Online registration has opened for the upcoming internationally-televised 50th BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 500.

Round Two of the four-race 2018 SCORE World Desert Championship will be held May 29–June 3 in Mexico’s Baja California, starting and finishing in Ensenada, the seaside port on the Pacific Ocean, 80 miles south of San Diego.

The event will be an elapsed-time race with staggered starts as the green flag on Saturday, June 3, will drop first for the motorcycles and quads at 5:30 a.m. PDT and 10 a.m. PDT for the cars, trucks and UTVs.

Over 350 vehicles are expected at the start line with racers from as many as 30 U.S. States and 20 countries anticipated. Race title sponsor BFGoodrich Tires has also posted a $25,000 contingency bonus.

Online registration, by class, for Pro and Sportsman cars, trucks, UTVs, motorcycles and quads, is ongoing through the SCORE website. Online entries will be accepted until 8 p.m. PDT on Wednesday, May 23.
   
For more info, visit score-international.com/raceinfo/2018-baja-500/.

The FIA vowed to investigate after five unsafe releases from pit stops in three Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends. Now the governing body’s F1 Race Director Charlie Whiting is set to present his possible solution to teams in the coming weeks.

McLaren was fined for releasing Stoffel Vandoorne’s car in an unsafe manner during practice in China. That came after Kimi Raikkonen had two incidents in Bahrain, including one which saw him inadvertently knock over and break the leg of one of his mechanics.

In Australia, Haas experienced two unsafe releases to make five in total during race weekends in 2018, while McLaren’s Fernando Alonso had a wheel fitted incorrectly during pre-season testing.

Pit stops have advanced dramatically in recent years, with teams able to fit new tires and get their drivers back out in a matter of seconds.

The systems that control when the driver is released from a stop are individual to the teams and semi-automated, with the mechanic on the wheelgun pressing a button when his change is complete. When all four wheels are done, the driver is given a green light. Each team appoints a mechanic who can override the system.

One solution to improve the procedure would be to mandate using two wheel gun sensors – a system some teams are already operating.

One sensor measures the torque, which can judge whether the nut has been tightened correctly, and the other monitors the position of the nut and would, therefore, identify if it has been cross-threaded – as happened to Haas twice in Australia.

“I don't think there's any reason to standardize [the system]. We need to make sure among other things that there is no possibility for the guy to give the OK until those two conditions have been met," Whiting said.

“Some teams have a torque sensor on the gun and they have a position sensor. If you only have the torque sensor, you can gun the nut on and it can be cross-threaded and it'll show the required torque but it won't be tight, which is what happened to both Haas cars for example and the McLaren on Friday [in China].

“So some teams have got that as well as a position sensor, so if it gets to the required torque and it hasn't moved the right amount, then it says it's not done.

“So you're using two sensors in order to tell the operator that it’s actually done. Then he presses the button, the jack drops and the car goes.”

The US-based Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship (GRC) has reportedly ceased operations ahead of the 2018 season.

Lancaster Speedway in New York, which was set to be the rallycross series’ season opener, confirmed the news via Twitter amid reports that the GRC would cancel its 2018 season.

“We received notification from the Red Bull Global Rally Cross it was ceasing operations for the 2018 season effective immediately. Their hope is to reorganize and start back up in 2019,” the post said. “RBGRC is going to be issuing refunds next week to all who had already purchased tickets for events.”

GRC officials have not released a statement.

Several GRC teams running in the Supercars class, including Honda, Volkswagen and Subaru, were said to quit at the end of the 2017 season citing disagreements with GRC management.

The GRC had previously announced plans to replace its headlining Supercar class with a new Gold class utilizing upgraded Lites cars after the manufacturers’ exits.

Also following the manufacturers’ exits, GRC was reported to take legal action against Subaru of America under the name Alpha Group. The suit alleges that Subaru backed out of a commitment to race in the series in 2018 among other claims that include Subaru’s entering of a rival series, according to Motorsport.com.

GRC’s main website went offline over the weekend. This news is not expected to impact the proposed GRC Europe series, which is slated to launch in 2019.

Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Pro Racing has named Sydney Davis Yagel as the senior manager of Race Operations.

Davis Yagel will focus on assisting the vice president in various operational roles including interfacing with sanctioning bodies, manufacturers, track promoters and sponsors.

She has spent the last 10 years managing events and schools at the MSR Houston road course track in Angleton, Texas. During her tenure at MSR Houston, Davis Yagel also held positions as the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) Motorsports Operations Marshal Coordinator and as the Houston and Louisiana Grand Prix Race Chair.
 
"I am very pleased that Sydney has accepted the position of senior manager of Race Operations for SCCA Pro Racing here in Indianapolis," SCCA Pro Racing Vice President Steve Oseth said. "Sydney’s varied background and passion will be a big asset for our Indy office."
 
Davis Yagel, a 26-year member of the SCCA, has served as the Houston Race Chairman for 10 years. She then went to serve as the Houston Region’s SCCA Regional Executive. Davis Yagel was awarded Worker of the Year for her efforts in race administration and also received SCCA Member of Excellence in 2016.
 
“I am very excited to join the SCCA Pro Racing team. After a lifetime of being involved with the SCCA, this is the ideal next chapter of my career. I can’t wait to start this adventure, and I'm looking forward to hit the ground running,” Davis Yagel said.

Wilwood Engineering has completed the construction of an EPA and California compliant anodizing facility, bringing full production and quality control over all aspects of the caliper manufacturing process in-house to its headquarters in Camarillo, California.

Type III Mil-Spec hard anodizing replaces Type II black anodizing as the standard finish on all base and powder coat finish caliper models for Wilwood Disc Brakes. This process is said to produce a thicker, harder surface with a rich, medium-gray appearance.

The new process is also said to create a more durable wear surface in the piston bores, with increased resistance to abrasion and corrosion over the entire external surface of the caliper.

“This major investment and undertaking is a testament to Wilwood’s ongoing commitment to providing the highest level of service and quality components to our customers,” Wilwood Engineering Owner Bill Wood said.

International Motor Sports Ass’n (IMSA) officials announced that the WeatherTech Night of Champions honoring IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship drivers would be held on Sunday evening, October 14.

The event once again will be held at Chateau Élan Resort & Winery in Braselton, Georgia, which will host WeatherTech Night of Champions for the third consecutive year. The resort also will continue to host the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Awards – which it has since 2014 – on the evening of Friday, October 12, just a few hours after the season closes with the Fox Factory 120 at Road Atlanta.

The WeatherTech Night of Champions will recognize team, driver and manufacturer and champions in all three IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship classes – Prototype, GT Le Mans and GT Daytona – as well as recognize champions of the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup.

Chateau Élan is minutes away from Road Atlanta, site of the 10-hour Motul Petit Le Mans, which will close out both the 2018 WeatherTech Championship and Patrón Endurance Cup season. The Road Atlanta weekend also will include season finales for the Continental Tire Challenge, Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama and IMSA Prototype Challenge powered by Mazda.

More details and ticket information for the WeatherTech Night of Champions and Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Awards will be available at a later date.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) Museum has announced a special “Speakers Series” event set for May 21.

“An Evening with The Unsers” will give fans the opportunity to hear from three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Unser and his nephew, two-time champion Al Unser Jr. The former “Voice of the 500” Bob Jenkins will host the event.

The event will take place surrounded by a special exhibit honoring their legendary family, “The Amazing Unsers: From Albuquerque To Indianapolis” which opened at the Museum April 9. Doors will open at 6:15 p.m. The program will begin promptly at 6:45 p.m.

In addition to being one of just two drivers to win the Indianapolis 500 in three different decades, Bobby Unser is a two-time national driving champion and member of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame. Unser racked up 35 victories in his championship career and took 13 wins at the Pikes Peak Int’l Hill Climb.

Unser Jr. is perhaps best known for winning the closest finish in Indianapolis 500 history in 1992. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Famer won two national driving championships and 34 races in his championship career.

Speaker Series tickets are available to Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) Museum Members for $40 and non-members for $55. Tickets cannot be bought at the door. Seating is limited to 100.

To purchase your tickets, contact Kelly Hartman at 317/492-6568 or khartman@brickyard.com.

Leavine Family Racing (LFR) has announced that it has hired Jessica Rohlik to serve as the senior director of Communications for the organization and the No. 95 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series team.
 
In her role, Rohlik will oversee external communications and social media efforts for the team, work with media and sponsor partners, as well as work with veteran driver Kasey Kahne.
 
“We’re extremely pleased to have someone of Jess’ caliber join us here,” VP/General Manager of LFR Jeremy Lange said. “Her success in this industry over the years, and her knowledge of the NASCAR garage, will help raise the level of media relations for Kasey [Kahne], the team and our partners.”
 
Rohlik brings more than 15 years of motorsports experience to the team, having most recently spent the past eight seasons working with 2003 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Champion Matt Kenseth. The Cleveland, Ohio, native has been involved in the sport for 16 years and has been a part of more than 25 wins across NASCAR’s top-three series, including the 2012 Daytona 500 Championship.

In addition to working alongside Kenseth, Rohlik has worked with drivers Ricky Rudd, David Gilliland, Travis Kvapil and Jamie McMurray during her time in NASCAR.
 
“From the moment I spoke with Bob [Leavine] and the rest of the group at LFR, I knew this was going to be a good fit,” Rohlik said. “It definitely is a family atmosphere here, but they also have the same drive, competitiveness, and desire to win as larger organizations. I’m excited to get started and be a part of this incredible organization.”
 
The Miami University graduate was recently awarded the 2017 Ken Patterson Helping Hands Award by the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA), and honor which was voted on by members of the NMPA.
 
Rohlik will begin her position immediately with the team traveling to this weekend’s event at Richmond Raceway.

Officials with Track Enterprises, the promotion company of Macon Speedway in Macon, Illinois, and Lincoln Speedway, in Lincoln, Illinois, have announced a new rewards program for drivers in the tracks’ regular divisions.

Starting in week two, all drivers who have competed in every night of racing in regular classes will have his or her name put into a drawing. Whoever gets their name chosen receives a free pit pass for that upcoming week. Officials will announce the winners on Facebook.

For Macon Speedway, drivers in the Decatur Building & Trades Pro Lates, Billingsley Elite Wash Modifieds, B-Mods, Sportsman, Street Stocks, Hornets, and Micros will be eligible. For Lincoln Speedway, Pro Late Models, Modifieds, Nutech Seed DII Midgets by Bailey Chassis, and Hornets will be eligible.

The perfect attendance program is in addition to several other bonus programs the tracks offer. Macon and Lincoln are members of the $100,000 Contingency Connection Racer Rewards program, where award booklets are handed out to a few drivers each race night, in addition to a large number of product awards at the banquets. Macon Speedway has also teamed up with Mobil 1 to give away a case of oil to a driver after each feature every night.

Macon Speedway’s 73rd season opener will be this coming Saturday, April 21, with Decatur Building Trades Pro Late Models, Billingsley Elite Wash Modifieds, B-Mods, Sportsman, Street Stocks and Hornets.

Lincoln Speedway will open up on Friday, April 27, after also losing its opener last weekend. On the track will be 305 Sprint Cars, Pro Late Models, Modifieds, Nutech Seed DII Midgets by Bailey Chassis and Hornets.

Velocity, in partnership with Discovery, Inc. owned Eurosport, announced an agreement to become the exclusive U.S. and Canadian home for live flag-to-flag coverage of the 24 Hours Of Le Mans beginning with this year’s race on Saturday, June 16, and Sunday, June 17.

A long-term agreement between all parties replaces Fox Sports as the provider of live coverage for the WEC in 2018.

Under the agreement, Velocity will also live broadcast the entire FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) “Super Season,” which begins with the Spa-Francorchamps event this May and culminates with the 24 Hours Of Le Mans June 15–16, 2019.

“Without question, the 24 Hours Of Le Mans is the most iconic auto racing event in the world,” President of Velocity and Motor Trend Group Video Content Robert S. Scanlon said. “Eurosport produces world-class live coverage of the event every year. Nowhere else in the U.S. or Canada can fans access their best-in-class coverage, and get a broader, richer Le Mans experience than with Velocity on television, MotorTrend.com online and the Motor Trend app on connected devices.”

MotorTrend.com and the Motor Trend app will feature live practice and qualifying sessions to audiences in the U.S. and Canada ahead of the 24 Hours Of Le Mans. During Velocity’s live broadcast of the race, viewers can visit digital only extensions including onboard race car cameras, pit lane cameras, audio of team communications and real-time scoring updates.
 
Fans can also find additional editorial coverage of the WEC “Super Season” on the Velocity and Motor Trend social media channels.