sprint Cup also announced for GTD.

Eight of the 12 events on the schedule will include all four classes, including the four Michelin Endurance Cup events: the 57th Rolex 24 At Daytona – which kicks off the season on Jan. 24-27, the 67th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 13-16, the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen on the weekend of June 28-30 and the Motul Petit Le Mans season finale at Road Atlanta on Oct. 9-12.

The four additional events with all four classes all will be two hours and 40 minutes in length at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on May 3-5, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on July 5-7, Road America on Aug. 2-4 and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Sept. 13-15.

The BUBBA burger Sports Car Grand Prix at Long Beach featuring the DPi, LMP2 and GTLM classes is scheduled for April 12-13; while the DPi, LMP2 and GTD classes are slated once again for the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix Presented by Lear Corporation on May 31-June 1 (subject to final approval).

For the third consecutive year, there also will be a pair of GT-only races in 2019, both two hours and 40 minutes in length. The GTLM and GTD machines will battle at Lime Rock Park on July 19-20, and once again for the Michelin GT Challenge at VIRginia International Raceway on Aug. 23-25.

(Photo courtesy of IMSA).

To ease weather-related worries about buying NASCAR race tickets, Speedway Motorsports, Inc. (SMI) announced the Weather Guarantee, an initiative that provides race fans the ultimate assurance in their NASCAR ticket investment.

As part of the company’s new weather policy, if a NASCAR race is postponed due to weather and the ticket holder is unable to attend on the rescheduled date, a ticket credit can be issued toward a qualifying NASCAR race at any Speedway Motorsports venue. This initiative is valid for Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Sonoma Raceway and Texas Motor Speedway.

“Of all major professional sports, none is as heavily impacted by adverse weather as NASCAR,” Speedway Motorsports’ President and CEO Marcus Smith said. “With drivers already racing on the very edge at nearly 200 mph, even a little rain can have a dramatic impact on race weekend schedules. What we want to do is take weather out of the ticket-buying equation so fans can focus on having a great time and making memories on our premier NASCAR event weekends.”

Fans with an unused, eligible ticket will have 60 days from the original race date to request a ticket credit on a future qualifying event. The credit must be used toward another Speedway Motorsports’ NASCAR event within one calendar year of the original race date or the same event the following year, even if it takes place beyond the one-year mark. Certain restrictions may apply.

Further details on the Speedway Motorsports Weather Guarantee can be found here.

Vice President of Global Operations Jeff Fedorchak will retire from Brake Parts Inc (BPI) on September 30. BPI is a PRI Trade Show exhibitor under its Raybestos Brakes banner.

“Jeff’s hard work, commitment and dedication to BPI is much appreciated and will be felt for years to come,” BPI President and CEO David Overbeeke said. “On behalf of all the employees at Brake Parts Inc, I would like to thank Jeff for his many contributions to our company and wish him all the best that retirement has to offer.”

Fedorchak joined BPI in 1994 as the manufacturing manager at the former McHenry, Illinois, rotor and drum manufacturing plant. In 1997, he was promoted to plant manager in the Cuba, Missouri, stamping and disc pad manufacturing plant and in 2004, assumed the responsibilities of the director of friction manufacturing in McHenry.

Fedorchak was promoted to his current position in 2013 and, with the acquisition of Remy Power Products in 2016, the North American rotating electrical manufacturing operations were added to Fedorchak’s responsibilities.

Before joining BPI, Fedorchak worked for 15 years in the roller bearing industry serving the automotive, commercial and military aircraft and industrial markets.