Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. announced that Tim Chaney has joined the company as vice president of marketing. Chaney is now responsible for leading all Toyo Tires marketing efforts in the U.S.A. including market strategy, brand management and brand development.

Areas under his guidance include advertising, creative, content development, sponsorships, events, public relations, direct marketing, dealer support including dealer training as well as consumer and dealer websites. He reports to Roy Bromfield, president and CEO of Toyo Tires.

Chaney brings more than 30 years of marketing and automotive experience to Toyo Tires, including 15 years at Kia Motors America, where he most recently served as vice president of marketing communications. Prior to that Chaney spent nearly 16 years at Nissan North America.

“I am excited to join Toyo Tires and contribute to its continued sales growth in the U.S.,” said Chaney. “Toyo Tires is a progressive brand that has the great opportunity and potential to expand its presence and share in a competitive market.”

Chaney is a graduate of San Diego State University, where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in business administration with a focus in marketing. Chaney succeeds Senior Director of Marketing Amy Coleman, who retired in September of this year.

Charlotte Motor Speedway named Kelly Watts, manager of business development for Speedway Motorsports Inc., as its 2017 Employee of the Year. Presented annually, the award recognizes an individual who goes above and beyond the call of duty in executing his or her responsibilities.

The winner is determined by a vote of the speedway’s executive committee and is selected from Employee of the Month award recipients presented throughout the previous 12 months and voted on by their peers.

Watts, a native of Kingston, New York, joined Charlotte Motor Speedway on a full-time basis in 2002. Her responsibilities transitioned to Speedway Motorsports in 2015. Watts is responsible for cultivating business development within the company, including marketing and growing incremental revenue opportunities with existing clients.

In addition to her role at Speedway Motorsports, Watts is also the executive producer of Performance Racing Network’s zMax Racing Country. Watts is known for her considerable volunteer work within the company as well as her philanthropic efforts in the community.

As this year’s Employee of the Year, Watts received a trip to Las Vegas for the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Awards on Nov. 30, among other perks.

“It means a lot to win this award,” Watts said. “Charlotte Motor Speedway has so many amazing employees, so it’s very special to me to be recognized as one of them. It’s a real honor.”

The NASCAR Whelen Euro Series 2018 calendar was recently unveiled and features 12 rounds in six American-themed NASCAR events on six European tracks.

The 2018 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series schedule will include six different countries: Spain, Italy, Great Britain, France, Germany and Benelux.

A new international event that will take place in Tours, France, will see drivers from all over the world compete against American guest-stars in the Oval World Challenge.

A new venue for the Semi-Finals also appears on the schedule, which will take place at the legendary Hockenheimring in Germany. Drivers chasing NASCAR Whelen Euro Series championships will be chasing double points at the Hockenheimring.

On Oct. 20-21 the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season will once again reach its culmination in Belgium at Circuit Zolder, with the challenging 4km track hosting the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Finals for the fourth consecutive year.

2018 NWES Schedule
April 14—Round 1—Valencia, Spain
April 15—Round 2—Valencia, Spain
May 19—Round 3—Franciacorta, Italy
May 20—Round 4—Franciacorta, Italy
June 9—Round 5—Brands Hatch, UK
June 10—Round 6—Brands Hatch, UK
June 30—Oval World Challenge—Tours, France
July 1—Oval World Challenge—Tours, France
Playoffs: Double Points
September 15—Semi Final 1—Hockenheim, Germany
September 16—Semi Final 2—Hockenheim, Germany
October 20—Final 1—Zolder, Belgium
October 21—Final 2—Zolder, Belgium

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) is now accepting applications for the 2018 SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund for students preparing for careers in the auto or auto parts industries at www.sema.org/scholarships.  

New this year, high school and part-time students can apply for a scholarship. The change is part of an effort by SEMA’s Scholarship committee to start students down the automotive path and support their efforts at an earlier stage.

"SEMA is dedicated to activating the next-generation automotive workforce by providing financial support and career resources to students enrolled in various high schools, universities, colleges, and/or vocational schools in the United States," said SEMA Chairman-Elect Tim Martin.

The SEMA Memorial Scholarship program offers financial assistance of up to $5,000 to help foster the next generation of automotive aftermarket industry leaders and innovators. Students can apply for the scholarship at www.sema.org/scholarships. Deadline for the program is March 1, 2018.

Scholarships are available in a variety of categories, such as accounting, sales and marketing, and engineering. Dozens of awards ranging from $2,000 to $3,000 will be given out, with a $5,000 award going to the top student.

The program also includes a loan forgiveness aspect that offers financial awards to employees of SEMA member-companies who have completed and are paying off a loan for a program of study at an accredited university, college, or vocational/technical program within the U.S.

For more information, contact SEMA Manager of Student Programs Juliet Marshall at 909-978-6655 or julietm@sema.org.

Just days after the conclusion of the Textron Off-Road World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, World of Outlaws (WoO) officials have announced that eight races will appear on CBS Sports Network starting Nov. 12 through New Year’s Eve.

“We are extremely excited to continue our partnership with CBS Sports Network. The opportunity to have our races broadcasted to a National audience is a great conclusion for our season and to get everyone ready to go for 2018,” said DIRTCar CEO, Brian Carter.

CBS Sports Network will have eight, one-hour programs covering four World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series races and four World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series races that will be aired. All eight programs are being produced by SPEED SPORT Productions.

CBS Sports Network & World of Outlaws schedule:
Sunday, Nov. 12 – 9:00 pm EST – WoO Craftsman Sprint Car Series – Knight Before the Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway
Sunday, Nov. 26 – 9:00 pm EST – WoO Craftsman Sprint Car Series – The Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway
Sunday, Dec. 3 – 9:00 pm EST – WoO Craftsman Late Model Series – USA Nationals at Cedar Lake Speedway
Sunday, Dec. 10 – 9:00 pm EST – WoO Craftsman Late Model Series – USA Nationals Finale at Cedar Lake Speedway
Sunday, Dec. 17 – 9:00 pm EST – WoO Craftsman Sprint Cars Series – Textron Off-Road WoO World Finals
Sunday, Dec. 24 – 9:00 pm EST – WoO Craftsman Late Model Series – Textron Off-Road WoO World Finals
Sunday, Dec. 31 – 9:00 pm EST – WoO Craftsman Sprint Cars Series – Textron Off-Road WoO World Finals Finale
Sunday, Dec. 31 – 10:00 pm EST – WoO Craftsman Late Model Series – Textron Off-Road WoO World Finals Finale

The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) has announced the 2018 Tire Rack SCCA Championship Tour calendar. It is comprised of nine events, running March to July, that lead to the Tire Rack SCCA Solo Nationals in September.

A few locations are yet to be decided, and the schedule is always subject to change, but the current Tire Rack SCCA Champ Tour season currently is as follows:

—March 16-18: Tire Rack Dixie Championship Tour; Cecil, Georgia
South Georgia Motorsports Park
—April 13-15: Tire Rack Crows Landing Championship Tour; Crows Landing, California
NASA Crows Landing Airport
—April 13-15: Tire Rack Texas Championship Tour; Location TBD
—May 26-28: Tire Rack Lincoln Spring Nationals Championship Tour; Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln Airpark
—June 8-10: Tire Rack Finger Lakes Championship Tour; Romulus, New York
Seneca Army Depot Landing Strip
—July 6-8: Tire Rack Southern Summer Nationals Championship Tour; Bristol, Tennessee 
Bristol Motor Speedway
—July 6-8: Tire Rack Colorado Championship Tour; Location TBD
—July 13-15: Tire Rack Packwood Championship Tour; Packwood, Washington 
Former Hampton Lumber Mills Packwood
—July 27-29: Tire Rack Toledo Championship Tour; Swanton, Ohio
Toledo Express Airport

Tire Rack SCCA Championship Tour events take place over three days on two separate courses. The opening day consists of Test and Tune opportunities. On the second day, competitors each get three chances to drive one course. On the third day, drivers get three runs on another course.

Like any other Solo competition, runs are timed to 1/1000th of a second and knocking a cone down means a two-second penalty is added to that time. The best times from each course are added together for the final class standings.

For additional information on Tire Rack SCCA Solo, visit www.scca.com/solo.

After a one-year hiatus, racing is coming back to Paducah International Raceway next year.

The speedway, owned by longtime promoter Bob Sargent and NASCAR’s Tony Stewart and Ken Schrader, was closed during the summer of 2017 after the previous management team stepped away at the end of 2016.

Western Tennessee businessman Phil Colwell recently took over the lease of the 3/8-mile high-banked dirt track and is expected to bring weekly Friday night racing along with several big events at the facility throughout the year.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing that first green flag drop this coming spring. It’s a beautiful facility with the potential for great, high-speed action,” Colwell said.

Originally opened in 1972, the Paducah, Kentucky track has hosted the UMP Summer Nationals, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, as well as highly popular NASCAR nights featuring some well-known drivers in recent years.

Houston, Texas-based School of Automotive Machinists & Technology (SAM Tech) was recently recognized as the top trade school in the Houston area for graduate salary and job placement by the Houston Chronicle.

Established by Judson and Linda Massingill, SAM Tech offers multiple programs to train students in the performance industry. Classes range from how to become expert engine machinists to how to work EFI systems and more.

Graduates of SAM Tech often go on to work for the top teams and companies in the racing community today. In fact, students who graduate with the SAM Tech Title IV average a $51,150 salary per year after graduation, which led to the ranking as the top trade school in Houston.

“This is a significant achievement for any institution, and confirms SAM Tech’s continued success in providing career-focused training that leads to promising careers,” SAM Tech Executive Director Linda Massingill stated.

Yamaha Motor Corp., USA, has announced the first ever R1 Dirt Track car (R1DT) exhibition race is scheduled for November 11, 2017, at the Perris Auto Speedway in Perris, California.

Yamaha's R1DT concept dirt track race car is still in prototype development but has captured attention from the racing world for its unique design and production possibilities. The tube chassis, purpose-built dirt track car is powered by a fuel injected, inline 4-cylinder engine from Yamaha's R1S production motorcycle.

The car is designed to be a low maintenance, low cost-of-operation turnkey production racer with the potential for national retail distribution, financing and parts support that could bring a new level of accessibility to fans and would-be racers from outside of the current dirt track world.

The Yamaha R1DT Invitational will be the first time that multiple R1DT cars are on a track at the same time and competing for the checkered flag. The Invitational will feature racing champions, retired veterans, and top up-and-comers from various racing backgrounds.

The race will be broadcast live nationally during the "USAC Budweiser Oval Nationals" on www.speedshifttv.com. For more information and updates on the Yamaha R1DT prototype car, visit www.facebook.com/yamahadirttrack, www.twitter.com/yamahadirttrack, and www.instagram.com/yamahadirttrack.

Commemorating the 100th anniversary of its legacy welding school, Lincoln Electric will open its new Welding Technology & Training Center, on its Euclid, Ohio, campus in January 2018. Classes begin in the new facility on January 8.
 
The center’s opening maintains the company’s role of running the oldest continually-operating welding school in the world, according to officials.
 
“This new Welding Technology & Training Center reinforces Lincoln Electric’s dedication to education and the future of welding,” says Jason Scales, manager, Education Solutions, Lincoln Electric. “We design our welding curriculum and programs to meet the needs of students and educators at every level – from basic welding and teaching techniques through advanced processes, such as robotic automation, specialized code certification, welding theory, welding procedure specifications and more.”
 
The two-story, 100,000-square-feet-plus facility doubles Lincoln’s welding education capacity. The building features a virtual reality training lab with 10 VRTEX Virtual Reality Web Simulation Trainers, 166 welding and cutting booths, six seminar rooms, 13 welding school classrooms, a 100-seat auditorium, an atrium and a reception area.
 
The Lincoln Electric Welding Technology & Training Center is equipped to help students focus on career pathways and looks to the industry’s future in its programming offerings.
 
For more information, visit Lincoln Electric’s Education Solutions website.