Turn 14 Distribution, one of the industry leaders in performance automotive parts distribution, announced the launch of its third annual customer incentive travel rewards program, the Industry Leaders Summit.

The Industry Leaders Summit is a program designed and implemented by Turn 14 Distribution that combines all the elements of a relaxing vacation, exciting activities, and great gifts, along with informative private interactions with attending sponsors.

The combination of all these ingredients is designed to provide Turn 14 Distribution’s customers with the ultimate networking experience with the aftermarket industry’s top “movers and shakers.”

The 2018 Industry Leaders Summit will be held at the Le Westin Montréal Hotel & Resort in Montréal, Québec, Canada. The event will be held from August 15 through August 19, 2018.

From now through May 15, 2018, active Turn 14 Distribution customers can earn points when they purchase products from the company. At the end of the program, the top 60 customers will earn an invitation for two people to attend Turn 14 Distribution’s Industry Leaders Summit.

Winning customers will receive roundtrip airfare for one person plus a guest, transportation to and from the resort in Montreal, single room, double occupancy accommodations for them and their guest, select breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and exclusive access to leadership teams from both Turn 14 Distribution and attending sponsor brands.

For more information, call 877-7TURN14.

The Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) announced a new B-Sedan Challenge Series in response to the large number of requests to showcase the popular car class.

The goal is to provide a series with close, competitive racing for small bore sedans that competed from January 1966 to October 1979 in SCCA B-Sedan and the IMSA 2.5 Challenge Series.

The new championships will be at both the national and regional level, with champions crowned at COTA during the season-ending U.S. Vintage National Championships, November 1-4, 2018.

The B-Sedan Challenge Series will have two classes of cars with separate championships, the Traditional B-Sedan 2.5 Liter cars and B-Sedan Lite. Full competition guidelines will be available at the SVRA Web site.

With a few exceptions for competition considerations, technical regulations will be consistent with how the cars were configured in their original racing days with SCCA and IMSA.

A special President’s Award will be presented at season’s end to the team that best exemplifies authentic vintage and historic racing. Original period paint schemes including advertising are encouraged.

The final regional race will take place on Saturday of the weekend at COTA. For more information, visit www.svra.com.

The dates and venues have been set for the 12th annual USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Eastern Storm tour in 2018. Two first-time venues, Bridgeport Speedway and Weedsport Speedway, have been locked-in as the newest additions to the six-race series scheduled for June 14–19.

It will mark the first time Eastern Storm schedule has been six races and the first time the series has spanned across three states in a single week.  

Traditional Eastern Storm stops Grandview Speedway (June 14), Williams Grove Speedway (June 15), Port Royal Speedway (June 16) and BAPS Motor Speedway (June 17) return to the lineup as the first four events.

From there, the series will head back to the Garden State of New Jersey for the first time in two years at Bridgeport Speedway in Swedesboro on June 18.

"We're thrilled to bring what the fans have asked for," Bridgeport Speedway owner Brian Ramey said. "We are beyond excited to be a part of Eastern Storm for 2018."

The following night, Eastern Storm concludes at Weedsport Speedway, marking USAC's first ever trip to the New York track and the AMSOIL National Sprint Car division's first trip to the state since 2006.

Last year's Eastern Storm saw five different winners in five races, concluding with eventual USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car champion Chris Windom taking the title.
 
2018 EASTERN STORM SCHEDULE
Thursday, June 14: Grandview Speedway (Bechtelsville, PA)
Friday, June 15: Williams Grove Speedway (Mechanicsburg, PA)
Saturday, June 16: Port Royal Speedway (Port Royal, PA)
Sunday, June 17: BAPS Motor Speedway (York Haven, PA)
Monday, June 18: Bridgeport Speedway (Swedesboro, NJ)
Tuesday, June 19: Weedsport Speedway (Weedsport, NY)

Steve Francis, the 2007 World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series champion, is hanging up his driving gloves in order become the new technical director for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.

The opportunity, according to the 50-year-old National Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer, came at exactly the right time.

“Everything fell right into place. It was kind of like it was almost meant to be,” Francis said.

“I’m very fortunate that I have the whole Lucas team as a group behind me. Guys like Rick Schwallie, Ritchie Lewis, Ernie (Leftwich) with the MLRA, the guys who have already worked with Lucas at the race track to kind of steer me through those things,” Francis continued.

One issue Francis might have to overcome is learning “how to take the racer out of me and be the tech guy.”

As for his racing career, Francis stated he will no longer be a driver. His new Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series agreement even has a “no compete” clause detailing that he will not drive, own or consult on any race cars throughout his tenure.

Francis, a winner of almost every major dirt late model race held in the United States, acknowledged it’ll be hard for him not to miss driving a race car. With that in mind, Francis is thankful for the chance to remain in the sport. He’ll just be wearing a different uniform.

“The flip side of that is I’m fortunate enough to still be around the sport and contribute, just in a different way than being a race car driver.”

The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) announced the results of the SCCA Board of Directors elections held in four of the SCCA’s geographic Areas. One new board member was elected, with three incumbents rejoining the board for three-year terms in office.

Chairman of the Board, Lee Hill, of Brandon, Florida, will retain his position as Area 3 Director. In Area 4, Marcus Merideth, of Westland, Michigan, will retain his position. Charlie Davis, of Vallejo, California, ran unopposed to retain the Area 9 Director seat. Finally, in Area 11, Jason Isley, of Coto De Caza, California, ran unopposed to claim that position on the Board.

2018 Board of Director Election results are as follows:

Area 3: Encompasses part of the Southeast Division, including the Florida, Gulf Coast, Wiregrass, Central Florida and Dixie Regions.

Incumbent Lee Hill ran unopposed.

Area 4: Encompasses the Great Lakes Division.

Marcus Merideth: 562

Patrick McCammon: 539

Area 9: Encompasses part of the Northern Pacific Division, including San Francisco and Reno Regions.

Incumbent Charlie Davis ran unopposed.

Area 11: Encompasses the Southern Pacific Division, including Arizona, Cal Club, Hawaii, San Diego, Las Vegas and Arizona Border Regions.

Jason Isley ran unopposed.

The 2018 SCCA Board of Directors:

Area 1 - Bob Dowie

Area 2 - Jack Burrows

Area 3 - Lee Hill

Area 4 – Marcus Merideth

Area 5 - Bruce Lindstrand

Area 6 - Chris Albin

Area 7 - Dan Helman

Area 8 - Arnie Coleman

Area 9 - Charlie Davis

Area 10 - Earl Hurlbut

Area 11 – Jason Isley

Area 12 - Tere Pulliam 

Area 13 - Jim Weidenbaum

Election ballots were received through November 15, 2017, and counted by Mize, Houser & Company, Certified Public Accountants. The current board is set to have one more meeting in December, with new BoD members officially taking their seats January 1, 2018.

The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) has announced entries for the 2018 WeatherTech Championship season are now being accepted via IMSA’s new online entrant portal.

Entries will be accepted through 5 p.m. ET on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017. IMSA will review and confirm the selection of entries based on established criteria for the 2018 season.

Next season will the first time that the WeatherTech Championship will consist of three classes:  Prototype (P), which includes both Daytona Prototype international (DPi) and international LM P2 race cars; GT Le Mans (GTLM), for factory-supported GT race cars and teams and professional drivers utilizing Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) GTE technical regulations; and GT Daytona (GTD), which requires Pro-Am driver lineups and uses international GT3 technical regulations.

As has been the case since the inception of the WeatherTech Championship, there are again two types of entries – Premium and Standard – for 2018.

Premium Entries are considered full-season entries committed to participate in all scheduled events for the WeatherTech Championship season. The 2018 season will include a total of 12 races, with 10 featuring the Prototype class and 11 for each of the two GT classes.

Standard Entries are considered partial-season entries committed to entering select events during the season, including any of the four Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup events: the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen and the Motul Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta.

The first race of the 2018 season will be the 56th Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 27-28.  Entrants with either premium or standard entries planning to compete in the Rolex 24 also will be required to participate in the three-day Roar Before The Rolex 24 test at Daytona International Speedway on Jan. 5-7.

FASTRAK and ULTIMATE Dirt Late Model series have announced brand new co-op advertising programs for the two touring series. 


Management officials announced the programs, instituted by series’ owner Stan Lester, will be implemented at each of the venues the two series visit in 2018.

The co-op advertising program comes in conjunction with the Dirt Late Model Magazine. Starting in 2018, the magazine will feature a two-page spread dedicated to the FASTRAK and ULTIMATE Dirt Late Model series.

One page will detail the $10,000 ($5,000 for FASTRAK) to win and up events, along with a schedule for both the touring series.

“This is exciting. No one to our knowledge has ever had anything like this in dirt racing and this is certain to bring additional fans to all our events. Honestly, I just can’t wait to see the results and what it provides for our tracks, teams, fans and sponsors alike,” General Manager DJ Irvine said. 

FASTRAK currently has crate late model (PRO) regions in the Southeast and Mid Ohio Valley, while ULTIMATE currently has super late model regions in the Southeast, Battle of the Bluegrass plus new regions in the Northeast and Mid Ohio Valley.



Call 678/935-7304 for more information. 


This article originally appeared in THE SHOP magazine eNewsletter under the byline of Digital Content Editor Anthony Bowe.   

A House subcommittee voted to advance the RPM Act to the next legislative stage in Congress on Wednesday. The Subcommittee on the Environment voted 13-9 to send the bill to the Energy and Commerce Committee for further evaluation.

The vote came after Chris Kersting, SEMA president and CEO, testified in support of the Senate’s version of the RPM Act in front of the Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety on Tuesday. Kersting delivered prepared remarks before taking questions from the senators.

Among the 13 votes was one Democrat, Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-California), who voted to support the measure on Wednesday. Ruiz said he hopes can build a larger bipartisan coalition for the bill.

“Democrats would like to sit down and discuss the enforcement aspect that is lacking in this bill. They want a two-pronged protection approach,” said Ruiz. Prong one, he added, is to ensure modified race cars are used only at the track.

“The second step we need is clearly to address a problem we have with or without the bill, which is enforcing the Clean Air Act, and that’s what this bill lacks—and that’s specifically what people on this side of the aisle would like to see addressed with the improvement of this bill.”

Other Democrats said their votes could be earned by closing a perceived loophole.

“I rise in very reluctant opposition to (the RPM Act) because I’m a car girl. And while I support the goals of the bill, I feel it is drafted too broadly and could have some unintended consequences moving forward,” Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Michigan) said. “I understand what the authors of the legislation are trying to accomplish. Like you, I love my afternoons at the Michigan International Speedway and I go a lot with my friends. I’m afraid the bill goes too far and could have unintended consequences on the EPA’s ability to crack down on the bad actors.”

The Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2017 (RPM Act) currently has 140 sponsors (124 Republicans and 16 Democrats) from 36 different states. The bill, introduced by Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-North Carolina), would amend the Clean Air Act to allow the modification of a vehicle's air emission controls if the vehicle is used solely for competition. It was originally introduced in 2016 after EPA removed a proposed regulation challenging the legality of modifying street cars for racing.

EPA had sought "to clarify that the Clean Air Act does not allow any person to disable, remove, or render inoperative (i.e., tamper with) emission controls on a certified motor vehicle for purposes of competition.” That language was removed from a July 2015 document proposing new rules for heavy-duty vehicles, but lawmakers still drafted the RPM Act, citing EPA's changing interpretation of the Clean Air Act.

The World of Outlaws (WoO) Craftsman Late Model Series has announced the addition of Matt Curl as the Late Model (LM) Series Director.

Current LM Series Director Chris Dolack has been named the Director of Marketing for the WoO and DIRTCar Racing, with a focus on event promotion. Dolack stepped in as the LM Series Director in the spring of this year.
 
Curl, born and raised in Fairbury, Illinois, made his name as a successful track promotor of the Fairbury American Legion Speedway (FALS), where he played an instrumental role in turning the speedway into one of the most renowned tracks in the country.
 
"The World of Outlaws is the top of the line. It's what I've been preparing for," said Curl. "My hope is to build on the strength and integrity of the Series—to work hand-in-hand with promoters and racers to ensure they have the best event possible."
 
Having ties to dirt racing as far as 20 years back, and having worked with the WoO and DIRTcar Racing in several different capacities now, Dolack understands the business inside and out, and his media background gives him great insight into running a successful marketing campaign, according to WoO officials.
 
"With the marketing position opening up, it just makes sense. It's a good fit for both of us," said Dolack. "When you have a Matt Curl interested in working with you, you hire a Matt Curl."
 
Curl joins the Series immediately and will maintain his primary residence in Fairbury, where he lives with his wife Jayme and 4-year-old daughter Jesslyn. He will also continue to serve his home track in an advisory capacity.

TechForce Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on championing and aiding aspiring vehicle technicians, is administering a scholarship program established by Roush Yates Engines to support students enrolled in the CNC (computerized numerical control) Machining Technology program at Universal Technical Institute’s (UTI’s) NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville, NC.

Of the eight $4,000 CNC Machining scholarships to be administered, four will be named after Roush Yates Engines’ co-founder Robert Yates, while the other four will be named after co-founder, Jack Roush. Awarding of the scholarships will start in the fourth quarter of this year with the remainder being awarded in 2018 and 2019.

“We are elated to administer these scholarships—first for [working with] such an innovative company as Roush Yates Engines and second for the specific needs they address,” TechForce CEO and Executive Director Jennifer Maher said.

“The Roush Yates Engines’ scholarships support our belief in the next generation of CNC manufacturers. The future is bright and we are 100 percent dedicated to this dynamic industry,” president and CEO of Roush Yates Engines Doug Yates said.

CNC students at NASCAR Tech can apply for the scholarships at www.techforcefoundation.org.