Talladega Superspeedway, along with its parent company International Speedway Corporation (ISC), announced the details of “Transformation,” the Talladega Superspeedway infield project.

The approximate $50 million redevelopment endeavor, highlighted by a one-of-a-kind Garage Fan Zone Experience, will feature “up-close” access, interactive attractions and enhanced amenities for fans, sponsors, teams and stakeholders in the iconic Talladega infield.

Full completion of the modernized project is scheduled for October of 2019, just in time for the track’s fall NASCAR weekend. Construction will commence at the 2.66-mile venue after the upcoming NASCAR Playoff doubleheader weekend, October 12–14, featuring the 1000Bulbs.com 500 and Talladega 250.

The new project will give fans the chance to get closer than ever to NASCAR’s top drivers and teams via a fan walkway under the same roof as the race car bays in the new Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series garage. A 35,000 square foot covered Open Air Club, complete with ample seating, a bar and a 41-foot diagonal video screen, will also be built.

The walkway is part of the new Garage Fan Zone Experience, which will have over 140,000 square feet of social and engagement areas, complete with Wi-Fi, along with two new concession stands, restrooms complexes, a guest services center and a fan first aid facility.

The new Gatorade Victory Lane will offer fans from the grandstands, as well as those in the Garage Fan Zone Experience, a closer view of the winners who rewrite Talladega’s history. A two-level Paddock Club, with seating for more than 600 guests, will be located near the end of pit road. Other amenities in the Garage Fan Zone Experience include four 25-person garage suites and four garage offices. The current Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series garage will be used for the NASCAR Xfinity Series teams during the spring event weekend and the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series (as it will be known in 2019) in the fall.

Approximately 300 new RV spaces—each with power and water hookups—will also be a part of the track’s infield.

Additional new enhancements are comprised of: a 2-lane, oversized vehicle tunnel at the end of the Alabama Gang Superstretch that will allow 24-hour entry/exit access for vehicular traffic, including RVs; a tram route that will deliver fans to the entrance of the new Garage Fan Zone Experience; infield premium parking opportunities; new infield shower options in Turns 1 & 2; expanded drivers meeting location; renovated media center; and a Race Operations building erected high atop the Tri-Oval that will house Race Control, LIVE TV booths for FOX & NBC, Motor Racing Network and Public Address.

The superspeedway will also celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2019.

Attica Raceway Park, Fremont Speedway and the FAST organization are backing the World of Outlaws (WoO) Craftsman Sprint Car Series and Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions’ (ASCoC) substance abuse policies with one of its own.

Any participant under current suspension from the WoO Craftsman Sprint Car Series or the ASCoC arising from their substance abuse policies is ineligible to compete at either track or with the organization until receiving proper clearance from Attica Raceway Park, Fremont Speedway or FAST.

According to the World of Outlaws website, there have been five drivers penalized as part of its substance abuse policy introduced in 2017. For more information on the policy, visit woosprint.com.

Brake Parts Inc (BPI) President and CEO David Overbeeke has announced Edward J. West as the brake system components manufacturer and supplier’s vice president, general counsel and secretary.

“Ed will serve as a legal and business advisor to the BPI and Remy senior leadership teams, advising and influencing the direction and activities of the firm,” Overbeeke said.

Prior to joining BPI, West worked for Archer-Daniels-Midland Company in Chicago, Illinois, as associate general counsel, corporate, securities and mergers and acquisitions. His previous experience also includes senior corporate counsel at Tenneco Inc.

West has over 20 years of legal experience, having spent the majority of his career at Baker McKenzie LLP in both the London, U.K., and Chicago offices.

West earned his master of arts in jurisprudence from Oxford University.

Dayco, the engine and drive systems manufacturer and distributor, has expanded in the South East Asian market.

Following the establishment of a new Dayco South East Asian sales office in Singapore and the appointment of Yong Kee Ng as the region’s business development manager in 2017, Dayco announced the opening of a new warehouse in the Penjuru region of the country.

The new warehouse ensures that automotive repairers in the region have access to the vast aftermarket range of Dayco V-belts, Poly V-belts, timing belts, tensioners and pulleys for both passenger and commercial vehicles.

Dayco also announced the appointment of Jeannette Loh as the head of the customer service operations in the region. Loh brings more than two decades of customer service support experience across several industries to Dayco South East Asia.

“Our new localized warehousing coupled with our experienced local management and customer service appointments ensure that Dayco is responding to the increasing demands of automotive repairers and resellers throughout the region,” Dayco Asia Pacific Aftermarket Vice President Arnold Mouw said.

The Australian-based Supercars has announced David Stuart will leave the company and his role as the sporting and technical director.

Stuart, who began the role midway through 2014, will move to Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS), the official governing body of motorsports in Australia affiliated with the FIA, as the division manager of Safety and Race Operations.

In this position, Stuart will help ensure the continued safety standards of circuits in Australia and New Zealand. He may also hold the position of race director at select events.

The announcement comes after the retirement of CAMS' track safety manager Bruce Keys.

Stuart will continue as Supercars’ sporting and technical director until the end of the year, where he will oversee the series’ homologation of the Ford Mustang, entering the race in 2019.

Stuart’s tenure with the sport includes an update of aerodynamic testing procedures and its operations manual.

Stuart joined first Supercars after working with Dick Johnson Racing and Stone Brothers Racing/Erebus Motorsport.

(Photo courtesy of Supercars).

NHRA officials have announced the 24-race 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule, which will again feature intense racing action at tracks across the country.

A special highlight on the 2019 tour will be the 50th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Florida’s Gainesville Raceway, March 14–17. To commemorate this occasion, some of NHRA’s most beloved figures will come together to celebrate, marking the culmination of the yearlong NHRA Legends Tour.

All locations on the series schedule are confirmed for the 2019 season and only a few stops are changing dates from the previous year.

The NHRA SpringNationals in Houston move up one weekend to take place April 12-14. Also moving up on the schedule, the Virginia NHRA Nationals will commence May 17-19 in Richmond, Va. Conversely, the Menards NHRA Heartland Nationals presented by Minties at Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka, Kan., moved to June 7-9. The AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals in St. Louis are shifting down the calendar and will take place Sept. 27-29.

As in years past, the 2019 season will begin at the historic Auto Club Raceway in Pomona in Southern California at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals, Feb. 7–10, and conclude at the same renowned dragstrip with the Auto Club NHRA Finals, Nov. 7–10.

All 24 events will be aired exclusively on FOX Sports with select events on FOX broadcast network. With over 575 hours of programming, fans can tune into action from Friday and Saturday qualifying rounds as well as Sunday finals.

For the entire 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule, visit here.

Turn 14 Distribution has added FOX Factory Inc. to its line card.

“FOX Factory Inc. has a stellar reputation in the truck and off-road markets, and the addition of FOX will be key in furthering our expansion into these markets. FOX’s innovative products will provide our dealers with exceptional truck and off-road suspension options to offer their customers,” Turn 14 Distribution Director of Sales Kyle Shelley said.

FOX Factory Inc. has been one of the industry leaders in the design and development of high-performance shock absorbers and race suspension products for snowmobiles, mountain bikes, motorcycles, ATVs, UTVs, off-road cars, trucks, and SUVs for over 30 years, according to the company.

Bob Fox started racing his products in motocross in 1974 and the company “hasn’t stopped racing since.” FOX-equipped vehicles and racers have stood atop podiums in every sport they have competed in, according to the company. The FOX Factory Inc. team of engineers also perform product tests with sponsored athletes year-round.

Formula One officials confirmed Monday that the planned Miami Grand Prix, which was hoped to debut on the 2019 calendar, will now be pushed back until at least 2020.

Monday’s announcement came three days before a scheduled meeting of the Miami City Commission, which was set for Thursday and where contract details and funding for the event were expected to be discussed.

“In the last few months we have worked diligently alongside our promoter Stephen Ross of RSE Ventures, the City of Miami and Miami Dade County to realize our ambition to bring a Formula 1 Grand Prix to Miami. We have made significant progress; however, these are complicated negotiations,” F1 Managing Director of Commercial Operations Sean Bratches said. “Whilst our preference would have been to race in Miami in 2019, there was always a point by which delivering the best possible wheel-to-wheel racing experience for our fans, drivers and teams wouldn’t be possible in the time available. We have now reached that point as far as racing in Miami in 2019 is concerned.

“We are taking a long-term view and as a result, we have decided, in consultation with the Miami authorities, to postpone sign-off until later in the summer, with the aim of running the first Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix in the 2020 season.”

Bratches pointed out that Formula One’s goal, as with each new racing event that is placed on the championship’s calendar, is the highest quality of competition for fans in attendance.

“We have always said that we wouldn’t compromise on delivering the best possible race, for the people of Miami, our fans and the 1.8 billion people who watch F1 globally every year, and if that meant waiting until 2020, then that was far more preferable than signing off on a sub-optimal race track, just to do a deal,” Bratches said. “At every stage of this process we’ve enjoyed positive collaboration and cooperation with the City of Miami, Miami-Dade County, Port of Miami, Bayfront Parks Management, residents and businesses. As a result of these discussions, we have listened and adapted our plans, including elements of the track layout.

“We are committed to expansion in the US and to Miami in particular and we will be bringing our fantastic sport to this iconic city in October with the Formula 1 fan festival, where we look forward to engaging and exciting fans.”

Microsoft will become the official cloud partner of Hendrick Motorsports after renewing its marketing and technical agreement with the 12-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) champions through 2019.

Under the new agreement, Hendrick Motorsports will use Microsoft technologies, including Azure cloud services, Windows 10, Office 365 with Microsoft Teams for group chat, and artificial intelligence and machine learning, to strengthen performance at NASCAR’s highest level.

By using AI and machine learning capabilities from Microsoft, Hendrick Motorsports aims to improve its operational efficiencies leading up to MENCS race weekends, as well as add agility to adjust its competition strategies in real time.

Hendrick Motorsports currently uses Microsoft’s cloud and machine learning capabilities to analyze large amounts of data, which the team can collect from a variety of sources and push to the cloud for valuable analysis and information.

Officials from Tullman-Walker Racing (TWR) announced the formation of a new NASCAR Xfinity Series team that will attempt to compete in a minimum of three Xfinity Series races beginning with Saturday afternoon’s U.S. Cellular 250 at Iowa Speedway.

Tullman-Walker Racing is owned and operated by successful entrepreneur Steve Tullman and business partners Jim and Neal Walker.

Sports car standout and rookie ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards rookie Max Tullman will drive the team’s No. 26 Ford Mustang at Iowa, Las Vegas (Nevada) Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway respectively.

Tullman competed regularly for the past few years in sports car scenes across the United States and Canada, including the IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge.

The Chester Springs, Pennsylvania-native also has three NASCAR K&N Pro Series West starts to his credit last season driving for Jefferson-Pitts Racing. His success includes two top-10 finishes in three starts delivering a career-best ninth place result at Kern County (California) Speedway in November 2017.

Veteran motorsports crew chief Doug Richert, who led Dale Earnhardt Sr. to his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship in 1980, will oversee the efforts and serve as crew chief for Tullman.

Longtime partners Zoomi and Myota will support the team’s effort at Iowa Speedway.