The North Carolina Auto Racing Hall Of Fame (NCARHoF) will honor Terry Labonte and Bill Elliott during in-ground plaques and a special ceremony on Oct. 3 in downtown Mooresville, N.C.

Open to the public, the dedication of the Terry Labonte and Bill Elliott in-ground plaques will be held outside The Charles Mack Citizen Center on the Walk of Fame located at 215 North Main Street in downtown Mooresville, N.C., starting at 3 p.m. on October 3. There will be an invitation-only VIP reception after the ceremony inside the Charles Mack Citizen Center.

Terry Labonte earned his Walk of Fame in-ground plaque after his outstanding 37 years of competing in NASCAR’s top class. The native of Corpus Christi, Texas, began his NASCAR Cup career at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway in 1978 and finished fourth in the race despite just coming off the local dirt tracks in his native Texas.

During his resounding career, Labonte finished in the top-10 in Cup Series points an astonishing 17 times. He was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998 and was elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2016.

Bill Elliott, one of the most popular drivers in NASCAR history, will be honored this year with his in-ground plaque after his successful 37 years in NASCAR’s Cup Series. Nicknamed ‘Awesome Bill from Dawsonville,’ he competed in 828 Cup races, winning 44 races and was the 1988 NASCAR Cup Series Champion.

Elliott was voted one of NASCAR’s Greatest 50 Drivers in 1998 and was elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2015. Today Bill’s son, Chase, competes in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series for Hendrick Motorsports.

Our hats off to officials at Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas, who recently decided to suspend the track’s remaining 2017 race activities to assist in post-Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. This couldn’t have been an easy call for VP/General Manager Seth Angel and his team—canceled events include the Import Face Off (Oct. 22), October Truck Madness (Oct. 29) and the Light the Sky Festival (Nov. 11)—but “we are confident we are doing the right thing,” Angel said.

Meantime, a number of race venues across the Southeast opened their facilities to evacuees of Hurricane Irma, which tracked a destructive path through the region in early September. Ahead of the storm, scores of campers and RVs had already settled into the campgrounds at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. “Stay as long as you like,” said track chairman Grant Lynch, noting the property’s 2,700 acres. “We’re prepared to handle 100,000 campers, so we’ve got the room and the facilities. Our doors are open. We can all get through this together.” Displaced individuals were also welcomed at NASCAR tracks Bristol Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway, where restrooms and hot shower facilities were offered free of charge.

And, at Senoia Raceway in west central Georgia, about an hour south of Atlanta, hurricane evacuees were invited to settle into the grounds around the 3/8-mile dirt bull ring. Beyond providing space to camp, however, promoter Mayes Massey also offered free admission to the track’s season championship program on September 9. “We wanted to give those forced from their homes a chance to maybe look away from the weather and news reports and enjoy an evening of action and entertainment with their family,” he said.

Widely considered one of auto racing’s most successful and innovative owners, Chip Ganassi will add to his list of accomplishments when he helps kick off the 30th annual Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show in December.

Ganassi, a leading fixture in motorsports for more than 25 years, has signed on as the special guest for PRI 2017’s Grand Opening Breakfast, which serves as the traditional kick-off to the world’s premier event for racing and performance professionals. Once again hosting the Breakfast will be famed motorsports journalist Dave Despain of MAVTV.

“Chip Ganassi is truly one of the most dynamic and forward-thinking team owners in racing today,” said PRI General Manager Bill Miller, “and we couldn’t be more pleased to open PRI’s big 30th anniversary Trade Show with what promises to be a lively and highly entertaining program led by the one and only Dave Despain.”

PRI’s Grand Opening Breakfast takes place from 8 to 9 a.m. on Thursday, December 7, immediately before the Trade Show opens for three days of hardcore racing and performance exhibits, seminars, networking events and more. More than 3000 industry professionals will be treated to a hot, catered meal in the Sagamore Ballroom of the Indiana Convention Center while enjoying a live talk show-style program. Recent Breakfast guests have included John Force, Richard Petty, Rick Mears and Jeff Gordon.

Covering a variety of motorsports disciplines, Ganassi’s teams in 2017 included two cars in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, two in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, four cars in the Verizon IndyCar Series, two in the WeatherTech United Sports Championship, and two in the World Endurance Championship.

Overall, his teams have won 17 championships and over 160 victories, including four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400, a 24 Hours of Le Mans, seven Rolex 24 At Daytonas and the 12 Hours of Sebring.

Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis and Brownsburg, Indiana, and Concord, North Carolina, with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Doors to the Grand Opening Breakfast, which is offered free of charge to registered PRI Show guests, open at 7 a.m., and seating is first-come, first-served. For more information or to register for PRI 2017, visit www.pri2017.com, or call 949/499-5413.

NASCAR, IMSA and Indy Lights drivers will now be eligible to earn points towards a Formula 1 superlicense under changes announced following the FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting in Paris on Thursday.

Also among the changes is a reduction in the number of championships offering maximum points. Under the revised system, only champions in IndyCar and Formula 2 will earn the 40 points required for superlicense qualification; a payout that was previously also extended to European Formula 3, Formula E, and the WEC's LMP1 class.

F1 superlicense eligibility is earned by amassing 40 superlicense points over three years. IndyCar will continue to pay 40, 30 and 20 points to its top three championship finishers – making each year's champion automatically eligible – while F2's top three drivers will earn 40 points, and can also count points earned during the last two seasons of GP2, Formula 2's predecessor.

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and Indy Lights will each pay points to the top eight in their championships, with 15 to the winner and then 12, 10, 7, 5, 3, 2 and 1 down the order—a scale putting them on a par with the WTCC, DTM and Super GT.

Smaller payouts will be available to NASCAR's Xfinity and Trucks series.

Meanwhile, IMSA's Prototype class will offer points to its top six, with 12 points for the champion, while GTE Pro and Am will offer 10, 8, 6, 4 and 2.

F1 superlicenses are required by any driver wishing to participate in the Formula 1 world championship.

REVISED F1 SUPERLICENSE SYSTEM
Formula 2: 40, 40, 40, 30, 20, 10, 8, 6, 4, 3

GP2 (2015-16): 40, 40, 30, 20, 10, 8, 6, 4, 3, 2

IndyCar: 40, 30, 20, 10, 8, 6, 4, 3, 2, 1

European F3: 30, 25, 20, 10, 8, 6, 4, 3, 2, 1

Formula E: 30, 25, 20, 10, 8, 6, 4, 3, 2, 1

WEC LMP1: 30, 24, 20, 16, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2

GP3: 25, 20, 15, 10, 7, 5, 3, 2, 1

Formula V8 3.5: 20, 15, 10, 8, 6, 4, 3, 2, 1

Super Formula: 20, 15, 10, 8, 6, 4, 3, 2, 1

WEC LMP2: 20, 16, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2

WTCC: 15, 12, 10, 7, 5, 3, 2, 1

DTM: 15, 12, 10, 7, 5, 3, 2, 1

Super GT: 15, 12, 10, 7, 5, 3, 2, 1

NASCAR [Cup]: 15, 12, 10, 7, 5, 3, 2, 1

Indy Lights: 15, 12, 10, 7, 5, 3, 2, 1

Supercars: 13, 11, 9, 6, 4, 3, 2, 1

IMSA Prototypes: 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2
National FIA F4: 12, 10, 7, 5, 3, 2, 1

National F3: 10, 7, 5, 3, 1

Formula Renault Eurocup, ALPS, NEC: 10, 7, 5, 3, 1

Formula Mazda: 10, 7, 5, 3, 1

NASCAR Xfinity, Trucks: 10, 7, 5, 3, 1

Asian/ELMS prototype: 10, 8, 6, 4, 2

WEC GTE Pro: 10, 8, 6, 4, 2

WEC GTE Am: 10, 8, 6, 4, 2

IMSA GTLM: 10, 8, 6, 4, 2

International GT3 series: 6, 4, 2

Formula Academy (FFSA): 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

CIK-FIA world karting championships (senior): 4, 3, 2, 1

CIK-FIA continental karting championships (senior): 4, 3, 2, 1

CIK-FIA world karting championships (junior): 3, 2, 1

CIK-FIA continental karting championships (junior): 3, 2, 1

The FIA will introduce a new single-make Formula 3 in 2019 for cars producing 350bhp.

As revealed by Autosport recently, the governing body's F3 European championship will make way for a new FIA Formula 3 International championship, as voted for on Thursday by the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC).

The WMSC stated that expressions of interest are invited to tender for the chassis manufacturer, the engine supplier and a promoter.

The grid will be limited to 24 cars, comprising eight teams running three cars each.

The calendar will consist of nine or 10 events, with two races—rather than the existing three of the European championship - per weekend.

Testing, meanwhile, will be “limited and regulated.”

The FIA also revealed plans for its regional F3 concept.

Like Formula 4, this is open to multiple chassis and engines, but with each championship featuring a single supply of chassis, engines and tires. The power-output target is 220-240bhp.

NASCAR team Premium Motorsports owner Jay Robinson announced that the company has acquired all assets from Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR). The acquisition includes Baldwin’s entire Monster Energy NASCAR Cup series inventory including everything from the team’s race vehicles to the equipment.

The acquisition also includes the trucks that were leased by TBR to the #52 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Team.

The purchase was made to assist and enable Premium Motorsports in growing a bigger and stronger Monster Energy NASCAR Cup and Camping World Truck Series operation in 2018, according to Premium Motorsports.

International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) officials have announced that Michelin will become the Official Tire of IMSA in its premier series, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and its two major challenge series, beginning in 2019.

The multi-year agreement calls for Michelin tires to be on every Prototype and GT Daytona race car competing in the WeatherTech Championship in addition to its continued participation in the GT Le Mans class. The GTLM class will continue to be open to multiple tire manufacturers.

The 2019 IMSA Michelin SportsCar Challenge will feature the Grand Sport class for cars built to international GT4 specifications and Touring Car for TCR-spec race cars. The IMSA Prototype Challenge Presented by Mazda, featuring LMP3 race cars, will also ride on Michelins.

As the Official Tire of IMSA, the WeatherTech Championship, IMSA Michelin SportsCar Challenge and IMSA Prototype Challenge, Michelin also becomes the entitlement partner of the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup beginning in 2019.

Doug Auld, the former publisher of Sprint Car & Midget Magazine, announced that the publication and the associated assets have been sold to Turn 3 Media, LLC.

Turn 3 Media—whose portfolio consists of SPEED SPORT Magazine, multiple digital platforms and Suzuki Presents SPEED SPORT television program on MAVTV—will seek to expand Sprint Car & Midget Magazine into the digital space with an all-new website, active social media and video productions, while continuing to serve the traditional print subscribers and advertisers, according to Turn 3 Media.

Auld will stay on with the magazine to assist with the transition and provide consultative and editorial services to Turn 3 Media.

Marylaurel Eberhart, Esq. of Apollo Sports & Entertainment Law Group consulted on the transaction.

Eberhart is general counsel for Turn 3 Media, LLC and represents a variety of sports clients including motorsports properties, sports facilities, sanctioning bodies, race teams, entrepreneurs, and media companies.

The National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame (NMARHoF) recently announced the class of eight inductees for 2017.

(In alphabetical order) Dick Atkins, Roy Bowe, Bill Chennault, Tommy Copp, Bill Eldridge, Burt Foland, Drew Fornoro and Arnie Knepper will each be honored on Friday, January 12 during the annual Chili Bowl Nationals week at the Tulsa (Okla.) State Fairgrounds Expo.

The 32nd annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl presented by General Tire takes place January 9-13, 2018 at the Tulsa Expo Raceway in Tulsa, Okalhoma.

For short biographies on each inductee, visit here.

Power Test Inc., a dynamometer and custom test stand manufacturer, recently completed the transaction to acquire SuperFlow Technologies and Hicklin Engineering.

Power Test CEO Alan Petelinsek will be working closely with the former owner and now General Manager Scott Giles in Des Moines, Iowa, along with SuperFlow Division Manager Dave Arsenault in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The combined dynamometer experience of these three men alone exceeds 120 years and a multitude of economic cycles.

Power Test, of Sussex, Wisconsin, specializes in heavy-duty engine and chassis dynamometers designed principally for the diesel-powered equipment industry and also provides custom test stands for the hydraulic component and powertrain industries.

In 2002, Power Test acquired Stuska Dynamometer and, in 2006, also acquired Aidco transmission testing equipment and hydraulic test stands.  

The addition of SuperFlow Technologies adds several distinct product groups to the portfolio:

• Hicklin Inc., a 45-year-old heavy duty transmission test stand innovator
• SuperFlow Dynamometers, a 45-year-old industry leader in flow benches and engine and chassis dynamometers that include the DTS product line founded by Dave Arsenault
• Axiline Precision Products, a 60-year-old automotive transmission test stand leader
• TCRS-Torque Converter Rebuild Systems, a 30-year-old business specializing in automotive torque converter rebuilding and testing

The combined product groups of Power Test now span the spectrum from single cylinder gas engine-powered vehicles and equipment through diesel-and gaseous-fueled equipment, vehicles, and vessels producing up to 10,000 horsepower.

“Now with our combined strength, we can ensure continued job creation and exciting advancement opportunities for our people,” Power Test President Pat Koppa said. “Our great employees are vital to fuel our growth and support our ever-increasing worldwide customer base.”