The Trans Am Race Company (TARC) has announced that the Keystone Speedfest at Pittsburgh International Race Complex, Round 5 of the 2018 Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli, August 4–5, will feature the first-ever independent TA3 and TA4 class race.

Trans Am’s standard weekend format typically sees TA3 and TA4 paired with the TA class in a single 100-mile multi-class competition. However, with the TA2 class absent from competition at Pitt, TARC has elected to separate the Series’ production ranks from the TA class, giving the classes the opportunity for their own show.

“We’ve wanted to explore this opportunity for some time,” TARC President John Clagett said. “Ultimately our goal has always been to get the TA3 and TA4 production classes to a level where we need to split them out—being able to hold three full, competitive races for promoters and fans would be a fantastic opportunity. We’re excited to see how our Pitt event plays out and evaluate opportunities going forward.”

Trans Am will be joined on the Pitt weekend by an array of open-wheel racing including F3 Americas Championship, the F4 United States Championship, Atlantic Championship, F2000 and F1600. 

Both 100.8-mile Trans Am races will be held on Sunday, August 5, with the TA3 and TA4 classes taking to the track at 11:15 a.m. ET followed by the TA class competition at 2 p.m. ET. 

Event Schedule (all times ET):
Saturday, August 4
10:05 a.m. – 10:33 a.m. TA3/TA4 Practice
10:38 a.m. – 11:05 a.m. TA Practice
3:05 p.m. –  3:25 p.m. TA3/TA4 Qualifying
3:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. TA Qualifying
 
Sunday, August 5
11:15 a.m. – 12:20 p.m. TA3/TA4 Race
2:00 p.m. – 3:05 p.m. TA Race

NASCAR Digital will live stream the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series inspection process from a camera inside the Optical Scanning Station on the official NASCAR YouTube channel this Saturday from 3:30-5 p.m. ET.

Cars go through inspection inside a black tent with a collection of 16 cameras and eight projectors attached to its inner structure. An additional camera is positioned below the vehicle to measure the underside.

Once a car rolls in, the projectors cast light in a series of lines and dots over the body to create a coordinate system for the cameras. In roughly 30 seconds, those cameras capture the measurements of those light patterns and create a 3D heat map—also called a point cloud—that helps officials determine whether a car is in compliance.

(Image courtesy of NASCAR).

Race Winning Brands (RWB) has enlisted longtime industry executive Ross Berlanga to lead its promotional efforts and has named him the director of advertising.  

Berlanga comes to RWB with over two decades of marketing, agency, advertising and graphic design expertise. He will lead advertising efforts for all brands under the RWB umbrella, including JE Pistons, K1 Technologies, ProX Racing Parts, Wiseco Performance Products and others. Additionally, Berlanga will be responsible for brand messaging, trade show management and promotional activities.

By continuing to invest in top industry talent, Berlanga’s hire underscores RWB’s commitment to building its core group of brands. The move further demonstrates RWB’s pledge to acquiring top-tier talent for its already highly-regarded team, according to a release from the company.

Berlanga’s tenure in the automotive industry began in 1998. The Anaheim, Calif., native worked at McMullen-Argus as a graphic designer for publications like Hot Bike, Sport Compact Car, and Custom Rodder. Later, he spent time at Edelbrock, KTC Media Group, MagnaFlow, Motorsport Aftermarket Group (MAG) and K&N Engineering. Berlanga also worked on the marketing team at JE Pistons, a staple of the RWB product line, from 2000-2002.

“It’s an honor to join the RWB family and work with some of the most iconic performance brands in the industry,” Berlanga said. “I’m truly excited to be working side by side with a very talented team as we expand our marketing efforts into new areas and continue to create better consumer experiences across all our brands.”

Mark Gearhart will transition from his role as senior content marketing manager to the newly created role of director of content, where he will lead the content team and manage all sponsorship-related initiatives.

“What do you like most about your job?”

It’s a question we’ve all been asked at some point in our careers—presumably more than once. And it’s something I like to ask people when I meet them for the first time because, quite frankly, you can learn a lot about someone based on their response.

For example, if you were to ask me 20 years ago what my favorite part of the job (newspaper reporter) was, I would have told you without hesitation that it’s talking with people. Actually, I probably would’ve said “listening to people,” because that’s what I really enjoyed; never was a big talker. (My wife may disagree, but what does she know? Answer: She knows everything—stop fighting it.)

Funny thing is, the listening-to-people part also happens to be the best thing about my current gig. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot to like about overseeing a dedicated, hard-working and talented Editorial staff, as well as getting to collaborate with smart, enthusiastic colleagues across PRI’s Sales, Marketing, Graphics and Trade Show departments—I’m very fortunate in that respect. But there’s a small part of me that, from time to time, does miss the daily, face-to-face interactions that go along with local news reporting. It’s what stirred my passion for this profession two decades ago.    

That said, every so often I get to, as the kids used to say, take it back to the old school, which is why the last couple of months have been particularly enjoyable for me.

It began in late spring, when yours truly got to experience two days of non-stop racing and networking at Never Lift—the first of what we hope will be many half-mile airstrip shootouts produced by our compadres at Motovicity Distribution (Brian Lounsberry, Brian Patrias, Jason Wieczorek, et al.). The Moto crew—in partnership with Shift-S3ector—deserve huge kudos for putting together this tremendous event that brought some 220 racers and 1500-plus spectators to a remote runway in California’s Central Valley for a record-breaking display of horsepower and innovation.

But beyond the track, what truly elevated Never Lift was this environment in which hundreds of like-minded enthusiasts, fans and sponsors were encouraged to mix and mingle, to bond, to talk a little shop, and ultimately forge connections—all up-close and in-person. Business got done, to be sure, it just didn’t feel like work (see: best of both worlds).

A month later it was our turn, when PRI’s team hit the road en masse for the company’s annual Industry Reception at Red Rocks Cafe in Huntersville, North Carolina. Alongside the event itself, which was a hit, our squad took advantage of the opportunity to make house calls and visit with several PRI partners and friends in the area including Max Papis Innovations, zMAX, MBE Cylinder Heads & Manifolds, Motec Systems, ButlerBuilt Motorsports Equipment, Wes Burton Shocks & Performance, Automotive Specialists, CV Products/Xceldyne, SRI Performance, Blast-It-All, and more.

These occasions to get out and engage, to discuss what’s happening in our daily lives and businesses, to share experiences, and yes, even trade a speed secret or two still mean a lot in this industry. It’s where valuable contacts are made, where relationships are built, and where information is exchanged to the benefit of all parties—manufacturer, distributor, retailer, racer, media, etc.

In this age of constant connectivity there may be a tendency to sacrifice quality for quantity, to value breadth over depth. But let’s not lose sight of what can be gained through interpersonal communications. There’s still no substitute for that back-and-forth, for giving and receiving the personal touch—some good old-fashioned face time.

Mercedes’ technical leadership will have a new look next season after the Brackley team announced a significant reshuffle which includes key figures Aldo Costa and Mark Ellis leaving their roles.

Engineering Director Costa joined Mercedes in 2011, having previously enjoyed successful spells in Formula 1 at Minardi and Ferrari, and will step into a consultancy role from 2019 so he can spend more time with his family.

The Italian is regarded as a vital cog in the recent technical development of Mercedes, helping them achieve four successive double world championship triumphs in Formula 1’s turbo hybrid era, which began in 2014.

Leading the engineering group in place of Costa will be Chief Designer John Owen, who will report to Technical Director James Allison. Owen has been with the team since 2007.

Another central figure, Ellis, has opted to retire from his role as Performance Director and will take a sabbatical from the middle of next season.

Loic Serra, the team's current Chief Vehicle Dynamicist, will pick up Performance Director duties from Ellis at the end of this year, with Mercedes revealing the engineering group has evolved in recent months ahead of this technical shake-up.

"This is a significant moment for our team and a great opportunity. We have said many times that you cannot freeze a successful organization,” Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff said.

Chateau Speedway returns to racing this Friday, July 13. The 1/3-mile semi-banked clay and gumbo track was sold to Mark and Annette Wytaske in early June.

The Wytaske’s are not new to the racing scene as the pair and their family have been involved in motorsports for many years, according to a release by WISSOTA.

The 2018 schedule features weekly racing by Chateau Raceway hornets and pure stocks, WISSOTA Street Stocks and Midwest Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars and USRA A & B Modifieds.

Opening night begins at 7:15 p.m. Fans can purchase tickets on MyRacePass for quicker entry.

In conjunction with the Formula DRIFT Round 5: Throwdown, the Young Executives Network (YEN) is hosting a meetup at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington, Friday, July 20, for local professionals under the age of 40 who work in the various sectors of the automotive industry.

All YEN members and those interested in learning about opportunities to get involved with SEMA and build industry connections are encouraged to attend. YEN leadership will be present to discuss the network’s initiatives, volunteer opportunities and additional ways to get more involved.

YEN members who RSVP will receive a complimentary, single-day pass to attend the Formula DRIFT event on Friday.

If you live in the Seattle area or will be in town for the Formula DRIFT competition, stop by and enjoy an evening with fellow YEN colleagues. Learn more and register today.

For more information, contact SEMA Director of Networks Bryan Harrison at bryanh@sema.org or 909-978-6691.

Speedway Motorsports, Inc. officials have announced the promotion of two long-time executives. Jessica Fickenscher has been promoted to senior vice president of special projects for Speedway Motorsports, and Gerry Horn has been named senior vice president and general manager of the Performance Racing Network (PRN).

“We are fortunate to have dedicated and experienced leaders like Jessica and Gerry positioning our company to be best-in-class. It is a privilege to recognize their hard work and efforts to put fans first. I know Jessica and Gerry will excel with their new responsibilities as we strive to exceed expectations for our fans and corporate partners,” Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith said.

A 19-year veteran of Speedway Motorsports, Fickenscher will continue to facilitate capital improvement and property development projects across all eight of Speedway Motorsports’ premier NASCAR facilities, explore new fans first initiatives and supervise the company’s relationship with food services partner Levy Restaurants.

In addition, Fickenscher will oversee business and operations for Speedway Motorsports’ subsidiary U.S. Legend Cars International, a leading producer of fun and affordable race cars, as well as INEX, the sanctioning body for U.S. Legend Car racing worldwide.

As senior vice president and general manager of PRN, Horn will oversee all business operations including sales and marketing, affiliate relations and recruitment, and new business development for the Speedway Motorsports subsidiary which produces radio programming for over 700 stations worldwide.

Doug Rice will continue as president of the network, serving as the lead voice on PRN’s 12 Speedway Motorsports Monster Energy Cup Series races and overseeing production of PRN’s syndicated radio, digital and social media programming including "Fast Talk,” "The O'Reilly Auto Parts Pit Reporters,” "Garage Pass" and "zMAX Racing Country."

On Point Motorsports has announced plans to compete in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series beginning later this year.

Led by veteran NASCAR crew chief Steven Lane and a group of investors, On Point Motorsports will be based in Denver, North Carolina.

On Point Motorsports will field the No. 30 Toyota Tundra in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The team hopes to debut during the August 16, event at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

“We are excited about the formation of On Point Motorsports and the exciting plans we have,” said Lane. “A tremendous amount of planning and work has been put into this to date and we look forward to getting on the track. In addition to our truck program, we are exploring efforts in other levels of racing including modifieds, late models, ARCA and eventually the Xfinity Series. We have plans to develop On Point Motorsports into an extensive racing program at many levels.”

The organization has purchased a fleet of Toyota Tundra’s and will participate in an August 6, test day at Bristol Motor Speedway leading up to its debut in the running of the UNOH 200 on August 16.

A driver and sponsor will be announced at a later date.

With one of the lowest carbon footprints of all international sporting events, Formula E recently became the first category in motorsports to earn highly-acclaimed ISO 20121 certification—the highest award in sustainable events.

Developed in the wake of the 2012 London Olympic games, the international standard of sustainability in events —or ISO 20121—focuses on three key targets: becoming more socially responsible, creating a successful financial model to grow and reducing the individual environmental footprint of events.

The electric series began working towards the certification at the end of Season Two. Formula E's impact extends beyond the track, from the implementation of a waste management scheme and sourcing sustainable suppliers to developing the championship’s legacy program and community engagement projects to ensure social inclusivity and economic prosperity.

"The achievement is a testament to our entire ecosystem working towards a common goal of continuously improving our sustainability credentials and working with our supply chain at events to inspire others to make a conscious effort in minimizing the impact on the environment,” Formula E Founder and CEO Alejandro Agag said. "I look forward to other sports and categories of racing taking inspiration from the ABB FIA Formula E Championship.”

Joining the likes of the Roland Garros French Open, 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and the 2016 UEFA European Championships in France, the certification comes just days before the Championship's Season Four finale in New York City.