Seven rookie drivers representing the four NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series categories, Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle, were announced by officials from NHRA and Automobile Club of Southern California as the eligible candidates for the Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award.

The award, which recognizes the top rookie competitor in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and offers a $20,000 prize and traditional trophy to the winner, will be presented during NHRA’s annual championship awards ceremony on Monday, Nov. 13 at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland in Hollywood, Calif.

Some of the nation’s leading racing journalists will select the winner through a voting system based on the following criteria: number of events competed in, performance on and off the racetrack, participation in NHRA promotions and relationships with fans, sponsors and media.

The candidates for the prestigious award are, in alphabetical order: Troy Coughlin Jr. (Top Fuel), Joey Gladstone (Pro Stock Motorcycle), Tanner Gray (Pro Stock), Jonnie Lindberg (Funny Car), Andie Rawlings (Pro Stock Motorcycle), Shawn Reed (Top Fuel) and Mike Salinas (Top Fuel).

In 2002 the Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award and the NHRA Rookie of the Year Award were combined to create one award recognizing the future stars of the sport.

The 2016 recipient was Corey Reed of the Pro Stock Motorcycle series.

The United States Modified Touring Series (USMTS) has announced the annual USMTS awards banquet is set for Saturday, January 27, 2017, at the Ameristar Casino Hotel in Kansas City, Mo.

Headlining the honorees, Jason Hughes of Watts, Okla., will be celebrated for capturing the 2017 USMTS National Championship—his third straight and fourth overall—following a wild USMTS Hunt for the Casey’s Cup powered by S&S Fishing & Rental.

A joint effort for both the USMTS and the United States Racing Association (USRA), the evening will feature an awards ceremony and a "luxurious" dinner, along with a cash bar. Tickets for the event go on sale in November.

Those attending this year’s celebration are encouraged to reserve their rooms as soon as possible to take advantage of huge savings. For reservations, call the Ameristar Casino Hotel at 816/414-7435 and request the USMTS discounted room rate.

Race teams from every type of racing discipline will attend the 30th anniversary Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show to see the newest products and latest innovations from over 1100 exhibitors during the three biggest business days in racing.

Held December 7-9, 2017, at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, the PRI Show will feature more than 3400 booths and over 45 conferences, seminars, and social gatherings that will enable professional race teams to discover how to go faster, run safer, and operate more efficiently.

"From the hottest and newest products to recent technological advancements in the motorsports industry, the 2017 PRI Show will offer something for all teams from different motorsports disciplines," said PRI Trade Show General Manager Bill Miller. "The PRI Show is where the business of racing starts and where race teams begin to look for ways to stay ahead of the competition."

For racing powerhouse John Force Racing, which has won 18 NHRA Drag Racing Series championships in the last 27 years and currently fields three Funny Cars and one Top Fuel dragster, the PRI Show is an integral part of its pre-season preparation. The team relies on the Show to keep up with the motorsports industry as a whole.

"The PRI Show is very important to us because it encompasses every aspect of our industry and also gives us an opportunity to meet new and existing partners," said John Force Racing President Robert Hight. "And it’s not just drag racing; it’s all forms of motorsports represented at the PRI Show. It’s a hardcore racing trade show, and we take full advantage of it and look forward to it every year."

Tye Twarog, owner of the Devin Moran-driven Tye Twarog Racing No. 9 Late Model race car, also owns a racing parts retail store, which makes attending the PRI Show twice as valuable for him.

"We attend the PRI Show to keep up with all the new products in the industry and learn about the technology that can help our team," said Twarog. "If you’re not at PRI, you’ll miss everything. You will get behind the eight ball and won’t know what’s going on in the motorsports industry."

Johnny Herrera, owner and driver of the No. 45x sprint car in the Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series, relies on the PRI Show to keep up with his competition. His efforts have paid off, as he is fully entrenched in this year’s championship chase while leading the series in Top 10 finishes.

"The PRI Show is an exciting event that features all of the new products for all types of racing, including machinery," said Herrera. "I attend the show to see what’s new in the industry and be aware of any changes. I also meet with the manufacturers of some of the products I use and talk to them about ideas and what I need."  

The 2017 PRI Trade Show will feature leading companies showcasing the latest developments in auto racing technology. Tens of thousands of buyers from all 50 states and 70 countries will be on hand to conduct business.

In addition, the days leading up to and including the PRI Show, which have come to be known as Race Industry Week, will offer a range of motorsports-related activities in and around the Indiana Convention Center beginning Monday, December 4. Numerous conferences, seminars and other special events will offer unlimited business opportunities and provide invaluable insight on the latest technologies and how to apply them.

To register for the 2017 PRI Trade Show, log on to www.pri2017.com.

Fremont Speedway in Fremont, Ohio has been sold to the Sandusky County Agricultural Society.

Now former owner Rich Farmer has sold the historic third-mile dirt track located on the grounds of the Sandusky County Fairgrounds to the fair board and will be retained as the promoter of the storied facility, which hosts weekly racing headlined by winged 410 sprint cars.

“The Sandusky County Agricultural Society Board of Directors will maintain the current management, Rich and Shelly Farmer, to allow for the success of past years to continue uninterrupted. The Board and Race Track Management look forward to many exciting future racing seasons for fans, racers and employees,” Sandusky County Agricultural Society officials said in a statement.

Farmer sold the track for an undisclosed amount with the idea that operation of the track, which held its first auto race in the 1920s but began weekly racing in 1951, would make operations with the community with one entity ultimately responsible for all facets of racing at Fremont Speedway.

The sale of the speedway does not include the Fremont Speedway Hall of Fame, which Farmer is retaining. 

The Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires has unveiled its 2018 calendar of events.

The driver development program, which offers more than $3.5 million in scholarships and awards, will continue its momentum at premier road courses, street circuits and oval venues in support of the Verizon IndyCar Series.

The platform is comprised of Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires, the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires and the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda.

In Pro Mazda, the National Class will be replaced by the Pro Mazda Classic Series – a six-weekend, 12-race championship within the Pro Mazda Championship utilizing the older Pro Mazda rotary-powered cars from 2002 to 2017. The series will see a separate points chart, prize money and year-end awards.

While there is no limitation on PMC Series testing, Indy Lights, Pro Mazda and USF2000 will see amended testing rules. Indy Lights in-season testing is restricted to two days per team with two additional days available for use with current Pro Mazda and USF2000 drivers. Pro Mazda and USF2000 teams are permitted four days of in-season testing per driver but not at tracks yet to hold an event.

The annual Mazda Road to Indy Spring Training will take place at Homestead-Miami Speedway on February 23-26. Indy Lights will test on the 1.5-mile oval on February 23 and the 2.21-mile road course on February 26. Pro Mazda and USF2000 will run on the weekend – February 24 and 25.

2018 Mazda Road To Indy Schedules
Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires

March 9-11 – Streets of St Petersburg – St. Petersburg, Fla.
April 20-22 – Barber Motorsports Park – Leeds, Ala.
May 10-12 – Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course – Indianapolis, Ind.
May 25 – Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Indianapolis, Ind.
June 22-24 – Road America – Elkhart Lake, Wis.
July 7-8 – Iowa Speedway – Newton, Iowa
July 13-15 – Exhibition Place – Toronto, Ontario
July 27-29 – Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course – Lexington, Ohio
Aug. 24-25 – Gateway Motorsports Park – Madison, Ill.
Aug. 31-Sept. 2 – Portland Int’l Raceway – Portland, Ore.

Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tires

March 9-11 – Streets of St Petersburg – St. Petersburg, Fla.
April 20-22 – Barber Motorsports Park – Leeds, Ala.
May 10-12 – Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course – Indianapolis, Ind.
June 22-24 – Road America – Elkhart Lake, Wis.
July 13-15 – Exhibition Place – Toronto, Ontario
July 27-29 – Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course – Lexington, Ohio
Aug. 24-25 – Gateway Motorsports Park – Madison, Ill.
Aug. 31-Sept. 2 – Portland Int’l Raceway – Portland, Ore.

Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship powered by Mazda
March 9-11 – Streets of St Petersburg – St. Petersburg, Fla.
May 10-12 – Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course – Indianapolis, Ind.
June 22-24 – Road America – Elkhart Lake, Wis.
July 13-15 – Exhibition Place – Toronto, Ontario
July 27-29 – Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course – Lexington, Ohio
Aug. 31-Sept. 2 – Portland Int’l Raceway – Portland, Ore.

Charlotte Motor Speedway and Speedway Children’s Charities have established the Dale Earnhardt Jr. Concussion Research Fund at Carolinas Healthcare System’s Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina in honor of the legendary driver's last offical season with NASCAR.

The $100,000 gift underwrites ImPACT baseline concussion testing for more than 10,000 student-athletes at 62 middle schools, high schools and athletic associations across eight area counties as well as Johnson C. Smith University and Gardner-Webb University.

Mooresville High School – which Earnhardt attended – will also be added to the comprehensive program, which will also fund cutting-edge “blink reflexometry” research – which uses a person’s blinking reflexes to diagnose concussions. Additionally, the gift will support local concussion seminars for parents, students, coaches and pediatricians.

Earnhardt’s numerous accomplishments – including becoming the first rookie to win the NASCAR All-Star Race as well as claiming 26 NASCAR Cup Series victories, two XFINITY Series championships, and 14 Most Popular Driver awards – have endeared the Kannapolis, North Carolina, native to millions of race fans across the country.

“This is a great gift that will impact a lot of lives in the area and make a real difference,” Earnhardt said. “This track has always been really special to me. I really appreciate it. That’s a gesture that’s going to have such a long-lasting impact.”

George Silbermann has been named President of the Automobile Competition Committee of the United States (ACCUS-FIA), an association of American auto racing sanctioning bodies (IMSA, IndyCar, NASCAR, NHRA, SCCA, USAC).

In this role, he will focus on issues related to the domestic motorsports industry, while also representing the United States to the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA, comprised of 245 motorsports and mobility clubs in 143 countries, is the global sanctioning body for FIA World Championships such as Formula 1, World Rally, etc.

Silbermann has been in professional auto racing for over 40 years, holding multiple positions including President/CEO of IMSA and, most recently, NASCAR Vice President. Between now and the end of the year, he will serve in a dual role as he transitions from NASCAR to his new ACCUS-FIA position.

Silbermann succeeds Nick Craw as ACCUS President. As part of the transition strategy, Craw will serve as Deputy President, International and continue as part of ACCUS's FIA delegation.

The legendary Baja 1000 marks its 50th running next month (November 14–18), and sanctioning body SCORE (Southern California Off-Road Enthusiasts) is celebrating with the release of the new film Dust 2 Glory, “for theatrical distribution and more,” said SCORE’s Jim Ryan.

“The original Dust to Glory, released in 2005, impacted an entire generation of off-road racers and the manufacturers who serve them,” he noted. “The majority of our racers have now seen it a dozen times or more.”

While that film focused on the Baja 1000, the sequel will “follow numerous teams through the entire SCORE World Desert Championship series,” he told us.

Dust 2 Glory comes on the heels of another off-road themed movie release earlier in the year, this one by ESX Productions, which is owned by Lucas Oil Products founder and owner Forrest Lucas, and actor and producer Ali Afshar.

Aptly titled Dirt, the film stars Kevin Dillon (of Entourage fame) and DeRon Horton as fictional members of an off-road racing team.

“For me, venturing into the film business is not about money, glamour or fun,” Lucas told Variety following the launch of ESX in 2015. “It’s about being able to deliver messages and having a viable vehicle to do so.”

The NeSmith Racing/Crate Racin’ USA organization has announced the return of longtime Public Relations Director and Touring Division Announcer Roby Helm to its staff.

Helm is set to return to his role in public relations and announcing duties effective immediately. He will be joined by current NeSmith Racing announcer Wesley Outland to provide a unique setup as the series will incorporate both announcers into their touring and special event programs.

Helm will cover the action from the booth, while Outland will cover interviews on Victory Lane, the trackside and other fan interaction areas at events.

Helm returns to the NeSmith Racing/Crate Racin’ USA family after a short stint serving in the same capacity at other stops but felt that the fit and familiarity of his time and efforts at NeSmith Racing were where he longed to return.

“When [NeSmith Racing/Crate Racin’ USA CEO and Founder] Mike Vaughn called me about returning to NeSmith Racing, we talked like a couple of old friends, and I think our time apart was healthy because we were able to establish a greater respect for what we had done working together in building the series over 11 years from scratch,” Helm said.  It wasn’t just me and Mike, but it was the people around us, past present and future that has made NeSmith Racing what it is today.”

The nomination deadline for the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Member of Excellence award is Monday, Nov. 20. The honor is presented to the winner at the 2018 SCCA National Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, during the SCCA Hall of Fame and Awards Banquet. Aside from the recognition, the recipient is given the opportunity to attend any motorsport event of their choosing, with an expense cap of $5000, anywhere on the planet.

The award, selected by the SCCA Board of Directors, is given to a member who provided a great contribution to the Club during the previous 12 months, regardless of the competition area. Below are the official criteria:

“The award is presented to the volunteer who shows the greatest commitment to SCCA Motor Sports activities. The recipient can be involved in Solo, Rally and/or Club Racing. This person should personify the SCCA volunteer who gives of his/her time and effort to help organize, work in a specialty or any volunteer role necessary to a motorsports event.”

To be selected, the member must have rendered long-term service working SCCA events or activities for a five-year minimum.  The recipient cannot be a paid SCCA staff member, current Board of Directors member or any member who is a paid consultant to SCCA.

The winner of this year’s award will join Sydney Davis-Yagel (2016), Paula Hawthorne (2015), J.D. King (2014), Jerry Cabe (2013), Mary Shiloff (2012), Arnie Coleman (2011), Marina Kraft (2010), Dave Deborde (2009) and Carol Cohn (2008) as previous recipients.

The trip is funded with a 20-year private endowment by an anonymous SCCA member. Nominations should be submitted to athoennes@scca.com. Nominations must be received by close of business Nov. 20, 2017, for consideration.