The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) has announced that the Pro Stock Car category will feature 16-car fields at all 24 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series national events in 2018.

NHRA came to this decision after a collaborative and productive meeting with several Pro Stock drivers and teams. The group discussed a few initiatives that would serve as alternatives to NHRA’s previous decision to run 8-car fields at nine national events, according to the drag racing sanctioning body.

One of the ideas from the meeting involved the possibility of including a new engine platform that NHRA’s Tech Department is evaluating. NHRA will continue to work with Pro Stock teams and manufacturers this year, carefully evaluating key metrics and supporting initiatives to generate interest.

“We all share a common goal to make the Pro Stock category grow,” said NHRA president Peter Clifford. “It’s exciting to see that the teams came to us with collaborative ideas and started an open dialogue that resulted in new solutions.”


The Lucas Oil Super Late Model division will have a new mega-event next year with the introduction of the "Dirt Million" on Aug. 24–25, 2018, at Mansfield Motor Speedway in Mansfield, Ohio, track promoter Cody Sommer announced.

Super Late Model drivers will compete for a minimum of $100,000 to win and $2,000 to start in the inaugural Dirt Million at the 4/10-mile oval, but the purse will continue to increase throughout the 2018 calendar year via a unique format and promotion that allows dirt racing families, friends, sponsors, fans and teams everywhere in the world to play a role in building the feature's payoff.

The total purse for the event can climb to a spectacular $1 million, which would result in the weekend's A-main offering a $500,000 winner's prize and $10,000 just to take the green flag.  Under a unique format, the Dirt Million will be a part of the 2018 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series schedule.  

The Dirt Million becomes the latest addition to Sommer's growing promotional resume. This year Sommer spearheaded the transformation of Mansfield Motor Speedway from an asphalt track that hosted over 20,000 fans for NASCAR Truck Series races to a world-class dirt facility by presenting several special events, including a Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series program in July.

Sommer sees the creation of the Dirt Million and its unprecedented purse-building setup as possibly being a snapshot into the future of the sport.

"This event is truly one that rewards individuals for showing their support and getting behind something - literally the more it escalates the more it helps everyone, especially how it gives back to the racer,” he said.

In the coming months, additional details for the event will be released. Also soon to come will be the launch of DirtMillion.com, which will be the hub for the sport to watch the event's purse grow in real time and include the registered driver profile pages amongst many other unique features.

The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC) has partnered with the Society of Automotive Historians (SAH) to bring the third annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History November 9–11.

This year’s theme is “The First Turn Meets the Cultural Turn,” and will cover topics ranging from women in racing and the resurgence of drag racing in Cuba.

“That motorsport history is a nuanced, complex topic reaching far beyond such items as race data and tales about personalities and events is beginning to finally be understood,” Don Capps, chairman of the SAH International Motor Sports History Section, said. “That the cultural aspects of motorsport are now finally being brought into focus and discussed is, in great part, thanks to those who have participated in our previous symposiums. The door is now cracked a bit wider for those in academia and for independent scholars to explore this topic in great depth.”

The public is invited to attend this free event at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York.
 
A detailed schedule can be seen on the Center’s website here.

Other presentation topics:
-  “Cultural Confusions: Maserati Serial Numbers”
-  “Invaders and Invasions: The 1963 Motor Trend 500 at Riverside”
-  “It is Alive! Monster Energy’s Attempt to Revitalize NASCAR’s Top Touring Series”
-  “Win on Sunday & Sell Fifty Years Later: The Strange Competitive and Commercial Saga of Bentley”
-  “A Moving Museum”: Tourism, Pilgrimage, and the Iconic Route of the Mille Miglia”
-  “Anne Cecile Rose-Itier, Overcoming Gender Barriers and Earning Legitimacy by Competing and Winning”
-  “Speeding through a Man’s World: Women Sports Car Racers in the 1950s and 1960s”
-  “Women in Racing”

Centric Parts has promoted Greg Woo to the president of Centric Parts, Qualis Automotive and StopTech. The announcement was made by APC Automotive Technologies’ CEO, Hugh Charvat.

Woo replaces Dan Lelchuk, who has taken on a new role as Strategic Advisor to the Board of APC Automotive Technologies.

In his new position, Woo will be responsible for all operations and will be the Executive Team Leader for product management, purchasing, and operations for Centric Parts, and its Qualis Automotive and StopTech divisions.

 Woo is a 28-year automotive aftermarket veteran and has served in a variety of top executive positions. Before his promotion, Woo served as Vice President/General Manager of StopTech from 2007. Prior to Centric, he was president of Power Performance Group, which was acquired by Centric in 2007. Woo was also president of APS/Neuspeed from 1998–2004.
 
Woo holds a BA in Social Science and an MBA from the University of California, Irvine. He is an ISO9001-TS16949 certified auditor.

The Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing has named the Museum’s International Drag Racing Hall of Fame Class of 2018, plus the recipient of the Founder’s Award.

Now retired career employee of General Motors Herb Fishel (Ann Arbor, Michigan) was named the recipient of the Founder’s Awards. The recipient of the annual Patricia Garlits Award will be announced at a later date.

The inductees will be honored at the 28th annual International Drag Racing Hall of Fame Banquet, to be held on Thursday, March 15th, 2018 in Gainesville, Fla. at the Hilton University of Florida Conference Center Gainesville, which has just completed a multi-million dollar renovation. Additional details will be announced at a future date.

The Hall of Fame inductees include:

Jeb Allen (Redding, Calif.) – Jeb Allen was the youngest (at the time) to win the Top Fuel class at the National Hot Rod Association’s (NHRA) Summernationals in Englishtown, N.J. in 1972. In 1981, Allen was also the youngest (and still is) to win the NHRA Top Fuel World Championship in 1981 at the age of 27.

Kelly Brown (Gazelle, Calif.) – Top Fuel racer Kelly Brown won the 1978 NHRA World Championship driving in the legendary Brissette & Drake entry. In 1979, he joined the “Over the Hill Gang” team, winning four events including the prestigious U.S. Nationals.

Gary Densham (Menifee, Calif.) – Gary Densham, an independent Funny Car racer who began in 1971, built and tunes his own race cars for three decades before joining John Force Racing in 2001. In five years, Densham won eight races. He continues to race today on a limited NHRA schedule.

Roy Fjastad (Mission Viejo, Calif) – Roy Fjastad’s Speed Products Engineering (SPE) company “perfected” the concept of fixture built chassis to assure repeatable performance behavior, supplying 225 chassis to racers.  Fjastad later worked in the street rod market using the same fixture concept to start Deuce Factory. His latest company, Full Bore Products produces specialized tools for engine and chassis builders. He also has been a fixture in the Land Speed racing arena with a streamliner car, and a Modified Roadster.

Jim Oddy (Mooresville, N.C.) – In the 1960s, Jim Oddy raced in the “Gasser” classes, setting records in the NHRA Northeast Division. He retired from driving in the 1970s to launch Oddy’s Automotive and build race-winning powerplants. In the late 1980s, he and driver Fred Hahn debuted a revolutionary late model Corvette in the IHRA’s Pro Modified class, winning a dozen races.

Oliver (Ollie) Riley – (La Verne, Calif. – deceased) – After being approached by the NHRA in 1954 to develop a portable, repeatable drag racing timing system, Ollie Riley, who helped design Top Secret timing mechanisms for guided missiles, accepted the challenge. He was also involved with the creation of the “Christmas Tree” race starter.

Greg Sharp (Pomona, Calif.) – Greg Sharp, historian and curator of the Wally Parks/NHRA Motorsports Museum at the LA County Fairgrounds, was the NHRA Director of Historical Services in 1995. In that role, he helped create the Wally Parks/NHRA Motorsports Museum and was named the curator when it opened in 1998. He has won the Pioneer Award from the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 2010.

Federal-Mogul Motorparts’ iconic Champion brand will begin accepting entries for its popular “Search for a Champion” sponsorship contest starting on Nov. 1, 2017, at searchforachampion.com.

Now in its seventh year, the annual contest encourages racers, DIYers and maintenance enthusiasts to demonstrate their passion for superior performance both on and off the track.

The 2018 Search for a Champion contest will again offer sponsorships in both the “On the Track” and “In the Garage” categories. A total of $125,000 (USD) in racing sponsorships – including one $50,000 grand-prize sponsorship – will be awarded to grassroots racers competing in the “On the Track” category covering the dirt, asphalt and water/snow racing environments.

In addition to the grand-prize sponsorship, the contest will offer $5,000 sponsorships to each of 10 runners-up and $500  sponsorships to each of 30 finalists. Within the “Off the Track” category, which is targeted toward DYIers and vehicle maintenance experts who restore or maintain vehicles, equipment or engines of any size, Federal-Mogul Motorparts will award one $5,000 Search for a Champion grand-prize sponsorship and 10 $500 runners-up sponsorships. The entry period ends on Jan. 3, 2018.

The contest also will include a sweepstake for Champion merchandise for those who register and vote for their favorite entries at searchforachampion.com. Voting is open from Jan. 5, 2018, through March 23, 2018. Federal-Mogul Motorparts will announce the 2018 grand prize winners in early April.

To enter the contest, entrants should visit searchforachampion.com and submit photos and a 200-word story describing why they deserve to join #TeamChampion. Participants also may submit an optional two-minute video for consideration.

DIRTcar officials have announced major changes to the 2018 DIRTcar Nationals schedule, the weeklong dirt track racing event that features six different dirt car racing series, at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Florida.

New to the schedule are additional events for the Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modifieds and the WoO Late Model Series. The DIRTcar UMP Modified all feature night featuring Triple-20’s has also been moved up to earlier in the week.

The DIRTcar Nationals gathers the major dirt car racing series for a week full of racing. The World of Outlaws (WoO) Craftsman Sprint Car Series, WoO Craftsman Late Model Series, All Star Circuit of Champions (ASCoC), Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modifieds, DIRTcar Late Models and DIRTcar UMP Modifieds will all take on the half-mile at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Florida.

For more information, including the complete weeklong schedule, visit the 2018 DIRTcar Nationals website here.

Custom piston manufacturer Ross Pistons (El Segundo, CA) has announced its renovated, interactive website at www.rosspistons.com.

A newly structured products section now allows users to navigate to their product of choice quickly and easily, while new tech support and product installation guides can help customers after purchasing a product.

Users can also expect to find a redesigned, mobile responsive website that allows visitors to view the site on any mobile, tablet or desktop device. Highly detailed images and specifications now also accompany nearly every product in stock.

The website also features order forms, digital catalogs and new news, media and contact sections.

“We are always looking for ways to improve communication with our customers and enhance how we support them through our website and social media platforms. This website helps us do just that and a whole lot more,” Ross Pistons Marketing Director Chris Petrini said.

Volunteer Speedway (Bulls Gar, TN) track promoter Mitch McCarter has released a 26-event race schedule for the 45th year of racing at “The Gap” in 2018.

The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (LOLMDS) and the World of Outlaws (WoO) Late Model Series both return to the track in 2018, holding $10,000-to-win events.

The Schaeffer’s Oil Iron-Man Championship Late Model Series will kickoff the season with the “Frostbuster” event, set for Saturday, February 24.

For the first time ever, the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series will make an appearance at the track on April 27, while the NeSmith Dirt Late Model Series visits the track for two nights in 2018.

Weekly racing programs will feature Steel Head Late Model, Crate Late Model, Sportsman Late Models, Modified Street and Classic divisions on the high-banked oval.

For more information, including the complete 2018 Volunteer Speedway race schedule, visit here.

A round of the World Rallycross Championship will be held in the United States for the first time next season at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, the home of the Formula 1 US Grand Prix.

The circuit has agreed a five-year deal to host World RX, and its new rallycross circuit is expected to undergo construction in the coming months.

The mixed-surface layout will be located in the stadium area of the F1 circuit, between Turns 12 and 15.

A first World RX event at COTA will be held on the September 29-30 weekend in 2018. The rallycross event has been announced as part of a "festival weekend" and will be held three weeks before F1 visits the venue next year.

World RX promotor IMG has confirmed it a provisional 2018 calendar—which will include rounds at COTA, in South Africa, Canada as well as nine venues in Europe—will be released.

It has not revealed which of the current 10 European-based events will no longer be part of the 12-round series.