American racer Bob Bondurant, who has competed in Formula One and the former Can-Am series, will appear at the free driver safety seminar, "Racing Goes Safer."

Offered by the Stand 21 Safety Foundation in cooperation with the Long Beach Grand Prix Association, the event is set for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 14, during the weekend-long festivities.

Other speakers to appear Saturday include IndyCar Director Jeff Horton, IndyCar and Formula E driver Oriol Servia, NHRA Funny Car driver Jonnie Lindberg, midget driver Courtney Crone, Dr. Jacques Dallaire, EMS Chief Joe Powell, and Julia Daly, who works with concussions in motorsports.

For more information, visit www.racinggoessafer.org or contact Don Taylor at 626/688-2817.

Wagler Motorsports Park, a mixed-use venue with both public and private activities in Lyons, Indiana, will host an NHRA Chassis Inspection and Certification Day on Saturday, April 14, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

NHRA’s Division 3 Tech, Jack Richards, will be on-site to inspect and certify race car chassis to NHRA specifications. Inspections will be followed up by a test and tune on the 1/8-mile track, weather permitting. 

For more information, visit here. Racers need to RSVP in advance. Contact Jack Richards at 317/514-7282.

The Must See Racing Sprint Car Series opens its new season on April 20–21 with several rules updates, as well as a new format for four of its races in 2018.

The new format features the night’s top eight drivers from time trials competing in a fully-inverted, six-lap sprint that sets the first four rows of the provisional starting grid.

Debuting at Berlin Raceway (Michigan) on May 12, the Engine Pro Fast Car Dash format will be used throughout the season, including at Jennerstown (Pennsylvania) Speedway on June 23, Madison (Wisconsin) Int’l Speedway on July 27 and again at Berlin on August 18.

The Must See Racing season kicks off April 20-21 with the tour’s annual Carolina doubleheader at Anderson (South Carolina) Motor Speedway and Hickory (North Carolina) Motor Speedway.

In addition to the new dash format, additional MSR rules changes for 2018 include:

• –Lapped cars will be removed from the lead-lap order prior to restarts at all races during the season.
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• –In the interest of safety, a ‘1.1-second’ threshold will be utilized in determining the inversion cars prior to the night’s feature event this season.
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• –A drop race will be instituted in determining the season-long points champion.
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• –MSR will institute random drug testing during the 2018 season.

VP Racing Fuels, Inc., has appointed Peter Coleman of Birmingham, U.K., to the role of the business development consultant for Europe.

Coleman has extensive sales & marketing experience with the international brands STP and Armor All and most recently as the brand manager for Bridgestone.

“With its winning range of fuels, additives and accessories, VP has a lot to offer and I’m looking forward to promoting the brand throughout Europe. It’s a real pleasure to continue my work in the motorsport fuels industry,” Coleman said.

In related news, VP Racing Fuels announced today the signing of a long-term agreement with Sebring International Raceway to provide fuel service to racers as the track's official racing fuel partner.

Motovicity has selected Blue Ridge technology services and software to bolster its customer service, further optimize its supply chain management performance and drive organizational goals, according to the distributor.

Motovicity was limited to a quarterly analysis prior to utilizing the Blue Ridge program, creating challenges when attempting to cast market trends and subsequent logistics. The new technology will allow Motovicity to analyze market trends and stock changes every four weeks in addition to daily reviews, allowing the distributor to react more rapidly to market changes, according to the company.

In related news, Motovicity has added PTP Turbo Blankets, a manufacturer of heat management products, to its line up.

“PTP Turbo Blankets is one of the leading suppliers of turbo blankets and exhaust wraps in the country, appealing to both street and race performance enthusiasts,” Manny Iwabuchi, PTP’s director of research and product development, said.

For more info, visit Motovicity.com.

Five drivers and three contributors will make up the newest class of inductees into the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame.

The ceremony to welcome the newest class of inductees will take place in conjunction with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series North-South 100 at Kentucky’s Florence Speedway on Aug. 10-11.

The five drivers joining the Hall of Fame include Steve Barnett, Don Hoffman, Jimmy Mars, Steve Shaver and Wendell Wallace.

Joining them in the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame this year will be Dottie and Lee Byers, the Cook family and Tony Hammett.

The Sweet Diamond Challenge Series will take IMCA drivers in three divisions to eight events at Sweetwater Speedway and Diamond Mountain Speedway in 2018.

IMCA Modifieds race for $1,000 to win each night at Sweetwater, in Rock Springs, Wyo.

One thousand dollar top prizes await IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Car and Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod drivers who win features during shows at Diamond Mountain Speedway, in Vernal, Utah, with 20 or more entries.

All eight races are qualifying events for the 2018 or 2019 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot.

IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional, state and track points will be awarded each night. Series champions will be recognized and top 10 drivers in point standings for all three divisions receive point fund shares.

Sweet Diamond Challenge Series 2018 Dates
June 1 - 2; Sweetwater Speedway; Rock Springs, WY
July 6 - 7; Diamond Mountain Speedway; Vernal, UT
Aug. 10 - 11; Diamond Mountain Speedway; Vernal, UT
Sept. 14 - 15; Sweetwater Speedway; Rock Springs, WY

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) has invited industry professionals to its Town Hall and General Membership Meeting in Olive Branch, Mississippi. Members and prospective members will gather at COMP Performance Group, Thursday, April 12, from 6 p.m.–9 p.m., for an evening of networking with local industry leaders and the SEMA team.

Participants will learn about the association’s current programs and objectives, while networking with automotive aftermarket professionals from the same geographic region, giving guests a chance to share the business challenges and opportunities they face.

As SEMA staff interact with attendees, they also gain valuable feedback, which helps identify how current benefits can enhance members’ business operations to "better meet their needs."

For more information or to register, visit SEMA’s Town Hall Meetings website or contact Kristen Fregoso at 909/978-6681 or kristenf@sema.org.

Two new members, Jeff Furrier and Rafael Navarro III, have been unanimously voted into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame (ORMHOF) Board.

"Jeff and Rafael will make excellent additions to the Hall of Fame board," current ORMHOF chairman Mark McMillin said, who made the initial announcement. "They both have extensive experience and knowledge, and equally as important, true passion for the history and future of the sport of off-road."

Furrier’s family has been in the tire business since 1963 and later expanded to include Desert Rat Off Road Centers and UPR Racing Supply. He has worked in the business since 1980.

Navarro has worked for automotive and motorsports companies for over 22 years. In addition to being Chief Marketing Officer of Pirelli Tire North America, Navarro also serves on the board of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.

Eight teams from three states competed at the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow (HROT) Engine Challenge’s third event of the 2018 season, which was held at the Summit Piston Powered AutoRama in Cleveland, Ohio, March 16–18.

Three teams qualified for the Dual National Championship held later this year at the SEMA Show (October 30 – November 2 in Las Vegas) and PRI Trade Show (December 6 – 8 in Indianapolis).

To qualify for the Dual National Championship, a team must finish disassembling and reassembling a small-block Chevrolet engine in less than 33 minutes (including penalties).

Coming in third was Team Mr. Gasket of C.D. Hylton High School in Woodbridge, Virginia, with a time of 30:31.  

In second place was Team Remflex of Franklin County Career & Technology Center in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, with a time of 21:02.

In first was Vibrant Performance of Burton Center for the Arts & Tech in Salem, Virginia, with a time of 18:12.

Visit HotRoddersOfTomorrow.com to see the complete results of the event.